19 MPG ?!?

[ldw777frog]

Hi everyone!

So I've had my new '09 SE5 Spyder a couple weeks and use it for commuting to/from work and riding around town. I only have about 250 miles on it so far...

The gas light came on at 105 miles today so I filled up (with 91 octane) and did the math and I only got 19 mpg!! (this is the 2nd time I've filled up with with the same mpg results) That's almost as bad as my Silverado!! ... What's the deal--- is it because it's still breaking in?

I keep the RPM's at about 4000 and am 'trying' to get better about not speeding off from a complete stop.

I too have the very hot right leg exhaust... and hope not to get the gas smell/canister problem from overfilling my tank.

Any ideas/thoughts would be appreciated.

I LOVE MY SPYDER!! Thanks- Laura

BTW THANK YOU FOR THE TRUNK SPRING IDEA... I INSTALLED A SPRING IN MY TRUNK AND IT WORKS GREAT

[RoadHammer]

Step on it...... Give it some throttle. Your mileage will get better with miles on it.

[3wheeldemon]

How many hours of run on those 105 miles? What kind of traffic?

3WD

[BillGargan]

Do not trust single tank measures.

Fill the tank. Mark the miles on the odometer. Track the gallons over the next three fill-ups. Mark the miles on the odometer at the time of the third fill. Divide the total of the gallons for those three fill-ups into the cumulative miles since the initial mark.

Any other measurements are prone to too many variables in the way the Spyder tank can be filled. This will provide an honest and fair measure.

You can use a spreadsheet to do a rolling 3-tank measure and it will vary -- but far less than single tanks which have ABSOLUTELY no statistical validity.

[SE5spyder]

Hi everyone!

So I've had my new '09 SE5 Spyder a couple weeks and use it for commuting to/from work and riding around town. I only have about 250 miles on it so far...

The gas light came on at 105 miles today so I filled up (with 91 octane) and did the math and I only got 19 mpg!! (this is the 2nd time I've filled up with with the same mpg results) That's almost as bad as my Silverado!! ... What's the deal--- is it because it's still breaking in?

I keep the RPM's at about 4000 and am 'trying' to get better about not speeding off from a complete stop.

I too have the very hot right leg exhaust... and hope not to get the gas smell/canister problem from overfilling my tank.

Any ideas/thoughts would be appreciated.

I LOVE MY SPYDER!! Thanks- Laura

BTW THANK YOU FOR THE TRUNK SPRING IDEA... I INSTALLED A SPRING IN MY TRUNK AND IT WORKS GREAT

I have an SE5 and only drive around town no highway and only get 22mpg. I have 2400 miles since 9/08 and has not improved. Actually it did to 22mpg. I had a few 19-20mpg in the beginning. I talked to BRP (Carlo) about this and said this mpg is in "normal" range for my driving conditions. I'm STILL waiting for it to improve but I have my doubts. It baffles me to see others getting over 30mpg but city and highway driving seems to make a huge difference.

drive safe

[Bersquack]

The MPG gets better with time, but I have never had 19 mpg. 250 miles is still very "young" for a spider.

At what RPMs do you shift?

welcome

[Bulldogger]

I have a SM5 2008. With Cold air race intake, Juice Box, and Hindle exhaust. Riding two up the bike is averaging between 30-34mpg. Unless you are in a really cold area that switched over to winter fuel already your mileage is very low. Also don't waste your money on 91 stick with 87. The ECM is not tuned to advance timing to take advantage of the 91 octane.

[boborgera]

I think your not filling the tank all the way, If you follow the manual
you'll never fill the tank with same amount of gas each time.
I pull out the nozzle allmost all the way to fill the tank .
And no i don't get a gas smell. But thats my Spyder.
In my humble opinion each Spyder put togetter a little different
from each other by worker's at the factory. Thats why some smell
of gas, some run one way some the other way. All are not the same
thats why you have to tweak them a little.

[Sparky]

You guys are scaring me. I demo'd in Daytona Thursday and when asked about gas mileage I was told 40 MPG. Since the gentleman was a company man I figured 10-20% less.

My Valk gets 40 MPG unless I run over 60 mph then it will drop 30-40% running 70-80 mph.

Don't look like I'd save any gas money buying the new RT-S that I was interested in.

