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  1. #1
    Active Member Boilermaker's Avatar
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    Default RTL MPG Question

    I have a 2018 RTL (10th Anniversary edition). Went out for a 50 mile jaunt yesterday through countryside and on highway. Clicked over to mpg screen to see how it was doing. Through the countryside I was getting around 36 mpg, which I expected. But, when I went out on the interstate running at 70-75 mph, the mpg went down to 25 mpg and stayed there pretty consistently. Granted, I was running into a headwind for most of the way. Ran about 15 miles at that speed, but did notice the fuel gage starting to drop. Just wondering if anyone else sees this type of reading on their RT? I know the only real way to check mileage is from tank-to-tank after refueling, but I thought this was an interesting observation. Thoughts?

  2. #2
    SpyderLovers Ambassador Little Blue's Avatar
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    Default Mpg

    Seems about right with the list of conditions that you posted. The faster the Spyder goes the more she burns the fuel. I usually get around that range (36 - 25 mpg) too. ENJOY your RYDE and Always RYDE SAFE....
    ENJOY YOUR LIFE WITH A SPYDER
    Ryde with a Friend and be Safe

    My Spyder .....'Little Blue-Boy'
    2016 RT Limited , Orbital Blue

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Little Blue View Post
    The faster the Spyder goes the more she burns the fuel.
    Which is true of any vehicle with any engine.

    Seems about right to me too based on manual calculations with my '17 RT.

  4. #4
    Active Member Boilermaker's Avatar
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    Glad to see mine is not out of the norm, but it seems that when I have done longer road trips in the past, I can get around 180 miles before the fuel light comes on and 200+ before I need to fill up. If I am only getting 25 mpg, I would have thought that I would be in trouble at 150 miles. When I think back, I probably just haven't run at 70+ mph for long periods of time. Thanks for the feedback!

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    the wind really has an effect on fuel mileage

  6. #6
    Very Active Member Navydad's Avatar
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    Spyders are as aerodynamic as a barn door. My RT gets in the 32 to 36 MPG range most of the time, but at speeds above 70 the mileage does suffer. We rode yesterday and had a pretty strong wind with some gusts above 30 MPH and that did zap the mileage very quickly.
    2015 RT , Black

  7. #7
    Active Member Zoot's Avatar
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    MANY years ago I used to ride a Suzuki 2-stroke street bike. 250cc twin, expansion chambers... I rode it around the small town where I lived, to work, etc. and was averaging about 30 mpg. I finally got a chance to take it out on the highway for a longer ride (~75 miles at 65 mph) and mileage dropped to about 15 mpg!

  8. #8
    Active Member Boilermaker's Avatar
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    For those of you who run an RT 1330 for long distances on interstates, what is your normal range between fill-ups? Does pulling a cargo trailer make much difference?

  9. #9
    Very Active Member AeroPilot's Avatar
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    Depends whether you drive the interstates at 80 or backroads at 60 mph

    At 60 mph with regular open road and no headwind expect 40 MPG plus. Chasing the semis down the interstate at 75-80 you will get less than 35 Miles per gallon.

    Ann can probably give an idea on the affect of towing a trailer. The biggest difference is how fast you run and the wind direction. Add the wind speed to your ground speed depending on direction. If you like to run the interstates, plan on fueling up every 150 miles with your RT...
    07 Shadows, Aero, Spirit gone but not forgotten
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    11 RT- 76,000 mi, 15 RT-S- 44,000 mi, traded for current 15 base RT and 16 F3T
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  10. #10
    Very Active Member ARtraveler's Avatar
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    On my 14/1330 I get consistent high 30's. I don't use a mpg gauge, but check mine on a per tank basis. Never any towing or two up riding.

    I will also add...I ride no more than five above the posted limit.
    Last edited by ARtraveler; 04-13-2019 at 01:23 PM.

    Currently Owned: 2019 F3 Limited, 2020 F3 Limited: SOLD BOTH LIMITEDS in October of 2023.

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    MY FINAL TALLY: 7 Spyders, 15 years, 205,500 miles

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    2020 F3L , Magma Red

  11. #11
    Very Active Member JayBros's Avatar
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    I'm kind of anal about tracking the mileage numbers that involve my Spyder and have detailed them elsewhere on SL. I bought it for the fun of being out in the open air and not in a cage. My basic approach to riding is if I have to get somewhere in limited time, minutes, hours or days, I use interstates and accept the decreased mileage per tank. If not time constrained I use back roads and U.S. highways as I find they give the biggest fun reward. Life's too short not to have as much fun as you can, particularly when you spent your prime years on Uncle Dudley's short leash.
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  12. #12
    Active Member FalconAF's Avatar
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    2018 RT Limited. 75+ MPH will definitely put you in the mid 20's MPG. I was coming back to Las Vegas from Laughlin, NV yesterday morning. Speed limit 75 so I put the cruise control on 80. Steady 24 - 25 MPG as long as it was there. With the new firmware version 20.8 showing the remaining miles available on the digital dashboard, it was showing about 120 miles remaining with about 3/4 gas tank indication. You're gonna suck gas like crazy at 75 MPH and above...even with a tail wind. Which is still a bit shocking to me, as my previous Honda NT700VA 2-wheel sport tourer got 45+ MPG on the interstate at 80 MPH. But...well...it only had a 700cc V-Twin. And it ran on regular unleaded too. So....
    2018 Spyder RT Limited

