Gas mileage and the Kansas wind - it made a difference!

[AeroPilot]

Headed East to Newton, KS on Highways 50 & 54, both secondary two lanes with passing zones at intervals to help those wanting to pass the truck traffic and push the posted 65 MPH speed limit. My wife and I like these roads, and we normally cruise in the 66-68 MPH range to take it easy and enjoy the ride. We encountered quartering winds of 20 -25 MPH heading into us on Wednesday/Thursday of this week, and I had the low fuel light come on at 165 miles and the analog gauge read on empty on my 2014 RT-S when we pulled in to fuel at 173 miles. My wife was following me riding her 2016 F3T with the larger sprocket, so she was running 4000 RPM while my RT showed 3500 RPM. It took 5.57 gals to fill up my RT for 31 MPG while she got 35.2 MPG using a little over 5 gals on that leg of the trip, even tho' running at the higher RPM.

I know that the RT pushes more wind but was amazed at the difference with the added 20 MPH crosswind on my RT. Normally, we take about the same amount of fuel at our stops, so maybe I filled a little less on the previous fuel stop. Yesterday we had less wind and we rolled into home with 212 miles covered from Lakin, KS to Pueblo.

We'll check the fuel difference tomorrow when we fill up, as I was again at the fuel light, while she still had two bars showing on her gauge. I'll have to check out my air filter as well, as hers was recently serviced. Just one more of the things to muse about as you're cruising

 

[racoon]

2014 RT-S - weight 1012 lbs (plus you)
2016 F3T - weight 948 lbs (plus her)

Less weight = better fuel mileage

 

[Sundown]

Your account reminded me of another comparison - that of my RT Limited to my Subaru Forester daily driver. I've often wondered how a vehicle that weighs over three times as much as the Spyder (with an engine that is twice the size!) gets the same MPGs or at least within a mile or two. I'll routinely get 32-33 mpg on the highway with the Forester. MAYBE I'll get 35 in the Spyder if I baby it, but that's about it! Factor in taking premium fuel, tires that last a fraction of those on a car, and higher maintenance costs, we can't use cheap transportation as justification (like many of us who commuted on our old Honda motorcycles back in the day could do.)

 

[Gwolf]

Compare flat and level travel at a good, constant speed to travelling crooked mountain roads with constant gear changes, switchbacks, and climbing for a while, then coasting downhill and having to go to lower gears to avoid too much speed.

 

[BamaJohn]

Disclaimer: I didn't buy my Spyder for fuel economy, but to keep my knees in the breeze.
That said, this thread prompted me to check my theory that my 2020 Spyder RT costs about the same/mile on fuel as my 2012 Tundra, even though the Spyder requires Premium gas and the truck gets Regular.

But, I was wrong! I checked today's prices in Alabama on AAA gasoline prices site. Here's the data based on many thousands of miles' average miles/gal:
Tundra gets 17mpg @ $2.81/gal for a cost/mile of $0.1629
Spyder gets 32mpg ( right hand issue) @ $3.65/gal for a cost/mle of $0.1140. I was surprised. Spyder costs $0.04/gal less than the Tundra to operate (gas cost only).

Signing off & going riding on the Spyder!