25 MPG

[canam9]

Thats what I've been getting on average. Riding 50% two up and 50% with the trailer. Load o stuff is about 130 to 150 give or take. Low fuel light comes on at about 125 miles and when I fuel it takes 5 gallons. If I recall it has a 6 gallon tank so they give you a 25 mile safety.

[canam9]

Yes, I do.

[pierrelogic]

I'm changing the topic. Looking at you states map, how did you get WI but none of the surrounding states? You got the new hover model?

[SpyderRider]

I am also averaging 25 mpg combined city/highway during my 600 mile break-in. I thought I read the Spyder got 35 to 40 mpg highway???

[bodymanpainter]

I got 27 to 28 mpg with my RT-S with 5400 miles on it. Most of it was highway miles.

[8 Legged Freak]

I have an RT-S and after 3200 miles, I am averaging 28.71 mph.

[pathfinderjoe]

The wife and I just returned from a 3000 + mile tour through BC. The tailbag, saddelbags and nose-cone were all stuffed to the max. I averagd 32 mpg which is what I have been experiencing throughout my 16,000+ miles.

[SpyderRider]

Hmmm...maybe I need to coast more!

[clueless]

he is running a SM-5

are you guys with low mileage running SE-5?

also how did you break your spyder in? easy for first 600 or ride it normal for first 600 miles?

[bodymanpainter]

he is running a SM-5

are you guys with low mileage running SE-5?

also how did you break your spyder in? easy for first 600 or ride it normal for first 600 miles?

Mine was an sm 5 and I rode it like I stole it and I tried it easy and made no differance in mpg. Also live in Florida where it is flat land.

[jmkipp]

My worst was 29 fueled up yesterday and got 34.5 riding two up ,400 lbs total ,been averageing about 31 since new ,2800 miles on it now.Blew engine at 1500 mi mechanic said when he got it back together it will run better thenfrom factory,also have 2bros exhaust that might make a little difference
Jack

[MouthPiece]

RT-S, PE # 0004, 80% "around town" riding, ethanol in gas, 30.5 mpg. and 7,500 miles.

Chris PE# 0004

[GadgetGuy442]

Our RT-S has about 4,000 miles, and we've been getting about 34 - 36 mpg; that's 2-up ryding mostly under 50 mph in and around Brighton, MI. I'm very satisfied!

[clueless]

so auto or manual version doest seem to matter for mileage ...

[clueless]

i wonder if speed is the difference. those getting high mileage maybe running mostly under 55 mph?

[Questions]

I have a 2010 rts ,brotherlaw has has same bike. Mind is semi auto his is standard .We did a 1038 km run on Aug 2 to Aug 4 . My gas milage was 44.8 miles per gallon . My brotherlaws was 43.4. My rts had 5700 km on it .Brotherlaws had only 1500 km. on his.

[canam9]

i wonder if speed is the difference. those getting high mileage maybe running mostly under 55 mph?

[scudrunner]

I have a 2010 rts ,brotherlaw has has same bike. Mind is semi auto his is standard .We did a 1038 km run on Aug 2 to Aug 4 . My gas milage was 44.8 miles per gallon . My brotherlaws was 43.4. My rts had 5700 km on it .Brotherlaws had only 1500 km. on his.

This seems to be out of place in the other statistics. Since you mention km in your distance, was this km/ltr? km/gal (imperial or otherwise)?

I'm getting 26.7 mpg using 89 oct 10% ethanol average for 1300 miles.

[Questions]

Actual miles per gallon for my 2010 rts
64.9 liters for 1038 km
45.17 miles per gallon imperial
6.25 per liters per 100 km
1038 km = 644.98 miles
39.7 per us gallon

[SpyderRider]

Wow, some of you guys are getting 35 & 40+ mpg. I am breaking my bike in the way I ryde - normal with some (not all) fast pull-offs, etc. I did same with my 2001 Honda Valkyrie Interstate and she runs pur-fect!

I do a lot of country ridding so maybe the constant gas and go through the curves is eating away at my mileage totals!? I'll see a huge improvement once I get to the 3,500 oil change (600 mile using dealer/Can-Am recommended) as I will switch over to Royal Purple oil and really loosen her up!

[zeebill]

i wonder if speed is the difference. those getting high mileage maybe running mostly under 55 mph?

Wonder no more! RPM's or speed is what controls the MPG! Take an under 50 speed tank trip and you will see the difference from the normal everyday 70 MPH trip on the interstate. That is why vehicle manufacturers give a city and highway reading with most vehicles too. Stop and go city driving eats gas the same as RPM's does. Taking a highway trip at 50 MPH or slower will give you great mileage if you don't get runover by a semi and killed that is! Bill PS this is why a 6th and slightly over drive final gear would help these trikes greatly but BuRP just doesn't want to spend the money to make it right. The Aprila has 6 speeds and gets better fuel mileage by the way.

[clueless]

so key is to reduce win drag probably... i wonder if cutting the screen down will reduce drag and help mpg?

[zeebill]

so key is to reduce win drag probably... i wonder if cutting the screen down will reduce drag and help mpg?

