Gas Savings?

[Kurt'sSV]

Since last year when gas prices started to really go through the roof, I began commuting to and from work on my motorcycle. I now put more miles on my bike than my truck. 40mpg v. 15mpg.

Who else out there started riding more to save money on gas?

[terrenceyao]

I used to ride all the time, when I worked 30 miles away, but then my commute got cut down to 13 miles, so I started driving all the time, because it actually took longer to ride the bike (gearing up, gearing down, and no traffic). A few months ago I switched over to riding the majority of the time and only taking the truck if I needed to carry something that my bike couldn't.

So, on a side note, has anyone made a bike rack for the SV? It would be really cool if I can take the SV to go mtn biking instead of the truck. I'm purposely not riding certain trails because it's too far to drive.

[hindsight2/2]

I live in Victorville and work in Van nuys. I was paying about 600/mo for fuel. I ride my bike unless there is a circumstance that prevents me from doing so. I am saving quite a bit and I always look forward to my commute, especially In traffic when I can keep moving and others have to stop.

[Darth Lefty]

It's not why I ride but it's a pleasant side effect.

[acer66]

I started to do that again, in the moment I work in van nuys and commuting sucks in car.
So I put my bike in the back of the truck and leave the truck at work since I need it during the day and use the bike for commuting.

[rwalterk]

I keep going back and forth on whether or not I should do this. My commute is 30 miles each way but with little to no traffic. I average about 23 mpg in my car. The only problem is I don't want to commute on my R6 - I'd have to buy a 2nd bike. It would take me a long time to recoup the cost in gas savings.

I made an Excel sheet where I can change all kinds of variables and figure out how long it would take to get my money back. For example, a $2000 used bike that gets 50 mpg will take 17.2 months to pay me back, assuming I ride it 18 out of 21/22 workdays per month and it uses regular unleaded at $4.20/gallon vs. super unleaded in my car at $4.40/gallon. This also assumes it doesn't break down. I did not take into account the added costs of insurance and maintenance, nor the savings in wear and tear on my car (2007 model).

Think I over-analyzed this thing? :geek:

[svcat]

I just bought a 1994 Chevy Silverado, so I'm going the other way. I can always stick a Prius in the back and pretend I'm saving gas.

Fuck it.

[leaftye]

Riding saves me about $1.50 a week in fuel costs.

[bluemantra]

I was driving my car to work and school and as gas prices started to climb I thought about riding again. The plus is it keeps the miles off my car. A mustang cobra really isn't a DD anyway. I hadn't ridden the bike in about 6-7 months and when I started riding again I forgot how much fun it was. I am also more aware and cautious. I save a decent amount, but it's more about keepingthe miles off my car and the enjoymnt of riding the bike everywhere I go.

[Ordnance]

i rode over 18,000 miles on my bike over the last 12 months. It would have cost me about 3700 dollars if I would have drove my durango, but with the bike it cost me about 1200.

[live2suck]

It's not why I ride but it's a pleasant side effect.

Same here. I'm also much more relaxed when I arrive, instead of being stuck behind dumb asshats I just zip past them...

The main purchase point was fun...I want to do track days...and it's hard to do that in the truck...

I refuse to vote until a fourth category is added.

[SilverRider]

I keep going back and forth on whether or not I should do this. My commute is 30 miles each way but with little to no traffic. I average about 23 mpg in my car. The only problem is I don't want to commute on my R6 - I'd have to buy a 2nd bike.
Why not commute on the R6? My commute was 70 miles everyday and I did it on my bike. I did it for a few years until I moved up here. I still commute on my bike even when it is 10 degrees outside in the winter. Japanese bikes are made to go tens of thousands of miles with no worries. Mine is a daily commuter and track day ride. If there is no snow on the road I am two wheeling it.

It is more fun and cheaper to ride all the way around. Don't do it just for saving money but rather to make a smaller carbon footprint in the world.

[DasTeufel]

At first, I commuted to save money on gas. I was driving a truck that was costing me 100 bucks a week to drive (gas was around 2 bucks a gallon at the time). The bike I had was costing me around 20 bucks a week. After I got the TL, that jumped up to 30 a week, still not bad. With the gas prices where they are currently, it is almost 50 a week to run the TL, or less than 40 to run the little 250.

