Fuel consumption

[Relax]

What is your consumption on your Valk.. and how do you ride it?
It's thirsty, yes, but how thirsty?

[Michvalk]

I rise the he!! out of mine, and get between 35 and 38 MPG consistantly.

[fudgie]

34-36 on the Tourer. Normal riding but get aggressive with other bikes, esp if she is on back. I prefer super slaps or high speed highways.

[Patrick]

40+.. Back roads mostly..A bit fast and smooth but not hard.. Keep it below 3K and fuel mileage improves..

[wild6]

On my tourer, I've gotten as high as 42mpg on the backroad commute (35-50mph).
At 70-75mph on the slabs, it'll get down around 37mpg.

Stock needles, jets, exhaust.
ECT mod. (got 4mpg benefit from it)

[R J]

97 Tourer, over 200,000 miles, Viking exhaust, some head work, 6 degree wheel, stock jets.

When I was aggressive coming back from Sturgis one year, tugging my homemade Stage Coach trailer, I got just above 20.  On rides and just puttin, 2 up, I'll get 40+.

If you bought your Phat Lady for gas mileage, you might just as well sell it now, it ain't going to happen if you get aggressive.

As Forrest Gump would say:
“That's all I have to say about that.”

[giff]

over 75mph my 2000 standard gets 30-35mpg. 40-60mph I get 40+mpg.

[Red Diamond]

I wouldn't call a machine that produces 35-40 MPG thirsty.

[bigdog99]

32-38 slow back roads i'll get 48.

[PhredValk]

My 99 I/S averaged 30-32 miles to US Gal on my trip east this summer, tho I was easier on the throttle coming home and got 32-34. Hardly seems worth the loss of Fun Factor...
I think I'll polish my intakes and do the ECT mod over the winter, 3-5 MPG didn't seem all that much until I calculated consumption on this trip.
Fred.

[Varmintmist]

On the 97 std I couldnt get more than 36. With the 99 Tourer, I have been worried that something was messed up because I am getting what looks like 41 commuting. I havent run it to the reserve, yet, to figure out her legs but I think I will strap a 2 gallon can on for that ride.

[CASABROKER]

The best I've gotten is about 33. Mostly about 30 all around driving. 97 Standard 25k miles.  If someone is getting 40+  how fast are they goin 40mph on a flat road??  I like to keep her in the power band not lug her. 

[Hef]

2000 Standard. 30-32 on interstate at 70mph. 35-38 on two lanes at 55-60mph

[hubcapsc]

Me and Paul (wimp) have "identical" Red and Whites... on the Natchez ride we gassed up
at the same places and rode together on the same roads... at one of the stops I got
a gallon more gas than he did!

I might run my bike at higher RPMs than some (I think nothing of riding along at
55 or 65 in fourth gear, I like to be "on the pipe", 55-65ish in fourth is somewhere near 3500RPM)
but I don't peel-out, and definitely don't ride faster than most people...

I go on reserve at 115ish.

I have a red-eye carb kit, have read all the pilot screw posts I've seen, and plan to take
my carb bank off and "work on it" as soon as I get over the fear that my bike will never
run again after I take the carbs apart... 

-Mike

[2qmedic]

2000 I/S,
I try to shift below 3000 rpm and not a heavy throttle rider,
Cobra pipes,
Stock otherwise
95% plus highway @ 75-80mph:
                    32 mpg   (last year before I got hurt  )
                    29-30 mpg  (as of Sept returning to work)

Best ever was 38 mpg with steady 45-50 mph behind really slow road captain.


Still trying to catch up on work here at the house, haven't had time to investigate mpg drop.  

[Pale Rider]

As low as 28 to a high of 44 but an overall average of 34-35.  3000 rpm and below seems to be the magic number to ensure the 35+ performance.  However as you know there is a direct correlation between performance and fun.............running all day below 3000 rpm is not a lot of fun!  Life's short, have fun.

[Joe Hummer]

On my rides this weekend...I got 37 mpg on Friday...and 38 on Saturday...both rides were slower than normal for me.  I normally hit reserve around the 185 mark...but have gotten as good as 223 (Saturday's ride). 

Joe

[Hoser]

Me and Paul (wimp) have "identical" Red and Whites... on the Natchez ride we gassed up
at the same places and rode together on the same roads... at one of the stops I got
a gallon more gas than he did!

I might run my bike at higher RPMs than some (I think nothing of riding along at
55 or 65 in fourth gear, I like to be "on the pipe", 55-65ish in fourth is somewhere near 3500RPM)
but I don't peel-out, and definitely don't ride faster than most people...

