RT 1330 MPG ??

[Mad Mac]

Hello again gang. Wanted some feed back on mpg on your guys and gals rides. I used to get 42-45 mpg on avg. weather solo or 2-up on my scooter but now I'm getting 35-37 mpg riding solo. I run SHELL prem. 95% of the time (try to keep that ethanol crap out of my recreational vehicles when I can) and fill the tank to the same level each time w/bike level. Air filter is new and only have 17,000 miles on the machine, so plugs should be OK. Gave up my "crotch-rocket" days so my loud handle d/n get twisted as hard now-a- days. So my question is- are your mpg's comparable or is gas so refined today that there is less "poop" in it to light the fires?? Thanks again in advance and safe riding to all. MAC

[Bam Bam and Pebbles]

My MPG is totally dependent on how fast I ride, and if I am riding the twisties. Doesn't matter if I am solo or with Pebbles. If I am on the interstates, I am doing about 80mph, and if I am on the twisties I am giving my throttle hell. Either way, I am not getting the best mpg that I can. I average about 36mpg, but I really don't care about that. I ride Cocaine to have fun!

[SPYD3R]

i aveage between 37 & 39, and 40 when going down-hill....
as for 92 octane... not needed... these run just as well on 87.... i've been riding these since 2009 with a total of almost 100,000 miles of smiles, and have had both the 990 & now the 1330, and i find ZERO advantage to using premium gas, neither in performance or MPG....
your call however....
ride on....
Dan P
SPYD3R

[JayBros]

My average since day one is 36.3 with 23K+ on the ODO. When the bride's with me I behave myself and I can get to or a little over 40. When solo I'm having as much fun as possible. Read that anyway you choose.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

i aveage between 37 & 39, and 40 when going down-hill....
as for 92 octane... not needed... these run just as well on 87.... i've been riding these since 2009 with a total of almost 100,000 miles of smiles, and have had both the 990 & now the 1330, and i find ZERO advantage to using premium gas, neither in performance or MPG....
your call however....
ride on....
Dan P
SPYD3R

.............What concerns me about your mileage ( I avg 40 on 87 oct. ) is how much it has dropped ........ I think you were getting un-believably HIGH mpg's and now are getting very low mpg's ( for a 1330 ) . Dramatic drops in mileage tell me something is not right with the engine or transmission -- IF you are driving the same ......... jmho ...Mike

[PMK]

Around town, we can get low to mid 30's, if the speed is kept around 60ish on the highway it will get high 30's.

Highway runs at 70 or higher get between 28 and 30 mpg.

This is with 93 octane and the results are consistant since after break in.

Adding, never run in eco mode, have tested both eco on or off, results are very close unless going slower or less twist of the throttle.

[billybovine]

Are you sure you have not changed your driving style?
Length of rides, shorter rides take more fuel?
Where you ride, more city driving?
Have you changed windshield or other accessories?
Your mpg was very good to start with. Are you sure your calculations are correct?
Oil level? Too much oil will reduce power and mpg.

[Mad Mac]

Around town, we can get low to mid 30's, if the speed is kept around 60ish on the highway it will get high 30's.

Highway runs at 70 or higher get between 28 and 30 mpg.

This is with 93 octane and the results are consistant since after break in.

Adding, never run in eco mode, have tested both eco on or off, results are very close unless going slower or less twist of the throttle.

Never have used eco mode, Don't feel the need to have lights to tell me when to shift but I guess it's there for a reason. I use premium to keep the water out of the fuel system do to the fact that it sits for a week or so between rides. Don't do a lot of I-state running where we live unless on a long 5,000 mile trip to connect up to 2-laners,hotels,fuel,etc. mostly 45-60 mph riding. Thanks!! MAC

[BitSlayer]

Around town, we can get low to mid 30's, if the speed is kept around 60ish on the highway it will get high 30's.

Highway runs at 70 or higher get between 28 and 30 mpg.

This is with 93 octane and the results are consistant since after break in.

Adding, never run in eco mode, have tested both eco on or off, results are very close unless going slower or less twist of the throttle.

that is about the same as what I am getting. I would like to know more about how people are driving to get hi 30's and low 40's. I have never seen that type of mileage from the 1330.

