R1150GSA fuel comsumption

[majaem]

Hi Guys,

I would like to find out from other 1150GSA owners about their fuel consumption. I appreciate its about how you ride and the roads you ride on but your thoughts would be helpful.

I filled the tank to the brim on Friday and rode from Newcastle via Alston to the lakes, took in a few of the well known passes (hardknott etc) then onto national speed limit roads to Whitehaven then A69 from Carlisle back to Newcastle. When I got back home i'd done 240miles and the tank was near empty, in fact there were no bars showing on the fuel gauge and the yellow fuel light had been on for quite a while.

So allowing for a little fuel left in the tank I worked out that I averaged between 36-38mpg...............................................

So do you think that is good, bad or average?

Thanks Mark

 

[DrAlf]

Just under average but right ballpark. Do you like pies?

http://www.fuelly.com/motorcycle/bmw/r1150gs

**Facts above are for an R1150GS not GSA - guessing the extra weight and increased drag would account for the reduction in MPG**

 

[Flipfly]

I got about 240 out of mine when brimmed but when I refuelled it only took £30 so still several litres left in the tank even though yellow light was on.

 

[oblertone]

If you drive it like a nun you'll get about 10 miles/litre; however, if you thrash it like a rubber clad ladyboy you'll get about 10 miles/litre, so the choice is yours.

Above based on 7 years ownership of an 1150GSA-SE

 

[Steptoe]

Depends on what gearbox you have fitted. The enduro box fitted to a lot of ADV models is crap for fuel consumption.

In 2009 shapeshifter and myself covered 1500 miles riding back from morocco together, he had the enduro box and i had the high 6th gearbox.
Rob was doing just over 500rpm more at the same speed, at each fill up he put in £5 more fuel. And that was at 2009 prices.

Revs make a huge difference. Riding along with the T.I.T.S on their C90's in morocco on my standard 1150 ( a 30ltr adv tank fitted) and barely exceeding 1500rpm for a few days i covered 364 miles and still had four bars showing on my fuel gauge.
In the end I only filled up because i got fed up waiting around on the garage forecourts while 8 C90's took it in turns to fill their tanks

 

[JonF]

Hi Mark

I get a consistent 42-43 mpg from mine. I use mine to commute to work, so it gets the same use most days, which is Surrey/Sussex border into central London. I make quite a lot of runs down to Brighton for work, and a few other longer runs, when consumption goes down to about 48. I tend to make brisk progress but rarely go over 85, the bike is standard except for a Y piece and it has no panniers. This is measured over the 15,000 miles I've done on the bike over the last year that I've had it. By comparison, before that I did 80k on an R850GS, and that did 46mpg commuting, 50mpg on open roads.

I'd expect a GSA to use a bit more fuel than an R1150GS, partly due to the extra weight and frontal area, but mainly due to lower first and sixth gears.

Sounds like a nice run out, by the way.

Jon

 

[majaem]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the replies. At least it puts my mind at rest that the bikes doing what its supposed to do.

The whole reason for this question was my mate who did the same trip was on a five week old R1200gs lc (not gsa) and he still hadn't had the fuel light come on when I was on fumes plus he has a smaller tank. So either the new LC gs's are superb on fuel economy Or my 1150GSA is crap, hence the question.

Again thanks

Mark

 

[Flipfly]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the replies. At least it puts my mind at rest that the bikes doing what its supposed to do.

The whole reason for this question was my mate who did the same trip was on a five week old R1200gs lc (not gsa) and he still hadn't had the fuel light come on when I was on fumes plus he has a smaller tank. So either the new LC gs's are superb on fuel economy Or my 1150GSA is crap, hence the question.

Again thanks

Mark

Maybe he's smoother with the throttle?

Don't stress it, his bike will have been recycled into PVCu windows long before your 1150

 

[majaem]

Flipfly, I do like your comment about the PVCu windows but im not sure my mate would agree!

Quick photo of both bikes

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[Pete D]

I tend to get high 40s on a reasonable commute (minimum 25 miles each way on A roads). If I am on motorways, progressing...., then I tend to get a bit less..

