New personal best mpg

[gkamer]

I set a new personal best mpg today. One hundred ninety mile ride averaged 37.8 miles per gallon. Up to now, I’ve been averaging 33 mpg. I wish I was paying attention to my riding so I could do that all the time. But I was too busy enjoying the scenery.

[Peter Aawen]

I really don't want to burst your 'rosy glow' bubble, cos that 37.8 is an achievement.... .... Buuut - working out & basing your gas milage on just one tank of gas is fraught with risks & can be very misleading!

Maybe you didn't quite fill the tank as much as usual after doing your 190 mile ride ; or maybe the gauge on the gas pump was out a bit (yeah, I know, they usually read 'little' gallons so you pay more, not 'big' so you pay less, but both can & do occasionally happen! ) Or maybe you just had a gentle tail wind/light load/smoother road surface/ideal operating temps/et al on this particular day/ride?!? Who really knows The point is, there's a vaaast array of variables that could make your gas milage on just ONE tank look reeeally good! Heck, my 2013 V-Twin even showed better'n 70 mpg once (AND worse'ern 2 mpg another time! ) but I KNEW it was just a 'One Tank Wonder' and didn't count on it ever happening again, and I always use a 'rolling average' of at least the last 10 tanks full to work out my avg mpg in order to keep an eye on 'estimated range per tank' & 'engine behaviour/performance', instead of being lulled into a false sense of security or scared into an unnecessary panic by an 'out of the blue' much better/worse than usual one tank calculation!

So with any luck, your 'rolling average mpg' worked out over at least the last 10 tanks of gas is slowly climbing - if your Spyder is new, it should/could/orta do that for the first 10,000 miles or so; if not, maybe it's slowly climbing as you learn to make better use of it's low down torque & the cruising gears; either way, here's hoping it keeps on climbing for a while, until it hits a peak & then gradually levels out at a reasonable level! And if you generally do more 'gentle cruising' rather than 'flat out fanging' or 'flinging it thru the twisties', then by ryding it that way your Spyder should easily be able to manage a rolling average of 35 mpg or better!! We've got a few long distance ryders here in Oz who rarely ryde in town, never ryde in the heat of the day or in inclement weather, don't often encounter too many of those rare things that in some parts they call 'corners', & never push the limit on the open road... who manage a respectable mid 40's mpg rolling average, but not too many people get to ryde in ideal conditions all the time, so maybe just high 30's low 40's is a better target for you to aim for, given time!?

Over to you, and congrats on this hopefully first of many personal best mpg records....

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

with Peter .... IdahoMountain posted His mileages compiled over many thousands of miles, that's how it's needed to be done if you want any type of accuracy ..... but you did good .... Mike

[bikerbillone]

Oh yeah, wish I could get that 37 mpg constantly. I'm two up 99% of my riding time, probably 34 mpg avg, according to my monitor readout, riding with ECO off, I'm good with that. Lot of variables with mpg.

2020 RTL

[EdMat]

But I was too busy enjoying the scenery.

Greg, I think you have already answered your question. I have found the difference in enjoying the ride and the scenery vs using the interstate to "get there" can be over 20 MPG.
Best MPG 47.92
Worst MPG 22.75

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Oh yeah, wish I could get that 37 mpg constantly. I'm two up 99% of my riding time, probably 34 mpg avg, according to my monitor readout, riding with ECO off, I'm good with that. Lot of variables with mpg.

2020 RTL

There are (IMHO) two ways to get absolute consistency .... #1. - run the Spyder on a DYNO ..... #2. - run the Spyder on an indoor track while using "Cruise Control" ..... Both should be done with sealed containers of fuel ..... I can think of 30 to 40 Variables that will effect fuel mileage (every single day).... Even the Pro's in NASCAR and F-1 use $20 to $30,000 worth of equipment to get fuel mileage numbers and they sometimes get it wrong. There are FACTS and then there are wishes, hopes, and dreams about Spyder fuel mileages. Why some folks can't accept reality is beyond my comprehension ..... JMHO .... good luck .... Mike

[Bfromla]

Sooo many additive at the pumps as well help muck up the variables. glad lil extra happiness with a good ryde Good luck repeating

[bigbadbrucie]

I just did some figuring.....on my last fill, I compute that I got 40.07 mpg (based on 128 oz. per gal) but when I average out my last 10 fill-ups. I am getting 36.41 mpg. Averaging is far more accurate. I may just see what I get if I look at the last year....much different? (only Lamont Cranston knows)!

[EdMat]

I just did some figuring.....on my last fill, I compute that I got 40.07 mpg (based on 128 oz. per gal) but when I average out my last 10 fill-ups. I am getting 36.41 mpg. Averaging is far more accurate. I may just see what I get if I look at the last year....much different? (only Lamont Cranston knows)!