[Smylinacha]

Sparky - I am getting between 33 and 36 miles to the gallon and I've got an aftermarket pipe and a Magic Man Juicebox and a Magic Man Green Air Filter!

You guys are scaring me. I demo'd in Daytona Thursday and when asked about gas mileage I was told 40 MPG. Since the gentleman was a company man I figured 10-20% less.

My Valk gets 40 MPG unless I run over 60 mph then it will drop 30-40% running 70-80 mph.

Don't look like I'd save any gas money buying the new RT-S that I was interested in.

[tatt2r]

the way i drive i probably get around 5 miles to a gallon
but it's not about the milage its all about the fun......and to be honest i have almost 19000 miles on my spyder and i dont have a clue or care what i get for gas milage ... i do know that mine gets a little better than my girls i figuered that out when we rode to lamonts ....i was towing a trailer she had a 5 pound yorkey on her back we fill up at same time and she would run low before me and the only difference between the two is i have a fresh air intake and nmn filter and she doesnt ...(well now she does) but didnt then also she has a lot bigger windshield than me and i know ill hear crap about this but i think it creates drag and that may be part of it ......
just my opinion

[SpyderGirl]

Fuel economy should improve over time. My husband and I get about 30MPG riding in mixed traffic two-up. Where we live we sit in traffic often and still get those figures. We also pulled a trailer loaded with the Spyder loaded two-up cross-country and got similar results at freeway speeds. We have 22K on our Spyder.

[NancysToy]

Our average over the last two years has been just under 29 mpg. You won't get the same kind of mileage you got on a bike, no matter what. More rolling resistance, way more frontal area, and aerodynamically "dirty". They all eat mileage. At speed, the drag coefficient is the number one mileage enemy.

[tatt2r]

Our average over the last two years has been just under 29 mpg. You won't get the same kind of mileage you got on a bike, no matter what. More rolling resistance, way more frontal area, and aerodynamically "dirty". They all eat mileage. At speed, the drag coefficient is the number one mileage enemy.

I KNEW IT....DAM WINDSHIELDS.....

[NancysToy]

I KNEW IT....DAM WINDSHIELDS.....

Less than half that was with the CHAD. Has to be the wind resistance of my beard...or Nancy's long hair.

[BAZMAN]

if you are not hot rodding the engine you should be geting mpg in the mid 30s. yes this bike has a high redline but it also has a lot of torque. you can shift between gears at 2700rpm. if you use the torque this engine will get acceptable mpg if you use higher rpms if will drink gas like crazy. try shifting at lowers rpms no higher than 3000rpm if your mpg does not get into the 30s take it to the dealer. yoy can tell if the engine is lugging by the sound and the vibration.

[Dudley]

Hi everyone!

So I've had my new '09 SE5 Spyder a couple weeks and use it for commuting to/from work and riding around town. I only have about 250 miles on it so far...

The gas light came on at 105 miles today so I filled up (with 91 octane) and did the math and I only got 19 mpg!! (this is the 2nd time I've filled up with with the same mpg results) That's almost as bad as my Silverado!! ... What's the deal--- is it because it's still breaking in?

I keep the RPM's at about 4000 and am 'trying' to get better about not speeding off from a complete stop.

I too have the very hot right leg exhaust... and hope not to get the gas smell/canister problem from overfilling my tank.

Any ideas/thoughts would be appreciated.

I LOVE MY SPYDER!! Thanks- Laura

BTW THANK YOU FOR THE TRUNK SPRING IDEA... I INSTALLED A SPRING IN MY TRUNK AND IT WORKS GREAT

Something about your figures doesn't add up. If you filled up when the light came on and calculated 19 mpg, then you put in 5.5 gallons. You cannot put 5.5 gallons in your tank when the light comes on. My guess is that you filled the tank with 3.5 gallons (which would give you 30 mpg), going by what I can fill up at that point. Also, you can run 91 octane, but the manual calls for 87 octane.

[NancysToy]

if you are not hot rodding the engine you should be geting mpg in the mid 30s. yes this bike has a high redline but it also has a lot of torque. you can shift between gears at 2700rpm. if you use the torque this engine will get acceptable mpg if you use higher rpms if will drink gas like crazy. try shifting at lowers rpms no higher than 3000rpm if your mpg does not get into the 30s take it to the dealer. yoy can tell if the engine is lugging by the sound and the vibration.