I go on reserve at 150ish. Mine is at 3000 rpm at 65 mph in 5th gear, that's plenty on the pipe for me! 38 to 40 mpg without a head wind.    Hoser

I have a red-eye carb kit, have read all the pilot screw posts I've seen, and plan to take
my carb bank off and "work on it" as soon as I get over the fear that my bike will never
run again after I take the carbs apart...  

-Mike

I go on reserve at 150ish. Mine is at 3000 rpm at 65 mph in 5th gear, that's plenty on the pipe for me! 38 to 40 mpg without a head wind.    Hoser

[N8171S]

My stock tourer got 32.2 on a 4400 mile trip.  After syncing the carbs at 3000 instead of idle the same trip two years later I got 37.7.

[Quicksilver]

Standard 1997 with Batwing 32 to 34

[fudgie]

Me and Paul (wimp) have "identical" Red and Whites... on the Natchez ride we gassed up
at the same places and rode together on the same roads... at one of the stops I got
a gallon more gas than he did!

I might run my bike at higher RPMs than some (I think nothing of riding along at
55 or 65 in fourth gear, I like to be "on the pipe", 55-65ish in fourth is somewhere near 3500RPM)
but I don't peel-out, and definitely don't ride faster than most people...

I go on reserve at 115ish. Mine is at 3000 rpm at 65 mph in 5th gear, that's plenty on the pipe for me! 38 to 40 mpg without a head wind.    Hoser

I have a red-eye carb kit, have read all the pilot screw posts I've seen, and plan to take
my carb bank off and "work on it" as soon as I get over the fear that my bike will never
run again after I take the carbs apart... 

-Mike

I go on reserve at 115ish. Mine is at 3000 rpm at 65 mph in 5th gear, that's plenty on the pipe for me! 38 to 40 mpg without a head wind.    Hoser

Huh, I got the same bike, assume its the one in your avatar, and I hit resv at 150 or so.  ??? Was at 143 miles yesterday and not on resv yet. This was after some hard Interstate travel 2 up. When we travel I usually look for gas at the 120-130 mile mark. Weird. 

[ldrandler]

2001 Standard, 22K miles, stock carbs, timing and exhaust, Memphis Fats windshield and Leatherlyke saddlebags, ride 6 miles to work across back roads at 40MPH and put about 100 miles a weeks doing leisure riding on local roads at no more than 65MPH.  I ride conservative most of the time but have no problem letting her run if the occasion (some cager tailgating me or a nice stretch of road with nobody on it) demands it.

I get between 32 and 38 MPG running regular fuel with 10% ethanol.  Using the choke to warm her up on cold mornings for 2-3 minutes pulls me down to the 32 MPG range.  Not that I really care.  The only thing that really matters is that when I feel the need for speed, it's there !  Objects in the rear view mirrors disappear real quick when required and that's what matters !

[Hoser]

Me and Paul (wimp) have "identical" Red and Whites... on the Natchez ride we gassed up
at the same places and rode together on the same roads... at one of the stops I got
a gallon more gas than he did!

I might run my bike at higher RPMs than some (I think nothing of riding along at
55 or 65 in fourth gear, I like to be "on the pipe", 55-65ish in fourth is somewhere near 3500RPM)
but I don't peel-out, and definitely don't ride faster than most people...

I go on reserve at 115ish. Mine is at 3000 rpm at 65 mph in 5th gear, that's plenty on the pipe for me! 38 to 40 mpg without a head wind.    Hoser

I have a red-eye carb kit, have read all the pilot screw posts I've seen, and plan to take
my carb bank off and "work on it" as soon as I get over the fear that my bike will never
run again after I take the carbs apart... 

-Mike

I go on reserve at 115ish. Mine is at 3000 rpm at 65 mph in 5th gear, that's plenty on the pipe for me! 38 to 40 mpg without a head wind.    Hoser

Huh, I got the same bike, assume its the one in your avatar, and I hit resv at 150 or so.  ??? Was at 143 miles yesterday and not on resv yet. This was after some hard Interstate travel 2 up. When we travel I usually look for gas at the 120-130 mile mark. Weird. 

Sorry Fudgie I ment to type 150miles.  Hoser

[CajunRider]

Average about 32 mpg on the super slab at 75+ mph...

Average about 31 mpg on the slab with wife AND trailer at 75+ mph...

Average about 38-40 mpg on back roads keeping it under 60-65... 

