gas usage

[speedbyu]

Went for a ride yesterday with some buds and the ride back took the speeds to around 75 to 80. I filled up before the ride back and before I got home (70+ miles) my gas gauge had moved two marks. I figure this is right around two gallons, but is this excessive?
My '01 1500 was the same way, decent enough on gas till I opened the throttle passed 70 mph. My 1600 has the stock air cleaner with V&H baggers and marbled. Would one of the aftermarket fuel processors help?

[cactusjack]

Don't go by the fuel gauge, calculate your gas mileage by dividing miles traveled by gallons used.

A fuel processor is going to add more fuel to the mixture, it is not necessarily going to increase your gas mileage. I average around 42mpg running at 65mph and below. Above 65mph, my mileage decreases noticeably. The speed limits on the freeways in the Phoenix metro area are 65mph. Outside the metro area, they are 75, which really eats the gas.

[lonewolf]

i do notice a drop in mpg when i go over 65mph. if i keep consistent speeds i do better. also depends on how im riding, and who im riding with, tend to get heavy on the throttle at times. dont think a fuel processor is gonna help your mpg. what it does help, for me anyway, is that there is no ping, bike runs cooler, and i can run 87 octane. im running a cobra processor with a chuckster plate, k&n filter. and you can feel the extra power, by letting that puppy breath !! riding it like i stole it i get in the low 30's. behaving myself i get 40.

[macmac]

You would be better off forgetting the gauge is there. It sort of indicates fuel level, but is far from accurate. It's a car thing, fuel gauges are for cars!

Set the trip meter, which I would easily trade for a 2nd trip meter any day. Use that to gauge gas. And that yellow light is something you don't want to see, other than a test once a season. At first flicker you want gas for sure!

If you make it a habit to ride with that yellow light on, you will soon toast the fuel pump which cools in gas! These pumps are not cheap either.

With different set up I have reached as high as 48 mpg's. The current set up is getting me 40+.

More or less, I run all syn oils, and change gear oil at each engine oil change.

I run crash bar covers which seem to effect the mpgs, better with them on than off, strange I know, but it seems true.

I run the TFI, but figure Cobra is as good. I run a version of the Cadman mod, right side only freer flowing air set up. I run V&H baggers and have the ISC's removed, and all of the vac pod (Medusa' Head) crap to run the now missing reed valves all gone. This is what you cut off with the marble basicly.

What ate a few mpgs is my rear Dunlop SP 5000 at pretty close to the stock brickstone size in height.

Either a TFI ir Cobra will get you a cooler running engine, and less stress. IMO these engines are so overly lean from the factory, that they strain to idle. This is working the engine needlessly to simply just idle, not to mention other problems caused by heat and ping.

Another nice thing about a fuel controller is you can run 87 octane, which costs less and has more POWER.

There is a good bet I have apx 10% more power than a stock bike, and tend to get better mpg's. Most of my riding is 2 up making the load just over 300 pounds since we don't ride naked. My boots and jacket weigh rather a lot. My wife boots also weigh a lot (hiking boots)

We bring junk in both saddle bags, and a bigger than trunk carrier leather like box. That junk might total 50 pounds more.

[jandreu]

Mac, You commented that 87 octane has more power. Care to explain that?

Also I have been averaging 35 - 38 MPG, stock setup except debaffle. Mostly stop and go driving. No ping at any load. Changed my fluids yesterday for the first time at 3300 miles [dealer did 600 mile service] and while working under the bike I did notice that the pipes under the heat sheilds are a deep burnt blue already. Have not pulled the plus yet. Always run 93 octane.

Will be installing the Cobra FI and Hypercharger within the next few months.

[speedbyu]

Thanks guys, sounds like it is running normal for the style of riding. Just have to figure maybe stopping a little sooner if we are running a little faster. The only time I ever had trouble with ping was when i bought low octane at a station in St.Louis. Almost immediately at anything past half throttle it would spark knock bad. Stopped as soon as I could and ran a can of octane boost in the tank. Fixed it as quick as it came on.

Bill

[bokobob]

I just get 33 to 37 on premium fuel and fairly easy riding....Unless I absolutely pamper the bike it won't get more than 37,and then only 38 now and again...I try to fill up at the same station and same pump near my house...I try to fill gas to bottom neck of fuel entry area, and then add a little more...Of course, the actual usage requires use of your odometer... Someday might do some of the mods others talk about and use regular fuel and so on...I might need plugs?

[macmac]

yeah sure , High octane fuel slows the burn, so it won't detonate. A slower more even burn creates less bang.

A word on that hyper charger... There is no turbine or anything else in a hyper charger. It can't do anything a big free flow air clean can do. If you just like the look and the dough is no problem go fet it. But it will not get you another pony worth more power than a big air filter kit with a K&N filter.

High octane is required for high compression. Nomad are not all that high a compression, they are too lean.

Both my 01 1500 and the 06 1600 I have now pinged bad with out a fuel modual. Both ran great on 87 octane after that. A Cobra unit is as good as a TFI unit.

[macmac]

Another thing is we all will have deep blue pipes since these are single wall pipes. The blue comes around 600 degrees heat. These colors are used by blacksmiths to gauge heat in steel. It is called the parade of colors.

I run 87 only... get 40+ mpgs.

[ringadingh]

Clean the throttle body with carb cleaner and a toothbrush, and run some Seafoam in the gas once in a while. This will insure that your getting decent mileage. A dirty throttle body will rob you of at least 40 miles to the tank.

[Jared]

Originally Posted by James "Bubba" Andreu

Mac, You commented that 87 octane has more power. Care to explain that?

Also I have been averaging 35 - 38 MPG, stock setup except debaffle. Mostly stop and go driving. No ping at any load. Changed my fluids yesterday for the first time at 3300 miles [dealer did 600 mile service] and while working under the bike I did notice that the pipes under the heat sheilds are a deep burnt blue already. Have not pulled the plus yet. Always run 93 octane.

Will be installing the Cobra FI and Hypercharger within the next few months.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating

[dandantmm]

I'm anal about tracking my gas mileage, so much so that I purchased the Gas Cubby app for my iPhone. I log fill-ups for all my vechicles with it. I just completed a 800+ mile weekend get-a-way on the Nomad and here's the mileage from the tanks of gas.

43.4, 36.0, 39.5, 40.1, 41.1

My bike is basically stock except for baffle mod, which really doesn't help the mileage. The 36 MPG was done on the interstate with a good headwind at 60-65 MPH with rolling hills. The others were done on 2-lane where speeds stayed at 55MPH or below.

I'm happy with anything around 40 MPG and I'm thinking about getting the Cobra rule processor to richen things up a bit and try a lower grade fuel.

[blowndodge]

I have a large diameter truck tire on the rear and my speedo is pretty accurate. Like everyone said if I keep speeds always below 70MPH I can get 40+MPG's. Cruising between 75-80 MPH mileage falls to 36-37MPG's. Speed on these barn doors kills MPG's

[bj31702]

My last fill up bike was saying 36.5 mpg. Calculator figured out at 37.6 mpg with speeds ranging from 25-60 mph with 1400 miles on the bike i guess its breaking in just fine. Its all stock and I soon forget about the extra 10-15 cents per gallon for premium after I start up and pull out of the station :)

[jandreu]

Mac, thanks for the education on octane. Yes, I know about the Hypercharger, have one on my Harley, just like the look. The pipes bluing surprised me, I figured it was due to the lean burn and heat. Have Thuderheaders on the Harley, keep it tuned correctly, and after 40K miles the pipes have no blue at all.