USING THE ECO MODE 1330 Engine

[SpyderAnn01]

[QUOTE=murphybrown;972769]

yes you can use the Eco mode with cruise control ... I just got back from a 1700 mile trip.. used Eco mode just about all the time... my fuel mileage was from
29MPG to 31 MPG.. using 93 octane..

osm[/QUOT

Almost at 4k miles this time out. I pull loaded trailer and use highest octane I can get. Do not use ECO mode. Mileage average is 38.2 mpg. Yesterday first 2 fills were low 30's. But head/side winds and heavy rain ( I was hydroplaning at 48 mph). I do have the bypass and 2 Bros. some say that helps. Don't know as I had those put on before ryding.

Karyl, you have a Kumho on the rear, right? To me Kumho = hydroplaning. With the Arachnid on the rear (and with the Kenda) no hydroplaning but when I had the Kumho I would hydroplane.

As for Eco Mode, I use it all the time. I generally don't look at the arrow, only when I'm tooling around town and I notice that it is giving me the up arrow and I realize that I should up shift. I do not notice any loss of power but I have a manual and that may be different than on the SE. If you use it to remind you to shift to 6th at lower speeds I think you will find improved gas mileage.

[LadyDi'sSpyder]

I used it when I first got the bike last month, it show's you when to shift gears. Once I got the idea when to shift I turned it off because it takes your eyes off the road. I just got 36mpg on my third fill-up, so much better than my 2013 got.

Has anyone information on the use of the ECO Mode for the 1330 Engine

Not much information in the owners book and tried a search on this site

I am not sure when it should be used and if the cruise control can still be used when in ECO Mode

Any information would be helpful



Thanks

[jcasey]

Maybe a dumb question but does the 1330 on the F3 have Eco mode? The button is so marked but pressing and holding that button to set eco mode does nothing. I never see an Eco icon on the gauge cluster. Doubt I would use it long term but just wanted to try out the bells on my new toy. Perhaps I am not reading the manual correctly but it says to just press the Eco button for 2 seconds to engage.

It's there. I had a hard time getting it on at first but it works.

[Marker]

I use eco mode while cruising long highway distance and cruise control engaged too. The fuel economy improved to almost 39 miles per gallon Canadian while towing the BRP Rt622 trailer and having a passenger with me too.
Not much good for on and off throttle riding as the motor has too much less power when eco mode engaged and eco mode is always telling you to shift until you reach 6th gear.
I have an SE6 transmission.

[kenfromhv]

It's there. I had a hard time getting it on at first but it works.

Press the Eco (mode) button 3+ seconds - until the Eco light come on.
To turn off - press 3+ seconds until the Eco goes off.

[donkes]

I'm not impressed w the MPG stories.

[Roadster Renovations]

Last fill-up I averaged 37mpg. That's riding 2 up and mostly 2 lanes. Seems super slabs cause it to drop. I used eco when I first got the bike to learn when to shift, thought the arrow was extremely distracting, and stopped using it. Only time I use it now is when I stop the engine and still want the radio to play. Holding the eco down when you turn the key off will keep the radio on. It also puts you in eco the next time you start up. After starting, I just hold the button down and it goes away.

[Spyderups]

Eco mode to me is learning the sweet spot to shift up on se6....down shift a gear if you need more umph....not brain surgery!!!!

[jaherbst]

3 week old 2015 rt-s. With or without Eco mode we get the same mileage based on range. I alternate every other tankful is Eco mode. Range is consistently around 203 miles. There might be more in there but I am on the analog fuel gauge which is not as accurate as the digital.


2015 RT-S

39-41 using ECCO mode with two up and trailer or single rider?? I am loving it! Now passing up gas station on my trips. Can you believe it!

Jack

[markyodo]

I've had "eco mode" turned on since my first week owning the bike. My riding style has been erratic, meaning I push it when I need to. Mostly 2 up for long trips, 1 up for weekday rides to work. On 2 up trips we pull a trailer which when packed can be 280-300 lbs.
Below is a graph showing each fill-up and mileage since March 2015. The bottom portion is the number of gallons required for each fill-up.
I think there is some technique to filling the tank to make the reading reliable, which I am just now figuring out and based on the numbers I am capable of doing much better.

https://public.tableau.com/views/Spy...es&:toolbar=no

[trikermutha]

I've had "eco mode" turned on since my first week owning the bike. My riding style has been erratic, meaning I push it when I need to. Mostly 2 up for long trips, 1 up for weekday rides to work. On 2 up trips we pull a trailer which when packed can be 280-300 lbs.
Below is a graph showing each fill-up and mileage since March 2015. The bottom portion is the number of gallons required for each fill-up.
I think there is some technique to filling the tank to make the reading reliable, which I am just now figuring out and based on the numbers I am capable of doing much better.

https://public.tableau.com/views/Spy...es&:toolbar=no

My Mileage looks similar to these charts..

