RSV Miles per Gallon, Speeds, and Odometer Errors

[V7Goose]

There have been at least three other threads on this subject in the past month or two, but since this is going to be kinda long and detailed, I thought I would start a new one just for my measurements and results.

 

We all know that reported MPG figures for the 2nd gens have been all over the map, from high 20s to mid 50s (don't I wish!). Nobody is really sure what they SHOULD be or how to compare them. I am on the trail to figure that out. My mileage has always been in the mid 30s average (much more detail below) on both of my RSVs over 50,000 miles. I recently checked and properly set the float levels in the carbs on my 05, and this seemed to produce a dramatic increase in fuel economy (about 5 MPG?). But I still have more to do, and I would love to find someone within a couple of hundred miles of DFW that claims to have mileage in the high 40s or even 50+ MPG with whom I could connect and do some comparisons. In the mean time, I have done some very detailed measurements over a 4,000 mile ride, and here is the information that should make it easier to compare our numbers:

 

Stock Speedometer - on the RSV, it indicates approximately 8% higher than actual speed as measured by GPS. This does not really affect fuel mileage calculations, but is important to know when someone states what MPG they get at a particular speed. For example, if they get 33 MPG at 80 MPH, do they mean a REAL 80 (which would be an indicated 87), or are they seeing an indicated 80 (which is actually only about 73 MPH)? In my experience, the difference between 73 MPH and 87 MPH can change fuel economy by close to 10 MPG! So knowing how to compare apples to apples is quite important for us.

 

Stock Odometer - On the RSV, it indicates approximately 4% higher than actual. In my testing, this calculates out to about 2 MPG difference on a typical tank. BUT, if someone has corrected their speedometer with an external device like a Speedohealer or Yellowbox, then their odometer will now read about 4% LOWER than actual, which means that the miles per gallon they calculate for a typical tank will be approximately 3 MPG lower than that exact same fuel consumption on an identical bike with a stock odometer. For example, if I ride 200 miles and fill up with 5.5 gallons, I get 36.4 MPG. But if someone with a corrected speedometer rides the exact same distance (their odometer will show 184 miles) and fills up with the same 5.5 gallons, they will only calculate 33.4 MPG, quite a significant difference, even though we both got identical mileage!

 

SPEEDS - The difference between an actual 55 MPH (indicated 60) and an actual 80 MPH (indicated 87) will make a huge difference in fuel consumption, and any winds will make this difference even much greater. In my experience, a typical RSV can get 42 MPG at 55, and 32 MPG at 80, without factoring in any wind effects.

 

I believe that for comparison purposes, we must all be vary careful to state specifically if we are using stock indicated miles and speeds or a "corrected" miles and speed. Note that in the latter case, the speed would be a true speed, but the miles reported would be approximately 4% low.

 

Now that I have said all that, let me report on the actual measurements I made on the 4,000 mile trip. I am not going to actually report details on EVERY tank of gas unless someone requests it, but I'll give you the summary.

 

I used to get an average of 36 MPG on my 05 RSV, but only about 32 MPG when running around 76 MPH actual (indicated 82). After setting the float levels, this trip started out showing about 35 MPG when running that fast. Ethanol mixes would drop a mile or two from the calculation, as would any significant cross wind or head wind.

For example, my first tank of gas out of Fort Worth took me 206 miles at an indicated speed of about 77 MPH (GPS showed 71 MPH) with a medium cross wind. My calculated mileage (using indicated speeds and distance) for this tank was 35.84 MPG.

 

The next tank took me 154 miles (indicated) at approximately 80 MPH (indicated), but no winds. This tank produced 35.57 MPG.

 

Later in the day I was running around 84 MPH indicated (around 78 actual) and my mileage dropped to around 33 MPG.

When I was riding with the group on day rides at the rally, speeds were staying much lower, of course. The three tanks of gas under those conditions resulted in 45.8, 41.6 and 38.4 MPG.

