This is just wrong

[RykerUSA]

I have a 2015 St Limited with about 13,000 miles on it. This summer I've done a great deal of Interstate driving and I am amazed that this 100 horsepower v twin cannot get any better than 28 to 30 miles per gallon. What went wrong in the design of this vehicle? My 247 horsepower Kia Optima gets better gas mileage then my spyder. That's just wrong.

[PaladinLV]

Next time take your Kia!

AJ

I have a 2015 St Limited with about 13,000 miles on it. This summer I've done a great deal of Interstate driving and I am amazed that this 100 horsepower v twin cannot get any better than 28 to 30 miles per gallon. What went wrong in the design of this vehicle? My 247 horsepower Kia Optima gets better gas mileage then my spyder. That's just wrong.

[SPYD3R]

it's all about Revolutions Per Minute.... & compression ratio's, & gearing, etc etc etc...
at 70 mph your V-twin is spinning upwards of 7000 rpm;s while your Kia is spinning about less than half that...
every othe revolution consumes fuel... so even tho your V-Twin has 2 cylinders and the Kia has 4, you are still burning more fuel...
you could change the gear-ratio on your SPYD3R to get better mpg, but you would sacrifice performance...
let me suggest that you go out and trade the V-Twin for a 1330... much better mpg... and more fun as well...
SPYD3R

[robmorg]

it's all about Revolutions Per Minute.... & compression ratio's, & gearing, etc etc etc...
at 70 mph your V-twin is spinning upwards of 7000 rpm;s while your Kia is spinning about less than half that...
every othe revolution consumes fuel... so even tho your V-Twin has 2 cylinders and the Kia has 4, you are still burning more fuel...
you could change the gear-ratio on your SPYD3R to get better mpg, but you would sacrifice performance...
let me suggest that you go out and trade the V-Twin for a 1330... much better mpg... and more fun as well...
SPYD3R

I was with you ALL they way up until you said "...and more fun as well". We're all entitled to our opinion, but in my OWN humble opinion. no Spyder can be more fun to ride than a high revving V-twin ST. Too bad it's had such a short life in the Spyder family. If I had a 2015 ST Limited, I would NOT be trading it in. I'd hold on to that baby.

[SPYD3R]

I was with you ALL they way up until you said "...and more fun as well". We're all entitled to our opinion, but in my OWN humble opinion. no Spyder can be more fun to ride than a high revving V-twin ST. Too bad it's had such a short life in the Spyder family. If I had a 2015 ST Limited, I would NOT be trading it in. I'd hold on to that baby.

like you said, it's all about OPINIONS....
i've done a couple X-country rides on my RS 990 V-Twin, and at 75 mph it's SCREAMING IN MY EARS....
a couple X-country rides on my F-3 1330 in-line 3, and it is far more comfortable on my ears... and i do enjoy getting an additional 10 mpg out of the 1330.....
so you ride yours, and i'll ride mine, and we'll both be HAPPY.....
SPYD3R

[WA5VHU]

My 2013 RS sport motorcycle that's all loaded down like a RT-wannabee will still run performance circles around my wife's 2014 RTL delivery truck. No comparison. With her at full throttle she can't keep up with me off the line, unless I go full throttle from a stop and sit there smoking the tire. When I twist the grip I go. When she gives her grip a twist the RT thinks about it for a while.

If you don't like the noise, wear earplugs - I do whether I am on my RS or her RT. I like to hear other things in life...

Really Big Butt(Medium).jpg

[robmorg]

i've done a couple X-country rides on my RS 990 V-Twin, and at 75 mph it's SCREAMING IN MY EARS....
a couple X-country rides on my F-3 1330 in-line 3, and it is far more comfortable on my ears...
SPYD3R

Well, now THAT (and the fuel economy) may be valid reasons for trading up to a 1330 F3. But not because it is "more fun".

[RykerUSA]

I think I have just solved my mileage issue with my St Limited. I have just replace my stock antenna with a stubby antenna and I'm sure that will reduce the wind resistance. That should certainly get me up to about 40 miles to the gallon where I want to be. All is good.

[Chupaca]

Love my V-twin 998 with the last of the 106 hp's and the average 33 mpg's... But to each his own...

[ARtraveler]

I have had the pleasure of owning four V twins (a 2008 GS, a 2009 RS) Both were decked out to the nines with equipment to make them more heavy. This was pre-RT--so I made my own.

Both the 2010 and the 2011 RT's got the same mileage for us.

We always found our mileage to be in the 28 to 31 bracket on the V twins. Okay for me. I drove them for the fun and not the mpg's.

The 1330 does get about 39 consistently for me.

