Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech MPG

Ok here goes, as per the conversation in another thread how many miles per gallon are you averaging. Be honest and list any modifications,and riding style.
I'll go first

50+ mpg
Freak kit, modified stock pipes,Nology Coils and Wires, moderate to fast rider.
Mountainous region.
Mikemm03

Red Devil
158,42,1 shim,freak,vacuum port drilled,stock pipes modded
Are we ridin' yet?

42+mpg
Airbox mod,moderate to fast rider.
Fairly flat regoin.
130,42,Thruxton needles,no shims,Unifilter drilled.
Thunderbike Pipes.

Removed AI
Removed snorkel
Nology Coils and Wires
18T Sprocket
Fishtail pipes (with two baffles each)
Stock jest/needles (haven't ever done anything with the carbs)

Mixed flats, hills and a mountian.
Average elevation 189'

Average In-Town 43 mpg (depending on how long I am sitting and idling in traffic)
Average Highway 52 mpg (depending on my mood)

Soren

Stock, no snork, 18t, pushing a Clearview:

commuting and heavy winds it gets as low as 35.

On the Canada trip (3500 miles) I was getting 48.

51 to 48 mpg. AI removed.18T sprocket. Stock pipes with the last baffle plate removed. Moderate driver

Mike what sprocket are you running? I wonder if your coils are helping the milage somehow...

Lucky to get above 40 MPG altho I haven't done the math on a long day lately. I know I got about 50 riding with the group in CT but we were taking it easy.

Freak, 155's (last milage test was with 160s), TBS needles, no shims, stock pilots, 18T. WFO on my back roads, more sensible on highways.

You want it, you got it.
'03 Speedmaster
16" JCW slip-ons, otherwise stock
Been riding since 1971, pretty good at it
Heavy hand, though
City riding, always leave lights hard, 26-35MPG
Highway riding, steady 6000RPM in fifth, 33MPG
Haven't tried nursing it yet

45 mixed and 50 highway
freak, 160's, one shim, tbike pipes

Frank

Strictly stock except AI removed.

I consistently get 41 MPG in combined driving. It is 26 miles round-trip, to work, on one of the most aggravating stop-and-go highways in Birmingham, AL.

We dhould include weight into this...

So far the guys with the freak getting 50 mpg are well under 200 lbs. You too frank?

I weigh about 175 (havent stepped on a scale in years).
I should also mention that my highway cruising is usually around 4500 rpm or so.

Soren

but you don't have the freak... Still I think weight has a lot to do with it. I mean if you add up bike, rider, gas, etc with someone who weights 180, add 70 lbs to get to a 250 lb rider (me), you're talkin a 10% increase in weight. That'll nip that milage in the bud, won't it?

I weigh 160 lbs. and ride 2-up with my wife about 35% of the time (290 combined). I have a 17" Clearview SS replacement, 18T, AI & snorkel removed, 128/42 jets and SS exhausts. I consistantly get 133-138 around town and 140-145 on the highway (solo). I have never gotten over 145 under any riding condition during my 4000 miles. I'm a moderate rider and my around town traffic is a lot of stop and go.

I weigh 275lbs & have a Freak. I have been getting about 40mpg in mixed city/hwy riding. My best tank was 45mpg & the worst I've got is 35mpg but that was 120 miles into a steady 25mph headwind loaded for a long weekend.

I just installed an 18 tooth sprocket, so I am curious to see how much it improves my milage.

hey benny, i run anywhere from 185-190 depending on if i miss days at the gym

Frank

See I've still got 60 pounds on ya. I'm beginning to think that is the major factor in the MPG here...

On an 05 Speedmaster, I hit reserve at around 135 miles, almost like clockwork. (I'd call that at 40 MPG, based upon a typical 3.X gallon fill up.) I'm a svelte 240 lbs, and still running a stock setup at around one month into ownership with a roadster windscreen. I do believe I'm running a 16 tooth front sprocket. My 1500 miles of ownership are mostly rural and very often into the gearbox so far, perhaps at 1/2 the time with my wife or one of my daughters as a passenger. I'm waiting on delivery of some 130 jets, an air filter, and an 18 tooth sprocket, and hope to make time to remove the AI & ventilate the air box and synch and adjust carbs etc., when we get back from vacation around the 16th. With any luck, I may be able to up the MPGs a bit after some modifications.

FWIW, with the AI still on and drawing vacuum, one pipe is yellowing, and the other is not. I'd want to believe the factory carb setup is less than equal at this point.

