Poor gas mileage 2012 RTL

Rather than hijack an existing thread in the RT Touring forum, I'm opening this one at the risk of being thought a vile cross-poster.

My bike is getting 21mpg. I am not a zoom-zoom rider, mostly because I am still a rank beginner. I weigh 180#, and I usually have a computer backpack (sans computer) in the frunk.

The bike is stock except for the Bajarons swaybar and links I installed. The bike was serviced by the dealer before it went up for sale: rear brake pads, new rear tire, brake fluid flush, oil change, and a "ten-star", whatever that is.

Where do I start?

Have you read the "Do's and Don'ts for new Spyder owners" postings in the general section. If not that would be the first place to start. I also got poor mileage until riding in the manner suggested by that post. I now regularly get 30-31 mpg. My 2012 is stock except for car tires on all three wheels and I don't think that they do anything for mileage.

What are your shift-points?
How about your normal cruising rpm?
How about your tire pressures? nojoke
21 mpg is pretty dang low; something is up. :shocked:
The bike isn't slobbering fuel out of anyplace; is it?
(Purge valve???? :dontknow:)

Did not see the milage on the machine. Many get better with time though new brakes and tire would indicate higher milage. These are high rpm engines and you should always be above 3,400 rpms. Especially if it is a semi automatic. I usually cruise at 6,000 rpms and depending on all variables get as low as 25 mpg's to as high as 40 mpg's but generally average around 33. Once you get used to the machine and its handling you will pick that up to a normal for the RT 28-30 mpg's as I have seen here. Mine being an RS gets better mileage....:dontknow:

Yes, I read through the dos and don'ts thread right after my first ride, and found then that I had been running the engine too slow. Since then, I have been careful to follow the shift point and engine rpm guidelines. I haven't been cruising at 6000 rpm, though. More like 4,500 - 5,200.
I have the front tires at 18.5 psi and the rear at 29 psi.
I have picked up a whiff of gasoline now and then, but there are no visible leaks.
I am using the digital temp & fuel gauges. The analog fuel gauge is way out of calibration.
The machine has 22,400 miles on it.

I have been waiting to get at least 30 mpg.

I have a 2012 RTL and we always ryde 2 up....I usually get app 30 mpg...But,when I see it starting to dip,a bottle of fuel injector cleaner will make a 2 mpg difference...I think the fuel quality leaves a lot to be desired..I also use highest octane available...

Hey Mike, you are spot-on about how to check mileage. I've been resetting the trip odometer at fillup for many years. My OCD gets all riled up if I don't. I also try to use the same pump, and the same time of day if I can.
I haven't had this machine long enough to really understand the effects of the different variables that are in play (octane, ethanol %, attitude, altitude, traffic, weather, gas brand, etc.), but unless the last MPG reading is a low outlier, something is going on.

Not that it has anything to do with mileage, but a very long time ago, I owned a 1975 Datsun B-210 hatchback that would forecast the weather. If it pinged more than usual, it meant that we were headed towards a Santa Ana condition. Cool and damp weather made it purr like a kitten. That car was so ugly, but it was easy to take care of!

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Originally Posted by Stumpy6Guns

Yes, I read through the dos and don'ts thread right after my first ride, and found then that I had been running the engine too slow. Since then, I have been careful to follow the shift point and engine rpm guidelines. I haven't been cruising at 6000 rpm, though. More like 4,500 - 5,200.
I have the front tires at 18.5 psi and the rear at 29 psi.
I have picked up a whiff of gasoline now and then, but there are no visible leaks.
I am using the digital temp & fuel gauges. The analog fuel gauge is way out of calibration.
The machine has 22,400 miles on it.

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You are in the right shift point range for the 998. 4500 - 5500. Whatever gear you are running in--your tach should be in that range. I don't use 5th gear at all unless I am driving over 65 mph. In town at 35 ish--that's first gear. Tire pressures about a # high--but whatever you prefer. Your mpg should be in the 30 mpg range. Maybe do some checking to see if you are losing gas somewhere.

Another suggestion: Fill to the same level each time. For me, its a quarter inch below the fill ring. Takes a couple extra squirts to get it right. Also use the A mileage meter to determine total miles on your tank. I always zero it when I fill up. This way you are using the same paramaters each time you fill up and calculate mpg.