[bscrive]

When my wife had her ST Limited she would have to stop for gas, literally, twice as much as me. I drive a 2014 Honda Valkyrie 1800. Her STL was a hog on gas. It only got about 26 mpg on a good day. Now that she has her 2015 F3S, we stop for gas at the same time and she will use about a litre more than me on each fill up. Huge improvement over the STL. She says that she would never go back. She says her F3 is waaaaayyyyyy more fun than her old RS and STL.

Trade the pig in.

[Trbayth]

it's all about Revolutions Per Minute.... & compression ratio's, & gearing, etc etc etc...
at 70 mph your V-twin is spinning upwards of 7000 rpm;s while your Kia is spinning about less than half that...
every othe revolution consumes fuel... so even tho your V-Twin has 2 cylinders and the Kia has 4, you are still burning more fuel...
you could change the gear-ratio on your SPYD3R to get better mpg, but you would sacrifice performance...
let me suggest that you go out and trade the V-Twin for a 1330... much better mpg... and more fun as well...
SPYD3R

If you're turning 7K at 70mph you're in the wrong gear.

[Fat Baxter]

I think aerodynamics also have something to do with it. The RTs are about as aerodynamic as a barn door. Mine gets rattled by semis on two-lane roads. It's also a bit bouncy when passing semis on the interstate (and yes, I have Ron's swaybar!). My old BMW RT sliced right through such wind disturbances (and got about 44 mpg).

[Motorcycledave]

I have been riding motorcycles since I was 14 I am now 74 and NOT once have I cared
what kind of mileage I get, I did not buy any of my machines for milage I bought then for
FUN as long as I can make it to the next gas station all is good.... if not I always have a
reserve gas container I take when I'm not sure.... if you are looking for super gas mileage
get a Chevy Volt.
Ride Safe
Dave

[greatrides]

I think its funny that the v twins are not consistent on gas mileage. I had a 2012 rs se5 and it got around 28 mpg. I put 35,000 miles on it with little change in mileage. My 2014 sts se5 would get anywhere from 33 to 35 mpg. The rs had the better motor and would run circles around the STS!! But the new f3 sm6 is amazing...I love it!!

[garageguy]

I'm with Dave, it's the fun and the kind of riding you do that makes the difference. Gas mileage is just not that important to me. As far as fun factor, I'll take the ST over the RT any day, esp. in the twisties. But for long interstate rides the RT can't be beat.

[SPYD3R]

Well, now THAT (and the fuel economy) may be valid reasons for trading up to a 1330 F3. But not because it is "more fun".

YES, Rob.... it is MORE FUN.... to me... again: OPINION....
If you haven't ridden a 1330 a substantial amount of miles, you wouldn't know... i have... i put 60K on my V-Twin and now have 28K on my F-3 and i'm here to tell you that the 1330 is far and above MORE FUN than i've ever had on my V-Twin....
SPYD3R

[Kwalsh]

No matter what mileage I get its better and more fun to ride then it is to drive my brand new pickup

[robmorg]

YES, Rob.... it is MORE FUN.... to me... again: OPINION....
If you haven't ridden a 1330 a substantial amount of miles, you wouldn't know... i have... i put 60K on my V-Twin and now have 28K on my F-3 and i'm here to tell you that the 1330 is far and above MORE FUN than i've ever had on my V-Twin....
SPYD3R

This is a silly argument. That's why I gave you the double wink.

They're ALL fun. Which Spyder is "more fun" is strictly subjective, regardless of the number of miles you've ridden on any one of them. You simply cannot say categorically that a 1330 is "more fun" then a 998, ...or that an F3 is "more fun" than an ST. . We could take opposing sides to that argument all day long, and we'd BOTH be wrong.

[Bob Denman]

30 mpg seems to be a reasonable and normal fuel mileage for the 998s...
And the `1330s can easily reach 38 mpg.
You have just about three choices:
Accept the mileage that you get with your ST...
Buy a 1330...
Or sell you Spyder, and do something else.

Nobody can tell you what to do: it's your decision.

[cuznjohn]

what i don't understand, is why do some people worry so much about mileage. with me, if it is the car or a bike, if i like it, i don't worry about it.

[RykerUSA]

One more thing I forgot to add. To get that poor gas mileage, I have to use premium gas and that gives me gas.

[Bob Denman]

You don't have to run 91 in it...

It'll just have a bit less power, and use a bit more fuel; that's all!
If you look around the motor vehicle World today: a lot of vehicles are specifying 91 octane now.

[ruralgirl]

.... When I twist the grip I go. When she gives her grip a twist the RT thinks about it for a while.

Wow, that surprises me. My RT-S says YES MA'AM!! when I twist the grip, and takes off like a Quarter Horse. Today, in fact, I came up behind some sort of huge bike at a stop sign. He took off fast, sounding like a 747 and rattling the windows of every farmhouse within a half mile, while I comparatively silently took off right behind him and probably could've passed him.