Fuel Mileage

[desanshe]

Hi All
I have a 99 Valk Interstate and it sure seems that I should be getting better mileage than I am getting.  I do not have a "Miles per gallon" figure,  But I am only getting about 175 miles to a tankful.  I never really paid much attention before.  I am not a agressive rider at all.  I had the carbs done a couple of years ago.  It starts well and runs like a charm.  The only thing I have notices is when I start the bike in the garage,  I seem to get a very acrid smell..running to rich perhaps??

Anyone have any suggestions

Thx
Roger

[98valk]

some things to check;
plugs, air filter, failed plug wires and or resistor in wire, vacuum leaks ie intake manifold o-rings, tire pressure, higher ethanol content in gas than usual.  using premium fuel- results in carboned up intake valves, run some regain, amsoil, redline or techron which are all cheaper and work much better than seafoam.

[deadwood]

If that is 175 until you hit reserve you are doing about right. IMHO the gas you buy and the speed you fly are the determinatiions.

On my recent trip to Alaska (2001 I/S) I once got 120 miles to reserve on the interstates at 80-85 mph and the crappy gas of MT and WY. (Bike was very heavly loaded also)

Going 55 or so on lazy back country roads I once got to 212 miles and still did not hit reserve.

Average MPG for the trip was 31.4 with a high of 40 and a low of 23.5.

At 5.9 gallons before going on reserve you are getting just over 29 MPG

[MP]

3 of us on IS's going over the top of Lake Superior, running about 63 mph steady.  My 01 is at 35 mpg, a 99 is getting 37, and a 2000 is getting 39-40 mpg.  but remember, not going over 63-64, and steady pace too.

When I was running 74 mph on the road to get to the guys, I was getting high 20's.

MP

[Pete]

The Valkyrie seems to have the uncanny ability to have large variations in fuel mileage.

I see anywhere from 34/35 to 40/42 mpg.

Observation:   If you do not have a systems mal-function, then it is all about riding style, speed, load and terrain.

Using the low end torque to up shift quickly (limiting revs), maintaining a steady speed of less than 65 and getting off the gas early when slowing down, 42 mpg is reachable.

Violating all of the above can easily drive mileage to the low 30's.
 
 

[Jabba]

I got right at 30 on my IS at 75 on my way home from Virginia when I bought it.  I have gotten 210 miles before reserve once.  Mine takes 6,15 gallons to fill once I hit reserve.  So that's 34 MPG.

I tend to get between 28 and 30 on my standard.  I think I usually put in about 4.1 or 4.2 gallons every 120 or so.  I have gotten a little better on it... going slow... with the SO on board.  I just can't stay out of the throttle on that one.    But for me... the SMILES per Gallon are worth it.

RJ says the key is 3,000 RPM.  3000 or less = good mpg.  over 3000 and mpg does down FAST.  I think I agree with him.

Jabba

[Ricky-D]

Hi All
I have a 99 Valk Interstate and it sure seems that I should be getting better mileage than I am getting.  I do not have a "Miles per gallon" figure,  But I am only getting about 175 miles to a tankful.  I never really paid much attention before.  I am not a agressive rider at all.  I had the carbs done a couple of years ago.  It starts well and runs like a charm.  The only thing I have notices is when I start the bike in the garage,  I seem to get a very acrid smell..running to rich perhaps??

Anyone have any suggestions

Thx
Roger

Well, the only suggestion I can offer is for you to actually come up with a real world miles per gallon for your bike instead of grasping at straws like you are doing now!

***

[Farther]

Sounds normal to me.

[PINSTRIPERART]

If your worried about gas milage. you may be on the wrong bike. Its not miles per gallon..Its smiles per gallon

[groundpounder01]

Gas is crappy these days, so much trash it is pityful. This very reason is why they use to have see thru gas pumps years ago. Take a peice of cheese cloth and filter your gas next fill up. You may be shocked. Try different stations to make sure it isnt just that one place. IN my exper. the station with the cleaner fuel has better fuel. After i done this I picked up a few more mpgs on mine.

[Printer Mike]

Last year, I made a very brisk 125 mile run to check on my sick daughter. Very brisk...

Hit reserve around 80 miles!

[Cattman]

Best was @ 40 on my IS on a flower sniffing Blue Ridge ride.  Worst was a 4K rpm run across KY last week 135 miles to reserve.   As others say under 3k rpm gets in the mid 30's 3.5K rpm into the upper 20's to low 30's and 4K rpm + = mid to low 20's. Normal running 1 up at 75mph I hit reserve in the 160-180 mile range depending on head or tail winds.

[Ricky-D]

I figured the mileage on a round trip to the ROT last month and got 36.4 MPG. That's because I highballed it home on the interstate keeping it around 80 to 90 MPH.  It was just to dammed hot!

The total trip was a tad over 2500 miles. I took the old roads out to Austin, very nice ride.

Normally if I keep it at 70 MPH or below on the highway I get about 42 MPG and here around town in mixed riding I get right at 40 MPG.

