I've gotten 40-43 mpg on the new one. Was a bit surprised it wasn't any better as I got 38-42 on the old 1st gen, with lower gearing and a power commander squirting extra fuel.
Fuel efficiency of the FJR
- Thread starter JimRisch
- Start date
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wheatonFJR
...
^^^^Break-in period lower mileage??
ionbeam
2 FUN
Give it a chance to break-in, say someplace the far side of 10k miles and get out of the city 
It took >5k miles before my FJR started to show signs of really getting sorted out. More correctly, it's run-in, letting the parts heat cycle and mate together.
It took >5k miles before my FJR started to show signs of really getting sorted out. More correctly, it's run-in, letting the parts heat cycle and mate together.
Bill Lumberg
Merica
After only 2K miles, and with more frequent avg mileage resets, I'm averaging 38-45 overall.
El Toro Joe
FYYFF
If it's a higher mpg commuter your looking for, the FJR is probably not the bike for you. If I was looking for something to ride back and forth to work to save money on gas, I'd probably look at a small dual sport. I got my FJR because I loved the bike itself, for what it is. The mileage per gallon is not a factor for me. It's know different than my car...if I ride it hard, the mileage is gonna go down. The fun factor far out weighs the cost to do so.
Meh...
if you are willing to sacrifice the acceleration fun factor for a few Emm Pee Gees, why not just go full utilitarian castration and get one of them Toyoter Pryussies? Those things get way better mileage than nearly any motorcycle and keep you comfartably warm and dry in the bargain. And you can be sure they will keep your EKG unstimulated
Take the above with a few grains of sodium chloride substitute. I've never (been able to) commute on 2 wheels a day in my life. Seems when they give you a company car they expect you'll be in it for bidness.
if you are willing to sacrifice the acceleration fun factor for a few Emm Pee Gees, why not just go full utilitarian castration and get one of them Toyoter Pryussies? Those things get way better mileage than nearly any motorcycle and keep you comfartably warm and dry in the bargain. And you can be sure they will keep your EKG unstimulated
Take the above with a few grains of sodium chloride substitute. I've never (been able to) commute on 2 wheels a day in my life. Seems when they give you a company car they expect you'll be in it for bidness.
OldButNotDead (sockpuppet)
Squashed Sockpuppet
If you factor in tires, oil, gas and various other maintenance factors, commuting on a motorcycle like an FJR probably isn't anywhere near as cost effective than a small beater used car. Even a throw away used bike that you ride until it self destructs would probably have tough competition from a throw away used car. An FJR commuter is like using a race horse to plow fields.
As far as a Prius goes, on mileage alone, my FJR will get consistently between 45-50 depending on ...... whatever. My Prius gets between 40 and 44 on anything but long haul trips and then it will get 48-50.
Top_Speed1
Panama Canal Crosser
Trying to remember who said "whoever owns an FJR would never own a Prius!"
Hmmm.
Anywho, I've never had the urge to commute by bike. For one thing, I'd probably just play hooky and keep on going! Like who wants to stop the fun, especially with work as a destination! 'NS
Hmmm.
Anywho, I've never had the urge to commute by bike. For one thing, I'd probably just play hooky and keep on going! Like who wants to stop the fun, especially with work as a destination! 'NS
roger dodger
Well-known member
Fuel cost is NOT the biggest factor in any vehicle.
Purchase price, depreciation, tires and oil, repairs (and/or accidents) , FARKLES, all add up to more than the cost of gas. YMMV
Ride more, worry less (I like the mpg readout, but I was happier without it) (About 44 mpg)
Purchase price, depreciation, tires and oil, repairs (and/or accidents) , FARKLES, all add up to more than the cost of gas. YMMV
Ride more, worry less (I like the mpg readout, but I was happier without it) (About 44 mpg)
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dcarver
Well-known member
500 dollar Honda Accord Lxi = 33 mpg.
Multiple thousands of dollar fjr1300 = 35 mpg.
Hmmm.
damn good thing the Phun Factor is much higher on the fjr!
Multiple thousands of dollar fjr1300 = 35 mpg.
Hmmm.
damn good thing the Phun Factor is much higher on the fjr!
hppants
Well-known member
My '05 can get as high as 47-48 mpg, but I'd much rather ride it when it's doing 41-ish.
I'm intrigued by the "high altitude = higher fuel mileage" phenomenon. Would that be because the ECU is throttling the injectors way back to compensate for what the MAF (or similar) sensor is reading - less dense air? Guess that results in way less power from the motor too.
I'm intrigued by the "high altitude = higher fuel mileage" phenomenon. Would that be because the ECU is throttling the injectors way back to compensate for what the MAF (or similar) sensor is reading - less dense air? Guess that results in way less power from the motor too.
ionbeam
2 FUN
Ding, winner! To the mileage statement and the "high altitude" speculation.My '05 can get as high as 47-48 mpg, but I'd much rather ride it when it's doing 41-ish.