 

When I left Kitchener, I spent the first day on secondary roads. I was still pushing it pretty good, but the speeds were all over the place since there was a lot of stopping, curves, etc. The next three tanks produced average MPG calculations (using indicated mileage) of 41.4, 39.3 and 37.8 MPG. Friday we got back on the Super Slab, running between 80 and 90 indicated all day long. Average economy was about 32.3 MPG for all tanks.

 

That night, when we got done with dinner and fired up the bike to head back to the hotel, I noticed a pronounced misfire on the left side - the only time I heard this. Other than the misfire at idle, the bike ran fine. The next day the bike seemed to be laboring a little when hard acceleration around 70 MPH, but nothing really significant. The first tank of gas returned typical numbers. Then I had a couple of tanks that looked bad. I was running pretty fast on a divided road that had lights in the towns - probably averaging 85 indicated when out of town, and I got 31.3 MPG. The next tank only got 29.6 MPG! But after that the numbers went back up to the mid 30s and stayed there all the way home. That just shows you how much the numbers can change with little apparent reason! I suspect I had a partially fouled plug for a while, maybe caused by poor gas, but I doubt I will ever know for sure.

 

So there it is, my actual numbers over a 4,000 mile trip with a 2005 RSV running well. I was riding two-up and heavily loaded. It was even worse when I left Kitchener due to the oil and heavy coffee table book I won at the rally and had to add to the load (which also made me add another bag to the top of the rack, increasing wind drag). I still have a couple of things to try to boost the mileage, but frankly, the best thing I can do is slow down! My all-around average used to be around 36 MPG, but now I think it will reasonably be around 40 MPG (due to float levels and tuning). If I can ever find a way to get it higher, I'll sure let y'all know!

Goose

[Sleeperhawk]

V7Goose,

 

I have never gotten close to 200 miles per tank, because when the low fuel light comes on around quarter of a tank and reserve a couple of miles later, I am looking for a gas station, this is usually around 150 miles. Usually takes round 4.1 to 4.5 gallons. I have had it down to 1 bar around 165 and took about 5.1 gallons. All this around 75 to 85 on speedometer.

 

So I guess I just flat don't trust the fuel gage and don't feel like pushing the bike.

 

My question is do you really trust the bike to 200 miles?

[az1103]

Good job! I just wish I had your perseverance!!:happy65:

[flb_78]

Saturday I rode to Lubbock. I fueled up in Amarillo and rode to Lubbock running a speedohealed 75mph. I gassed up and averaged 34mpg. Rode back to Amarillo, I was running 70mph into a strong headwind and only was only getting 21mpg. I had to fuel up again south of Amarillo because I hit reserve. Riding around town and back and forth to work, I normally average 27-28mpg.

[V7Goose]

V7Goose,

 

I have never gotten close to 200 miles per tank, because when the low fuel light comes on around quarter of a tank and reserve a couple of miles later, I am looking for a gas station, this is usually around 150 miles. Usually takes round 4.1 to 4.5 gallons. I have had it down to 1 bar around 165 and took about 5.1 gallons. All this around 75 to 85 on speedometer.

 

So I guess I just flat don't trust the fuel gage and don't feel like pushing the bike.

 

My question is do you really trust the bike to 200 miles?

I find the gauge and reserve to be VERY reliable. By reserve, I mean when the fuel trip meter comes on - I leave the petcock in the reserve position almost all the time.

 

As you have found, when the reserve light/meter first come on, the bike only takes 4.5 gallons. This means our reserve is 1.5 gallons, NOT the 1 gallon stated in the manual. After venting the filler neck, I can easily fill the tank all the way, and I have run it down to near empty many times. Filling with 5.6 - 5.8 gallons is very common for me, and once when I had to really stretch it in the Ozarks on Mother's Day, I did 64 miles on reserve and put in 5.92 gallons!

