33mpg is my GSA Broke

[tommygun]

To get 45-50mpg you need to be in top gear for most of your trip, as soon as you start using the lower gears on a regular basis fuel consumption plummets.

How would you explain my noticeable increase in mpg in the Alps? That is all 2nd/3rd gear twisties.

Motorway riding is frugal at the 70mph mark. As soon as you hover around the 85-90, it goes off the charts. Throw a set of not very aerodynamic panniers into the fold, and it gets even worse.

 

[Shep]

How would you explain my noticeable increase in mpg in the Alps? That is all 2nd/3rd gear twisties.

Motorway riding is frugal at the 70mph mark. As soon as you hover around the 85-90, it goes off the charts. Throw a set of not very aerodynamic panniers into the fold, and it gets even worse.

You got your sums wrong or lost a fuel receipt

 

[(RIP) Miff]

How would you explain my noticeable increase in mpg in the Alps? That is all 2nd/3rd gear twisties.

You were going down hill.

 

[tommygun]

Ok. Let me phrase it differently...

Doing Alpine twisties is more economical than a straight run at 95mph.

 

[Packer]

I dont like to hang about and do like a traffic light sprint,

That says it all.

Quarter ton motorcycle plus Tosser, conservatively lets say 110Kgs with riding kit on, accelerating hard from lights, maximum throttle in low gear maybe 3-4 mpg. Then hard on the brakes for the next set of lights and burn off all the kinetic energy bought with petrol through the brakes. Your acceleration graph will look a bit like this ^ so between lights you may average about 6-8 mpg.

The bike's actually doing quite well to average 30+ isn't it?

 

[Balders1450]

When I tour I try to keep it around 4000 revs and get up to 55mpg, when you go higher in the rev range it drinks fuel!


Ever noticed you get more mpg in Europe compared to the UK even when riding the same....

We always get about 10% more mpg.....UK fuel is not as good!

Could it be a higher octane than the shite we normally use?

don't argue the toss, try it next time you go to Europe!

 

[Brian ROSEN]

We discussed this before!

When I tour I try to keep it around 4000 revs and get up to 55mpg, when you go higher in the rev range it drinks fuel!


Ever noticed you get more mpg in Europe compared to the UK even when riding the same....

We always get about 10% more mpg.....UK fuel is not as good!

Could it be a higher octane than the shite we normally use?

don't argue the toss, try it next time you go to Europe!

There really is no mystery about this; The density of traffic has a huge bearing on your petrol consumption, whether on a bike or in a car. I live in Vienne, a town about 30 km South of Lyon. If I go to lunch with someone in Lyon I hardly need to alter the throttle from N. of Vienne until I enter tLyon. Then it is straight to my destination, bike on the pavement outside and that's it. And perhaps an important point is that motorists are pleased (yes, really) to get out of your way and not impede your progress, whether in town or on the autoroute;
So what do I get to the gallon? Or to be more correct, how many litres do I use per 100 kms? Not a clue! I know that it varies so much depending on my speed and acceleration - and whatever I have to spend on petrol it isn't going to matter much. The depreciation of the bike is the main running cost.

 

[cookie]

my 07 GSA never drops below 45mpg on the computer whatever i'm doing and is normally 47ish when touring. never seen 50 over any distance. random brim to brim checks confirm the display is reasonably accurate.

i do a lot of two up riding and rarely do dawdling

if you're really getting 33mpg, either your bike has a problem or you are some kind of stunt rider

 

[autogs]

35 litres when filling up,you must be pushing the ruddy thing to every petrol station

 

[davidblythe]

last few mpgs calculated by gas chubby since 19 sep

all mpg
40.3, 40.0, 36.1, 37.0, 35.2, 37.5. 37.7, 35.2, 33.4

litres put in 34, 35, 35.45, 35.75, 35.77,34.46, 35.08, 36.52, 34.99

 

[Stretchamus]

35 litres when filling up,you must be pushing the ruddy thing to every petrol station

They do hold 37 litres

 

[luckylucian]

How would you explain my noticeable increase in mpg in the Alps? That is all 2nd/3rd gear twisties.

Motorway riding is frugal at the 70mph mark. As soon as you hover around the 85-90, it goes off the charts. Throw a set of not very aerodynamic panniers into the fold, and it gets even worse.

Its true, 90-100mph thrash to the alps on motorways, 35-37mpg, in low gears pinning throttle open in each gear when in the Alps gave 45mpg. I think its the aerodynamics that suck the fuel at speed not the high revs

 

[autogs]

They do hold 37 litres

no they dont,usable fuel capacity,approx 33l,reserve,ie when last bar on guage shows,approx 4 l until empty,so total cap approx 33l,not 33l plus 4,unless i cant read of course,and i havent been actully filling my last 2 gsa s every time ive filled up

 

[Mr K]

How would you explain my noticeable increase in mpg in the Alps? That is all 2nd/3rd gear twisties.

Motorway riding is frugal at the 70mph mark. As soon as you hover around the 85-90, it goes off the charts. Throw a set of not very aerodynamic panniers into the fold, and it gets even worse.

Half of the Alps is downhill.

 

[Mr K]

Ok. Let me phrase it differently...

Doing Alpine twisties is more economical than a straight run at 95mph.

You have the throttle open all the time at 95. In the twisties you're constantly opening and closing it.

 

[Mr K]

When I tour I try to keep it around 4000 revs and get up to 55mpg, when you go higher in the rev range it drinks fuel!


Ever noticed you get more mpg in Europe compared to the UK even when riding the same....

We always get about 10% more mpg.....UK fuel is not as good!

Could it be a higher octane than the shite we normally use?

don't argue the toss, try it next time you go to Europe!

Greater distances between junctions and less time stationary.

 

[Stretchamus]

,unless i cant read of course,actully filling my last 2

Section 10, page 150, 2010 owners manual:-

Usable fuel capacity approx 33 litres. Reserve fuel approx 4 litres.

The first time I filled mine with over 35 litres of fuel I thought the petrol station was robbing me through their calibration being out, so we all make mistakes

Also in terms of fuel gauges on GSA's you might as well not be able to read

Best regards Stretch

 

[autogs]

yes i know where the fuel capacty info is in the man thanks,ive run my previous bike down to 6 miles to empty,its guage has always been no bother and boringly accurate,and still only got 33.2 in it!

still i spose its just like other things in life,everyone elses seems bigger than mine

 

[gs1150]

I get 50mpg - 60mpg from my yr 2000 1150gs.If one is getting 33mpg perhaps the ecu needs a fiddle or th e fuel settings altered. I have found that since removing the cat the mpg has gone up dramatically. I can now get 260 miles from a 22 litre tank whereas before with the cat she wouldn't get past 180 miles from the same tank...........and that's doing motorway riding at 70mph!

 

[Dellis]

Gas Chubby - have you got the units set to imperial gallons or US gallons?

Alps or any altitude riding produces better fuel returns because the bike adjusts the mixture to get the correct burn. Less oxygen = less fuel required.

Dave