Believe it or not with the summer I have been running with the windscreen all the way down and I am seeing a very miniscule improvement in gas mileage. I was wondering if the very small bolted on wind deflectors below there could be removed for the summer heat and maybe help comfort and reduce drag too? Worth a try at least? Bill

[SilverSurfer]

So here's my compendium:

Highway vs. town driving: On highway one-up, I get 32 mpg, maybe a little more. Around town (e.g. backroads commute to work), I'm down to 26-28mpg. I've since begun taking more four-lane highway routes to work if I want to save fuel.

Yes, the Windscreen: As many repeat, the RT windscreen and faring are like pushing a barn door down the road. The lower the windscreen, the lesser the drag, which could improve mileage somewhat, but it will be negligible, unless ridden that way over a few tanks of gas. Given our hot summer in MD, I've found riding with the windscreen all the way down more a matter of comfort than stellar fuel savings. I sometimes muse as to whether there might be some practical after-market modifications for the front end of the RT, produced by such folks as Vertika Trykes Canada (V.T.C) that might improve aerodynamics and flow-through. I would also not mind seeing an after-market replacement for the rear top case ... an assembly that could actually be removed and re-installed, like a Harley Tour Pack; thus reducing weight and drag. I belive LAMONSTER has posted something on a lower-profile wind screen he has mounted on his RT. He described its highest adjustment as equal to the stock windscreen's lowest adjustment. Interesting ... but I'll tell ya ... when I rode 286 miles back from VA in pouring rain, my full-size deflector shield was a dream.

Shifting: You're out on the back country roads ... rolling hills, twists and turns ... or in the mountain twisties. When I ran the Blue-Ridge Parkway this past may, I was down to 24-26 mpg. When I returned on I-81, I was back up to almost 34 mpg at times.

Lugging: Whether SM5 or SE5, don't lug the engine. On streets, keep the engine happy in 3rd gear at around 32-3500 rpm. On the road, avoid 5th gear until you're up around 50. The popular acclaim is that on the highway, the engine isn't happy until it's resting at around 5000 rpm. The 998 Rotax (as are all Rotax motorcycle engines) are european high-rev designs (made in Austria, of course). If you are trying to duplicate the blop-blop-blop feel/sound of a Harley on your Spyder, the result will be an air-starved, over-heated engine and over-consumption of fuel.

Loads: Two-up with trailer? Everyone's reporting in the mid-20s with both, and in the high twenties on open road two-up, which can vary up or down depending on the individual/aggregate weights of your passenger and trailer, respectively; also the recency of your all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet.

Tire Pressure: The lower the tire pressure, the more drag. I keep my fronts at between 19 and 20 psi; the rear at 32 psi. I've not yet been able to figure out the basis for BRP's original specification for "13-17psi" in the front tires. However, now that I am replacing my front shocks with Elka Stage 1+'s, I've learned that the stock RT Shocks ain't that hot (technically; my ride has been fine), and that dyno testing of the stocks showed the majority of buffering is taken up by the external spring of the shock, vs. the shock itself. Hmm. This might mean hat BRP's intention was to compensate the flakey buffering with low tire pressure. Still, I've had better performance and mpg running at higher tire psi.

Engine Air and Fuel: If one is using anything less than 93 Octane, it's going to make the engine run richer, which consumes fuel. An immediate improvement I'm making is replacement of the stock air filter with a good one from K&N. My jury is out on moding my exhaust in the near term; however, there might be some valid theory that by replacing the stock exhaust (takes up to 13 pounds off the bike), with greater combined flow through from the air filter and exhaust, the slightly-reduced weight, more efficient air supply and slightly increased horsepower, might have a positive effect on fuel consumption.

Power to Weight Ratio: The highest mpg I've ever seen on my Spyder (or heard of here for that matter) is 34 mpg. The lowest mpg I've seen reported on any spyder is 24 mpg. I look at it this way: We're getting about the same mpg as a Toyota Corolla under reciprocal conditions. 1000cc v-twin/929 pound bike vs. 2.4 ltr four cyl/2822 lb car. I truly feel my only desired improvement is the power-to-weight ratio. If BRP/Rotax could partner on adapting a 1200 cc version of our v-twin without increasing engine or transmission weight, I'd be a fan. Note: Rotax does have an 1125 cc V-Twin used in the final year of Buells on the 1125R. I don't know how adaptable its form factor is to the Spyder, but it is described as a lightweight engine that can crank out up to 146 hp, vs. the 991's 100 (in the RT). Why BRP didn't feel the 1125cc was appropriate for the the Spyder I don't know.

[smokster]

I have a 2010 rts ,brotherlaw has has same bike. Mind is semi auto his is standard .We did a 1038 km run on Aug 2 to Aug 4 . My gas milage was 44.8 miles per gallon . My brotherlaws was 43.4. My rts had 5700 km on it .Brotherlaws had only 1500 km. on his.

Miles / gallons = MPG....just in case people forgot how to calculate and are getting numbers that dont make sense to the rest of us