Having a think about fitting the normal GS box innards at some stage, but then you have to constantly shift between 5th and 6th on A roads..... As ever, it's a balance....

 

[Steptoe]

and he still hadn't had the fuel light come on when I was on fumes plus he has a smaller tank.

Have BMW sorted out the fuel gauge problem on the latest bikes ?.

 

[Ian J Hartley]

Hi Guys,

I would like to find out from other 1150GSA owners about their fuel consumption. I appreciate its about how you ride and the roads you ride on but your thoughts would be helpful.

I filled the tank to the brim on Friday.................

So allowing for a little fuel left in the tank I worked out that I averaged between 36-38mpg...............................................

So do you think that is good, bad or average?

Thanks Mark

The bike fuel gauging is not that accurate, and to get a proper idea of fuel used, you would need to fill the tank to the brim again. This will give you an accurate fuel used for your calculations.

My standard R1150GS twin spark with an R1100GS final drive returns between 48 to 52 mpg, on a mix of roads.

Ian

 

[jeremyj]

My R1150gs twin spark with John's chip 55 + mpg, one day over 60 mpg during a 2,800 mile run

Jeremy

 

[Grizzly]

Seems a Bit Heavy?

Hi Mark,
As you say yourself, it depends how you drive.
On my standard GS with the high 6th gear I would normally expect to get about 240 miles on a run like yours - but that's from a standard tank - so I would say that your consumption is a bit heavy - but depends on rider/roads/traffic as well.

Cheers.................Grizzly

 

[columbus]

If you drive it like a nun you'll get about 10 miles/litre; however, if you thrash it like a rubber clad ladyboy you'll get about 10 miles/litre, so the choice is yours.

Above based on 7 years ownership of an 1150GSA-SE

Owned mine a bit longer and the 10 miles/litre figure is what I always use to figure out how much i'll use on a trip. The longer the run the better the consumption. Also more enjoyment

Don't stress it, his bike will have been recycled into PVCu windows long before your 1150

I'm about to get new windows

Flipfly, I do like your comment about the PVCu windows but im not sure my mate would agree!

Quick photo of both bikes

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Nice pair might need to get one of those to go with the windows and the 1150GSA

 

[mspenz]

Hi Mark,
They are all different it seems. I done a 340 mile round trip a couple of weeks ago and mostly on single track roads but definitely not hanging about (also 2 up), re-fuelled after 235 miles and had 3 bars showing but I wouldn't trust the gauge to be honest.

Done 2600mls around europe in August, totally laden and 2 up and driving like I stole it at times , averaged just over 51mpg!

She does like a little drink of oil now and again though

 

[plrb]

PVC recycling

Wouldn't put one of those in my recycling plants, too contaminated, fit for landfilll only

 

[majaem]

The bike fuel gauging is not that accurate, and to get a proper idea of fuel used, you would need to fill the tank to the brim again. This will give you an accurate fuel used for your calculations.

Ian

The Conclusion is im a complete nugget

With all the comments above, which were greatly appreciated, I decided to go down the exact mathematical route as Ian suggested rather than a "best guesstimate" relying on fuel warning lights and fuel gauges.

I gingerly got my bike out, pointed it in the direction of the garage and as soon as the engine fired up I was off with due haste to my local shell garage expecting the bike to splutter and cough its way as no bars were showing on the fuel gauge and the yellow lights been on way too long. But No problems at all........

Sighed with relief then filled my bike to the brim....... the bill was £29.42 / 23.94 litres or 5.266 gallons....... so the trip was 238 miles using 5.266 gallons so I averaged 45.19MPG which is much better than I thought........... But I also realise now that the fuel gauge doesn't work exactly as I had around 6 litres of fuel left in the tank when no bars showed on the gauge.

Lesson learned and wont panic too much in future!

 

[MikeO]

Strap a gallon can on the rack next time the light comes on and ride it to empty. Having an idea of how far you can go in extremis is useful. My 1150 Adv will do just under 60 miles at 70mph...

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

I ride like a Nun and always get 60mpg


































I aways freewheel down hills, with the engine off................helps a lot