Fuel mileage poll overall average (US gals.)

[JohnK]

Jim last did this poll almost 3 yrs. ago, just prior to the intro of the OD and remapping of the ECM and throttle bodys.
After talking with him and others I thought about redoing it for an update that people could refer to for comparison.
Yes, there are a lot of things that can influence mpg, but we're just looking for more accurate overall figures in the poll.
I do encourage you to list in your text anything you think may help others in apples to apples comparison.
IE: Driver size/wgt., shields, saddlebags, tire pressures, etc.

[JohnK]

Driver= 155#
OEM shield
TOP case
OEM tires set for two up pressures
Conservertive driver 95% of the time in auto mode
87 Octane fuel with little to no ethanol
Worst mpg 48.9 with ethanol in stop and go city and construction zones with cooler climate
Best mpg 64.3 cruising secondary roads in warm weather, no ethanol at speeds 45 - 60 mph

[trebor]

2004 AN650
Driver = 235 lbs.
Givi shield.
Givi Maxia top case = 52 liters.
High up backrest.
No OD.
87 Octane fuel 99% of the time, never any ethanol junk.
Automatic mode 99.8% of the time as thats how I attain my best fuel mileage.
Bridgestone Batlax TH01's front and rear.
Air pressure front 35-36 lbs, rear 41-42 lbs. Single or 2 up.
Worst fuel mileage 47-48 per imperial gallon, combined city and highway or using POWER mode and under cooler temps. I never calculate MPG's in U.S gallons, its either liters per 100 kms or miles per Imperial gallons.
Best fuel mileage 54-56 per imperial gallon, mainly highway or country roads 50 to 65 mph, rpm's 3500 to 4500. I never calculate MPG's in U.S gallons, its either liters per 100 kms or miles per Imperial gallons.
Curiously very little difference in fuel economy my riding single or with my 135 lbs wife riding pilion.

Normally my riding style is relaxed and easy, get there 5 minutes later, but get there in one piece.

For the purpose of this poll I performed the conversions to U.S gallons:

Worst would be = 40 to 42 mpg per U.S gallon.

Best would be = 47 to 49 mpg per U.S gallon.

[crewzr]

200lbs
Clearview large
46 mpg overall

[Ken]

03 Model, blue & well waxed
my weight 190#
TP front 34PSI Rear 39
87 octane and 10% ethanol (ethanol does decrease MPG about 3 mpg)
Clearview large
Bestram Top Box
Mostly flat freeway and state roads with rolling hills @ twisties
I wish I could say 60+MPG but it is 50-51 smiles solo and 48 when 2 up

[LeDude]

Scooter..........................: Stock 04 standard 650 with a top box.
Rider weight....................: 190lbs (solo rider)
Tires pressures.................: 40 psi Front, 42 psi Rear (OEM Bridgestones)
Stop & Go City driving mpg...: 45-50 mpg (speed 05-55 mph)
Non stop driving mpg..........: 55-65 mpg (speed 35-85 mph)
Worst mpg......................: 42 mpg
Best mpg........................: 65 mpg
Fuel type........................: 87 octane
Shifting mode..................: Automatic 99% of the time
Power mode....................: Hardly ever used

[Ken]

LeDude, I notice your weight and mine are the same and you are riding a non OD as well but your MPG is much better than mine. I notice that you are running higher air pressures than I do. Could that make such a difference in MPG? Does running higher pressures make the tire wear more in the center? I may try what you are running and see if it makes a difference. Hopefully those pressures won't change the handling of my scoot

[LeDude]

Ken,

You can always give it a try and see if it is going to make a difference for you.
I have been running these same pressures ever since I bought my Burgy so I couldn't tell you anything different.
I always check the side wall on my tires to see what the maximum psi limit is and usually either run it at that or one or two psi below that depending on the bike. The Bridgestones have a 44 psi max limit.
For my Burgman the 40 psi front and 42 psi back have worked really well. Bike still feels very responsive and doesn't float or lose traction at all.

I haven't experienced any cupping or uneven wear on my tires, and I have been getting close to 15k miles out of my rear tire and probably around 21k out of the front tire.

I check my tire pressure twice a week and after each bike wash.

I have my rear suspension set to 3.

[Steve_B]

Scooter..........................: Stock 07 standard 650
Windshield......................: Givi
Rider weight....................: 360lbs (solo rider)
Tires pressures.................: 40 psi Front, 44 psi Rear (OEM Bridgestones)
Stop & Go City driving mpg...: 45-50 mpg (speed 05-65 mph indicated)
Non stop driving mpg..........: 50-58 mpg (speed 35-75 mph indicated)
Worst mpg......................: 43 mpg
Best mpg........................: 58 mpg
Fuel type........................: 87 octane
Power mode....................: Hardly ever used

Started playing with manual mode for my commute to and from work, seems to cause my mpg computer to climb faster.... but have not done enough to be conclusive...