[Mohawk]

So, on a side note, has anyone made a bike rack for the SV? It would be really cool if I can take the SV to go mtn biking instead of the truck. I'm purposely not riding certain trails because it's too far to drive.

I know that someone out there does. I almost bought an SV with one in CO one time. It was a really nice pro made one. I forget the compnay that made it though and can't find it online. But they do exist.

[SilverRider]

I used to ride all the time, when I worked 30 miles away, but then my commute got cut down to 13 miles, so I started driving all the time, because it actually took longer to ride the bike (gearing up, gearing down, and no traffic). A few months ago I switched over to riding the majority of the time and only taking the truck if I needed to carry something that my bike couldn't.

So, on a side note, has anyone made a bike rack for the SV? It would be really cool if I can take the SV to go mtn biking instead of the truck. I'm purposely not riding certain trails because it's too far to drive.
Racinteach (Robert) made one for mountain bikes. There are a few members on here that have them as well. Brian has one for his bike, I forget his screen name though. Damn long term memory.

[rwalterk]

Why not commute on the R6? My commute was 70 miles everyday and I did it on my bike. I did it for a few years until I moved up here. I still commute on my bike even when it is 10 degrees outside in the winter. Japanese bikes are made to go tens of thousands of miles with no worries. Mine is a daily commuter and track day ride. If there is no snow on the road I am two wheeling it.

It is more fun and cheaper to ride all the way around. Don't do it just for saving money but rather to make a smaller carbon footprint in the world.

I don't keep it at my place. Its predecessor (same model) was here 3 weeks and was stolen (locked down pretty well too). I had a first-gen naked SV here before that for 9 months though with no problem, so it seems I can keep a certain type of bike here but not a supersport.

I'm seriously considering dropping $2000-2500 on a commuter bike though... plus I can get better parking at work.

[terrenceyao]

The only problem is I don't want to commute on my R6 - I'd have to buy a 2nd bike. It would take me a long time to recoup the cost in gas savings.

Japanese bikes are pretty bulletproof. I put over 50k on my cbr, commuting and track mileage until I got rid of it. The motor still ran strong when I did get rid of it. My other friend had an rc51 and put over 100k on it. Only reason he got rid of it was cause he was hit by an SUV. Another friend put over 100k on his ZRX. I've also been loaned an 2006 r6 and I commuted on it for a month. I put like 3000 miles on it. It wasn't all that bad. The only thing I found annoying about it was that there's no low end torque (i'm used to the SV).

[rwalterk]

Japanese bikes are pretty bulletproof. I put over 50k on my cbr, commuting and track mileage until I got rid of it. The motor still ran strong when I did get rid of it. My other friend had an rc51 and put over 100k on it. Only reason he got rid of it was cause he was hit by an SUV. Another friend put over 100k on his ZRX. I've also been loaned an 2006 r6 and I commuted on it for a month. I put like 3000 miles on it. It wasn't all that bad. The only thing I found annoying about it was that there's no low end torque (i'm used to the SV).

Not worried about the motor... see the post above yours.

[terrenceyao]

oh, that's what I get for typing too slow. yeah, yammies tend to get stolen a lot.

[SVTard]

Been riding to work and running errands around town on my bikes for so many years now, that I'm semi-oblivious to the increase in gas prices. Mileage was never a motivation to ride to work, but can't complain about the benefits: low cost, quicker through traffic, best parking everywhere, etc. What the bike is to me, is a huge time saver - worth a lot more than gasoline. :)

I even do the lesser Costco runs on the bike (I can stuff 18 bottles of wine into one bike's bags :D).

It doesn't hurt that both my bride and I live < 10 miles from work.

And that's where the real money savings are: living close to where you work; not firing up the F-350 every time you have to go buy $2 worth of nails at Home Depot; and walking/bicycle riding to the grocery now and then for a few staples. Simply driving less saves big money.