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    Very Active Member canamjhb's Avatar
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    FWIW..... I just got back from a 2 day trip with some friends. There were two 1800cc GW trikes and me. Both GWs were riding 2 up and I was solo. I was pulling my 622 trailer and riding in the middle. Neither of the GWs were pulling a trailer. We rode the same speed distance and roads for over 500 miles. At each fuel stop, I put in consistently a little over one gallon LESS than the two GWs..... Jim
    2005 Windveil Blue Premium Mustang Convertible
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  14. #14
    Active Member FalconAF's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by canamjhb View Post
    At each fuel stop, I put in consistently a little over one gallon LESS than the two GWs..... Jim
    That sounds about right. Prior to my accident on my Honda V-Twin 700cc 3 years ago, I would do road trips with a friend who owned an 1800cc Wing. We would have to stop every 180 miles for him with his almost 7-gallon fuel tank. I'd still have between 1/4 and 1/2 fuel remaining. His Wing weighed about 950 lbs at 1800cc. Compared to our Spyder RTL's at 1330cc's and just over 1000 lbs (dry weight) with the same fuel capacity (6.9 gals), we should be getting slightly better mileage than an 1800 cc Wing.
    2018 Spyder RT Limited

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    Does eco mode affect mileage?

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    Very Active Member IdahoMtnSpyder's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boilermaker View Post
    For those of you who run an RT 1330 for long distances on interstates, what is your normal range between fill-ups? Does pulling a cargo trailer make much difference?
    Distance between fill ups depends mostly on distance to next gas station and bladder capacity, ususally 100 to 120 miles. And yes, pulling a trailer can hurt MPG if, especially if it is not small, really light, and aerodynamic. As others have said, speed can be a real killer as well as headwind. I've experienced MPG as low as 17.

    For some graphs of a couple of years of my MPG experience look at this thread: https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...t=fuel+mileage

    2014 Copper RTS

    Tri-Axis bars, CB, BajaRon sway bar & shock adjusters, SpyderPop's Bumpskid, NBV peg brackets, LED headlights and modulator, Wolo trumpet air horns, trailer hitch, custom trailer harness, high mount turn signals, Custom Dynamics brake light, LED turn signal lights on mirrors, LED strip light for a dash light, garage door opener, LED lights in frunk, trunk, and saddlebags, RAM mounts and cradles for tablet (for GPS) and phone (for music), and Smooth Spyder belt tensioner.
    2014 RTS , Copper! (officially Cognac)

  17. #17
    Active Member Boilermaker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JeffandLori View Post
    Does eco mode affect mileage?
    Theoretically, it should help overall gas mileage because you shift at lower RPMs, but once you are running down the road in a given gear, everything else is the same. Most don't use it because they shift by RPM or sound and the shift points in ECO mode are at relatively low RPMs. I don't think it makes enough difference compared to the pain of having to look for the little arrow telling me when to shift.

  18. #18
    Active Member ricford's Avatar
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    I don't really now about mileage but if 25MPG at 75 is normal, that's great to know. I ryde on long trips until the fuel light comes on. Don't know just how far I can push it but I have gotten 40 more miles after the light comes on. I have put 6.9 after that on a fill up so it was close. But, not to worry, I carry a 2 L spun aluminum fuel cell just in case I get carried away... I notice lots more folks are now going on rydes these days. I would ryde more often this month but this damnable daily rain in the South month prevents many long rydes. But, hang in there..... Before you know it, it will be just too darned hot to ryde... Which is worse, cold day rydes or hot day rydes... (ryding at night is the only way to travel in June through October) I hope everyone gets lots of miles in the next few months. Personally, when I start a ryde, I just don't want to stop and go home. I want to just keep going and you know, the rabbit thing....

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boilermaker View Post
    Theoretically, it should help overall gas mileage because you shift at lower RPMs, but once you are running down the road in a given gear, everything else is the same. Most don't use it because they shift by RPM or sound and the shift points in ECO mode are at relatively low RPMs. I don't think it makes enough difference compared to the pain of having to look for the little arrow telling me when to shift.
    Forum won't allow just +1 as a reply so............
    What he said.

  20. #20
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    I don't look for the arrow either. I do know with it off and I punch it the tire spins a little. With it on it doesn't. Very new here so I am still learning from the seat and forum.