I just cannot understand these bikes getting such low MPG figures. Must have a lot to do with the modifications some do to their Valkyries.

***

[Big Rig]

Your elevation will have something to do with it also. I have read that you loose about 10% of your HP every 2000' in elevation rise.

[Farther]

I just calculated my fuel milage from my recent 4528 mile trip.  the range was 16 to 53 which basically means nothing, but the average was 32.5.  Most interesting was a 658 mile average of 42.06 while casual touring around Osburn, ID.  I have a bad habit of trying to get as much fuel in the tank as possible and found the fuel coming out the vent under the bike if let to sit in the sun after refueling.  Now that screws up your fuel milage.

[ScottW]

I just recently cleaned the carbs, put in new slow jets (standard 35's), desmogged, polished intakes, new plugs, and synced on my 98 tourer.  I used to get quite steady 38 mpg but now I'm down a bit to 32 mpg.  It runs better than it ever has (had some sputtering before).  My first tank after getting it back together was 26 mpg, but I was really getting on it to test it out and having fun with how nice she was running.

The pilot screws were initially set to 1-3/4 turns out and I set them at 2-1/4 (what a non-cal 98 is supposed to be).  My question is, just how much difference would that half a turn make for mileage if any?  I don't have the tool to adjust them on the bike easily so I haven't done the idle drop procedure.

Scott

[98valk]

I just recently cleaned the carbs, put in new slow jets (standard 35's), desmogged, polished intakes, new plugs, and synced on my 98 tourer.  I used to get quite steady 38 mpg but now I'm down a bit to 32 mpg.  It runs better than it ever has (had some sputtering before).  My first tank after getting it back together was 26 mpg, but I was really getting on it to test it out and having fun with how nice she was running.

The pilot screws were initially set to 1-3/4 turns out and I set them at 2-1/4 (what a non-cal 98 is supposed to be).  My question is, just how much difference would that half a turn make for mileage if any?  I don't have the tool to adjust them on the bike easily so I haven't done the idle drop procedure.

Scott

cruisng down the hwy mostly the pilot circuit is being used. turning the idle mixture screws in will help mpg.  check out factorypro.com and their tunning section for cv carbs. there is also a seperate question/answer for pilot jets

[SgtBunny]

Wish I got that kind of mileage.

I typically run 75mph on the interstate so I get about 25mpg.

The best I have seen is right at 40mpg when doing 45mph roads and the worst is about 18mpg when doing faster than I should.

[NITRO]

3 of us on IS's going over the top of Lake Superior, running about 63 mph steady.  My 01 is at 35 mpg, a 99 is getting 37, and a 2000 is getting 39-40 mpg.  but remember, not going over 63-64, and steady pace too.

When I was running 74 mph on the road to get to the guys, I was getting high 20's.

MP

Also of note: the same 2000 IS mentioned by MP got 27 mpg running at 75 into a headwind a few days later.

[Quicksilver]

I ride a standard, I get 37 miles per imperial gal, 31.31 miles per us gal.
200 km/ 15 liters, consistently with 2 up most of the time.
I usually use premium gas without ethanol whenever possible. In my area of Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec I know that Ultramar does not use ethanol in it's premium but does in it's regular. Sunoco and PetroCan use ethanol in both. Mr Gas does not use Ethanol in either and has  1% ethanol on a seperate pump.

I've used Petrocan 94 Octane only to clean carbs once in a while instead of Seafoam. I know that it's almost a solvent, it will clean the black paint off a dipstick, and smells like paint thinner.

[Jabba]

I just cannot understand these bikes getting such low MPG figures. Must have a lot to do with the modifications some do to their Valkyries.

Both of my valks are dead stock.  Gas and go.  Well the standard has a Dyna 3000 in it, but I keep it on a fairly mild, advanced setting.  Either #5 or #7 if I remember right.  I run 93 octane in that one.  87 octane runs fine in the Interstate.  I am up to about 30 MPG on the standard... and I did a little better than that on the IS over 1200 miles to and from Inzane.  I didn't figure it, but should have I guess.  I'd guess the average was 33-35 from figuring in my head at gas stations along the way.  We ran 75-80 sometimes, but 65-70 other times. 

Jabba

[Valkahuna]

While it is true that your speed has a lot to do with your mileage, how you get to that speed, and how steady you keep it (depending on road conditions) makes a HUGE difference. If fuel milage is what you are after, learn to take advantage of the hills, and drive like a trucker. Take advantage of downhills, and understand that while going uphill, attempts at accelaration will cost a big drop-off in mileage.

So, here is my advice: Ride like mileage doesn't matter when you want to have a blast and an ear-to-ear grin. When on a trip LISTEN to what your engine is telling you and keep the revs in the "sweet spot" and you will be rewarded for it. It works on everything with a throttle.

Most important, remember that to do the same speeds in anything with four wheels would cost you a heck of a lot more, and create a lot fewer smiles and good memories.