[SurfCityHommie]

I have been commuting more on the bike and also started driving both the car and the bike at 70 mph max. :geek:

The Blvd is now getting over 150 miles on a tank of gas and I only lose 10 minutes a day at this speed. 80 mph 5K rpm 70 mph @4.2 K rpm

the most interesting thing is being passed by half of Los Angeles drivers in the morning commute, people are just zooming by at 80 mph plus. @-)

afternoon commute is pretty much 70 mph so i am in the flow of traffic

The cage is also doing much better in the gas mileage :groove:

that's my story and I am sticking to it :)

[Kurt'sSV]

the most interesting thing is being passed by half of Los Angeles drivers in the morning commute, people are just zooming by at 80 mph plus. @-)


Yeah, I don't understand why people are in such a freakin' hurry to go sit at their desk at work? It's like Jesus, what are you so excited about? I want to ride at *just* 70 in the carpool lane in the mornings, but if I do I'll have a dozen cars lined up behind me riding my ass. People need to relax a bit more.

[sugart!ts]

gas price alone did not justify me replacing my stolen bike.. what did it for me is realizing my truck has 120k miles on it.. its still running great but i need to lay off the mileage... Its at the point where its gonna start needing "stuff", and i'd rather spend $$ on a moto than nickel and diming the truck

[SilverRider]

So, on a side note, has anyone made a bike rack for the SV? It would be really cool if I can take the SV to go mtn biking instead of the truck. I'm purposely not riding certain trails because it's too far to drive.
Here is a pic of Brian's bike set up.

[sugart!ts]

the girls of the board request more pics of Brian, our biker hunk section is getting a bit bare :D

[bluemantra]

Yeah, I don't understand why people are in such a freakin' hurry to go sit at their desk at work? It's like Jesus, what are you so excited about? I want to ride at *just* 70 in the carpool lane in the mornings, but if I do I'll have a dozen cars lined up behind me riding my ass. People need to relax a bit more.

I feel the same way. I make sure I leave my house to get to where I need to with plenty of time to cruise at 65-70. It'll never be a perfect world too many idiot variables.

[mastashake72]

I wish (sometimes) that I had a longer commute. Its 9 miles. The RC51 is a pig, and gets 25 MPG. My truck gets 18. My bicycle gets 999 MPG +. I split the difference and pedal 2 days of my 4 day workweek. This gives me 36 MPG and I dont have to get all jocked up for the moto. Success!

[kslater123]

I guess I am fortunate that my company pays for my gas but riding my bike saves me time, mileage on my truck and saves my company money. My diesl truck commute to LA from Victorvile cost approx $45.00 dollars a day, where as my bike is only $14.00 dollars and saves me approx 1.5 hours on the road thanks to car pool lanes and a little splitting.

[bluemantra]

I wish (sometimes) that I had a longer commute. Its 9 miles. The RC51 is a pig, and gets 25 MPG. My truck gets 18. My bicycle gets 999 MPG +. I split the difference and pedal 2 days of my 4 day workweek. This gives me 36 MPG and I dont have to get all jocked up for the moto. Success!

25MPG!!!! Geeze, I didn't think they were that bad.

[TonyC]

the beater car was getting around 25mpg.

the '06 SVS has a recorded 53.5 mpg (via Excel spread sheet) over the last 3000 miles . my daily commute is 40 miles r/t. over 50% gas $ savings. :groove:

[NukleoN]

YEah, I ride to save gas, but mostly I commute to save time as well...plus, it's fun. Beats a cup of coffee at work any day.

When you combine the time-savings with gas-savings and fun/less-stress factor...it easily beats driving.

I drive about 35 miles one way from Santa Clarita to LA, every day, on a bike, rain or shine. It's one of the reasons I bought a second bike and sold my car. I never once drove my car to work....figured it wasn't being used enough to warrant making the payments. The second bike helps loads if one gets a flat or needs to have downtime for any reason.

[westsideSVS]

i did a whole Excel calculations on riding to work vs. driving and the savings were nominal. I get such good mpg out of my MT Honda that it doesn't make much sense. Time savings is another deal.

[brewton]

last time i checked, i'm getting 47.5 mpg. i commute every day and take the occasional fun ride on the weekends.

[Peiell]

I think more than the gas mileage reason, my wife and I ride the bike around town to feel like first class citizens. I can no longer count the number of times where we've arrived much quicker and with much less hassle. With a newly equipped Givi Top box on the back it just makes it much easier as well to do trips to the beach! Definitely a highly recommended practical upgrade to the bike.

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/juanjoven/LegunaSecaMotoGP2008/photo#5225860206073101826"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/juanjoven/SIX8K2zWPgI/AAAAAAAABGU/Px9S_YtyiNg/s288/IMG_3711.jpg" /></a>

[04RoyalBlue]

Here is a pic of Brian's bike set up.