[RedStar]

I didn't buy the F3 to ride on eco mode! I bought it to ride it like I stole it!

[cyclekid58]

[QUOTE=murphybrown;972769]

yes you can use the Eco mode with cruise control ... I just got back from a 1700 mile trip.. used Eco mode just about all the time... my fuel mileage was from
29MPG to 31 MPG.. using 93 octane..

osm[/QUOT

Almost at 4k miles this time out. I pull loaded trailer and use highest octane I can get. Do not use ECO mode. Mileage average is 38.2 mpg. Yesterday first 2 fills were low 30's. But head/side winds and heavy rain ( I was hydroplaning at 48 mph). I do have the bypass and 2 Bros. some say that helps. Don't know as I had those put on before ryding.

I didn't see any difference between eco and not, this last trip mileage was 32 due to a lot of wind and 35 mph gusts that were frequent, coming back running cruise at 62mph on 2 lane highway (60mph zone) I got 47.2 with the 1330 and was at half tank when the 998s fuel lights came on, I average 37-42 consistantly. riding 2 up but no trailer.

[gypsy_100]

I've had "eco mode" turned on since my first week owning the bike. My riding style has been erratic, meaning I push it when I need to. Mostly 2 up for long trips, 1 up for weekday rides to work. On 2 up trips we pull a trailer which when packed can be 280-300 lbs.
Below is a graph showing each fill-up and mileage since March 2015. The bottom portion is the number of gallons required for each fill-up.
I think there is some technique to filling the tank to make the reading reliable, which I am just now figuring out and based on the numbers I am capable of doing much better.

https://public.tableau.com/views/Spy...es&:toolbar=no

Thanks for posting this. It shows the normal variability to be expected from fill-up to fill-up. You cannot make any comparisons based on one or two tanks of gas. I would never make any comparisons on less than 1,000 miles of riding. Even then the results (change or no change in mpg) are more of a suggestion than anything else. You can look at it this way: typically you're adding about 5 gallons. So even a 1/2 gallon difference from tank to tank (slope, pump calibration, wind conditions, tire pressure, average speed, etc) results in a 10% difference in your mileage calculation. So 36 mpg could range from 32.5 to 39.5 just from normal variability. It takes many tankfuls to account for that variability. With that kind of variability, it takes many tankfuls "with/without" or "before/after" a change or modification to show a meaningful change in mpg.

If you'd rather look at it statistically, then look at the standard deviation. Over tens of thousands of miles on my 2011, the standard deviation was above 2.0, meaning statistically valid changes in fuel economy are very difficult to prove. For my 2014 1330, over the first 14 tankfuls, my average mpg is 36.1; the standard deviation is 2.2 mpg. Huge. Claiming an improvement of 1/2 or 1 or 2 mpg due to ECO or anything else is simply not statistically valid unless you put many thousands of miles on under each condition.

[Ex Winger]

I just fill it up and ride.When it gets low repeat the fill up.Tryed the Eco mode.Found it less responsive.Bought this toy to ride and enjoy

[SL Ken]

I have Eco mode on all the time. I use cruise control a lot commuting to work. (About 40 miles). I can go about 75 for most of those miles. I get about 32 mpg. Low was 28 and high was 42. The high was done on a club ride going about 40-45 mph. I am usually right at the 32 mpg. I would have thought it would be better. Mostly 1 up. Not loaded down with anything. It has 11,000 on it.

[Shiznit98204]

I just fill it up and ride.When it gets low repeat the fill up.Tryed the Eco mode.Found it less responsive.Bought this toy to ride and enjoy

I tried eco mode for city driving out of curiosity. But when getting on the freeway I was disappointed at how much it cut your power. Turned it off while still accelerating and held throttle at same position. The spyder took off like a rocket. Even the wife asked what I did. Lol. I'll just keep it normal and enjoy the power when I want it. Fill it up when it needs it and just enjoy the ride. Even 30 mpg is better than the 13 mpg I get with my truck so I'm always happy.

[gypsy_100]

I tried eco mode for city driving out of curiosity. But when getting on the freeway I was disappointed at how much it cut your power. Turned it off while still accelerating and held throttle at same position. The spyder took off like a rocket. Even the wife asked what I did. Lol. I'll just keep it normal and enjoy the power when I want it. Fill it up when it needs it and just enjoy the ride. Even 30 mpg is better than the 13 mpg I get with my truck so I'm always happy.

Technically it doesn't cut the power per se but cuts the throttle response to your handgrip as shown in the earlier graphs. Let's say you were in ECO mode and had the hand grip at 90% of it's possible rotation. That would have resulted in the throttle being open about 50%. When you turned off ECO mode and kept the hand grip at 90%, the true throttle opening shot up to around 80%. Hence you took off like a rocket.

I agree with you and others. I don't care for it at all. If I want to ride economically to squeeze out the most mileage, I can do that by controlling my throttle myself. I don't need the computer reducing my throttle response. And I refuse to shift at the very low rpm the arrow indicates. Just me -- others will feel differently.

