Reply With Quotei think you're in the ballpark with your MPG. my 9-lightning consistently gets low 50's on average and i've flirted with 60 but i ride gently. my 12-Uly on average is about 10% less mileage but i ride it a tad harder.
I am in my fifth riding season and I have never gotten less than 50mpg @65mph on my 12. I have read where the XB/HD motors need a break in time of 5k miles before the good mileage comes around. But if you ride 75mph on the highway and above then you will probably never see that.
i think you're in the ballpark with your MPG. my 9-lightning consistently gets low 50's on average and i've flirted with 60 but i ride gently. my 12-Uly on average is about 10% less mileage but i ride it a tad harder.
My 12s never drops below 45mpg. If I do a lot of highway riding, I get around 50mpg. I do pull the clutch or grab neutral and coast whenever I can though. Just a habit I picked up from driving a manual tranny car all the time. I think goosing it at low RPM's is what kills mileage, just a theory though.
70 to 85 mph (with occasional burst up to 90)MPG usually have a specific speed associated with them. 55-65 is generally the "best" MPG speed for cars, probably true for bikes too especially since our drag increases with speed unless we lay on the tank. Anytime you mix in some stop n go (ie: LA freeways) or even occasional 90mph acceleration you will significantly affect your MPG.But if you ride 75mph on the highway and above then you will probably never see that.
In fact, according to this little chart Calculator if the vehicle is rated at 65mpg @ 55mph, then at 80mph the bike will be getting about 45mpg. This chart is based on cars, I imagine the drag ratio for a bike is probably higher depending on how the rider sits.
Short description of speed vs MPG
I usually get about 45mpg on my '07 12ss. I commute 45 miles one way mostly interstate running 80mph. I crouch down and forward just enough to keep the wind from pulling me away from the handlebars.
It feels like the drag goes up exponentially when I go faster than 70. Huge difference between 70 and 80...
On a straight hwy trip between 65-70 mph I pull between 55 and 60. With the occasional burst of speed. I don't really notice much difference in late season riding with our awesome WI winter gas.
Mine drops down to 45mpg when averaging 75mph or higher. Keeping it around 70mph gives me 50-52mpg. And 60-65mph cruising will get me 55-60mpg. It's really hard to stay 60-65. Bruiser seems to be happiest around 3200 rpm = 70 mph. Highest mileage I've ever had was 67 mpg and that was putzing around in the rain.
Raz
one tank with the fuel lights on is about 120 for me, so i average about 40 miles flat to a gallon. it is still 16mpg better than my car.
I'm getting 175 to 180 miles on a tank. 06 Ss.
176????????!!?!?!?!!??!??! oh wait, its an SS so you have a bigger fuel frame than me.
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