I've also seen as bad as high 20's when riding "like I stole it"... But that's usually due to a short between my head and the handlebars.  I generally save that kind of riding for when I'm off road on the KLX450R... which only gets about 20 mpg at only 450 cc's.  Of course, the KLX450R only has two throttle positions... idle and wide-@$$-open.     

[valkyriemc]

2000 I/S - 34.24 mpg going to Biketoberfest and back, bettween 55-75 mph, about two hundred miles total.

[f-Stop]

My stock tourer got 32.2 on a 4400 mile trip.  After syncing the carbs at 3000 instead of idle the same trip two years later I got 37.7.

This could start a whole new carb sync thread!

[2qmedic]

Make sence to me to tune the carbs for the riding type. After he mentioned it, I remembered an article of many years ago refering to this.
Sounds like a good thing to explore!!!

[Ricky-D]

I remember this as a subject a long time back also.

My thought at the time was, it is probably difficult because of the heating problem and in actuality there can't be much difference than a synchronizing at idle.

Without a load on the motor, the throttle position at idle and at 3 grand can't be much difference, you're still on the idle circuit.

I'm not arguing against it, just don't see the merit being worth the difficulty.

***

[2qmedic]

The article I am referring to was basically stating to run the motorcycle "vehicle" at the speed desired and then to shut off the ingition and coast to a stop, inspect the plugs and making adjustments per visual inspection of the "new" spark plugs. Obviously a dyno would be the best test bench.

Any one ever build a make shift platform to run the bike on?

Never know what we are capable of!!!

[Murdoc]

99IS supercharged with version 3 kit, dyna3000 curve 3, stock TW.  Getting consistent 33.5mpg hiway at 3500rpm.  Town, around 26mpg if I stay out of it.  Worst was around 18mpg when I first installed the kit..   

[Pete]

Stock 97 standard  -  37 to 40  while back road touring
Stock 99 IS  41.5 on a tank today 248 miles used 6 gallons while back road touring

Back road touring +  55 to 65 on hilly two lane roads

[Lamarr Scott]

Has anyone ever tried to change the grear ratio to the rear wheel? I would like to run 25K RPM at
70 MPH. My 99 IS seems to have plenty of power in 5th gear at 55MPH, why not at 70 MPH. I think it would improve the gas milage from 30/33 to at least 40 maybe more. Need some feed back on this subject. Running dark side on rear.

[Mr Steve]

97 r/w std, I've always gotten the worst out of my friends with valks.  They'd get 38-40, I'm riding right there with them and get 28-30.   On a real good day I might see 36.  On a bad day, well I once hit reserve at 78 miles.  However, when it comes to get up and go, I outrun them.

[GJS]

30-35 commuting
35-38, alone longer rides.
40-42, two up fully loaded long trips.
99IS 60K, Stock engine, Lowered using 11.5" rear shocks, 6 degree rake kit (with 1"3/8 tube extensions). When the bike was inspected they failed it, until a supervisor asked the mechanic to show him the 4"+ stretch marks.

[NCGhostrider]

There is quite a bit of variance at first glance... but riding style...(speed)...and rider weight play a lot of this I am sure.

I generally ride two up, carrying baggage.   Which means we are quite loaded, I would estimate that carrying weight at that point is nearing 425lbs or so with bags loaded.   I use a 6 deg trigger wheel, with high octane gas, sometimes with fuel additive (if ethanol is present).   Couple that with the high speed driving I do/have to do to get anywhere in the big state of Texas (70-75mph), and I see around 30mpg if I am lucky.   Add headwinds and I drop to 25 or so.   I have got over 42 mpg, same load (heavy), high altitude (Gunnison to Lake City, CO)..I had to check twice and have never done it again! 

If I rode in an area that would promote 55-60mph or so, I am sure I would see significant increases in mileage.

[Printer Mike]

Best 'till reserve: about 130 miles (normal speeds, mixed town and highway)
Worst 'till reserve: about 80 miles (90 thru flat out, super slab)

'98 Tourer w/stock jetting, Cobra 6 into 6 pipes

[sheets]

30 to 40. Depends on the road the load and your right wrist. With the aerodynamics of a flying brick, a head wind can drag her down, too. Revz over 3K and she develops a drinking problem. Ymmv,

[Farther]

I useually get about 33 mpg.  Once I got 28 mpg on a speed run down I-29 in SD and once I got 42 when keeping it below 40 mph while sight seeing in ID.  I have since installed an IS ICM but have not check the mileage.  I also have an R&M belly tank to help extend the range.