Why is my 2019 RTL getting poor fuel economy

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I don't think I've ever gotten 40 MPG with my 2019 RTL or my 2021 RTL. If I'm driving off interstate 60 mpg and under using 6th gear when over 50 MPH I will get high 30's. Interstate driving 75 and up (in 6th gear) I will be in the mid to upper 20's.

I ALWAYS fill to the lip/ring on the tank .... when filling I ALWAYS record how much gas fits in AFTER the auto shut-off engages ... this amount is 1.3 to 1.4 gals..... ALWAYS ..... Mike

[Jetfixer]

FWIW, I use an app called, "ACar" on my phone to track all fuel usage and service intervals. It's free. It will give you a much better idea of actual fuel economy.

[XPress]

My 2019 RTD gets 35 when driving under 60. As soon as I get on the interstate the DTE goes down about twice as fast as normal. Then when I slow down I can actually gain miles on the DTE for the next couple of hours making it look like I'm not even using gas.
I don't know what its actually getting when driving the turnpike but it must be like half as much. at 75 it just sucks it down. I don't know how any of you guys do the long distance. That would drive me bonkers. So I try to stay off the highway anyway as there is no way to keep up to traffic even at 75. Cars are now going 80-90 now a days.

[BertRemington]

"I'll mention that 6th gear also felt a little funky (hard to describe)"

Low mileage 3-year old Spyder: add a full bottle of fuel injector cleaner next fill.

Drive until Low Fuel light.

Then use regular gas (minimal ethanol if possible) for next fill.

Drive a half-tank. Did funky go away?

I don't know 2019 dashboard but if it has bars how many show when Low Fuel light appears?

My 2014 is 1 sometimes 2 bars.

[sandeejs]

Wow! I didn't realize how I was short changing myself! Thanks Mike!

I ALWAYS fill to the lip/ring on the tank .... when filling I ALWAYS record how much gas fits in AFTER the auto shut-off engages ... this amount is 1.3 to 1.4 gals..... ALWAYS ..... Mike

[gkamer]

I'm wondering how riding in Eco Mode fits into this equation? Does it improve or hamper MPG?

[Little Blue]

My 2019 RTD gets 35 when driving under 60. As soon as I get on the interstate the DTE goes down about twice as fast as normal. Then when I slow down I can actually gain miles on the DTE for the next couple of hours making it look like I'm not even using gas.
I don't know what its actually getting when driving the turnpike but it must be like half as much. at 75 it just sucks it down. I don't know how any of you guys do the long distance. That would drive me bonkers. So I try to stay off the highway anyway as there is no way to keep up to traffic even at 75. Cars are now going 80-90 now a days.

I'm wondering how riding in Eco Mode fits into this equation? Does it improve or hamper MPG?

I have only gotten one or two extra miles to the gallon using 'Eco Mode'.. This for me is not a game changer.
Do what you want and enjoy some ryde time....

[mecsw500]

I cruise with traffic at normal highway speeds. When I accelerate I tend to shift up at around peak torque and don’t bother revving it out to the redline. I usually ride 2 up.

You have to consider, an RT LTD ways about 1,000 lbs plus riders. It might look sleek but it has the aerodynamics of an RV trailer. The tires are wide and run low pressure. It has a flat underbody 4 inches off the ground which probably creates a lot of drag from the resulting down force related drag. Then there are potential frictional losses and a basic engine technology not designed with things like V-Tech in mind.

My Triumph Trophy TTSE had a similar motor, but it revved more and made lots more power. But with 350 pounds less, much smaller frontal area, two much slimmer inline tires, it would manage mid 30 mpg at 20 mph faster. It had a tall top gear though.

So 35 mpg on the freeway at 75 mph would seem not too bad in comparison, and that’s what I see. It is a touring machine after all and was probably designed for a vastly different purpose to the high speed mileage eating Triumph.

The rotax motor is designed on the side of basic for a reliable high mileage life, so high technology systems for greater engine efficiency at the cost of engine life were probably not in the equation. You get hint of that from the low redline rpm’s.

I think they could have built a better fuel tank, with slight more capacity and a better filler neck. I can’t even fill up with the Costco pumps any more as to keep the activation sleeve pushed back by the filler the nozzle goes in so deep the tank has about 2 gallons of free space left. That costs me more than the fuel consumption as I have to go to more expensive stations.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I can’t even fill up with the Costco pumps any more as to keep the activation sleeve pushed back by the filler the nozzle goes in so deep the tank has about 2 gallons of free space left. That costs me more than the fuel consumption as I have to go to more expensive stations.

Do like I do. Pull the nozzle out like you did before and grab hold of the sleeve and pull it back. Then gas flows! I fill my tank to the brim that way!

[StalkyTracker]

There are also cards to hold the sleeve back out of the way.

Aerostich - https://www.aerostich.com/gascard.html

Adventure Rider - https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/v...#post-44190291

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

There are also cards to hold the sleeve back out of the way.

Aerostich - https://www.aerostich.com/gascard.html

Adventure Rider - https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/v...#post-44190291

Kind of neat!

[ARtraveler]

I'm wondering how riding in Eco Mode fits into this equation? Does it improve or hamper MPG?

ECO mode, if used faithfully, will give you about one extra MPG. It will also slow down your power curve.

[rjinaz86323]

I currently have ~7600 miles on my 2018 F3 Limited. I typically get around 35+ mpg. When I fill up my DTE will usually read around 235 -250 miles. I am not positive how it arrives at this, but it seems to be fairly accurate. The only time my mileage drops much is if I have a long run on the I40 to get home. Then my CC is set at 81mph to avoid getting run over from behind. But my mileage never drops below 30mpg. Coming from a Harley trike I am loving the mileage I get from a tank of gas (87 octane by the way)

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I'm wondering how riding in Eco Mode fits into this equation? Does it improve or hamper MPG?

The "ECO mode " is calibrated to improve gas MPG's ..... IMHO if you are on the interstate and keep it a steady speed ( whatever number you chose ) it will make a difference in your MPG's. However, trying to compare it to a different Trip is really impossible. The calibration they set it for is only " theoretical ". Google " EPA " testing procedures, it will explain how it's done. However No One can actually drive this way. If you put a veh. on a Dyno type machine you can get pretty consistent measurements because the parameters will be constant. ... actual driving will produce Hughley different numbers ..... hope this helps .... mike