  21. #21
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    I am in the process of manually checking my fuel mileage now. New bike on my 3rd tank. I noticed that the electronic mileage calculator says I am averaging 70MPG. I know it’s wrong but it seems to be stuck there at 70 and doesn’t reset after a fill up (like my car) and there is no way that I can see to manually reset it.
    2018 RT Limited White/Chrome.
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  22. #22
    Very Active Member Mazo EMS2's Avatar
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    Interesting.....I've never really kept track, but I've never felt like my mileage ever "suffered".....just twist the "go grip" and enjoy the ride....fill up when the time comes
    2021 RT Limited

    2016 RTS , Pearl White

  23. #23
    Active Member FalconAF's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by VegasSpyder View Post
    I am in the process of manually checking my fuel mileage now. New bike on my 3rd tank. I noticed that the electronic mileage calculator says I am averaging 70MPG. I know it’s wrong but it seems to be stuck there at 70 and doesn’t reset after a fill up (like my car) and there is no way that I can see to manually reset it.
    See picture below. There are 2 "trip" tabs (A and B) you can use/view for individual trips. The 3rd "Total" tab is cumulative for the life of your Spyder. You cycle through the Tabs by pushing the thumb controller to the right.

    You can NOT reset the TOTAL mileage on the Spyder in the "Total" tab. But you can reset all OTHER items in all 3 tabs to "0.0" if you want. The secret is looking at the "down arrow 0.0" pointer on the right side...it is outlined in a RED border. That means HOLD DOWN (not just "push down") the thumb switch on the controller for a couple seconds until the values reset back to 0 on the display. This will not change the Total miles on the Spyder in the Total tab, but will reset the mileages shown in tabs A and B back to zero with everything else in those tabs (when you are in the A or B tabs). In the picture below, I just held the thumb switch on the controller down for a couple seconds. It reset everything in the Total tab EXCEPT the mileage AND the "total hours" (45h on my Spyder) back to zero.

    I reset tabs A and B as needed depending on how long my "trip" is. I reset both A and B to "zeros" at the start of any road trip. Then I only reset tab A at every gas stop, and leave tab B alone. That let's me use tab A to monitor individual legs for each gas fillup, but lets tab B maintain a cumulative trip display of mileage/fuel MPG for as long as I'm on the road trip (might be several days/weeks and hundreds/thousands of miles for tab B).

    I normally ignore the Total tab and use it just to see how many total miles are on the Spyder. This is the first time I reset it, just for the picture to show it can be done.

    Hope that helps

    IMG_1157.jpg

    PS - I have no idea why it displays "160 MPH" on the bottom. I've never had my Spyder up to 160 MPH. Honest. At least not in this lifetime.
    2018 Spyder RT Limited

  24. #24
    Very Active Member JayBros's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by VegasSpyder View Post
    ...New bike on my 3rd tank...
    Curiosity about mileage is natural but I can assure you you're not going to see reliable mileage under whatever conditions you happen to be riding in until you've at least 3,000 miles on your Spyder. Your engine is in the infancy of its break-in process. Since you're in Vegas it would be worth your while to swing by a dealer and have them verify the system is working correctly and you are following the proper procedure to do the resetting. Better yet, give Joe Meyer of Squared Away a call; he can't be very far away and I'm certain he can help.
    Artillery lends dignity to what would
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    ******************************
    Cognac 2014 RT-S

  25. #25
    Active Member bushrat's Avatar
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    We're riding a 2017 F3L; same 1330 motor as RTL. We do two-up about 80% of the time, and have 12,000 miles on odometer. Spyder is pretty much stock. When riding back country roads doing sightseeing, averaging probably 55 mph, we routinely go 250 miles (400 km) before filling up, and have probably another 25 miles of fuel left before bone dry. Works out usually to be around 38/39 mpg; occasionally just over 40. Using 93 octane. Doesn't seem to change much whether we are two-up, or if I'm solo. We don't waste time, but don't do burnouts. I do keep revs in moderate range, and often downshift manually, usually well before the SE does on its own. However, if we throw in some Interstate or faster highway riding for part of the distance, the fuel consumption will drop to mid-thirties. Extended 75-80 mph travel will drop it more. If we pull our trailer (a very aerodynamic shape, light @ 200#), the consumption rate can drop to low thirties, especially if we also do higher speeds. My gas gauge has 9 bars that light up; I figure on getting 25 miles per bar fairly safely in average (slightly rolling countryside) ryding conditions. We really concentrate far more on enjoying our day, the scenery and the ryde, and don't get too much concerned about the amount of fuel burned. I monitor it out of curiosity; but whether up or down is not going to interfere with or stop us from climbing on the Spyder. Life is what it is, and costs what it takes.
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    2017 F3 Ltd. Intense Red Pearl/Metallic Black topside
    2017 F3Limited , lowered brake pedal Intense Red Pearl w. Metallic Black topside

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