 

I almost always push the bike at least 25 miles after the light comes on, and I know for a fact I have over 40 miles available on reserve no matter what speed or conditions. The ONLY time I have run out early was when riding steady and straight on a very smooth highway - no sloshing going on at all. Our tank does not have a leveling hose, so if you were to just hold it level and drain it, you would find about half a gallon left in the other side. Under normal riding conditions, stopping, starting and turning cause the gas to slosh back against the lower part of the hump and spill over to the side with the fuel line, allowing you to use virtually all available gas. The one time I mentioned above, I was trying to push it further than I usually do because I was getting better mileage on the tank. It started to sputter at 52 miles into reserve, but all I had to do was weave hard back and forth to slosh the gas around and keep going. Another good trick in the same condition is to hit the brake hard, then pop the clutch to jump forward, causing the gas to rush back in the tank and spill over to the other side.

 

200 miles on a tank for the RSV is a relative number, depending on just how full you filled it and how good your gas mileage is. I find it is very doable under most conditions now that I have the floats set correctly. I usually only focus on how many miles I can go after the reserve meter comes on, and if I slow down to an indicated 60 or less, I can always get at least 60 miles on reserve (but I don't often try to push it past 40). On this last trip, the reserve meter generally came on between 148 and 160 miles into the tank. The bottom line is that I am very comfortable with the accuracy and consistency of my fuel gauge and fuel trip meter. It has been reliable on both of my RSVs and equally so on my brother's RSV when we ride together.

Goose

[Guest tx2sturgis]

By 'floats' your talking about carb synching, I assume.

 

Very good info Goose, and related to what I had posted earlier on another thread. Terrain, winds, and fuel blends, along with average speeds, odometer error, and state of tune, all impact average fuel consumption.

 

I have occasionally seen 175 miles on a tank about the same time I'm looking at the reserve meter, but I've never ridden it much past 10 miles or so before I find a fuel pump. The one time I rode up in the mountains, and speeds were lower, I did see a tank that showed about 47 mpg...amazing to think the bike could go for 270 miles on a tank at that rate. I've NEVER owned a bike that could go past 200 miles per tank. Wonder what that would be like?

 

There are companies that market auxiliary fuel tanks for motorcycles...any Iron Butt Riders on this site ( we DO have a few I'm guessing ) already know about this.

 

I've ordered a SpeedoHealer, but I will calibrating mine to split the difference between odometer error and speedometer error. I'd actually rather have a more accurate odometer. The speedo on these bikes ( gen2) only resolves to 2.5 mph anyway.

 

BTW..on my Ultra, the speedo is one of the Harley Certified Speedometers. I have checked it against the GPS and its within 1 mph at 70 mph. My Venture reads about 75 when actually doing about 70mph. And the odometer seems to be off about the same amount. It was 4 miles OVER when traveling a measured 50 miles on the highway, using milemarkers AND the GPS.

 

 

 

 

[V7Goose]

By 'floats' your talking about carb synching, I assume.

 

Float level is not the same as synching the carbs. It is actually setting the fuel level inside the carburetors. Synching the carbs is changing the air flow through the carbs to all be the same. They do have some interaction, as air flow through a carb will suck more fuel with a higher fuel level in the carb bowl. To get it all right, the fuel levels have to be correct and equal, and all the carbs need to be flowing an equal amount of air.

Goose

[Midrsv]

Good work Goose. On a recent 4050 mile trip to Utah I averaged 31.6 mpg using 128 gallons of gas. My maximum mileage for one tank was 41.8 mpg and the low tank was 22.9 mpg. This was based on a speedo-healed odometer. I've found that my speedometer and odometer were both off 7.5%. On this trip we were loaded fairly heavily and pulling a Unigo trailer. About 1100 miles of the trip was riding 2-up. My typical around town mileage is in the 32 to 34 range with an occaisional 38.

 

DT

[Jethroish]

V7Goose,

 

I have never gotten close to 200 miles per tank, because when the low fuel light comes on around quarter of a tank and reserve a couple of miles later, I am looking for a gas station, this is usually around 150 miles. Usually takes round 4.1 to 4.5 gallons. I have had it down to 1 bar around 165 and took about 5.1 gallons. All this around 75 to 85 on speedometer.

 

So I guess I just flat don't trust the fuel gage and don't feel like pushing the bike.

 

My question is do you really trust the bike to 200 miles?