WTF? I thought things like these were only meant for dreams!!! I actually thought of trying to make something like this...

Thats amazing!

any trouble with the cops?

[SCT-FZ1]

I bought my bike back in April because of the high gas prices. My drive to work is only a few miles but I was only getting about 10mpg in my truck . I was able to work the numbers enough to convince my wife. Now I can't ride enough. I was riding my dirt bike all the time before, i've only ridden the dirt bike twice since April. My wife just went 2 up for the first time friday. Now she is into it too and going to Ventura for dinner on Friday...on the bike. Riding less... HELL NO!
The best part is that my son turns 16 in November.. Buying him a 08 sv650s

[Peiell]

The best part is that my son turns 16 in November.. Buying him a 08 sv650s

Wow, that's an awesome Dad for ya. :)

I can't help but think though, that if I had a motorcycle at age 16 with as much power as the SV I would have killed myself 3 or 4 times over. I should mention that I have little credibility as a parent (I'm not one myself), but I would definitely have a think about this one. Then again, maybe I'm just drawing too many parallels. You know your son and obviously trust his judgement.

[live2suck]

Wow, that's an awesome Dad for ya. :)

I can't help but think though, that if I had a motorcycle at age 16 with as much power as the SV I would have killed myself 3 or 4 times over. I should mention that I have little credibility as a parent (I'm not one myself), but I would definitely have a think about this one. Then again, maybe I'm just drawing too many parallels. You know your son and obviously trust his judgement.

+1

Still working on the killing myself part at 20 too.....;)

[Darth Lefty]

I recall someone (might have been the Car Talk guys) holding forth on power-to-weight... they said that teenagers shouldn't have a car with better than .06 hp / lb or they'd get in trouble. It was the "sporty threshold", for want of a better term. I think you could probably invent some similar number for bikes.

[Mohawk]

The new ninja 250r (which actually looks pretty sweet now) would be around .08 if my math is somewhat ok. At 333lbs and 27.2hp it would be a great learner bike. It also has a parellel twin, so its still on the torqy side of things.

[radtek2001]

To All Hypermilers
The motorcycle is the arguably one of the most efficient ways to move yourself around the face of this planet. Since the Japanese redefined the concept of cheap transportation, their motorcycles have become a frugal fuelers dream. With a little ingenuity applied to riding form and machine (see Craig Vetter), jaw-dropping efficiencies can be realized. I see daily figures between 65 to 75 mpg depending how aggressive I drive my 650 street bike.

Three things allow me to achieve this.
1). Streamline…Streamline…Streamline. Get your frontal area down, pull your shoulders behind your windshield. Don’t wanna look doinkie? Dang, those watching aren’t paying for your gas, do what’s necessary and this is a cardinal rule. You’ll get 15 more mpg with this one rule alone.

2). Slow Down, or draft, you can gain 5-10 more mpg, you’ll be safer and won’t be ripping your fellow commuters a new one. Do everything you can to keep your RPM down, don’t lug the engine either, it’s hard on bearings and seals and will ruin things as badly as over revving. Be courteous, the cops love it if you play nice and there’s less chance of being seen as an aggressor in an accident situation. Swallow your pride; this isn’t a race even if the rest of the world seems to think it is. Let the speed lunatics have their day, save your need for speed when you won’t cream 5 carloads of commuters.

3) Change your machine hardware, lower your final drive ratio. Sprockets can generally be found to raise the ratio for more torque and zip and the converse is also true though to a lesser degree, who wants a pokeier machine? One tooth over on the front countershaft and one tooth under in back can give you 5 – 7 more mph for the same RPM, and for the same road speed it can drop engine rpm around 10%. The as built ratio for my bike is 2:1; I changed it to 1.75:1. So for one and three quarters turns of the countershaft I get one turn of the back wheel instead of two revolutions of the countershaft. This is an easy fix and is relatively cheap, an afternoon project in the garage.

4) If you think you have to, draft those minivans and Escalades doing faster speeds, just maintain a safe distance and cover your brake lever. The police can still cite you but they’ll have a tougher time sticking you as all your doing is keeping up with the flow. Don’t get outrageously fast but there’s no reason not to take advantage of someone else’s need for speed. You can feel the turbulence the previous vehicle makes, even 10 car lengths back, so bumper riding is definitely not necessary.


