2012 Spyder RT-S SM5 Gas Mileage Chart

[Knarfoh]

Actually I knew that. I assumed that was the mistake she made. Unfortunately she was too dumb to realize she could've chosen liters instead of gallons when she signed up. The website does give you the opportunity to select the correct system of measurements. Wouldn't you think after she saw the results from filling in the information that she might have detected her own error? Because the website compares results from different owners, her mistake throws off the calculations for that class of vehicle for everyone.

 

[Knarfoh]

Summary of Gas Mileage

I have kept a record of every gas fill-up since the beginning. Except at the very beginning of my ownership, I always use Shell 93 octane.

My mileage if not an estimate or good guess - it is actual mileage based upon fill-ups over 9,600 miles. My Spyder is finicky when I fill it up. When the tank shows empty, it has taken anywhere from 3.5 gallons to 4.5 and fill it up usually. On such a small tank, being off by gallon will dramatically affect the "perceived" mileage you are getting. If you look at my chart, every GREAT fill-up is followed by a DISMAL fill-up. That is because the tank is shutting off the pump at different rates of fill. By keeping track of every ounce of gas in the tank and every mileage reading - you will get a good reflection what you are actually getting from your Spyder.

That said: NONE OF US BOUGHT THE SPYDER TO SKIMP ON GAS OR COMPLAIN ABOUT MILEAGE! This is just an informational post. Give it whatever value you think it merits!

 

[Knarfoh]

The common culprit seems to be.....

Who gives a crap about keeping records?

Some of us do give a crap about keeping records / because that's how you track real mileage vs BS Thx for speaking for all of us tho... ( Kinda)

Single fill-ups where mileage can widely fluctuate based upon how carefully you fill the tank may give misleading results.


Anyway, give this the value you think it deserves. Just a report for your information.

The point of my original post was to just share actual mileage as experienced by a person who has tracked from the very beginning of their ownership. My Chevrolet Cruze gets better mileage than my Spyder but that does not mean that I want to drive my Cruze more than my Spyder. I purchased my 2012 Chevrolet Cruze two months before I purchased my 2012 Spyder. I now have 9900 miles on my Spyder but less than 5000 on my Cruze. When you take into account that I cannot drive my Spyder three months out of the year because of the weather, you can easily tell which vehicle I prefer.

I have kept a record of every gas fill-up since the beginning. Except at the very beginning of my ownership, I always use Shell 93 octane.


My mileage if not an estimate or good guess - it is actual mileage based upon fill-ups over 9,600 miles. My Spyder is finicky when I fill it up. When the tank shows empty, it has taken anywhere from 3.5 gallons to 4.5 and fill it up usually. On such a small tank, being off by gallon will dramatically affect the "perceived" mileage you are getting. If you look at my chart, every GREAT fill-up is followed by a DISMAL fill-up. That is because the tank is shutting off the pump at different rates of fill. By keeping track of every ounce of gas in the tank and every mileage reading - you will get a good reflection what you are actually getting from your Spyder.


That said: NONE OF US BOUGHT THE SPYDER TO SKIMP ON GAS OR COMPLAIN ABOUT MILEAGE! This is just an informational post. Give it whatever value you think it merits!

My link (which I hope everyone read before offering a disparaging comment) is meant to be informational, not to suggest anyone's focus should be on gas mileage.


That said, should you choose to report gas mileage, unless you keep detailed records (I know, very boring!) the reports are suspect since they rely upon intuition; an antedotal experience; a few fill-ups; your most recent fill-up; etc.


My detailed report is actual experience over the life of my 2+ year old Spyder. It is not a guess or based upon some odd variation of mileage. It is every gallon of gas purchased plus actual mileage driven. Over time those odd fill-up even themselves up. The common culprit seems to be: when the gas gauge reads EMPTY on my Spyder I put between 3.5 to 4.5 gallons of gas to fill it back up!

 

[SteveMac]

I commend you on the record keeping and knowing what your exact mileage is. Hey, if it is important to you and you enjoy knowing, then that is awesome.

However, I have a question(s).
I understand tracking every mile and every gallon. But how did you manage to always use Shell 93 octane? Do you travel on your Spyder or stay within your local area?

The reason I ask is, when I ride, I find that when I need fuel, the same brand of gas is never always available. Sometimes it is Shell, sometimes Mobile, or Casey's, or 7-11 etc etc.

Trying to make sure I always used a particular brand/octane would drive me nuts. So, I'm just curious how in the world you managed that?

 

[Knarfoh]

I commend you on the record keeping and knowing what your exact mileage is. Hey, if it is important to you and you enjoy knowing, then that is awesome.

However, I have a question(s).
I understand tracking every mile and every gallon. But how did you manage to always use Shell 93 octane? Do you travel on your Spyder or stay within your local area?

The reason I ask is, when I ride, I find that when I need fuel, the same brand of gas is never always available. Sometimes it is Shell, sometimes Mobile, or Casey's, or 7-11 etc etc.