 

 

My last tank, I was at 203 miles when the light came on. It was 217 when I filled it with 4.1 gallons. That tank had about 100 miles of 75 mph on the interstate and the rest about 60 to 65 mph.

I have checked my speedo with my GPS. Mine oly seems to be off by 5%. At 60 mph indicated, GPS say 57mph. So in the thread I started saying I got 50mpg, that is going by the stock speedo, so in reality, I is probably 47 mpg.

[BradT]

Interesting. I too have found my speedo is out approx 7-8% but on a recent check I noticed the odometer was lower as you stated, to about 3-4%. This surprised me as I thought they would be equally out. I compared these to the GPS.

 

I have hit 200 miles on a tank but only a couple of times but that was running 50-55 Miles per hour on a group ride. I normally get 150 miles when I need to hit reserve, amd can easily run 170 miles. I have only seen the the trip counter come on about three times. This counter came on when the gauge showed one blink.

 

I normally calculate based on a Cdn gallon but as stated the numbers can be all over the place.

 

Again very interesting

 

Brad

[KAWoodworth]

Last Saturday I rode up to the bike week in Gettysburg PA from Herndon VA. Easy on the throttle and on cruise a lot of the time and close to the posted speed limits. When I got home I had 177 miles on the OD (non adjusted) and when I filled up it only took 3.67 gallons and the low fuel light never came on. I do have the holes punched in the filler neck and filled up to the same level in the tank before I left. What ever the gas mileage really is it sure is nice to be able to ride that far and not have to stop for gas along the way. On my previous bike a Honda Shadow Spirit 750 I was always frantically looking for a gas station at a little over 115 miles. Can't say enough about how nice my 07 RSV is!

[jlh3rd]

my stock 07 venture falls right in line with yours...except the best i've ever gotten was 42 mpg in a group ride...........50 mpg at 75 mph ?....i don't believe it....that's like the 20,000 mile rear tire mileage ....righhhhht!

[SaltyDawg]

I find the gauge and reserve to be VERY reliable. By reserve, I mean when the fuel trip meter comes on - I leave the petcock in the reserve position almost all the time.

 

 

I'm glad somebodies is. My fuel trip meter has come on 5 miles before reserve and well after reserve has been hit and NO BARS left on the fuel gauge and anywhere in between. I never count on the fuel trip odo. Nope, I keep the petcock on and move to reserve when she starts to sputter. I also have my cup holder on the right side and most times it has a large McDonalds tea in it and I can't see the gauge. I have put 227 (roughly 217 on GPS) indicated on my Stock ODO with no bars and no fuel trip odo or low fuel light.

 

BTW my speedo is off by 5MPH at 60 and my ODO is off by 5%.

 

I usually get between 42 and 44 MPG according to GPS.

[SaltyDawg]

my stock 07 venture falls right in line with yours...except the best i've ever gotten was 42 mpg in a group ride...........50 mpg at 75 mph ?....i don't believe it....that's like the 20,000 mile rear tire mileage ....righhhhht!

 

 

You know I'm starting to really get offended by people making that remark about rear tire mileage. I have gotten it before and usually get between 18 and 20,000 miles. No I don't ride like a little old lady, but I do maintain my tire pressures. I clutch brake like everybody else. In fact the last set of rear brakes on my bike lasted over 30,000 miles. I say over because I put 30,000 miles on the bike before I changed them and I bought the bike used. they still had 1/8 of an inch on the pads.

 

I am getting ready to order my 3rd rear tire since getting this bike. There is probably another 1,000 to 1,500 miles left on it but I am taking a trip to Northern Virginia and then the trip to Asheville and I don't take chances like that with a well worn tire riding 2 up in the mountains. I put new tires on this bike immediately after buying it and have put 37,600 miles on the bike since I bought it 18 months ago. Now if I have done my math right that averages to 18,800 miles a tire. Not counting the mileage that might be left on this tire.

 

Two reasons that I might get more miles out of a rear tire is:

1. I live on the Eastern Seaboard and don't have hills, mountains, or a lot of twisties.

2. I use the Michelin Commanders.

 

Never got more than 10,000 miles out of any other rear tire manufacture, usually only 8,000 on my first RSV. Dunlop, Bridgestone, Continental, or Avons.