03 Speedmaster (Yellow, of course)
Around 40 mpg.
Mostly suburban riding with lots of lights and stop signs.
All Minnesota gasoline is 10% ethanol, except for rare special pumps designated for boats, RVs and bikes. Ethanol degrades both power and mileage. Superamerica and BP have consistently better gas. Holiday gas is often bad and makes my bike run rough.
800 ft altitude.
Freak, Staintune pipes, 150/45 jets, stock needles, 1 shim, standard plugs, 18t.
I weigh 225 - 230 lbs.
Medium to heavy twist on the throttle, but I never lift the front tire or smoke the back.

Cody

It does sound like weight plays a significant factor in milage.

Me: about 250 and a heavy throttle hand

Bike: 03 SM
140 mains
Drilled airbox
Wrapped TOR longs
17-tooth sprocket

Milage -- about 30mpg (reserve between 110 and 120)

--Jaeger

I'm not so sure about the weight thing. I weighed 207 when I bought my TBA and this was right after a kidney transplant. I have gained 80lbs plus in 4 years (enjoying the good life too much) and I got around 40mpg then and the same now combined city and highway. I have only taken 2 baffles out of the pipes, and the air injection removed. If you figure the gross weight limit, according to the manual, is supposed to be 400lbs, it shouldn't make that much difference unless you are over 400lbs and then carry a passenger and luggage. I would also think the 18 and 19 tooth sprocket would get better mileage??

My experience was that the milage dropped about 5 mpg going from stock to larger jets, open airbox and new exhausts. The 18T sprocket didn't make any noticeable difference in city mileage but made a slight increase 2-3 on highway mileage due to staying in high gear for long periods.

but benny even with my girlfriend on the back i am still close to 50 on the highway and never drop under 40 on wondy roads riding a bit spirited

Frank

I can probably get 50 on the highway by myself, and do about 40 on back roads by myself now... I think a major factor in my milage too is that I don't ride it for long stretches unless I'm on a long trip. Lots of cold starts/warming up, lots of traffic, stopping, starting, etc. Sucks up gas... Next time I take a long run I'll keep better track of the milage.

Yeah, I think there are numerous factors involved. Riding style, highway vs city, performance mods, weight, wind, tire pressure, terrain. That is probably why we get so many varied mpgs reports when this is brought up.

So far, my worst has been 43 and best was 57. Normal is 46 - 52.

My mileage used to be between 40 and 45 mpg for the first 500 miles and then after the first oil change it dropped to 35 - 40. I would think with the synthetic oil it would have improved. I think the change may be because I am riding faster now. Almost all my miles are freeway and I used to cruise at an indicated 70mph and now I cruise at an indicated 80 mph. Still, for a bone stock bike it seems a little low. Could it still be breaking in? I know my car took a few thousand miles before it's mileage maximized.

Did the experiment this week with interesting results. My trip to work is 50 miles each way so I fill the tank every day (or day and a half if I am feeling lazy). I made the trip a couple of times crusing at an idicated speed of between 65 and 70 mph and when I filled up I calculated 45 mpg. I did the same trip a couple other times cruising at an indicated 75 to 80(+) mph and when I filled up, my mileage dropped to 35 mpg. Very interesting, I wouldn't have thought that 10 miles per hour would have made such a dramatic difference in my fuel economy. Well, at least now I know, and now I cruise at 70 mph

Interesting data, jedrake. Guess that explains why my milage sucks! Heheh.

--Jaeger

I got my best milage riding to Daytona on the 2-lane highways at 65+ mph which was about 44 mpg. I came home all interstate at 75+ mph with no stop and go and dropped 5 mpg. It was a surprise to me.

42 mpg

AI removed, snorkel removed, airbox drilled, K&N single filter, Triumph long offroads, 132 main jets, TBS needles, two turns.

I like to run fairly fast and get there quickly so it's probably ok considering it's carrying 250 lbs everywhere it goes.

I weigh 183 and my 26city/33highway MPG is worse than anything I'm reading here, so I think it's more to do with the weight of your throttle hand than anything else.

Just finished 700+ mile plus trip (avg 30-45?) through the mountains of Kentucky and Virginia the about 80 miles on interstate (avg 70mph) to finish the trip. Temperatures were 85-90F.

47 - 49mpg. Loving it!!!

AI and Snorkel removed, 18T sprocket, SpecialtySpares Long Slash exhaust. 195lbs (me)! 7500miles on bike.