[Mad Mac]

.............What concerns me about your mileage ( I avg 40 on 87 oct. ) is how much it has dropped ........ I think you were getting un-believably HIGH mpg's and now are getting very low mpg's ( for a 1330 ) . Dramatic drops in mileage tell me something is not right with the engine or transmission -- IF you are driving the same ......... jmho ...Mike

My riding habits have not changed, hence the post. Machine appears to be running fine (no codes, bells, and/or whistles) like a lot of you people report in other post. Being and ex- wing owner/operator the machine has been very reliable and has not given us any issues to date. Quite pleased at this time. It appears that my mpg is not too far off from what the rest of you are getting so I don't feel that I need to worry much about it since I do ride this for enjoyment purposes like the 45 yrs. prior on two- wheelers for the most part. Thanks!! MAC

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

My riding habits have not changed, hence the post. Machine appears to be running fine (no codes, bells, and/or whistles) like a lot of you people report in other post. Being and ex- wing owner/operator the machine has been very reliable and has not given us any issues to date. Quite pleased at this time. It appears that my mpg is not too far off from what the rest of you are getting so I don't feel that I need to worry much about it since I do ride this for enjoyment purposes like the 45 yrs. prior on two- wheelers for the most part. Thanks!! MAC

Mac like you I'm an x- goldwinger ......... my concern isn't what your MPG's are ............ it's the CHANGE ... When there is that big a difference something major has occurred ........ On the race track they expect to get " X " number of laps, if there is a difference of even TWO laps they have a heart attack, they know something has happened ..... I know you aren't a racer but the principle still applies ..... Gas mileage is a Barometer for engine performance ....... it's not always about being thrifty (cheap ) ...... What does a Doctor ask when you come in???? " where does it hurt!!!!! .......... Mike

[kngfsh27]

Hello again gang. Wanted some feed back on mpg on your guys and gals rides. I used to get 42-45 mpg on avg. weather solo or 2-up on my scooter but now I'm getting 35-37 mpg riding solo. I run SHELL prem. 95% of the time (try to keep that ethanol crap out of my recreational vehicles when I can) and fill the tank to the same level each time w/bike level. Air filter is new and only have 17,000 miles on the machine, so plugs should be OK. Gave up my "crotch-rocket" days so my loud handle d/n get twisted as hard now-a- days. So my question is- are your mpg's comparable or is gas so refined today that there is less "poop" in it to light the fires?? Thanks again in advance and safe riding to all. MAC

In the 18,600 that I rode my '14 RTL, I saw 41 mpg one time. I normally got around 34-37 mpg riding solo. A few times I only got around 32 mpg. Really didn't put a lot of thought into it. I just rode and figured the gas may be how I was riding along with the wind, terrain, speed, etc.. Keep in mind that the Spyder in the RT series weighs in at a 1000#. For the record, my old 80(1340 CC) EVO Harley got 45-50 mpg mostly on 87 octane ethanol blend gas.

[robhowen]

I have a 15 RT-Ltd and I get 40-45 mpg in Eco mode all of the time, and I leave it in Eco mode. Jacque has an F3-S and she gets the same. I will get less when Eco mode is off.

Rob

[marty1096]

Hello again gang. Wanted some feed back on mpg on your guys and gals rides. I used to get 42-45 mpg on avg. weather solo or 2-up on my scooter but now I'm getting 35-37 mpg riding solo. I run SHELL prem. 95% of the time (try to keep that ethanol crap out of my recreational vehicles when I can) and fill the tank to the same level each time w/bike level. Air filter is new and only have 17,000 miles on the machine, so plugs should be OK. Gave up my "crotch-rocket" days so my loud handle d/n get twisted as hard now-a- days. So my question is- are your mpg's comparable or is gas so refined today that there is less "poop" in it to light the fires?? Thanks again in advance and safe riding to all. MAC

When it gets low, I fill it up. Too late to worry now about mileage... if I drive fast, I use more gas... if I drive slow, I get more miles...
I bought it and I love my Spyder, and I am stuck with it no matter what mileage I get... and I never use ECO!

[AeroPilot]

All depends on the wind, the roads and your right wrist. We took a little ryde Sunday, just a Sunday Cruise, smellin' the breeze - 175 miles round trip with friends and only 55 of the 174 miles was interstate. Cruised 68 mph on I-25 and was 60 or less on the other roads. Don't remember any winds so we must have had favorable wind directions for our cruising. Only put in 4.25 gals for this one check, but that comes to 41 mpg. I did have the ECO on and the windshield lowered to "smell the breeze". 15 RT base SE6... 21,000 miles. YMMV

[SithLord]

Hello, new to the forum so please my apologies if I'm posting in the incorrect section.
I have an issue, but to explain and hopefully give as much information as possible I'll give a little history on my bike:

2015 RT-S SE6
7200 miles when purchased
Owned for two days as of this posting
Dealer purchased, used, no warranty
Stock, minus the shorty antenna

I got a ride from the Sacramento area, to San Diego to purchase this vehicle. I've heard the Spyders' fuel economy can be better, 30-40 MPG. Taking that information into account I decided to purchase one anyone. The dealer kept trying to push purchasing a warranty. When I refused, they kept having to take it to the back for various reasons: 1st being they needed to get the engine number. Shouldn't they have had that already? 2nd was to put air in tires. This one took about 20mins, with the excuse being their gauges were defective so they had to try 3 different inflators. Hmmm....