Yep, my long term average over 308 fill-ups is 32.46. I gotta stay off the Interstate.

[missouriboy]

I just went above 40mpg for the first time ever, on my last fill-up. But I discount that as unreliable, being only a single tank.

I enter mine into a spreadsheet, and accumulate three 200-mile tankfulls per line, to get a more accurate "average" figure.

It's been improving lately... I dunno why. Hot weather? Summer blend of fuel?

Odometer Miles Gal. MPG
104,086 618 16.85 36.68 01/19/22
104,696 610 16.09 37.91
105,295 599 15.68 38.20 03/01/22
105,902 607 16.46 36.88
106,494 592 15.29 38.72 04/05/22
107,095 601 15.61 38.50 05/03/22
107,714 619 15.76 39.28
108,338 624 15.97 39.07 05/28/22
108,937 599 15.18 39.46
109,550 613 15.52 39.50 06/25/22
109,754 204 4.98 40.96

[Pooch]

I just went above 40mpg for the first time ever, on my last fill-up. But I discount that as unreliable, being only a single tank.

I enter mine into a spreadsheet, and accumulate three 200-mile tankfulls per line, to get a more accurate "average" figure.

It's been improving lately... I dunno why. Hot weather? Summer blend of fuel?

Odometer Miles Gal. MPG
104,086 618 16.85 36.68 01/19/22
104,696 610 16.09 37.91
105,295 599 15.68 38.20 03/01/22
105,902 607 16.46 36.88
106,494 592 15.29 38.72 04/05/22
107,095 601 15.61 38.50 05/03/22
107,714 619 15.76 39.28
108,338 624 15.97 39.07 05/28/22
108,937 599 15.18 39.46
109,550 613 15.52 39.50 06/25/22
109,754 204 4.98 40.96

Odd thing… I too am in Texas and my figures are pretty much right there with yours for the winter/spring miles but I haven’t kept a nice spreadsheet like this.
Yesterday’s fill-up was 40.93mpg.
2021 RTL, 7568 miles, usually Exxon, 93 octane consistently, OEM Kendas — 18 front cold, 26-28 rear cold.
I was thinking they were cheating us on their additives for a while.

[ARtraveler]

I have posted my 12 year, 200,000 mile average mpg many times. Mine covers seven different machines and two different engines.

The 1330's are about 10 mpg better than the 998's overall. I have had one or two really, really good averages and many that were really, really bad.

MPG is a good indicator over time or a few tanks. But as BK says, there are lots and lots of variables, and all can combine to affect the mpg.

But, hey, it makes a good ongoing topic to chew on from time to time. This time, if you want my real numbers, you have to go on the hunt.

[KenF]

Here is one for you. I just finished a 2600 mile trip used 68 gals of gas for an average of 38 mpg. Olympia WA. to Crater Lake OR. to Mt. Lassen National Park to Reno NV to Sacramento CA to Merced CA to Gilroy Ca. Ten back up thru San Francisco to Hwy 1 (Coast Hwy) up to Westport WA and finally back to Olympia WA. All kinds of roads from Interstate to 15 mph twisty's.

[rjinaz86323]

I have just under 10k miles on my 2018 F3L with about half of those miles 2-up. My avg miles per gallon is 35.9

[missouriboy]

I just went above 40mpg for the first time ever, on my last fill-up. But I discount that as unreliable, being only a single tank.

I enter mine into a spreadsheet, and accumulate three 200-mile tankfulls per line, to get a more accurate "average" figure.

It's been improving lately... I dunno why. Hot weather? Summer blend of fuel?

Odometer Miles Gal. MPG
104,086 618 16.85 36.68 01/19/22
104,696 610 16.09 37.91
105,295 599 15.68 38.20 03/01/22
105,902 607 16.46 36.88
106,494 592 15.29 38.72 04/05/22
107,095 601 15.61 38.50 05/03/22
107,714 619 15.76 39.28
108,338 624 15.97 39.07 05/28/22
108,937 599 15.18 39.46
109,550 613 15.52 39.50 06/25/22
109,754 204 4.98 40.96

See? I knew that ~41mpg had to be a fluke... here's the next tank, averaged out:

109,959 409 10.61 38.55

[safecracker]

Missouri Boy. Over 109,000 miles, great job. Bruce

[rjinaz86323]

Bought my 2018 F3L last year. It had 198 miles on it at the time. I live in North Central Arizona and most trips end up going through Colorado (mountains) to get about any place.

Today it has 12,568 miles on it and has averaged 36.4 mpg with about half of that riding 2 up. Avg speed 48, Max 92

We just got back from The Sturgis Rally today. 2,849 miles and averaged 37.9 mpg. This was all riding 2 up, with every conceivable space packed with something, through AZ, NM, CO, WY, and SD. Avg speed 51, Max 81

Incidentally I only use 87 octane (or 88 if no 87 available)