Trying to make sure I always used a particular brand/octane would drive me nuts. So, I'm just curious how in the world you managed that?

I'm not a long-distance rider nor do I ride in foul weather. 75% of my purchases are local so I go to the same gas station. You are correct, I do not look for the same brand on my travels. But I do look for the highest octane. In many instances that is only 91. But I always buy 93 if it's available. In Ohio that's $.20 more gallon over 87.

I use GasDandy and fuelly.com to keep my records. Everyone makes it sound like it's so hard when it's only jotting down your odometer reading using the gas receipt. Instead of spending time on Facebook I update my gas record.

I certainly understand why gas mileage information is not very meaningful for many people. To be honest, overtime all it proves is that we're getting the same gas mileage roughly.

I never bought my Spyder worrying about gas mileage. It's just something that I did because in my old job I had to keep gas records in order to receive reimbursement for work related travel.

if you smoke a cigarette or drink a beer, you're taking more time to do that then I do to keep gas mileage records.

 

[Knarfoh]

 

[Knarfoh]

Cruze vs. Spyder

Every fill-up of both vehicles....added the Chevy Cruze March 5, 2012, not sure why it says added Sept 2012

 

[Questions]

Knarfoh

I think calling debobstoy "dumb" was uncalled for.

 

[Knarfoh]

Latest Figures Ending September 20, 2014

Last 20 fill-ups. I notice it says above I average 1 fill-up a week. This is Ohio so from late October to early March (4 months) I do not ride at all. I am not a cold-weather rider or foul weather rider. Usually in March, it is hit and miss.

 

[ARtraveler]

I had a "mind blower" when I filled my 1330 the last time.


212.3 miles and 4.59 gallons to fill. (46.25 mpg). Yes, I am very careful to fill to the same level each time.

I am guessing this is a one time thing because I have been averaging 40-41 on most tanks. I will take the 46 and run though--while it lasts.

 

[Knarfoh]

I had a "mind blower" when I filled my 1330 the last time.

212.3 miles and 4.59 gallons to fill. (46.25 mpg). Yes, I am very careful to fill to the same level each time.

I am guessing this is a one time thing because I have been averaging 40-41 on most tanks. I will take the 46 and run though--while it lasts.

Your post is off-subject. This is about 2012, but still nice numbers to know!

Yes, I take great care in filling my tank also, but look at the numbers. Sorry, have no explanation why a fill-up results in such variations in numbers. Only way to tell true mileage is to track constantly - over a long period of time - and all that will tell you is what you (as an individual) get. How we shift - drive - rate of speed - grade of gas - terrain - etc. will affect our mileage (and each of us is different). But it should be in the ball park over a period of time.

When you track every gallon purchased and every mile traveled, those variations in fill-ups go away because at that point you are tracking actual gallons purchased and dividing it into actual miles traveled for every single mile of traveled distance.

Even you acknowledged "while it lasts" which makes me believe you expect your results to return to your normal expectation. All of us can report at least one "magical" fill-up (including mine where I got 40+). All my magical fill-ups are usually followed by a "less then magical" fill-up. LOL. This means the first fill-up was not "full". I have no idea how that can be (air pocket?) but it happens. The Spyder tanks are notoriously difficult to fill. I have to make sure I don't pump gas into the tank at full throttle and I go very slowly.

As someone wisely pointed out sometime ago - we didn't buy our Spyders for the gas mileage, we bought them because they were fun!

Over the lifetime of my Spyder (so far), I am reporting 31.1 miles to gallon. I see others reporting they have difficulty achieving anywhere near 30 and many around 28. So what gives?

My periodic reporting of gas mileage is for amusement purposes only and not intended to serve any other purpose.

 

[ARtraveler]

Your post is off-subject. This is about 2012, but still nice numbers to know!

Yes, I take great care in filling my tank also, but look at the numbers. Sorry, have no explanation why a fill-up results in such variations in numbers. Only way to tell true mileage is to track constantly - over a long period of time - and all that will tell you is what you (as an individual) get. How we shift - drive - rate of speed - grade of gas - terrain - etc. will affect our mileage (and each of us is different). But it should be in the ball park over a period of time.

When you track every gallon purchased and every mile traveled, those variations in fill-ups go away because at that point you are tracking actual gallons purchased and dividing it into actual miles traveled for every single mile of traveled distance.

Even you acknowledged "while it lasts" which makes me believe you expect your results to return to your normal expectation. All of us can report at least one "magical" fill-up (including mine where I got 40+). All my magical fill-ups are usually followed by a "less then magical" fill-up. LOL. This means the first fill-up was not "full". I have no idea how that can be (air pocket?) but it happens. The Spyder tanks are notoriously difficult to fill. I have to make sure I don't pump gas into the tank at full throttle and I go very slowly.

As someone wisely pointed out sometime ago - we didn't buy our Spyders for the gas mileage, we bought them because they were fun!

