Too many MPG's

[yamadave]

Few weeks back, went for a 220 mile ride with a meetup club I joined. With a full tank of non-ethanol gas, I reset the display for my average MPG's. It was a mellow ride, with one of the guys on his pokey Ural (w sidecar) easy going up and down Vermont back roads. I couldn't beleive, my final MPG was 59.2 ! Just me on the bike (188 lbs) and left the hardbags off at home. Anyone else impressed with their MPG's?

 

[Craigar]

Fill up your tank and then get the true read out. I'm positive it will differ considerably from the cpu read out. Just like you have a 1/2 tank of gas and then 75 miles you are showing it's low! But you have a newer model, perhaps they have made strides in the past decade. To your point, you will achieve decent mileage when you keep your throttle to a minimum. But you gotta love running Regular in the tank.

 

[Bugnatr]

I'd be embarrassed if I got that mpg on a FJR

JSNS

 

[RossKean]

The only times I have seen consistently more than maybe 52 honestly measured MPG was alky-free gas and modest riding at over 8000 ft. elevation. I can sometimes get over 300 miles on a tank but it is rarely much fun (50 mph on back roads, no stopping, hills or using brakes).

 

[HotRodZilla]

I get mileage like that when in ride with my Harley friends and stay with them. I'm gonna ride with some tomorrow, and they can meet me at the intersections!

 

[OldernYZer]

Rode from Prescott to Jerome and back via 89A and got 48.

 

[Old Guy]

I rode with a friend to Washington and Oregon a couple of weeks ago and got over 55 on three tanks. He was riding a Goldwing, and the rides in those states were two-lane, at the speed limit rides. I've also gotten well down into the 30s -- that tends to be more fun but harder on tires.

Edit:

I should have said that's virtually all on E10.

 

[NMRoadRunner]

At 5500' I get around 52MPG pretty regularly riding kinda fast. Ride down to the low lands of Texas it can drop down to the high 30's. Elevation has a lot to do with gas mileage and resultant loss of power. Thinner air mixes with less fuel. The new HD's are getting 50mpg around here too. Don't know about ethanol free gas, I don't think I've ever run any.

 

[hppants]

Agree with NM re: elevation increases the mileage significantly, more so on the Gen III v/s the Gen I.

I changed the OEM plugs at 30,000 miles and the mileage went up about 3 mpg, other factors being equal. Original plugs were a good color and only 0.005" opened gap from the factory setting. Go figure....

 

[mech 1 twa]

Ethanol fuel will reduce fuel mileage.. .. It has less BTU s Needs much more to make the same power as gas.

Do your own research.

FJR can get this kind of mileage. HARD to go that slow all day. At 220-240 I'm looking for gas soon depends???

 

[RossKean]

It takes around 1.5 gallons of ethanol for the energy equivalent of 1 gallon of gasoline.

But, since the alky gas is only 10% ethyl alcohol, the actual energy difference is only a couple of percent. There may be other factors that affect mileage but in terms of energy content (BTU/gal), the difference amounts to less than 1 MPG between regular gasoline and 10% alcohol.