Above all, safety first. There are some tough lessons out there and they can be learned without loss. Pay attention to those who have gone before you, they have a ton of useful advice. Good Riding.

[enos79]

I have been riding as my main means of transport for 4 years now. What's ironic is that my car is a 77 Suburban 4x4 on a 6" lift and that had never mattered because I drive it less than 100 miles a month at most. But wouldn't ya know it, gas prices spike, and my bike gets stolen, and now I'm commuting in a sub 10 mpg vehicle.

Yes, I'm looking forward to getting another bike to say the least!

[IntoForever]

I wish I could ride the bike for work. Seems that ladders and tool boxes don't fit well on a bike, nor does it uphold the stringent 'professional' look the stuffed shirts want to see. I do have a map showing me when I can drop the truck off at the office and take samples to the lab and do so every chance I get. Dropping 2/3 of $1000 per month on gas would be nice.

[CamiloSan]

I have to comment on a couple of points here...
1). Streamline…Streamline…Streamline. Get your frontal area down, pull your shoulders behind your windshield. ... You’ll get 15 more mpg with this one rule alone.I don't have any real-world numbers but this seems like a disproportionate savings from reducing a small amount of drag. I'm sure one would save some gas but 15 more mpg seems an exaggerated figure.2). Slow Down, or draft, you can gain 5-10 more mpg, you’ll be safer and won’t be ripping your fellow commuters a new one.slow down, yes. drafting is something I admittedly do but I wouldn't suggest others attempt. It can be dangerous as vehicles can kick up debris into an unsuspecting rider. Also, it takes more skill than one would think in order to realise savings. You have to ride as if you've got a metal chain between you and the vehicle in front. Be real steady on the throttle. Some riders will feed in a lot of throttle response and distance adjustments that will lose any gains from drafting. finally, watch the engine temperature on warm days, you're losing a lot of the windblast through the radiator. Engine core temperatures can increase. I don't know the full effect but this may be detrimental to fuel efficiency. Slowing down is the best medicine but not always a safe option when people are barrelling at 80mph past you on the 10. Above all, safety first. There are some tough lessons out there and they can be learned without loss. Pay attention to those who have gone before you, they have a ton of useful advice. Good Riding.Overall good advice. Thanks, man.

[EIREANN]

awww crap motos are hypermiling too??? I was hoping that was just an obnoxious car thing people would soon get bored of.

[Ananda]

With a newly equipped Givi Top box on the back it just makes it much easier as well to do trips to the beach! Definitely a highly recommended practical upgrade to the bike.

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/juanjoven/LegunaSecaMotoGP2008/photo#5225860206073101826"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/juanjoven/SIX8K2zWPgI/AAAAAAAABGU/Px9S_YtyiNg/s288/IMG_3711.jpg" /></a>

I'll have to get one of these! I'm all about storage and not having 8 million school books on my back :love:

[Tillers_Rule]

I used to ride all the time, when I worked 30 miles away, but then my commute got cut down to 13 miles, so I started driving all the time, because it actually took longer to ride the bike (gearing up, gearing down, and no traffic). A few months ago I switched over to riding the majority of the time and only taking the truck if I needed to carry something that my bike couldn't.

So, on a side note, has anyone made a bike rack for the SV? It would be really cool if I can take the SV to go mtn biking instead of the truck. I'm purposely not riding certain trails because it's too far to drive.

Same here. When I lived in Carlsbad it would take me like 1 1/2 hours to drive to work, or 35 minutes on the bike. Then I moved less than 10 miles from work and getting suited up and all wasn't worth the tiny savings in gas, and frequently no saving in time.