 

So just because you don't get that mileage doesn't mean that those who do are making it up.

 

[RSTDinPA]

Lately, in my area, I have passed by a number of roadside "radar speed indicators" You know the ones that simply show you how fast you are going. I am always clocked within 1-3 mph of what my speedometer says I am doing, regardless of speed. Did I just happen to get a pretty accurate speedometer?

[jlh3rd]

i've never run michelins so i can't debate that...i live in the east, check pressures and ride a lot of two up.....i ran dunlops on my electra glide , 402's and one e3...i got 11,000 on the 402's and 13,000 on the e3...which was in the range of 8,000 to 14,000 reported by 99.9% of the readers on harley tech.......except for the elect two who swore they got 22,000 and 24,000 .......i don't know what my 07 venture will get but i bet it's in the norm of what the vast majority report here......i don't care what anyone claims, anyone can claim anything on the internet...but the same tire, run on the same bike, operated the same way...will not!.....get mileage variances of almost 100% !....no...way...

[Freebird]

You know what folks? I believe it. I can't explain it and am always at a loss to explain how one rider in the same area can get 20,000 miles out of a tire while another rider who seems to ride almost the same way is lucky to get 10,000 but....I've seen it reported by folks that I trust and respect 100%. I've never gotten 20,000 out of a rear. About 12,000-14,000 seems to be about my limit and I'm happy with that. I honestly lost track on my Michelin but I think I got about 13,000 miles out of it. Probably would have gone another couple thousand miles but I was leaving on a trip and didn't want to push it. I will say that the Michelin was a very good tire.

 

I would not have hesitated to replace them with another set of Michelins but I had read so many great reports here on the Avons that I wanted to do my own comparisons. I only have about 2,000 miles on the Avons at this time. The only remaining test is how long they last. I am totally impressed with them in regards to handling and how quiet they are. My only complaint EVER with the Michelin was a bit of whine in long sweeping curves. Nothing that really bothered me. They handled GREAT on roads of all types, wet, dry, rough, smooth, didn't matter. The Avons have handled just as well and I have now had a chance to ride them in some heavy rain as well as light rains where the roads are usually pretty slick. I've had no problems at all with them and they are quiet even in the long sweeping curves.

 

So, at this point I rate the Avons as equal to the Michelins for my use. The final test will be whether or not they get close to the same mileage as the Michelins did. Only time will tell. I've never used the Dunlop E3 so can't comment on them. For me though, at this time, the best choice for the RSV is the Avon or the Michelin.

[Squeeze]

I second Freebird's Statement.

 

I've expierenced the same. A Friend of mine virtually seems to use no Tire at all. Even when we ride a larger Trip and i come home with a noticeable Loss of Tire Diameter, his Tires aren't used at all. Once we measured his Tire before/after a 1200 km Run. He had exactly the same Numbers for a 1/10 of a Millimeter when we were back. I just don't get it, but i've seen it with my own Eyes. Also, he has a Lot Less Fuel Consumption than i do.

 

 

It depends a Lot on the riding Style, be it Tires, Fuel Economy or Brake Pad Wear.

[BOO]

my stock 07 venture falls right in line with yours...except the best i've ever gotten was 42 mpg in a group ride...........50 mpg at 75 mph ?....i don't believe it....that's like the 20,000 mile rear tire mileage ....righhhhht!

Believe it or not..... I have over 20,000 miles on my rear tire, probably more like 22K.

I'll go out and look at my records if you like and give you a mileage right down to the tenth. I too have a little problem seeing over 50 MPG but anythings possible.

Jerry

[CrazyHorse]

I wonder if the tire issue is related to weight carried on the motorcycle the more weight the more tread used. I'm just guessing though.

