Gas mileage a warranty issue?

[retread]

Comparing the Spyder - RS or RT - to a 2 wheeler is comparing apples to oranges. Try comparing it to the TriGlide, or another trike conversion, couple of examples, Victory Crossbow trike in a Rider Magazine test, 28 mpg, Ural sidecar rig 28 mpg, top speed 60 mph.

john

 

[NancysToy]

Comparing the Spyder - RS or RT - to a 2 wheeler is comparing apples to oranges. Try comparing it to the TriGlide, or another trike conversion, couple of examples, Victory Crossbow trike in a Rider Magazine test, 28 mpg, Ural sidecar rig 28 mpg, top speed 60 mph.

john

:agree:

 

[ARtraveler]

I wont chime in on the technical stuff because there are members here that obviously know the fine points very well. The technical talk makes sense about air drag, ethonal mix, etc. We have pretty good gas in Alaska, and I can get either 87, 89, or 90 octane. I mostly use the 90 as recommended, but there have been places where I could only get 87. I do not notice too much performance difference with the lower octane (we were in Canada for 3 days, and 87 was all I could get where we were)--the tank had a chance to get all the high test out and be mostly 87. The mileage has improved on my RTS from 27 up to 32-34 in 11K miles. The big factor for me seems to be speed and mix of speeds. Commuting to work with 3/4 highway at 70 and 1/4 in town at varying speeds usually gives me about 31 mpg. Straight highway at 70 and at 5000 rpms or higher gives great performance, but 30-32. Straight highway at 60 and 4500 rpms with some 40 mph twisties, etc usually results in 34 or a little better. For me, the mileage changes are noticable based on my riding style. My Vulcan 900, which is more aerodynamic because of two wheel configuragion and less heavy, (about 750 #) consistently gets 47 to 50 mpg depending on the above. I'm checking the miles per gallon stuff almost every fill because, since I'm an accountant, I like playing with numbers.

 

[billythekidd]

I guess a Harley, or my Vision could get 45 consistently if driven prudently. We recently took a trip to S Padre Island, 2 Wings, 3 Harleys and my Vision. Two of the Harleys (Ultra) had the 6 gallon tank, and one of them was an 09. In Texas as I am sure most of you are aware of the speed limit on the Interstate is 80, which conservatively means one would ride 85. I can tell you with certainty that no Harley got over 40, if they even got 40 at that speed. Surprisingly the Wings got the best, (yes even better than my Vic). Just a real world observation at speed. Drop the speed and they get real good mileage. Running 80 most of the day my Vic got 39 mpg.

From Van Horn, to El Passo, about 120 miles and running 85+ Vic used about 3, my buddies on the wing (one two up) used 2.9 and the two ultras used 3.2 and 3.4 one was two up and loaded. The Road glide was almost empty...

Willy

 

[coreyt700]

10% ETHANOL fix

I would try finding a station that does not have 10% ethanol my bike gets around 40 when using ethanol free gas just a thought

Don't get me started on this ethanol thing. I personally think that mixing ethanol with "plain ole gas" has been one of the worst mistakes our govt. has made. It certainly does, as you suggested, decrease gas mileage. I just wish there was a place around here that we had a choice to get "plain ole gas". We don't.

Chris PE# OOO4 (until I got my corbin seat)

I have not run this product in a spyder but I have suggested it to many of my customers and they like it. I run it in my truck and find I get 12%+ gain in MPG. It is called STAR TRON It retails for $8 a bottle and treats 48 gallons. It is designed to combat ethanol problems specifically.

 

[zeebill]

I have about 2500 miles on the RT SE-5 now and I run the trike at 18 and 28 PSI front and rear tires, front preload springs are all the way up at 5 setting, rear spring is one knotch below the middle, and I go about 240 pounds. I almost always run regular grade gas as the computer should adjust itself on the trike to allow for it. I have tried high test with little difference in performance and MPG. Here is what I have found so far running on rural and interstates mixed together and using the cruise control for speed when possible.

Using or staying exclusively around 5500 RPM and 75 MPH I get around 24 to 25 MPG with the above setting and I find the trike to be very suseptable to wind.

If I cut back to 5000 RPM and 69 or so MPH (the hills either cause slippage in the tranny or the digital tach varies that much) and the trike is fairly stable. The mileage can get up to 30+ once in awhile. It is killing to me to be passed by Grandma in the grocery getter at that speed and this is not what I bought the touring trike to experience.

So as we all suspected RPM's and the Drag from speed are what is really effecting the RT. I kind of suspect the front setting on the springs is raising the ride height enough to maybe change what the toe settings on the front end are and we might be scrubbing off speed and tires and of course efficiency to try and make the trike handle better too. This will also effect the MPG. I would love to find my old Pyrometer to get an idea what the tire temperatures are and get an idea of where they are running at speed but I guess I gave it to friends when I quit racing?

This dam trike is a love hate realtionship with me and I am getting dam sick and tired of messing with things when I just want to ride and enjoy myself on it. I did not buy this for a challenge but merely a thing to enjoy and ride on and it sure isn't being cooperative at times! Bill