Over the lifetime of my Spyder (so far), I am reporting 31.1 miles to gallon. I see others reporting they have difficulty achieving anywhere near 30 and many around 28. So what gives?

My periodic reporting of gas mileage is for amusement purposes only and not intended to serve any other purpose.

I also consider the mileage threads/posts for amusement purposes. I do look at each fill up just because. My fill up following the 46 mpg was 41 mpg. For me--back to normal.

My 2011 gets an average of 30-31 most fill ups.

 

[Knarfoh]

Last Report for this Riding Season - OHIO - 2014

I have tracked every mile traveled, gas fill-up, etc. since I purchased my 2012 Can-Am Spyder RT-S SM5. Unfortunately, it is time to put it away for the rest of this year. Hopefully, in March 2015, I will be on the road again.

 

[Golfingnut300]

How do you guys get such mileage? Took a trip yesterday in my 2012 RT SE5 and could only get 100 miles in between gas light coming on. It was all freeway miles averaging 80 with cruise control, I was expecting much better mileage. Something doesn't seem right.

 

[LimitedRTCan-AmSpyder]

How do you guys get such mileage? Took a trip yesterday in my 2012 RT SE5 and could only get 100 miles in between gas light coming on. It was all freeway miles averaging 80 with cruise control, I was expecting much better mileage. Something doesn't seem right.

I am with you. I get up to 120 miles and I fill up.

 

[Knarfoh]

How do you guys get such mileage? Took a trip yesterday in my 2012 RT SE5 and could only get 100 miles in between gas light coming on. It was all freeway miles averaging 80 with cruise control, I was expecting much better mileage. Something doesn't seem right.

I am probably a pretty conservative rider. Generally stick to the speed limits (max in Ohio is 70 m.p.h. with most highways less then that depending on local traffic conditions). No fast starts, etc. I follow the recommendations for shifting (manual shift here).

I am with you. I get up to 120 miles and I fill up.

My FUEL FILL-UP light normally comes on with around 120 miles shown on the trip odometer. My typical fill-up is around 4 gallons but since this is a 6 gallon tank, I sometimes ignore the light and go to 150 miles on the trip odometer. If you have no real idea what kind of mileage you are getting, I would not drive another 30 after the light comes on if you can avoid it.

As my post says --- I have tracked every fill-up, miles traveled, cost of gas, etc. since I purchased my 2012 Spyder RT-S so you can rely on my findings. I do use 93 octane (if available, if not highest available) but you will get arguments on this website about the mileage effects of buying premium gas and whether it is worth it. You will also get disagreements on shifting patterns to achieve the best mileage.

The ONLY WAY to accurately check your over-all gas mileage is to log it religiously. FUELLY.COM is a website where you can register all of your vehicles and keep a continuous record. You will get reports of unusually high mileage on individual fill-ups in this FORUM, but I don't give those much credence. You don't go from getting 30 mpg to 35 mpg suddenly. I suspect it is an anomaly with how much gas you put in the tank before the pump shut-off. I have had "magical" fill-ups where my apparent gas mileage increased suddenly, but those are always followed by fill-ups where the mileage dips in the other direction. Not sure about your tank on your Spyder, but it is sometimes difficult to fill my tank. I have put anywhere from 3.5 gallons to 4.5 gallons in my tank when it reads empty. On such a small tank, the slight difference makes a HUGE difference in the math when figuring miles per gallon. By tracking every mile and every fill-up, you achieve an accurate report.

I only post my personal results for amusement and entertainment.

 

[valkraider]

I use Fuelly (via the GasTracker+ app on my iPhone) for all my vehicles.

Also - 80mph is really fast when considering fuel economy, the Spyder is not aerodynamic at all.

From Wikipedia article on drag:
The power needed to push an object through a fluid increases as the cube of the velocity. A car cruising on a highway at 50 mph (80 km/h) may require only 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) to overcome air drag, but that same car at 100 mph (160 km/h) requires 80 hp (60 kW).


--
Posted from my iPhone using the "Tapatalk" app.

 

[wengerda]

I sign up to use fuelly.com. My bike is new with currently 95 miles. I will start annotating my gas mileage on my next fuel up.

 

[Bob Denman]

How do you guys get such mileage? Took a trip yesterday in my 2012 RT SE5 and could only get 100 miles in between gas light coming on. It was all freeway miles averaging 80 with cruise control, I was expecting much better mileage. Something doesn't seem right.

'Nuff said... :banghead:

 

[jcthorne]

My average for 7000 miles on my 13Rt has been between 25 and 26. Wife gets about 1 mpg better. We cruise 75 plus on open roads and are not limp wristed on the back roads. The bikes were purchased for fun.

It interesting to note that for longer trips, its more fuel efficient to load both bikes on a trailer and pull them with my truck than to drive the two of them to the destination. Depends on the destination, route and timing which we do. Truck is faster average and takes less fuel and carries more tools, fuel etc. Bikes are much more fun if the roads are.