BRP considers "normal" mileage for the Spyder to be between 16 and 40 mpg. They will not pay a dealer to look at it under warranty if it is within these limits. I have tried more than once, and have even talked to Carlo. They stick to their policy.

[ldw777frog]

So, I did put 5.5 gallons when the light came on and I had 105 miles on the odometer.... as I was filling I kept pulling out the nozzle til I could see the gas right at the top of the tank.

How many gallons does the tank hold? And there really is no difference between 91 and 87???

So I haven't done any freeway driving yet (I'm easing into it)... so my commute is a lot of stop and go at this time.

This week I have been shifting and driving at a lot lower RPM's so maybe that'll help.

So should I replace my air filter??... and are there any other inexpensive quick easy mods I can do at this time to help out mpg?

I am so lucky to live in CAL and be able to enjoy my bike for so many days out the year!!

You all have some great info so far. Thank you!!

[NancysToy]

So, I did put 5.5 gallons when the light came on and I had 105 miles on the odometer.... as I was filling I kept pulling out the nozzle til I could see the gas right at the top of the tank.

You really should not do this with the Spyder. You can inadvertently fill the emissions canister. Best thing is to fill slowly, with the nozzle pulled back to just below the no-lead ring, until gas and bubbles start to spit out the ring vents. Do not try to top it off. How many bars did you have on the gauge at the time of fill? The light comes on just as you leave two bars, or slightly before, on most Spyders. At that point it should not take 5.5 gallons if filled properly. Beyond no bars you can squeeze in 5.5-6.0.

[BillGargan]

You really should not do this with the Spyder. You can inadvertently fill the emissions canister. Best thing is to fill slowly, with the nozzle pulled back to just below the no-lead ring, until gas and bubbles start to spit out the ring vents. Do not try to top it off. How many bars did you have on the gauge at the time of fill? The light comes on just as you leave two bars, or slightly before, on most Spyders. At that point it should not take 5.5 gallons if filled properly. Beyond no bars you can squeeze in 5.5-6.0.

My light comes on consistently -- over and over again -- slightly after the second-last bar disappears. When I fill up a few miles after the last bar goes away I end up putting in just over 5 gallons. When I stretch it I get to 5.4 or so gallons.

[Dudley]

So, I did put 5.5 gallons when the light came on and I had 105 miles on the odometer.... as I was filling I kept pulling out the nozzle til I could see the gas right at the top of the tank.

How many gallons does the tank hold? And there really is no difference between 91 and 87???

So I haven't done any freeway driving yet (I'm easing into it)... so my commute is a lot of stop and go at this time.

This week I have been shifting and driving at a lot lower RPM's so maybe that'll help.

So should I replace my air filter??... and are there any other inexpensive quick easy mods I can do at this time to help out mpg?

I am so lucky to live in CAL and be able to enjoy my bike for so many days out the year!!

You all have some great info so far. Thank you!!

You won't like what I am about to tell you...please take time to read your owners manual. The issues you have brought up are answered by the manual. You are also compromising your safety by not reading it.

[BAZMAN]

the service rep at the dealer told me to keep nozzle in the tank about 3/4s of an inch so you don't over fill it, seems to be working, he said you can't top it off like a regular 2 wheeler.

[krb1945]

to deliver better mileage in our spyders. My SO has an 09 SE5 and it is getting 33 using regular BP, not promoting them at all we just happen to have a card for them.

We tried using their premium and the mileage dropped by 1.5 mpg. I have experienced the same thing with my SM5 and my 09 F150.

This link... http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/NewBike.html#BreakIn

I have used this procedure on many new engines of the two and three wheel variety and I have had the good fortune to have never had a failure. A proper break-in and top quality synthetic lubricants pay off on the long haul.

It also has excellent information on all aspects of motorcycles.

[Trickie Dick]

After reading all the discussion on the merits of running premium fuel in the spyder, I thought I would try it today. Filled up this morning with premium. Took a little ride about 125 miles with retread to have lunch with Amanda B. Since I didn't want to stop on the way home, I filled up with regular unleaded with 3 bars at 125 miles. When I pulled in my driveway my fuel light was on. WTH
I had always gotten around 28-30 on regular until I tried this little experiment to see if I got better mileage with premium. ( I may have but only slightly) But I sure didn't expect my mileage to drop by a third when I went back.
Ideas
Dick