cage/bike fuel economy

[dave1shere]

The wife has a vw TDI passat it gets 50 MPG it is a diesel but runs like a gasser.

[crny xj11 NH]

- Check this out. My Ford Expedition has an 5.4 L engine and I get 12 mpg on highway more around 15 if I go easy on pedal. If towing my 22 f 4500 p Starcraft boat not more then 9 mpg. but will easy reach and keep speed of 75 mph. Same Starcraft has an 52 gal. tank and for one family day on ocean it will suck out 40 gal ( 4.3 L engine with duble barrel carb.) Well here is other side of story. Untill last year I had an Little Chevy Sprint with 1.0L engine. Newer found out how many mpg. but 7 gal. tank will last for two weeks. It has 165 k on odometer when it quit. Someone may think not bad for an Chevy. Well this little Chevy has an little Suzuky 3 cyl. engine

[REFFI]

I run the 80G with a windshield and my heavyweight body and girth and on a commute to work (85 to 90 mph in the car pool lane and 35 to 45 mph on the streets), and I'll consistently get around 33 mpg.

My 5.7L v-8 Mountaineer gave me 17 mpg on the same commute this past week, but my mileage does vary. With regular's lowest price at $2.25 lately, I've been trying to keep the rpm's down around 2000 (60 - 65 mph)

My wife's 99 Mazda 626, V-6 delivers 29-30 mpg regularly depending on where she's driving.

Her XS 650 (back when it was new, before we sold it) would provide her with 50 - 55 mpg.

My thought is that I could be happy riding an XS650 to work, or even something in the 500 to 850 range for the mileage benefit. I think the 850 triple would be the way to go.

I heard that hybrid owners are suing because they're not getting the advertised EPA mileage.

[fredintoon]

gas guzzlers & tiny tanks

The Morris Minor had a pathetic 803cc 4 cylinder engine and puttered down the road at 45mph on a good day.
Modern cars with that small an engine do better.
In the inverted way that Transport Canada measures fuel consumption my XS11GS & Sidecar used 9.4 litres per 100KM last time I checked which is ~27 mpg in Imperial Gallons or ~25 mpg in US Gallons.
OTOH I could get 60 mpg on the highway at 55-60 mph from my '57 BSA 500 single but it had one 27mm carburettor not the four 34mm ones that swallow gas at an alarming rate from my Special's miserably small gas tank.
Fred Hill, S'toon.

[Geezer]

Re: gas guzzlers & tiny tanks

Originally posted by fredintoon

OTOH I could get 60 mpg on the highway at 55-60 mph from my '57 BSA 500 single but it had one 27mm carburettor not the four 34mm ones that swallow gas at an alarming rate from my Special's miserably small gas tank.
Fred Hill, S'toon.

I know what you mean. My old Guzzi 850 got 45 mpg and the Ducati 250 I had many years earlier got almost 70 mpg. Neither of those bikes could touch the XS11 for power but it would be nice to get better milage.

Geezer

[schpiff]

99 ford f150 4x4.....15 mpg hwy (dont ask about town driving or towing)

99 ford taurus ......28 mpg hwy, about 18 city

88 taurus 215,000 miles 24mpg (rust is natures way of saying you didnt need all that steel)
and I get pretty close to 40 mpg with the SH

[sixtysix]

My 2000 dodge Dakota 4x4 got 16 mpg going out to WA last summer, 75-80 mph and a bike in the back.

My 2000 Triumph trophy 1200 gets 40mpg average.
My Suzuki Bandit 1200 gets 40-50 MPG depending on usage.
My 2003 Aprilia is getting about 35 MPG, wheelies and all!
My 80 XS got 25-32 depending on usage. Usually closer to 25!!

[chevy45412001]

boat

Just took out my new (to me ) boat,!967 60h.p. johnson on a 16 foot aluminum ,got 1 1/2 gal per hour,talk about gas guzzling,whew

[John]

That's about the same as my bike if I ride at 45 mph for an hour . 30 mpg at 30 mph =1 gal. 45 mph would be 1.5 gals. Wouldn't it?

[nashville_bill]

Let's see now:

1961 MGA 30MPG
1981 XS650SH 50MPG
1981 XS1100SH 42MPG
1996 F150 V8 (Towing) 18MPG (15MPG)
2000 Pontiac Grand Prix 30MPG

[chevy45412001]

differance

only thing is no wake on lake right now so i was only going 4-7 mph.don't think i even put20 miles on it.5 gallons to 20 miles ouch...lol

[John]

I agree...ouch! How bad would it be if you opened it up? Or how big is the fuel tank? Will it get you to the next marina for gas?

[fredintoon]

A boat is just about the only vehicle I can think of that has the potential to use less fuel while travelling at a higher speed.
At the 5 to 7 mph quoted the boat is in displacement mode, having to push it's entire weight of water aside in order to move.
With full throttle the boat planes and skids across the top of the water, at a pure guess using twice the fuel to go three times as fast.
Fred Hill, S'toon.

[beechfront]

i never thought about that but it makes perfect sense.

[crny xj11 NH]

Hi guys!
- Fred you are apsolutely wright about boat speed and fuel usage. But there is one more catch about this. Most of my boats will plane at about 3000 rpm with speed around 30-35 mph and at this rpm.- speed range, fuel usage was minimal or let sey good. As we all know boats have only two speeds forward and rew. If you want to go any faster you have to increase rpm. For example my 22' Starcraft with 4.3 L needs 5000 rpm to trawel 50 mph. but at this point fuel usage is probably double. Max. rpm on this engine is 5700 rpm and speed 55 mph. Almost double rpm for only 20 mpr more. An tremendous loat on engine.
- Compare this to a car or motorcycle going down the road at 5700 rpm. Wondering what would be speed of an XS or XJ or my Hyondai at this rpm.
- Here is an example where fuel economy talk become obsolete.
this Spring my buddy bought an 27' Baya with twin 350 ci and he is gona pull this with hes V10 Ford Excursion.
Fuel economy! What is that????