[ricford]

Having spent two of the happiest years of my life in the 10th grade proved I'm slow. I have not learned how to turn the eco mode off. I am forced to push that button to 'read the safety warnings' and that seems to default to ON. What's the turn off procedure? I use Chevron 97 octane gas almost exclusively. After that, Shell premium. First I think the bike requires the higher octane fuel and second, Chevron and Shell incorporate injector cleaners in their premium fuel. Chevron makes the very best injector cleaner. Again, my opinion. And test results. But I still don't know how to turn that little green light off.

[noboot]

Hold your finger on the eco mode button for a second or two and it will be turned off.

[ricford]

Hold your finger on the eco mode button for a second or two and it will be turned off.

Thanks. As my 10th grade teacher (the second time around) said, "now, that wasn't so hard was it?"

Ric Crawford
Calhoun, LA

[jaherbst]

Technically it doesn't cut the power per se but cuts the throttle response to your handgrip as shown in the earlier graphs. Let's say you were in ECO mode and had the hand grip at 90% of it's possible rotation. That would have resulted in the throttle being open about 50%. When you turned off ECO mode and kept the hand grip at 90%, the true throttle opening shot up to around 80%. Hence you took off like a rocket.

I agree with you and others. I don't care for it at all. If I want to ride economically to squeeze out the most mileage, I can do that by controlling my throttle myself. I don't need the computer reducing my throttle response. And I refuse to shift at the very low rpm the arrow indicates. Just me -- others will feel differently.

Looks like better gas mileage and less rear tire wear would be the results of using ECCO mode. Right? Just food for thought.

Jack

[Robertsepolen]

My range is the same with or without it. I go for performance. I tried alternating tanks on and off of eco mode. Not enough difference to sacrifice performance.

[Xyzzy]

I only have a little more than 2,000 miles on my F3-S but I think I have figured out how the ECO mode works.

If you ride at a constant speed (cruise control) you will not see much of a difference between normal mode and ECO mode. This makes sense because ECO mode does two things that do not apply to steady-state riding. ECO mode encourages you to short-shift and the throttle "curve" is non-linear. (Both throttle curves are non-linear, but the ECO curve is much more "restrictive".)

I have run some tests to determine what causes my Spyder to use more fuel at times. The two biggest causes are accelerating briskly and travelling at higher speeds.

Most of my riding is with the cruise control on. (I use the cruise control even at speeds around 30-35 MPH.) I have had tanks at 45 MPG and tanks at 35 MPG. The difference is the speed I travel at.

This week I did two 210 mile trips. The trips were mostly steady-state cruising, anywhere from 45 MPH to 70 MPH. Both trips were the exact same loop route, same temperature, same humidity and same time of day. I use 93 octane ethanol-free fuel. On trip one I used sixth gear for cruising any time I was at 45 MPH or more. On trip two I used fifth gear any time I was at 45 MPH or more. I got 39.4 MPG on the first trip and 36.6 MPG on the second trip. So just lowering the engine RPM at cruise speeds is worth 3 MPG.

I live where it is flat with some occasional rolling hills, so I can usually cruise in sixth easily at 45 MPH or higher, which is the gear that ECO mode usually suggests. In rolling hills I use fifth until 55 MPH. The engine is nowhere close to lugging when cruising in sixth at 45 MPH at 2600 RPM, as long as the road is level and I am riding solo. When I am out in the middle of nowhere I take my time so I can enjoy the ride. Sometimes I will not see another vehicle for many miles.

At first I thought the ECO mode was just some programmed shift points but I now believe that it uses engine load to help determine when to shift. I get different suggestions when I have a passenger or I am on a hill or if the engine is not warmed up.

Most of the time ECO mode does not make my riding less fun. My usage pattern is long steady-state rides on long rural roads. I rarely ride for less than an hour.

I have owned 24 new bikes and thus far the F3-S has the best fuelling that I have ever experienced.

Mentally I play a game where I try to get the best mileage possible. Simple things like rolling to a stop or accelerating a bit slower or timing a red light to prevent having to use the brakes yields huge mileage improvements.

There are times I want to go much quicker and this is reflected in much lower mileage figures. I feel less of a need to ride quickly on my Spyder because is it significantly slower (acceleration and top speed) than most of the motorcycles I have had. For me the Spyder is a leisurely cruising/touring machine.

I log all of my mileage here:



I have submitted the technical (gearing) data for the F3 to gearingcommander.com so that you can compare engine speeds in different gears and stuff like that.

I am really impressed with the ACE 1330 engine so far. It is very smooth, has plenty of torque and has decent fuel economy.

YMMV

[Robertsepolen]

233 miles at 55-60mph. 5.77 gals at fill-up. Gas light came on at 217 miles. All back road riding. Terrain included Chinook pass in WA State. No Eco mode.


2015 RT-S