So I start on the 500 or so mile ride back home after filling the gas tank with 91 octane at the nearby Chevron. I noticed after about 2 hours, I had to fill up. I thought that was odd with a 6.9 gallon tank. So I decided to set my trip meter to give me some MPG readings. Being new to the machine, the trip meter was set to "pause" so at 2nd fill up my recording was incorrect. I fixed the issue, and successfully logged the mileage from 2nd fill up to now my 3rd fill up. 156 miles before the low fuel light came on. 20MPG!!!!

I know there are a ton of factors involved:

Speed - I was cruising, literally in cruise control at 80mph
Terrain - I5 North, relatively smooth with the now and then rough spots. A few hills.
Throttle control - Again, I set the cruise so after highway speed was reached, my hand wasn't engaging the throttle
Traffic - 85% of the trip I was in cruise control
Tire pressure - "Checked" at dealership
Air flow - Dealer's records indicate the air filter was changed as part of the inspection. No record of stock or K&N.
Spark plugs - 7k miles, should be a non factor
Load on machine/weight - minus my rain gear I packed in the trunk, I was solo (260lbs) with a hydration bladder on my back
Wind - there were parts of the trip that were windy, and I had my stock windscreen at full height (I'm 6'2)

I had to fill up a 4th time, FYI:
When I got home, I knew something was wrong. Being tired from the trip, I waited until the morning to check tire pressure. My gauge said the front two were low about 3 psi. I do NOT think this can account for losing about 10mpg.
I have not checked the air filter yet. Again, 5 year old bike with 7k miles. Unless the air filter is dipped in mud, I do not think that would account for 10mpg loss. My next thing is to use some Sea Foam injector cleaner. Long shot but I'll try it as previous owner may have used crap gas. I have not noticed any fuel leaks, smells or anything obvious. I use either Shell or Chevron in all my vehicles. For motorcycles and V6 and above I use premium, whatever that is depending on state (91, 92, 93 octane).
I've read the vacuum hoses sometimes fail. I've also read the ECU needs updating from time to time. I have an appointment with a dealer this week to have the bike checked out. Any suggestions? If I can only go about 150 miles between fill ups, with a naked bike, I'm not sure I can continue. I got this bike to two up on long cross state trips. Looking at other posts, I know this performance is not normal. Looking for suggestions as to what this can be.

[trikermutha]

Run the seafoam for a tank then drive somewhat at lower speeds and see what the MPG are then.

Also make sure the brakes are not sticking. When you release the brake does it push pretty easy?

[SithLord]

Thanks Trikermutha
I'll run the sea foam, and I have not tried to push the bike in neutral with brake off. I have not noticed any brake like metallic smells to indicate brakes have stuck, but I will try the roll test.

[2dogs]

Yep. 80 MPH would be the first reason for poor MPG.

[SithLord]

Thanks 2dogs
Wow really? 80mph on this bike will do that? Hmmm.
I'll take a trip at 70 or below and see how that does.

[ARtraveler]

I suspect the 80 mph on cruise control. After 65 mph, in sixth gear, the 1330 likes gas.

I consistently get 40 - 41 mpg with both my 1330's. 2014 RTS and 2019 F3L. We don't do high speeds much any more. 65 is where we are at on most main highways. Have not done any Interstate driving since moving here in May 2019.

[SithLord]

Thanks ARtraveler
I'll try to limit my speed. I was in a rush to get home, so I goosed it a little (but was still safe). I hate night riding and wanted to beat the sunset. I will try lower speeds on a full tank after running sea foam through it.

[ARtraveler]

Thanks ARtraveler
I'll try to limit my speed. I was in a rush to get home, so I goosed it a little (but was still safe). I hate night riding and wanted to beat the sunset. I will try lower speeds on a full tank after running sea foam through it.

I hear ya. I don't like night riding at speeds either. Deer can be a real problem. If the lower speeds don't fix it, then you need to start looking elsewhere for a solution.

Shift points on the 1330 are at 3500. I shift there and keep it in that range for each gear. You will find the "sweet spot" for yours. That gives 60 mph or so in 6th gear. The rpms will start increasing beyond that point. Glug, glug, glug.....

My 41 mpg is using 87 grade octane with 10% ethanol. I note NO performance differences from when I was a high test, no ethanol guy.

[trikermutha]

Yeah usually anything over 70 starts hurting the MPG's but 20 seems kinda low to me..

[troop]

Yup .. 20 mpg does sound low. I have a 2019 F3S, that has a 89t rear pulley. On a recent western trip, crossing SD/NE interstates at 80 mph, I averaged around 28-30mpg. My bike had a 20" Madstad windshield, Shad side cases and luggage rack/56L top case installed. While pretty much loaded up, I was solo. At 55-60'sh mph, I was mid 30's and low 30's at 75sh. 80+ SUCKS the gas. Granted I also have a PV3 with custom map.