Very low fuel consumption

[Criminal Pilot]

High altitude should be better on gas mileage. Air is less dense at higher altitudes. Less dense air means you need less fuel to obtain the same fuel air ratio. With that said, you'll also experience decreased performance at altitude, but I doubt many of us would notice it.

Fwiw, I'm at 400 feet MSL.

Oops! I meant the other way around, you're right. Sorry!

Anyway, point is, there's quite a few things that can factor into it and I don't really think about my specific MPG too much. I've tried being extremely gentle on it and it only changes it by a small margin.

 

[MidLifeCrisis]

I have all of two tanks on my '08 and both were about 7l/100km (33 mpg) commuting in the streets of Vancouver. It seems much worse than my old KLR650.

For this tank I am riding much more conservatively and hoping for an improvement. I don't know if I can handle the speed! It's way too slow, and cars are passing me - I am having trouble dealing with the shame.

When the weather is a bit better I'm heading for the hills for a long, uninterrupted ride to see if I can get the proper economy. Then I will promptly forget about it and ride it the way it was meant to be ridden - fast!

 

[agf]

Hey MLC I am a 52 yo old rider so that moniker could suit me.
I too was having a freak out that the mileage was less than expected and the best I have had in city driving is about 6.5 l per 100 k. But I did some country runs and got it down to a respectable 4.5 per 100
my worst was about 8 per 100.
I went to the stealership, they said it depends.....
tyre pressure, riding style rev out 1st, 2nd then coast, wring it right out every gear, dont rev more than 2500, type of oil, clean undies, sit in traffic, lane split, time of the month, pillion or not, panniers yes/no...
basically no definitive answer, 'cept city driving(I do 10k's to and from work) gives average consumption and it doesn't change too much if you dawdle or enjoy the ride. But get out in the country and stay in 3rd and up...60-100kms/hr +
the mileage is what you'd expect
btw my '09 fz6n has only about 6500 ks on it
cheers

 

[zackattack784]

Aussie vernacular?

What is specifically Australian when discussing changes in elevation?

Or do you think I must have meant something else, because we hillbillies, here Down Under, so obviously couldn't completely understand words with more than three syllables? (elevation has four, for those playing at home!)

Cor blimey, guv'nor, never have I been so slighted!

Not since the days of living in the ol' blighty, anyway....
LOL!
Cheers,
Rick

Hey, I'm a pilot! When I hear the words high altitude I think of being up in the
clouds! Can't say I've ever heard high altitude to mean going up a hill. On a more serious note, I was under the impression Aussies couldn't understand words with more than four syllables .



:justkidding:

 

[red06]

i would check air filter and spark plugs first, i always have tire pressure thats on the stickers , in 6 th gear around 110 km i get something like 60 mpg ive managed to push 500+ km out of a tank . :BLAA:

 

[MidLifeCrisis]

So, a few tanks later...

city riding is 6.6 l/100 km (35 mpg)

highway (one tank, spirited mountain riding) was 4.7 l/100 km (50 mpg).

I feel much better now.

 

[FinalImpact]

Gears and MPG's

Noodle on this:

At a steady 6000 RPM you get the following speed and in 60 seconds you would travel this many miles. . .

Gear - MPH - Distance
1) _ -27.68 - 0.461
2) _ -40.45 - 0.674
3) _ -50.62 - 0.844
4) _ -59.09 - 0.985
5) _ -66.19 - 1.103
6) _ -72.73 - 1.212


Obviously lingering in those lower gears hurts MPG!

My city ride home gets me high 30's low 40's. Long aggressive rides; 48 to 50 mpg.

Edit: using the stock rear tire profile.

 

[PhotoAl]

Recently have been getting better gas mileage. Used to get 40 to 42 MPG but it has edged up to 43 to 45. Took a 1,200 mile trip a couple of weeks ago and on one tank got 50MPG (3.9 gallons 198 miles), part on I75 in south Georgia and the rest on secondary roads in Georgia and Alabama. Seems like my gauge is reading low at times as I stop when it one bar left and most times will put in less than 4 gallons. Always fill until it is a little way up the filler neck. Did replace a bearing in the rear wheel but it was not that bad, also cleaned and lubed the chain and went to higher tire pressure.

 

[fyrebug]

There might not be anything wrong with your bike OR the way you ride. The issue may be peoples definition of city.

I was getting 33mpg and thinking something was horribly wrong, but if I go on the highway I get high 50's. Every city is different and my family is in a 'city' 2 hours away. to compare their city to Toronto there's ahuge difference in how traffic flows. most days it takes me 45minutes to go 4-5km. THAT will affect MY mpg over someone else that lives in a suburb style city and can do 4-5km in 10 minutes.
it really depends on how packed your driving conditions are. I think many people live in areas where city driving means a more regular flow at a steady 60km/h with red lights stretched out. compare that to a red light every block, and having to duck walk the freaking thing for 20 minutes just to go 10 feet.

 

[Eldberg]

I'm surprised by the high consumtion reported by several people. Now I don't have the faintest idea about miles per gallon or furlongs per fortnight... but my 2004 FZ6 averages 4.5 liters per 100 km when ridden conservatively at 90-120 km/h.

Åke

 

[Poot]

I am surprised at how terrible some MPGs people are getting. I hammer on my all the time and get 50+mpg no matter what.

This last fill up I was around 54mpg.

 

[fyrebug]

again, I doubt it's the bike or the rider that's the variable but the driving conditions.

 

[FinalImpact]

Here is a Snap-Shot as to Why i get low MPG for commuting. . .

Work commute is ~42 mpg typically
Morning = 25 miles in 0.66 hours = 37.5 miles per hour
Evening = 22 miles in 1.00 hour = 22 miles per hour
As stated above; some of this is walking the bike for 2 of the 22 miles In short 22 miles in one HOUR of Park and random Go at speed of about 20 to 35 and PARK again. . .

Gears and MPG's

At a steady 6000 RPM you get the following speed and in 60 seconds you would travel this many miles. . .

Gear - MPH - Distance
1) _ -27.68 - 0.461
2) _ -40.45 - 0.674
3) _ -50.62 - 0.844
4) _ -59.09 - 0.985
5) _ -66.19 - 1.103
6) _ -72.73 - 1.212