Gas mileage?

[markjenn]

Bingo, It does have a lot to do with altitude. I'm at 753ft above sea level and getting an average 40mpg. Higher elevation 5000 + I get about 50 - 52mpg. Thinner air = less oxygen = less gas mixture = less gas used = (less horse power).

I can't dispute your data, but the idea that higher altitudes automatically result in higher mileage because of less gas use in the thinner air is faulty. Yes, the air is thinner, but to get the same amount of power, the engine has to ingest more of it to make the same horsepower so to maintain the same speeds, the rider opens the throttle more. If the FI system is working as it should, the amount of actual fuel used is the same for any given level of horespower. Now if you hold the same throttle settings at altitude as you would at sea level and slow down, yes, that would result in better gas mileage, but few riders do this.

There is a very slight advantage in that aero drag is reduced at elevation, but for reasonable elevations, the effect is pretty small (about 5% less aero drag 5K feet at typical highway speeds) and would be almost impossible to see in one's mileage unless you kept very careful records over long periods of time.

- Mark

 

[14kmtnman]

On a round trip to Taos NM a couple of weekends ago, pushing xxx several times for some distance, I averaged 51 mpg. Almost 700 miles total. That is even doing 40-50 miles on dirt roads. No ECU Flash yet. Riding in town my mileage drops to around 48. I'm very happy with the mileage I'm getting. Same as my KLR with 3 times the power ::013::

 

[ThreePutt]

I just rode 5000 miles home 2 up, mpg was mixed. In Canada, respecting their speed limits except an the Cassiar, mpg was great, around 45. Once I hit Montana and cracked it you to 85+ the rpm jumped to over 4k in 6th and mpg dropped to a disappointing 31.

 

[HDFlyer76]

I just rode 5000 miles home 2 up, mpg was mixed. In Canada, respecting their speed limits except an the Cassiar, mpg was great, around 45. Once I hit Montana and cracked it you to 85+ the rpm jumped to over 4k in 6th and mpg dropped to a disappointing 31.

Glad to hear your report on gas mileage. I thought I was the only one not getting great gas mileage. However, since I ride hard and at speeds similar to your report (85+) my 31-32 MPG must be about right. I've always wondered how people get so great mileage. Ride the bike and ride it hard! Gas is cheap compared to the fun the Super Tenere can produce.


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[eipi]

I went on an approximately 200 mile ride the other day, back roads, a little hilly, lots of twisties...My trip computer read 60.7 mpg for the trip. I verified it was right at 60 mpg when I filled up. I regularly get over 45 riding around town, and I am always in the high 50's (this time 60) on any ride on the back roads. Anybody else getting this ridiculously high gas mileage? I am wondering if I got lucky and just broke the engine in perfectly or something. I do keep it at fairly low rpm...

Mike

 

[pretbek]

For a second there I was concerned about the extra cost of my first ever vehicle needing high octane gas.
Then I grabbed a calculator:

Assume 11k miles per year (my average)
Assume 37 mpg (lowball guess but probably close for me)

Gas use per year: 11000 / 37 = 297 gallons

Difference in price between 87 and 91 octane gas where I live: $0.33

Additional cost running 91 octane in stead of 87 octane gas, per year: 297 * $0.33 = $98. ...I think I can afford that. ::012::

 

[switchback]

USA 37mpg in winter, 40-42 in summer @ 4200 ft. Mileage doesn't fluctuate much. Never saw anything above 45.

 

[Leopard_125]

::013::
Just got back from a week in Colo. 2 up, full bags 40-47 mpg for the trip.

 

[mk744]

I just completed a 1200 mile trip. We rode over various terrain, all roads types. stop and go traffic along the coast through the amazing mountain passes at 6,000 feet and over the high desert opened up. I got home and my average for the trip was 49.5 on the ST computer. I was very impressed with the mileage for being loaded up and running various speeds for 300 mile days past 5.

 

[satdishes]

Couple hundred spirited miles Sunday, 29 mpg.

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[Don in Lodi]

Couple hundred spirited miles Sunday, 29 mpg.

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??? ???

 

[2daMax]

Couple hundred spirited miles Sunday, 29 mpg.

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There is more than 1 gear on this bike

 

[satdishes]

Used all the gears to the max

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[BadNews]

I got 52.75 mpg out of my last tank. 2015 non-ES, mostly highway mileage (not backroads) a combination of straight and curvy roads. I'm happy! ::001::

 

[mrpete64]

I get, on average, 50 mpg all around riding. Not bad for a heavy bike that goes....fast!

 

[hojo in sc]

I'm averaging 43 with mainly commuting to and from work on the freeway. One thing no one is indicating; bags. I have saddle bags and a top box on the bike (Jesse).

 

[Checkswrecks]

I've found that bags are far secondary to right wrist in mileage. I've always wanted to develop a curve which plots speed over mpg, because it'd be a heck of an upward curve at the low-mpg end. (yes, engineer geek) Constantly accelerating with frequent speed changes goes through gas, too.

 

[aage]

I usually drive like an old lady and I get btw 42 and 55 mpg ( about 4.2 to 5.5 liters / 100km )

 

[TomZ]

Indicated gas mileage on my 2015 ST is usually 3 to 4 mpg (US) higher than the actual mileage calculated from miles ridden and gallons refilled. On my 2012 the indicated mileage was more like 1 mpg high. Is this difference typical for the Gen. 2 bikes?

 

[Checkswrecks]

You got me curious, so below is real data from my mx & fuel log grouped by type.


Calculated Indicated


46.7 50.9 Commuting
49.0 51.9 Commuting
48.35 51.3 Commuting
48.33 Commuting

46.94 51.1 Commuting
48.24 51.6 Commuting


43.8 Backroads
31.85 32.7 Backroads



38.4 Towing trailer
42.3 Towing trailer
40.6 41.0 Towing trailer
43.2 45.9 Towing trailer
31.9 32.8 Fast highway with trailer