I've driven 340 miles since I bought it, and I haven't checked anything engine-related. I have K&N air filters on my other vehicles, and they all have Amsoil lubricants in them. I already have the oil for the next change, and I'm just waiting to get some more miles on before I change it out. (Amsoil in everything since 1986. Z.O. #339303)

I've been buying 91 octane. Which injector cleaner seems to work the best?

I need to get the service manual for this bike. There are too many things to blunder into if I don't have the manual.
When I got the bike, the front tires were at 21.0 and 21.5; rear at 31. I dropped them to 15 and 28, drove it a while, and then raised them to 18.5 and 29. I'll drop them a pound each and see it how it feels. 15 was mushy and 21.5 was bouncy. 18.5 feels good.

Things to check and fix:

• Air filter
• Fuel lines
• Fuel filter?
• Plugs and wires
• Switch to Amsoil
• Fuel injectors
• BUDS up-to-date?
• Bed-in the brakes. (not for mpg; just needs to be done)

Anything I missed?

Two things in my experience that don't seem to make sense.

Elevation impacts MPG. The higher the elevation, the better the mpg. I got better mpg going over the Rockies on I-70 than I did in Louisiana on I-55.

Looking back at my records my mpg steadily went down from 1000 miles to 25,000 miles. I was getting around 27 to 28 at first but the last several thousand miles I was at about 24.5.

Don't get hung up on mpg at the 400 mile mark. You need to look at mpg over at something like 1000 miles. That way you diminish the impact of differing levels of fill, speeds, and everything else.

To see how it can vary look at the table I posted here for the 2013 RT I had in 2014. http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...ar-gas-mileage

Good advice. I think I'll just wait and see; as my skill level improves, I would expect to see a change in fuel efficiency. Maybe up, maybe down!

28 -29 mpg recently traveling to Americade.

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Originally Posted by IdahoMtnSpyder

Elevation impacts MPG. The higher the elevation, the better the mpg. I got better mpg going over the Rockies on I-70 than I did in Louisiana on I-55.

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Yup! :thumbup: Thinner, less dense air always requires less fuel.
Altitude and temperature: a two-stroke tuner's nightmare... nojoke

I got the manual - it's huge! I agree with your assessment of so-called "gas treatments", injector cleaners, etc. Not much value. However, it is possible to create an immense cloud of smoke by following the Sea-Foam procedure!

Facts don't cease to exist simply because they are ignored.

I use an app on the iPhone called "Gas Tracker" by Fuelly. It's free. I use it to track my milage/fuel on my PHEV (Petrol Hybrid Electric Vehicle). It shows an average of 42 MPG (UK Gallon) and the car is showing 70 MPG when combined with my electric use (21 miles per kWh). It is simple to use and you can register your car / motorcycle and monitor them all.

For reference, electricity is half the price of petrol here and we are paying about USD 6.70 per U.S. Gallon for 95 Octane RON (89/91 Octane in the USA).

Jeff



With Fuelly.com integration, GasTracker+ is the ultimate app for tracking your vehicle gas consumption and mileage. Whether you are an MPG fiend or if you're just intrigued by your driving style, GasTracker+ is the app for you. Not only will GasTracker+ help you log how much gas you have spent, it will also show you how your driving pattern effects your overall MPG. You can track one car alone or all the cars in your garage. Add as many vehicles as you like!

I have an 08 GS SE5 with 27,000 miles on it, and only get about 25 mpg at best. I run it at 6000 rpm range, but only drive around town for the most part. I think that it is much like a car you have a city and highway mileage. I notice that when I do run it on longer highway trips it gets better gas mileage.

I think that you're right. :thumbup: In Town; you'll never get it up into a high-enough gear, for it to show you any sort of decent fuel economy.
Stretch it's legs out, and then tell us what happens! :2thumbs:

One thing to keep in your mind is not all engines are created the same. My first 2012 998 got poor mileage (mid 20's) and the new one (long story) seems to get much better mileage at above 30. I had a bearing failure on the original 998 so make sure you get the extended warranty as it is cheap compared to an engine (about 10% the cost of a new engine). I drive like you and 4500-5000 is my normal range and down shifting to keep it above 3500 unless I'm coming to a stop the I just use common sense and let the bike down shift.

JT