[V7Goose]

Personally, I believe that tire wear is more related to how fast your speed changes (either up or down) which puts stress on the rubber trying to hold firm to the road surface. For example, coasting to a stop will be much easier on a tire than using either the brakes or engine to slow down. Using the front brake exclusively (not recommended) and never down shifting will greatly extend the life of the rear tire. Unfortunately, even if you were to try that, you still have the wear from acceleration. Once again, the faster your speed changes, the more stress you put on the rear tire trying to push the bike forward without losing it's grip. And if it does slip a little, that REALLY speeds up the wear! So the bottom line here is that good clutch technique, with gentle acceleration and easy stopping, coupled with very steady throttle (not rolling it off and on, even slightly) will greatly extend rear tire life. Some folks always seem to be slightly speeding up and slowing down by not being real steady on the throttle - this is true in both cages and bikes, and every change in tire speed against the road will cause some additional wear.

 

Weight on the bike should actually make a tire last longer. If you go to Continental's web site and research tire longevity, you will see that they state that riding two-up or loaded tends to make a tire last longer because the weight reduces the ability of the tire to slip on the road surface even slightly under acceleration, deceleration and cornering.

 

It is truly hard to rely on someone else's tire life to predict your own. It helps when there are a lot of reports from different riders that begin to show a typical life, but there will always be some that make them last longer or shorter. That is why I always state what MY own personal experience has been with this particular bike and tire combination. My tire life may be more or less than yours, but if I regularly get 14,000 out of an Avon and only 10,000 out of a Pirelli and 8,000 out of a Brickstone, you should see a similar pattern - not the miles, just that a Pirelli will probably not last as long for you as an Avon would on the same bike that I ride. And as someone else already noted above, all of the things that affect how fast a tire wears also affects gas mileage the same way!

Goose

[SaltyDawg]

i've never run michelins so i can't debate that...i live in the east, check pressures and ride a lot of two up.....i ran dunlops on my electra glide , 402's and one e3...i got 11,000 on the 402's and 13,000 on the e3...which was in the range of 8,000 to 14,000 reported by 99.9% of the readers on harley tech.......except for the elect two who swore they got 22,000 and 24,000 .......i don't know what my 07 venture will get but i bet it's in the norm of what the vast majority report here......i don't care what anyone claims, anyone can claim anything on the internet...but the same tire, run on the same bike, operated the same way...will not!.....get mileage variances of almost 100% !....no...way...

 

I rarely run 2 up. My wife has her own ride, so if I were to guess how many miles on a tire I ride 2 up is somewhere in the area of 400 miles.

 

You do live in the East but not the Eastern Seaboard, I have been to PA and it's a different riding environment than Eastern North Carolina. I have a good friend who lives in Harrisburg so I know what the area where you live is like. Most streets in that area have more elevation from one end to another than we have here going from one county to another. I'm guessing stopping and starting on inclines tends to wear the tires just a tad more. Just the other day my GPS said I was 32 feet above sea level, I got all excited. Then I realized I was crossing a bridge.

 

I guess we can agree to disagree.

[brainfart]

07 RSV - 35k miles in 14 months.

 

typical commute 100 miles a day at 70-80 mph indicated. was getting 40-43 mpg reliably.

 

last summer trip to Chattoonoga - 2up w/cruise set at 97 mph - 32mpg.

dropped back to 75mph - 40 mpg

 

since last dealer tune-up - only 38mpg commuting.

i just turned the bike back to the dealer for research - with a set of NGK iridium(?) plugs.

we'll see if that changes anything.

 

Tires - have run Bridgestone, Metzler and now Michilin on this thing. so that's about 17k per rear tire.

[V7Goose]

07 RSV - 35k miles in 14 months.

 

typical commute 100 miles a day at 70-80 mph indicated. was getting 40-43 mpg reliably.

 

last summer trip to Chattoonoga - 2up w/cruise set at 97 mph - 32mpg.

dropped back to 75mph - 40 mpg

 

Methinks you got a typo there buddy - you can't set the cruise on an RSV at 97 MPH. Or even 87.

In your dreams, maybe?

Goose

[Royal Venturer]

Methinks you got a typo there buddy - you can't set the cruise on an RSV at 97 MPH. Or even 87.

In your dreams, maybe?

Goose

 

I can set it at 95.......but then it coast back to 85 before the throttle comes back on..