WOW 48 mpg!!

[oregoncoast]

It has finally warmed up to the fifties here. I have past 1,700 miles and I could see my mileage improving. After a couple of long rides I filled it up and my local gas station and 102 miles divided by 2.077 gallons gives me 48 mpg. It has been slowly improving over the last few weeks. I don't know if this will be the norm but it sure makes me happy.

[2dogs]

It has finally warmed up to the fifties here. I have past 1,700 miles and I could see my mileage improving. After a couple of long rides I filled it up and my local gas station and 102 miles divided by 2.077 gallons gives me 48 mpg. It has been slowly improving over the last few weeks. I don't know if this will be the norm but it sure makes me happy.

[RICZ]

It would be helpful if everyone here were to put in their signatures the year and model of their Spyder, so we'd know what you're talking about. It would be nice to know what Oregoncoast has that got that great MPG.

[oregoncoast]

Mine is a Ryker 900, I am not sure what the coast has to do with mileage outside of no stop and go like city driving. I can go 100 miles and have only 2 or 3 stoplights. I noticed my old pt cruiser, my new Honda Civic and now the Ryker seem to get better than average mileage.

[ARtraveler]

That's pretty good mileage. I am thinking the highest that anyone has posted so far.

To make sure its not a fluke...make sure you fill to the same level each and every time. Several threads in here offer suggestions.

[RICZ]

Mine is a Ryker 900, I am not sure what the coast has to do with mileage outside of no stop and go like city driving. I can go 100 miles and have only 2 or 3 stoplights. I noticed my old pt cruiser, my new Honda Civic and now the Ryker seem to get better than average mileage.

Oregoncoast is your forum name....remember??

[Tslepebull]

With 1,300 miles on my Rally model I am still only getting around 30 mpg. Yesterday for example I filled up with 151 miles on the odometer since my last fillup. It took 4.98 gallons.

[oregoncoast]

Oregoncoast is your forum name....remember??

Now that you have reminded me I do. Guess I could have picked a better name. My is Scott by the way.
I have been checking my mileage for so many years it is now a habit. I reset my trip odometer, and check my gallons. When it was full I normally stop and try not to top it off, this time I tried to pump more and it just stopped again. I had been getting in the 30's to 36mpg last week.
I hope I am not getting off topic here, but since your from Portland I am looking to get a group of Spyders and Rykers out here for a ride on the coast. Any ideas?

[RICZ]

since your from Portland I am looking to get a group of Spyders and Rykers out here for a ride on the coast. Any ideas?

I am new to Spyders and am having a helluva hard time leaning to ride mine. After 67 years on two wheels, I am really spooked by off camber left curves where the bike leans right while you want to turn left. Maybe by the time riding season comes around in earnest, I will be with the program and a coast meetup will be fun. But for now, that's a scary prospect.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I am new to Spyders and am having a helluva hard time leaning to ride mine. After 67 years on two wheels, I am really spooked by off camber left curves where the bike leans right while you want to turn left. Maybe by the time riding season comes around in earnest, I will be with the program and a coast meetup will be fun. But for now, that's a scary prospect.

Actually the Spyders don't LEAN …. however you will …. it's the " G " forces when turning that gives you the impression that it's leaning..... I ride mostly relaxed now ( 72 ) unless I'm in the real twisties ….. it takes time to change what you learned years and years ago. …. Th best advice I got when I test drove my 08 GS was …. just drive it like a Car using a light touch …… worked like a charm …… Mike

[RICZ]

Thanks Mike. I think mine might have an alignment problem as it is very twitchy. Steering seems to be very overly sensitive.
Note I said off camber left turns. Pavement is angled so it leans the bike to the right (not the bike leaning, but the pavement) while turning left.

[ARtraveler]

I am new to Spyders and am having a helluva hard time leaning to ride mine. After 67 years on two wheels, I am really spooked by off camber left curves where the bike leans right while you want to turn left. Maybe by the time riding season comes around in earnest, I will be with the program and a coast meetup will be fun. But for now, that's a scary prospect.

