I dont understand

[Chrisj CMA]

I ALWAYS get low to mid thirties mpg if Im not pulling my trailer  (36 or 37 if no freeway miles) Today comming home from a Patriot Guard Lunch...I took back country roads home, no faster than 55mph and easy riding.  I heard Joes voice saying "every ride should end with a fill up" AND we are riding in the morning so....after 47 miles of lollygaging on back roads I pull in and put 1.1 gallons in.  Now, how in the world.....I have never actually gotten 40mpg, how did I get almost 47.  I did a double take at the pump and looked again at the odometer..........47 miles and a couple tenths, and 1.1 gallons.  I guess the stars just lined up, the wind was perfect and the easy riding......I dont know 

[Hoser]

The 55 mph did it, specialy if ya had a tail wind  55 mph is only 50 if your speedo is off 10%, mine is.  Hoser

[fudgie]

Gotta be the ethonal! 

[GJS]

The best milage I ever got on a trip was 38.5/MPG riding two up over 1500 miles.
We rode from Vancouver BC to Eureka CA and back. All of it was non-freeway and most of it was at 55MPH or there abouts.

Normal for me is more like 32-35MPG, on the freeway at 65-75MPH.

I'm sure is was the 55 that did it for you.  Remember the 70's oil embargo and the 55mph speed limit  ? They picked that number because drag increases exponetially past 55mph. 

Cheers,


Glenn

[Chrisj CMA]

Ya, the 55 and (after using the calculator) that .1 gallons really matters

47/1=47 (of course)

but

47/1.1=42.7 (big difference)

and then I figure if it was possible to have a .1 variance on the fill level then:

47/1.2= 39.1

Still 39mpg is reeely reely good, but not anywhere near 47mpg like I was thinking at the pump

[sugerbear]

buddy and each got 40 on the blue ridge pkwy. with our wives on back and we're NOT little guys.

50-55 will do it.
we always avg about the same on trips.
it can be done.

[Earl in Pensacola]

Jeff, that's just about identical to my average mpg (38 to 40) when I'm riding with the club on the back roads.  On the freeway I try to stay under that magic RPM # of 3100.  At 3K my speed-o- is showing 68 mph and I still average 36 or 37 (with no headwind).  

[Disco]

I typically get mid to high 30s, sometimes pushing 40.  However, I got almost 45 on a club ride a couple of years ago.  It was the perfect storm of relaxed riding, slower speeds, low rpms, AND chilly, dense air.  

Either that or it was the dyna beads, full synthetic Royal Purple, Purolator oil filter, and of course, MC tire on the rear.    

[Chrisj CMA]

Jeff, that's just about identical to my average mpg (38 to 40) when I'm riding with the club on the back roads.  On the freeway I try to stay under that magic RPM # of 3100.  At 3K my speed-o- is showing 68 mph and I still average 36 or 37 (with no headwind).  

Thanks Earl.......this was jus ta bit better than Im used to getting an my fuzzy math in my head made it seam more dramatic.  I wish Id consistantly get what I got today, that would be cool.  I cruised by your house today but the garage door was open and the bike gone, so I didnt stop, figured you were out enjoying the PERFECT day we had 

[Tropic traveler]

Chris, our '97s are notorious gashogs. One time & one time only, my '97 got 41mpg on a 80 mile or so leg of a Keys trip. Filled up just south of Naples, past most all the traffic lights, rode nice & slow {50-55 mph} through the Everglades on the US41-Tamiami Trail. One stop at the visitor center {pee stop for the girls} then filled up again at Dade Corners, US41 & Krome Ave. 1.85 gallons to go 81 miles. I could hardly believe it! I figured it was legit because Kim's 750 Shadow got 71 mpg {!!} on the same leg. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I would not have believed it.
Anyhow, I chalked it up to the very leisurely pace, perfect weather, & TOTALLY flat terrain. Both bikes were solo but loaded with luggage. Never have come close to that since.
One year later on a return trip to the Keys, this time south on US27 the Valk got an average of 29 mpg spread over 2 tanks of gas! Strong south wind blowing straight at us while riding 65-70. Kim was on my Valk & I was on the Rocket which BTW got better mpg on that trip. Once we hit traffic & slower speeds through Homestead & the Keys it returned to it's usual 31-33 mpg. 
Kim's '98 consistently uses 1/2 to 3/4 gallon LESS gas per fill up on identical rides.  I figure the Cobra pipes are running her bike a bit leaner. That & whatever changes Honda made past 1997. However the '97 will run off & hide from the '98.  Kim says it's our riding styles.  She may have a point!

   

[bigdog99]

in the morning i am always pushing to get just a lil more in the tank. toward the evening i just want a motel. i will say that anything over 60 and you can here the gas going through the lines. i averaged approximately 36 mpg on a 14 day 5600 mile trip. during that i was coming north on a God forsaken stretch of road east of Bryce Canyon back to I70 and could actually see the gas gauge moving. there was absolutely nothing around for miles and miles. it felt like we were riding up a slight grade and the wind was going as fast as we were, only in the other direction. i barely got 25 mpg that day. i poured the coals to her and hoped i saw a gas station before i ran out. since then i have learned that if gas was sparce and conditions were the same, back off and cruise about 57mph. all 6 carbs can suck alot of fuel. i wish i could measure the flow rate during those times. 

[pistolchamp]

After over 76,000 miles I just quit worrying about it.

Gas is cheap, forget it.  I run about 3,000 rpm most of the time (an honest 60 mph on my bike) and get 35 maybe 36 mpg.  Beats my pickup!

Worst ever, a 98 mile blast in 58 minutes from Van Horn, Texas to Alpine,Texas and just barely coasted into the station with a total of 18 miles per gallon, yep those six toilet bowl carbs can suck a bunch of gas.  Damn that was fun.

[wdvalk]

I get around 25,but my speedo starts at 80 mph

[Mildew]

 2 more much needed gears would fix the drinking problem.

[Tropic traveler]

Pistolchamp says...
Gas is cheap, forget it.  I run about 3,000 rpm most of the time (an honest 60 mph on my bike) and get 35 maybe 36 mpg.  Beats my pickup!

AMEN to that!
What the Valk lacks in miles per gallon it MORE than makes up in Smiles per gallon!
Some of my HD riding buddies rib me about the Fat Girl's thirst when we ride, But us Valk riders know what they don't know. I call it the "Valkyrie Mystique".
If ya hafta ask........ you just wouldn't understand! 

[Tropic traveler]

2 more much needed gears would fix the drinking problem.

Amen part 2.
The lack of another gear is the only shortcoming I can think of.
Otherwise the nearly perfect big cruiser/tourer EVER.

[Robert]

Happened that way to me on one of my trips down to the Keys was at like 47 to 48 and No I didn't keep the speed down.

[Ricky-D]

I always get 40 mpg around town and local riding.

42 mpg and above is usual at highway speeds but above 75 mph mileage goes down abruptly to about 35 mpg.

Pushing an Interstate and that windshield doesn't help.

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