[OneFromOz]

I have an '06 650 Exec:

Rider: 180#
Commute: Secondary roads, 35-50mph average, occasional traffic light etc.
Stock: Everything except the PCIII & GBat battery.
PCIII: Got this to eliminate the cough back through the air filter in cooler temps and throttle position between accel & decel. Annoying issue to me.
MPG: Always a constat 50mpg. One trip meter is reset every fill: 50mpg. Second trip meter has @ 4,000 miles: 50mpg.
Miles: Odo is @ 13,600.

The PCII eliminated that nasty cough. I suspect is was a tad lean from factory and as such, inefficient. It also gave a better average mpg and has a small but noticable performance boost - mainly to being a more efficeint air/fuel ratio. If I was after peak air/fuel ratio etc, I'd have her dyno'd but she's good as it is using the stock map.

[Jim]

'03, 27,000 miles,
2-up (#350 w/gear)95%
GIVI windshield
Auto mode 95%
Recommended 2 up tire pressures
Riding:
5% in town (less than 45 indicated),
80% 2 lane @ 60-70 (indicated),
15% super slab @ 80 (indicated).
Average length of ride 30 miles.

Overall Averages (48)
Summer 60-90 (f)
47-49 mpg 87 octane (10% ethanol)
50-52 mpg 91 octane NO ethanol
Spring & Fall 40-60 (f)
44-47 mpg 87 octane (10% ethanol)

Worst 40 mpg: 80 indicated, strong headwind, 6K rpm @ 80 (normal is 5K @ 80) and cold short rides
Best 54 mpg: 70 (f), 65 indicated, 2 lane, 150 mile ride 1 stop.

Note:
Short rides of 7 (aprox.) miles or less, -10% in mileage

[Buffalo]

Driver 213#
GIVI V46 top case
Clearview Large Screen
Mostly 2 lane farm Farm to Market roads at 55 to 65 with some 70 mph roads from time to time.
Very little in town riding.

[ToddSmith]

Here is recent experience with mostly all Interstate riding..

Last weekend, I traveled 100 miles each way to the Vintage Motorcycle races at Mid-Ohio racetrack in Lexington Ohio. 90 miles were on Interstate roads with indicated speeds of 75-85... Average fuel mileage was 49.5 miles per gallon.. Not bad as the bike had loaded saddlebags and the tach was showing 4500-500 PRM most of the time.

Saw a few other Burgmans there.... Anyone else there from BurgmanUSA.com?

Todd

[Zentenn]

Scooter..........................: Stock 08 standard 650
Rider weight....................: 215lbs (solo rider)
Tires pressures.................: 34 psi Front, 38 psi Rear (OEM Bridgestones)
Stop & Go City driving mpg...: 45-50 mpg (speed 05-55 mph)
Fuel type........................: 87 octane
Shifting mode..................: Automatic 99% of the time
Power mode....................: Hardly ever used


The Burg is new and has yet to reach the 600 mile mark (next weekend for sure) I only drive 4.7 miles to work and hit around 6 lights. The fastest I get to going to work is around 50. On the weekends I've been doing rides of around 100 miles (2x) and that's mostly out in the country. I've never seen 50 mpg. I can't say I baby it coming out of a stop and I"m sure that's one reason why I don't see higher mpg. For now, I'm OK with what I'm getting, but I'd like to see it higher. I assume that if I did more highway driving, I'd get much better mpg. But that's just not going to happen as I don't have any highways to use on my way to work

[diablo_ogre]

Scooter..........................: Stock 06 standard 650 with a givi large top box.
Rider weight....................: 310 lbs solo rider 6'2 tall and sometimes add the wife ( not allowed to add her weight under penalty of death)
Tires pressures.................: ? NA
averge mpg .....................: 45- 50+ mpg
Fuel type........................: 87 octane
Shifting mode..................: Automatic in the city and street driving , Power mode on the super slabs
Power mode....................: used all the time.
shocks...........................: level 5

also large clearview windsheild, back rest, no buttrest took it off, also added a soundsystem with waterproof speakers.
I live in atlanta and comute to work 46 miles each way. I hit the power mode when I hit the highway to have that extra let me get out of the way power. I have noticed little or no diffrence in gas consumption using this mode.