Now I drive everywhere because I sold my bike:groove:

[radtek2001]

DATE MPG GALLONS $/GAL TOTAL $
4/8 62.9 1.86 $3.62 $6.76
4/9 57.6 2.03 $3.64 $7.38
4/28 64.04 1.78 $3.80 $6.78
5/2 65.36 1.74 $3.84 $6.70
5/13 65.8 1.778 $3.48 $6.83
5/29 66.59 1.75 $4.04 $7.998
6/2 67 .64 1.70 $4.18 $7.11
Above reflects a lowered rider

DATE MPG GALLONS $/GAL $TOTAL
4/30 56.65 2.03 $3.82 $7.78
5/5 46.93 2.45 $3.84 $9.40
5/23 48.93 2.35 $3.90 $9.18
6/4 55.83 2.06 $4.24 $8.73
above reflects an upright rider

DATE MPG GALLONS $/GAL $TOTAL
6/10 69.3 1.66 $4.36 $7.24
6/11 69.58 1.76 $4.40 $7.75
6/18 76.16 1.51 $4.54 $6.87
6/19 81.56 1.41 $4.54 $6.40
above reflects a lowered rider, 1.75:1 final drive ratio, and lower highway speed, all traffic was slower that period, remember?

[CamiloSan]

With a newly equipped Givi Top box on the back it just makes it much easier as well to do trips to the beach! Definitely a highly recommended practical upgrade to the bike.Unless you take that good idea too far ;) I weighed myself down with about 100lbs of crap! It made cornering a lotta fun but didn't affect mileage much at all.

[westsideSVS]

rode to work Mon thru Wed this week and got 48 mpg. does this seem low? 22 miles each way mainly freeway (405).

[LCBakoSV]

rode to work Mon thru Wed this week and got 48 mpg. does this seem low? 22 miles each way mainly freeway (405).

Don't think so, that's about what I get, but I do lay into the throttle quite a bit to escape traffic.

[Burke]

YEah, I ride to save gas, but mostly I commute to save time as well...plus, it's fun. Beats a cup of coffee at work any day.

When you combine the time-savings with gas-savings and fun/less-stress factor...it easily beats driving.

I drive about 35 miles one way from Santa Clarita to LA, every day, on a bike, rain or shine. It's one of the reasons I bought a second bike and sold my car. I never once drove my car to work....figured it wasn't being used enough to warrant making the payments. The second bike helps loads if one gets a flat or needs to have downtime for any reason.

Dan, what did you get for the 2nd bike?

[Burke]

Unless you take that good idea too far ;) I weighed myself down with about 100lbs of crap! It made cornering a lotta fun but didn't affect mileage much at all.

So you wouldn't recommend the 3 givi set up? I was actually considering that to make the SV a sport tourer for trips...

[Burke]

I'm getting around 140 mi for 3.5 gal mostly fwy and I'm on a 1K... So I'm around 40 mpg

[kazbek]

So you wouldn't recommend the 3 givi set up? I was actually considering that to make the SV a sport tourer for trips...
If the emphasis is on Sport then consider givi/sw-motech rack with a just topcase. Sidecases especially big ones have noticeable drag which makes bike feel different even when the bags are empty. Loading a bunch of crap in them like Camilo did makes the bike handle even worse. Sidecases make lanesplitting difficult as well.
If you ever need more capacity you can add tankbag and/or tailbag.

[MACHETE!]

I've gotten up to 200 miles on a tank.. didn't want to push it any further that is most i've done so far..

[Mohawk]

I just rode back from picking up my new one and got 154 miles before the light went on. I filled up pretty much as it came on, so I had more to give, but needed a rock star.

[odie_trackie]

I totally use my ride my moto to save gas, but that's mainly a side effect. I wanted to ride because it's something I have always wanted to do.
I got my first moto (an SV obviously) about a year and a half ago and since then I have gotten two more bikes: A sport classic and an Aprilia. In that same time, I have put something like 12k miles on all three.

The really nice benefits are that it saves gas, I can split lanes and park ANYWHERE!!!

My SV gets about 40mpg, my Duc gets same but my Aprilia gets more like 35.

[SurfCityHommie]

I am getting more miles to the tank both in the Cage and the Lounger. I have reduced speed from 80 to 70 mph on the 405 for my daily commute. Only 10 minutes a day difference in the commute time, includes street time.

36 Miles/80 mph = @ 45 Minutes
36 Miles/70 mph = @ 50 minutes

I have not worked out the actual savings as I do not just use the car or bike to commute. The one difference I do know is that the Lounger is turning @4200 rpm at 70 mph as opposed to 5000 rpm at 80 mph. That in itself is significant in fuel consumption.
The cage is about 600 less rpm between 80 and 70 mph.

I have noticed that I can Gas up every 3 1/2 days as aopposed to every 3 days. I usually Gas up at half tank and do not let the tank go below 1/4 level. Cage

Just observations, but I do feel that I am conserving some and saving money and not having to sacrifce time in doing so.