Even though the Ryker is not a "leaner," many of us have developed a stance of leaning a bit INTO the curve as you go around it. You can grab the tank with your legs and push against the "outside" peg with your foot. This does a lot in reducing the perceived "g" forces.

A couple other hints. Always enter a curve at a speed where you can slightly accelerate as you go around it. If you have to brake to enter a curve, you are going to fast.

I also used a push/pull on the handgrips and pretend there eggs between your hands and the grips. Don't break the eggs.

[Ryker2112]

Keep in mind that the Ryker has no power assist for steering. Those eggs are gonna break unless you keep a VERY sedate pace...

Agree like any other road worthy vehicle, trail braking is important as well as powering out from the apex through exit of the turn.

Biggest thing I'm finding personally is just continuing to build trust in the machine while pushing closer to the limits. Its far more capable than I expected.

Even though the Ryker is not a "leaaner," many of us have developed a stance of leaning a bit INTO the curve as you go around it. You can grab the tank with your legs and push against the "outside" peg with your foot. This does a lot in reducing the perceived "g" forces.

A couple other hints. Always enter a curve at a speed where you can slightly accelerate as you go around it. If you have to brake to enter a curve, you are going to fast.

I also used a push/pull on the handgrips and pretend there eggs between your hands and the grips. Don't break the eggs.

[ARtraveler]

Keep in mind that the Ryker has no power assist for steering. Those eggs are gonna break unless you keep a VERY sedate pace...

Agree like any other road worthy vehicle, trail braking is important as well as powering out from the apex through exit of the turn.

Biggest thing I'm finding personally is just continuing to build trust in the machine while pushing closer to the limits. Its far more capable than I expected.

Missed the part about no power steering assist.

[Bfromla]

Are you using the same brand gas & same octane every fill up? Is it ethanol free?? The fewer variables will help the mpg as well.

[glennm]

It has finally warmed up to the fifties here. I have past 1,700 miles and I could see my mileage improving. After a couple of long rides I filled it up and my local gas station and 102 miles divided by 2.077 gallons gives me 48 mpg. It has been slowly improving over the last few weeks. I don't know if this will be the norm but it sure makes me happy.

Excellent result! Keeps us posted on future fillups and if you find particular fuel brands and/or octane give you different results.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Thanks Mike. I think mine might have an alignment problem as it is very twitchy. Steering seems to be very overly sensitive.
Note I said off camber left turns. Pavement is angled so it leans the bike to the right (not the bike leaning, but the pavement) while turning left.

IMHO -unless the mis-alignment is severe it's very hard to detect ….. It usually shows up in ODD / uneven tire wear, and by then correcting the alignment won't save the tires...… But the new ones won't get ruined ….. Mike

[Ryker2112]

Isn't worrying about gas mileage on these somewhat an exercise in futility anyway? I mean, everyone rides differently uses different "modes", etc...

Personally, unless 2-up I hit the button for Sport mode before I even release the brake, and so far its gotten me to the next gas station with a big s* eating grin every time. Enjoy the ride, the Ryker is a toy, not a touring machine!

Sliding the back tire is too much fun to be worried about a few MPG in this one guy's humble (and possibly worthless) opinion.

[2dogs]

My first test ride on a RTS-SE6 was so down right scary I nearly forgot it and went straight for the Harley without looking back. Now, knowing how BRP turns out trikes that were so out of alignment they were barely road worthy, I understand more. Even worse is BRP's attention to their dealer network. The dealer should have had their test rides all tuned and pruned for customers to ride. I had no instructions and the salesman had to have one of the shop kids show him how to start it for me. While passing a truck on the freeway going back to the dealer I thought I was going to lose it. I didn't give up though. My second ride was with a different RTS-SE6 and was much better. So much so that I brought my wife back with me for a third test ride and the rest is history. I refused to ride the first trike a second time. After numerous visits back to the dealership for this and that and further adjustments here and there I noticed that first trike I rode was still there. Even over a year later and the dealer could given a good discount on it for being a test ride, it still remained at the store. I often wondered how many people were turned off from riding that thing and just never came back. I mentioned it to another salesman and he shined it on saying, "well, you just don't know how to ride."