Cossi Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 After talking to another XX rider this weekend, I was told that it is easy to get well over 40mpg. I am getting like 36-38mpg. Averaging around 150-160 miles before the light comes on. I was told he has gotten as much as 230 miles to a tank. I am thinking he had to be going SLOW. And he gets 200 to a tank easily. WTH am I doing wrong? What can I do to get better mileage? K&N? Pipes? Not that I am terribly unhappy with the mileage, but, would always like better. I am not a terribly aggressive rider, but I do twist the fun handle pretty good sometimes. Thanks Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceman_40 Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Damn don't ask me I'm lucky to get 100-120Miles before my light comes on. Milage went down hill with K&N and PCIII, it needs a dyno tune. But most of my riding is in town cause I don't feel like riding the dirt highway. I'll be on the highway this weekend and will get a better idea of fuel usage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demon Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 My light usually comes on at 160 as well. I've gotten 180 out of her before on on a few occasions, but 160 is the norm for me. I don't usually put in over 5 gallons when the light first pops on and I don't do a lot of long distance highway riding. I do the short blasts up in the hills which I attribute to my reduced mileage 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB4XX Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 My trip ODO is showing 168 right now as I'm leaving for 42 mile ride to work. Still showing 1/4 tank :wink: Carbed and jetted 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cossi Posted June 29, 2005 Author Share Posted June 29, 2005 My trip ODO is showing 168 right now as I'm leaving for 42 mile ride to work. Still showing 1/4 tank :wink: Â Carbed and jetted 8) :shock: So I am thinking, if I do add the PCII and have it dyno tuned, it may help some, but not tons. And yes I did notice yours is carbed, and mine is FI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demon Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 For some reason, the carbed bikes get better mileage on average than the injected ones do. Guess there is a trade off for the ram air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GriffXX Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Some bikes the light comes on early. 6.3 gal of fuel times 36 mpg (my worst case unless I am doing some serious flogging) equals 227 miles. 210 is safe, so I don't care when the fuel light comes on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartonmd Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 The tradeoff is that Honda made the FI bikes rich at low throttle positions to get away from the abruptness that FI with no computer or vacuum actuated secondary throttle plates. My '97 carb'd, jetted 'bird gets usually 43 commuting (mostly highway) and if I'm JUST on the highway running 75-80 indicated, I get in the neighborhood of 46-48mpg... My low fuel light usually comes on between 190 and 200 miles commuting, and I've put as many as 215 miles on a tank commuting, and the light had just kicked on at 230-ish when I got gas on my trip back home from SeXXt. I do spend a lot of time laying on the tank when I'm doing a bunch of highway (like not commuting). Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cossi Posted June 29, 2005 Author Share Posted June 29, 2005 I forgot to mention the gentleman I spoke with has a 2000 identical to mine, but MUCH dirtier! So I am trying to figure out how he is getting that kind of mileage with an FI bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 I have a carbed model, no changes in intake or exhaust. I get exactly 143m before my light comes on. Hardly any variation, sometimes 145, but not likely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuXXtin Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Out to the last meet, I averaged 32 to 41... 32 with heavy head/side winds, saddles and cruising ~90. 41 with light winds, saddles and cruising ~75 Most the time it was 36 with some gassin and revvin. Yours sounds kinda normal. If you cruise above 85 at all, starts suckin after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azxr Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Does he have a Powercommander? I remember a member from CA that leaned out a certain range on his map. That range coincided with his cruising RPM on the highway. Don't remember the exact increase, but he commuted over 100 a day and it made a difference. I get between 28 and 35 with a -1 countershaft sprocket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaSilverBird Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 this last saturday night I burned about exactly one tank (or one fillup - around 5 gallons) of gas and got only 160 miles out of it. Of course 90% of the riding was tripple digits and maybe a third of that riding was 125+. The fun handle got a lot of attention that night. I usually get close to 200 miles for a 4.5 gallon fillup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxexcess Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 The 160 mile mark is about what i get on my 98 carb i then fill up asap when the light comes on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcticflipper Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 What I 've found on a 2002 FI bird is that the indicator shows empty after +- 300 KM that'll be +- 187.5 Miles BUT I can still push another 62 Miles out while the indicator is flashing?? Now after this, you start to wonder if you will run out on the next bend. but it only takes +- 22 litres to fill up completely? That still leaves me with 1 litre in reserve... And this is after +- 250 Miles... I do know that the FI is set very lean from the factory, and if you are looking for better performance + economy, I will suggest to Dyno the bike - be very sure that they take into account you want better performance and economy. You might loose a bit of top-end, if that matters too you. But you can always adjust this with 1 tooth down on the front sprocket, and a set of aftermarket pipes... I think some birds might have a bit of a uncorrect feul gauge.