[MACHETE!]

Woo hoo.. have done over 50mpg this past week..

[renderfarmer]

I commute everyday on my SV650.

[dizenexxus]

i used to commute everyday from lake elsinore to nearly downtown san diego on my naked 650....in order to give myself a restful ride, i folded up a sweater and put it into my jacket right on top of my chest and zipped up the jacket. doing that allowed me to lay extremely far down on the tank, very comfortably, for a very restful ride. it increased my gas mileage by alot. not sure about 15mpg, but i'd be leaning towards 10.
i'm 5'11''-6', 210lbs. and it was comfortable to me. not sure about windshielded motorcycles, but on my naked bike....me sitting upright on the bike would account for at least a third of the surface area of the direct wind blast of the total bike, not to mention the fact that while hardly any parts of the bike are 90 degrees perpendicular to the wind - my body, while sitting upright, is.
i'd say eliminating a third or even a fourth of the area the wind is perpendicular to would probably eliminate around a fourth or fifth of the total drag of your bike. a fourth or fifth of 50mpg is around 10mpg, and while i know these aren't the only criteria needed to assess total MPG, it'd be a huge part of it.

i don't know how slow you have to be going to be getting optimum gas mileage, but....the week after i bought my supercharged cobalt in new york, i left for california. through the salt flats i had the cruise control set at 45-50mph, just to see what kind of gas mileage i was getting. (i have a digital readout that tells me what MPG i'm getting, it works on averaging total gas used over how many miles you've gone since you hit the trip meter associated with it.)
i was getting 49mpg average at 51mph with my supercharged 2.0 liter for over 100 miles...then i hit some hills.
car had 2k miles on it at the time.

[RATT!]

i don't know how slow you have to be going to be getting optimum gas mileage, but....the week after i bought my supercharged cobalt in new york, i left for california. through the salt flats i had the cruise control set at 45-50mph, just to see what kind of gas mileage i was getting. (i have a digital readout that tells me what MPG i'm getting, it works on averaging total gas used over how many miles you've gone since you hit the trip meter associated with it.)
i was getting 49mpg average at 51mph with my supercharged 2.0 liter for over 100 miles...then i hit some hills.
car had 2k miles on it at the time.


Was the engine running? Isn't 2000 miles a high-mileage Cobalt?

[dizenexxus]

i had a mad-max style switch to turn the supercharger on and off, and congruent to GM's technology where they shut off 4 cylinders on their v8's on the freeway to increase gas mileage, i figured it'd work on mine.
so i hooked the gismo up, and sure enough it shut off 4 cylinders on the freeway. the car ran on the starter motor the rest of the way out, pulling 8hz current from the earth's ionosphere.
thank god for brushless motors, and nicky tesla

[RATT!]

Cool... I was thinking it ran on stupid... because then you'd be set.

[dizenexxus]

yeah, and at least that way we'd have something in common.

[RATT!]

Seriously, I'm done...

[dizenexxus]

alrighty, suppose i'll quit too then. good volley though. cheers

[ChopperDave]

Cool... I was thinking it ran on stupid... because then you'd be set.

Quote of the Week. :lol:

[dizenexxus]

indeed. now all i have to do is give a shit.

[Dark Duckie]

we generally take just the SV1000 (the duc has no passenger seat) instead of 2 seperate bikes or a car because i have always either worked right around the corner from my guy or at the same place so we save a ton of gas on our bike on our commute to work going together. We have been doing this since '03 rain or shine so the choice to ride to and from doenst have much to do with the gas prices but it sure has helped with the prices as high as they have gotten ;)

[SSUfish]

I just did a 200mile commute the other day, fairly quick pace with traffic w/o much stop and go or on/off the throttle. Fuel light came on at 150-155miles, but I was about 15-20miles from a fuel station. Final outcome? 176 miles, 3.56gallons. I'm happy :)

[radtek2001]

Its' been done and yeah who cares. I have a switch on the SVS650s front cylinder fuel injector to experiment with hi gas milage. If used in combination with low speeds, drafting and lay down style riding i saw mid to upper 70mpg. I also have a 1.75:1 final drive or overgeared final rather than 1:2 stock. I figure the bikes' mine to experiment with, just keep it clean and running good.