Gas Mileage

[swuziq]

How many miles should I be able to go before filling up? (miles I should be able to get on a tank of gas)
AND
What kind of gas mileage is everyone getting?
I just got my Spyder RTS SE5 a week ago today and it doesn't seem to get really good gas mileage. It is new 2012. I now have 514 miles on it and will be getting the 600 mile service soon. Does it just need to get more broken in??

[Huntindawg1962]

It will get better with time and miles. I refill about 125-140 miles which means I am getting somewhere between 25 and 30mpg.

[schnauzermom]

I have the same model, purchased in March. I got around 25mpg. Went on 2500 mile trip 2 wks ago and was getting around 30, even got a 35mpg. I now have 3800 miles on bike and back to riding back and forth to work, still getting around 25-27.

[Ride Master]

How many miles should I be able to go before filling up? (miles I should be able to get on a tank of gas)
AND
What kind of gas mileage is everyone getting?
I just got my Spyder RTS SE5 a week ago today and it doesn't seem to get really good gas mileage. It is new 2012. I now have 514 miles on it and will be getting the 600 mile service soon. Does it just need to get more broken in??

Depends on how I drive it. A lot of twisties at max speed, full throttle on strait-aways I get 24 mpg

very few twisties at low to moderate speeds no full throttle I get 37 mpg.
Freeway cutting lanes, full throttle often, 80-95 mph I get 24 mpg. I have a 2012 RT with 3000 miles
Mileage was identical on my 2010 RT

[Jeriatric]

Without the trailer in 102 degree temps I've gotten as high as 40 mpg....not the norm. Pulling the RT622 at 80 mph in 105 degree temps, w/ a head wind. I've gotten as low as 17.

Cross reference the combination of your fuel gage and miles ridden once you have some miles under your belt and it'll all start to make sense.

There are lots of variables to how much mileage.

[swuziq]

Wow. I got so much better with my Harley Softail! You would think it would be better mileage than that.. Well, I got 156 miles on the bike from the last fill up when I filled up this afternoon.. I got 26.31 mpg. Do you think it is because you run it at such high rpms compared to the Harleys? My Corolla gets better than that... Oh well... I still love my Spyder and enjoy the heck out of riding it!!
Now to do something about the heat on my feet and ankles...

[Jeriatric]

Wow. I got so much better with my Harley Softail! You would think it would be better mileage than that.. Well, I got 156 miles on the bike from the last fill up when I filled up this afternoon.. I got 26.31 mpg. Do you think it is because you run it at such high rpms compared to the Harleys? My Corolla gets better than that... Oh well... I still love my Spyder and enjoy the heck out of riding it!!
Now to do something about the heat on my feet and ankles...

More tires on the ground now, wider stance, etc. The Spyder is very happy if it's running between 5 & 6 K. Your mileage will improve.

Good luck with the heat on the feet.

[revjvegas]

I get about 12 mpg average.


Oh wait, that's in my truck...25 mpg on the Spyder and only at 400 or so miles, so not even broken in yet. Getting around 30 or better later on will be nice.

[NancysToy]

Wow. I got so much better with my Harley Softail! You would think it would be better mileage than that.. Well, I got 156 miles on the bike from the last fill up when I filled up this afternoon.. I got 26.31 mpg. Do you think it is because you run it at such high rpms compared to the Harleys? My Corolla gets better than that... Oh well... I still love my Spyder and enjoy the heck out of riding it!!
Now to do something about the heat on my feet and ankles...

This isn't your HD...or any other 2-wheeler. It has a huge frontal area and is aerodynamically filthy, with its exposed suspension. At 55 mph, 50% of your power is used in fighting wind resistance alone...not to mention the needs of friction, gravity, and acceleration. At 75 mph the number is much higher. Drag is a logarithmic function, it increases as the square of the speed, so at twice the speed it takes four times the power to overcome.

A typical RT gets around 30 mpg at reasonable highway speeds when broken in. Some get more, some get less. It depends on the speed, the rider, the altitude, carrying a passenger, towing a trailer, and the fuel supply. My 2011 RT has gotten an average of 28.0 over 21,000 miles. Yours seems to be quite normal. Your tank holds 6.0 gallons, and the fuel light comes on near 1.4 left. At 30 mpg that would be 138 miles to the light and 180 miles to bone dry. At 25 mpg, it means 115 to the light and 150 to a hike.

[Pennyrick]

Yeah... what Scotty said.

[JJW SpyderRider]

How many miles should I be able to go before filling up? (miles I should be able to get on a tank of gas)
AND
What kind of gas mileage is everyone getting?
I just got my Spyder RTS SE5 a week ago today and it doesn't seem to get really good gas mileage. It is new 2012. I now have 514 miles on it and will be getting the 600 mile service soon. Does it just need to get more broken in??

I suspect you bought your RT from Loves Part Motor Sports? Did they tell you it would get 40 mpg? I was there once when I heard them tell a customer that he would get 40 mpg.

If interested, we have a local riding club, your welcome to join us on our rides. PM if you would like more information.

[swuziq]

Thank you all for the info. Sure helps a lot! And yes I did get my Spyder at Lovesl Park Motor Sports. No they didn't tell me 40 mpg. I thought they said around 30??
i didn't know we had a local riding club. Might have to check it out sometime.. Pretty busy riding with my husband and friends... Thanks so much!

[ARtraveler]

As Scotty said: average 30, some get more, some get less. Currently I am one of the high ones averaging 34 mpg. There were a couple threads that addressed this information in a little more detail about a week ago.

[Huntindawg1962]

Wow. I got so much better with my Harley Softail! You would think it would be better mileage than that.. Well, I got 156 miles on the bike from the last fill up when I filled up this afternoon.. I got 26.31 mpg. Do you think it is because you run it at such high rpms compared to the Harleys? My Corolla gets better than that... Oh well... I still love my Spyder and enjoy the heck out of riding it!!
Now to do something about the heat on my feet and ankles...

Actually, I was pretty unimpressed with what ALL the H-D's are listed as getting when I was looking for a new one. Only one model that they are touting in that range. I would have thought that they all would have been closer or at 50+.

[Bob Denman]

Yeah... what Scotty said.

I average 34 mpg with my Rt; but I just poke along slow and easy!

[bmwlarry]

My mileage is 27 to 39. That said, I am always surprised that folks have bought the bike without researching things like gas mileage. I have to say I probably knew as much about the bike b4 buying than any other purchase I ever made. Yes, I would love better miles but it is what it was said to be!