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmacza Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 On my '97 XX I do on average 280km to the light, and then get another 50Km before she shudders and complains. This is mostly freeway running from Johannesburg to Pretoria (home to work) at 100 to 130 mph (160 to 210 kph) with occasional squirts up to 250+ for fun. Just put a K&N in and there was no noticable difference in economy - the bike hunts a bit at 140 kph tho... might be running lean. B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcticflipper Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 Now why have we never met on the road?? I'm close to the CSIR .. do you drive that route? I've gotten 400 KM out of one 22.2 Litres. That's driving constant 140 KM/h from Kempton on the R21 to PTA I must admit that this also entails changging gears at +- 5000 RPm in every gear, and not pushing the bike at all. It gives me 140 KM/h at +- 4500 RPm? Don't know if this is normal? Well maybe we'll meet on the Highway... Black Blackbird with WMP Carbon Fibre Pipes - Silver and Black Helmet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmacza Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 I work in Nieuw Muckleneuk, close to the Brookly Circle.... Should do a lunch thing sometime - My bird is also black, stock pipes with a dark double-bubble screen. My "usual" riding style is 180+ except where traffic is involved - takes me 35 minutes to do the 80k trip to work in the mornings. The boere don't seem to be able to work out that a BMW 320 police car can't accelerate and catch a blackbird :twisted: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcticflipper Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 Only they would keep on trying.... Got to love it Brooklyn isn't that far off from me, I'm close to CIT Motorcycles, well just around the block close, that'll be a biggish block.... Plese tell me you've dropped the plates.... Well I know that's a stupid thing to say..... doing 180 + you'll surely have no plates... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartonmd Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 you won't notice much of a difference with the carb'd bikes with installing aK&N, but the FI bikes don't seem to like it without a Power Commander... Also, just dynoing your bike won't do anything to help it... You need to get either a jet kit or a Power Commander (depending on carb or FI) THEN do the dyno, because if it's off, the dyno people can't adjust anything without those 2 things... especially on FI models... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squareman357 Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 Had a chance to really test this out during my recent California trip. When running between 90 and 100, we'd get about 160 to 165 miles to reserve light, we'd stop shortly after and usually put between 4.2 and 4.5 gallons in. When running between 75 and 80, we'd get about 195 to 200 miles to reserve light, stopping shortly after and the amounts to fill her back up were roughly the same. My second to last fill up before hitting the Chicago area I hit reserve at 172 miles, had about 15 miles to the next gas station, filled up at 188 miles, and put 5.021 gallons in, and that was the only time in 6000+ miles that I ever put more than 5 gallons in. I have an '02 Bird, Two Brothers cans, stock air filter and no PC3. Speeds were not via speedometer, but via GPS, so I think they are fairly accurate. Indicated speeds were generally 7 to 10 mph higher on the speedo. I think a lot of it is going to depend on state of tune, aftermarket accessories, and running speeds. We both had FI birds (his is a '99) and we didn't notice any variance based on altitude. Generally my light came on before his, often his didn't come on until just before we got off for gas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N1K Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 Had a chance to test this a couple weekends ago. At WORST I get 30 mpg around town. stopping starting like you would with an XX's power. :eyebrows: Gauges show empty at about 150 miles (but that only ends up taking 5 gallons) On the slab cruising at about 100mph I get about 35 mpg. I have the DnD's and my bike runs RICH at low RPM's, I'm sure that my mileage would improve with a pcIII edit: 02 xx 297 pound rider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obby Posted July 7, 2005 Share Posted July 7, 2005 The 160 mile mark is about what i get on my 98 carb i then fill up asap when the light comes on Second that for my '97 jetted bird. 36 mpg tops on freeway 65~80mph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
county Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Recently ran from Memphis to Phoenix (1500 miles) mainly keeping it over 80 and under 100 mph. 38-39 MPG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiXX Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I have a 4-1 yosh exhaust and a PCIII that were on the 03 when purchased. I ride 30 miles to work and since I do the Taxidermy work for most of the cops in the area and my wife is related to the rest I run triple digits alot of the way. Unfortunatley there are only 3 turns in that stretch and one is a 90 banked turn that you can hit at 125+ so I'm not on again off again with the throttle. I rarely see below 40 MPG and hit 185-200 miles with 1-2 bars left on the gauge. If I hit the twisties further south I see 175-185 before the last bar starts flashing. It usually takes 4.2-4.4 gallons to fill her back up. I have no idea how the PCIII is mapped but will be getting it dynoed soon. Brandon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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