[Tim Grant]

2008 650 Gold
Rider: 175 lbs
Givi Screen
Givi E52 Topbox
87 Octane
Power mode never used
Auto mode 99% of time
OD on interstate at 65 or above only
Tire pressure per manufacturers recommendations
Lowest MPG 53
Best MPG 63
Average overall 57 mpg

[kootie]

I recently switched to 91 Octane.

On receiving my bike back from the shop for routine checkup, the mechanic told me that he was worried that the gas was too low to take on test drive so he put fuel on board.

I noticed an immediate improvement in fuel mileage, but after I replinished the tank the fuel dropped back to the usual 47 mpg. Next tank I put in 91 octane and before I got home the mileage readout was already pegged at 50mpg. Putting a pencil to it I found that I have been obtaining 52 to 53 mpg on 91 octane, or about a 5 mpg improvement. (I concluded that the Suzuki shop must stock 91 oct fuel)

I don't know whehter the price difference is made up for by the increased mileage.... However I suspect that along with better mileage comes better performance in other ways as well, so I'm paying the extra for the gas.

Ken
Phoenix

[shellcracker]

Shellcracker :

08 AN 650
Clearview Med
OEM luggage Rack
87 Octane 10% Ethanol
Highway 48-55 MPG
City 38-45 MPG
Rear tire 42 psi
Front tire 36 psi
myself and wife
auto mode 100%
Rear Shocks at 4

[markc50]

Kootie,
Most likely the 91 octane is pure gas, not that ethanol blend. Some states have passed laws that the service stations don't have to tell you if the regular grade has 10% ethanol. Does your state have purity labels on the pump? If so, and the regular isn't listed, then it's a blend.

[kootie]

Mark:

All our pumps are labeled with something to the effect that from April to Oct all the gasoline (in Maricopa County) contains "up to" 10% ethanol....

Ken
Phoenix

[IceDaddy56]

I am not a small person except height wise, but weigh in at 280 pds. I run max pressure in the tires, as I am almost 2 up all by myself. I use the number 4 setting on the suspension. I generally get 47-50 miles a gallon commuting the 20 miles ( One way) to work three days a week. On days I just decide to go riding and my speed is fairly even on the highway I have gotten 53 MPG. So it varies. I do have a GIVI top box, but the stock windshield.

[Jim]

I recently switched to 91 Octane. I noticed an immediate improvement in fuel mileage, but after I replinished the tank the fuel dropped back to the usual 47 mpg. Next tank I put in 91 octane and before I got home the mileage readout was already pegged at 50mpg. Putting a pencil to it I found that I have been obtaining 52 to 53 mpg on 91 octane, or about a 5 mpg improvement. (I concluded that the Suzuki shop must stock 91 oct fuel)

I doubt it was the octane, but more likely because it had NO ethanol.

I also recently switched to 91 octane, not for the octane, but for it being ethanol free, and I see about 3-4 mpg increase.

For me, it is a 5% increase in cost and a 7% increase in mileage, (and range). It's like having another qt of fuel tank.

[pointpergame]

johnK...
I wonder if you've ever checked to see if you're reading B-650 is set up for Imperial vs U.S. gallons?

Is your mileage total miles driven divided by total gallons bought, or are you calculating each tank separately?

[JohnK]

My mpg metter is always pegged at 50 so I have never used it.

Both,I calculate each tank fill up for individual trips and use a spread sheet to record total miles and total gals. as well as prices, octanes blends, etc.

I then transfer this data to a graph program to track trends for maintence purposes.

[torvan]

Bike: Stock 2008 B650. Nothing added, nothing removed.

Me: 200 lb 5'11" working my way down from 265 aiming for 175.

Test Drive: 15.1 miles highway driving@ 70mph (speedo reading, 65 mph real). Then 4 miles city traffic in rush hours, average speed 22 mph (speedo). Round trip: 38.2 miles.
Length of test: 8 work weeks.

Average MPG: Topped out at 50. Hand calculated average is 54.69 mpg over the 8 week total.

Gasoline: Arco and Phillips76 Regular gasoline, 87% octane, oxygenated gasoline.

Driving: Rare sudden throttles. Regular even paced for the most part.

Gearing: Automatic until I hit 55 mph (speedometer) then into OD. In city driving-automatic.

Weather: Sunshine and lollypops--Oregon Summer.

Elevation: From 508 ft to 310 ft, then 310 to 508. I live at a higher elevation.

Gas mileage got much better as I put on more miles on the bike. In the beginning, I was averaging 42.8 mpg. Then after I passed about 2200 miles, I suddenly increased well beyond 50 mpg.