I'm intrigued by the "high altitude = higher fuel mileage" phenomenon. Would that be because the ECU is throttling the injectors way back to compensate for what the MAF (or similar) sensor is reading - less dense air? Guess that results in way less power from the motor too.
I believe it has to do with changes in decreases in air resistance relative to engine performance. The two (and/or other variable like volumetric efficiency) change at different rates given altitude. I know altitude reduces horsepower by 3.5% per 1000 feet altitude for sure.My '05 can get as high as 47-48 mpg, but I'd much rather ride it when it's doing 41-ish.
I'm intrigued by the "high altitude = higher fuel mileage" phenomenon. Would that be because the ECU is throttling the injectors way back to compensate for what the MAF (or similar) sensor is reading - less dense air? Guess that results in way less power from the motor too.
My highest speeds achieved as well as highest mileage have been at higher elevations.
As I post this though....what ionbeam says.
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wheatonFJR
...
The only thing I wanted from my FJR was fun. If it got regular mpg readings in the low 30s I might not love it so much...but it doesn't.
The FJR was my purpose built transport to anywhere I wanted to ride, usually many states away from my home. The fact that I have learned since 2004 that it also goes fast on curvy roads is a bonus for me.
I never bought it as a commuter, nor have I used it as such. If that's all I wanted from it, I never would have purchased it in the first place.
It has cost me thousands of dollars since I purchased my first one.
It has taken me places I always wanted to go to, but had never been...
...that to me is priceless.
The FJR was my purpose built transport to anywhere I wanted to ride, usually many states away from my home. The fact that I have learned since 2004 that it also goes fast on curvy roads is a bonus for me.
I never bought it as a commuter, nor have I used it as such. If that's all I wanted from it, I never would have purchased it in the first place.
It has cost me thousands of dollars since I purchased my first one.
It has taken me places I always wanted to go to, but had never been...
...that to me is priceless.
So... What's your FPG (Fun Per Gallon) then?
And why the hell doesn't my fancy shmancy 2014 FJR ES have an FPG meter on it?
I think we should start a recall campaign! This is a serious oversight and Yamaha should provide a fix immediately.
The NHFA (National Highway Fun Association) should have a great deal of interest in making this right.
I can't gauge how much fun I'm having without an FPG meter!
And why the hell doesn't my fancy shmancy 2014 FJR ES have an FPG meter on it?
I think we should start a recall campaign! This is a serious oversight and Yamaha should provide a fix immediately.
The NHFA (National Highway Fun Association) should have a great deal of interest in making this right.
I can't gauge how much fun I'm having without an FPG meter!
ShawnKing2
Well-known member
HotRodZilla
GOD BLESS AMERICA
I don't know what you'd consider "way less power," but that's not the case. There's a definate difference between riding here at 5-6 thousand feet than sea level, but unless your looking for it, I don't know that you'd realize it happened. They still haul ass just fine up here.My '05 can get as high as 47-48 mpg, but I'd much rather ride it when it's doing 41-ish.
I'm intrigued by the "high altitude = higher fuel mileage" phenomenon. Would that be because the ECU is throttling the injectors way back to compensate for what the MAF (or similar) sensor is reading - less dense air? Guess that results in way less power from the motor too.
FWIW, at low or high altitude, I get about the same mileage running long fast straights. It's when the twisties are added in that mileage gets higher. I think that even with sometimes higher revs, we're still running lower speeds against less wind resistance, and get better mileage. This bike hates the wind as even a slight headwind causes significant decreases in mileage.
wheatonFJR
...
...so a larger windshield is known to affect mileage.
OldButNotDead (sockpuppet)
Squashed Sockpuppet
Not sure what you mean in your comment on twisties. The twisties I see here in the East, at least what most of us call twisties, are much tighter than what I saw in NM. It is not uncommon to run them in 3rd or even 2d with lots of wick twisting. In my experience that has always led to a significant drop in mileage.
Again, here in the east, I start at about 600ft AMSL and go to maybe 5500 ft but average somewhere around 2000 ft. I do see a gain in mileage at altitude but it is hard for me accept the air resistance argument. I'd have to see some numbers as to what the difference is between 600 and 2000 ft. Just doesn't seem like it would be that much. As you said, wind is a totally different ball game. I ride with my windshield down almost all the time and I can feel the difference with it up. When there is a head wind, I really feel it. As far power/speed goes, we don't have a lot of places to do a scientific type comparison, but on the two Feejers I've owned, it can get scary fast at any altitude.
2000 feet isn't enough elevation to cause much of a difference. Spend a few days tooling around averaging 5k feet or more and you'll be amazed at the mpg difference with no change in right hand action. I had always chalked up the reports of 45-50 mpg as urban legend or old grandpas that babied the throttle. Nothing that I did with my old '05 would let it crack the 42 mpg level, until we took the bike out west to SD, WY and MT last summer. The same bike magically began delivering 45-48 mpg with absolutely no change in how powerful it felt. Unfortunately, what goes up must come down, and when we did, so did the mileage.
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