SuzukiSavage.com - Print Page

SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl
General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Gas mileage question
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1185334288

Message started by BigWes on 07/24/07 at 20:31:28

Title: Gas mileage question
Post by BigWes on 07/24/07 at 20:31:28

I know most of you say the gas millage on your savages runs about 60-65mpg on the highway which is awesome. I have been doing alot of round the town riding and have filled up twice in the last 5 days. I haven't yet done the math to figure out how much fuel I'm burning but i was wondering what the rest of you get around the town. Its only like 5$ to fill up, so its no big deal, but i would just like to know. thanks to everybody.

BigWes

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by serowbot on 07/24/07 at 22:40:54

This and that riding, about 58mpg.

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by PerrydaSavage on 07/25/07 at 01:10:24

Average 50-55mpg dodging around town ... have gotten around 65+mpg out on the open road.

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by thumperclone on 07/25/07 at 05:49:57

50 mpg around town..

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by Paladin on 07/25/07 at 06:02:15

I have this wrist problem . . . . about 45 mpg city.

Driving the Camaro in similar fashion got me 7 to 8 mpg, so I'm very happy with the mileage.

Last fillup was about $7.50 -- 2.5+ gallons at $2.979 for Arco regular.

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by Balderdash on 07/25/07 at 07:16:47

Are you guys talking about British gallons or US Gallons when you are talking about your MPG?

I have a hard time believing that anyone is getting 65mpg with this bike unless they've converted to chain and drastically altered the drive ratio (unless they are talking about British Gallons).

US Gallon: 3.79 liters
British Gallon: 4.55 liters (17% larger)

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by Paladin on 07/25/07 at 09:14:55

Depends on the riding conditions. On my FullMoon run, night of june 30: Miles according to map program, not my odometer:

The 115 mile run from Gardena to North Palm Springs was all freeway, speeds mostly around 70-75, a few bursts to 80+, some slowing for congestion. Less than 1.9 gallons to the brim, 61 mpg.

Next leg was 48 miles on the I-10 (65-70 mph), 58 miles thru the park (30-40 mph with several stops), 34 miles 2-lane highway (45-55 mph). 2.2 gallons for 63+MPG!

115 mile return to L.A. was against heavy (20+ mph) headwinds, 65-70 mph -- 52.5 MPG. (the headwinds took a lot to push through!)

California gasoline has been reformulated for worse gas mileage. (It's True! And we pay $.40 or so more per gallon.)

To get 70+ mpg (u.s. gallons) try a steady 150 mile run at 35-40 mph in top gear.

FWIW, back in the mid '80's I rode from L.A. to Seatle and back on a GS450E. Travelling on 2-lane roads at 45-50 mph got 80 mpg.

Two main things affect gas mileage -- speed, and wrist movement. Keep the speed down to the ridiculous level and the wrist steady and 70+ mpg is no problem.

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by justin_o_guy on 07/25/07 at 09:51:12

California gasoline has been reformulated for worse gas mileage. (It's True! And we pay $.40 or so more per gallon.)

The entire Govt. has been formulated to deliver the worst possible 'mileage" & we pay thru the nose for it..

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by slavy on 07/25/07 at 10:01:42

I could never get more than 55 MPG. I'm getting better results in the city. On the open road , I am getting about 48 mpg.

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by Hell_Billy on 07/25/07 at 10:03:55

Got a spankin` new `07 [950 miles so far] and I`m getting a consistant 63-64 mpg...haven`t done a rejet yet but I have removed the EPA plug and right now it`s 3 turns out. I`ve also shed some weight like the belt guard, rear pegs, a mirror and the front fender [which may go back on].

I`m going for some jets this week as it`s still popping a bit, I suspect my MPG might drop a tad....

B

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by Savage_Rob on 07/25/07 at 11:12:44

I used to get much better mileage with the stock carb but with the Amal Mk2, I am now getting between 52 and 56 MPG when I ride at 45-55 MPH, As I ride faster, mileage decreases to the worst case point of about 45 MPG by the time I hit 70 MPH.

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by PerrydaSavage on 07/25/07 at 12:08:35

Eventhough I buy gas (petrol) by the liter and my speedo clocks off kilometers instead of miles, I always figure up my fuel consumption (mpg) using U.S. Gallons, 'cause it's easier to real-world compare with most of the others Savagers here at suzukisavage.com! ;D

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by verslagen1 on 07/25/07 at 13:01:06

Thanks perry for thinking of us. As long as you label it as such, it won't be a problem. I think the concern was of imperial gals vs US gals. ;D

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by wrongwayair on 07/25/07 at 15:09:52

Rats....I knew the mileage i'm getting was bad. 35-40 mpg on a stock Savage. Guess I better track down a Suzuki mechanic & get it tuned up & checked out.

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by ALfromN.H. on 07/25/07 at 15:35:52

I've had my 2005 S40 re-jetted, added a k&n filter and a sporty muffler and I'm still getting 60 mpg or better every time I check the milage.

AL

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by firsts40 on 07/25/07 at 19:29:26

Completely stock 06 and gets around 60-63 MPG at 45-60 MPH and at around 65-75 MPH, it gets around 58-60 MPG. Around town in traffic I get around 55-58 MPG. So it comes out to be between 55-63 MPG depending on the type of riding I do.

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by PerrydaSavage on 07/26/07 at 01:10:09

Hmmm? From some of the Posts, seems as if the newer S40's might be getting a bit better milage than the older Savage's in similar Riding conditions?
Have to gas-up within the next day or so and will report my consumption from the past week; during which my Riding consisted of mostly 50-60kph around town stop/go stuff and a brief 15km highway jaunt at 90kph ...

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by Savage_Rob on 07/26/07 at 05:09:24

firsts40 wrote:

That's the ballpark of what I got with the stock Mikuni carb installed.

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by BigWes on 07/28/07 at 21:09:45

Paladin wrote:

2.979$ ?!?!?!??!?!? WHERE THE HELL DO U LIVE!??!?!?. in the SF Bay Area its like 3.50! but thanks for the info, my friend has the same Wrist/Camaro problem

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by BigWes on 07/28/07 at 21:15:26

oh yeah, my savage is a 95. and now that you guys are thowing out #'s and such i realized i have ridden 300 miles give or take and fuled up 3 times. So im getting around 50-55mpg in town. thanks for all the info. glad to see some of you are willing to answer the same newbi questions over and over. Us new guys apreachaite it.

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by skatnbnc on 07/29/07 at 07:41:27

My 06 seems to NOT be getting as good mileage as the rest of you.

I finally did a tally and came up with 45 MPG; 90% of which is short rides around town, not over 45 mph. I ran up to Greenville (85 miles 2 hour RT) and seemed to do a little better, but not by much.

I've got a HD pipe that the previous owner installed and I know she never re-jetted or messed with the carb.

So my question is, what do I need to do to improve the MPG?

Title: Re: Gas millage question
Post by Savage_Rob on 07/29/07 at 08:06:20

A lot is riding style too. If I take it easier and accelerate more evenly and do more freeway at 55 MPH, my mileage is much better. If I accelerate the fun way and run 75 MPH on my commute, it's worse.

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by TVR on 07/29/07 at 08:38:37

I get around 45 mpg with the rejet. With the stock jet, I got 50-55. The performance difference is worth the lower mileage. With all of the rain we had, the bike sat for quite a while. I guess the gas evaporates readily, as the next fillup showed 40mpg.

But since my truck gets 12-14 mpg consistently, 45 is good enough for me!

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by skrapiron on 07/29/07 at 09:16:56

I'm getting between 55mpg in stop and go riding up to 71mpg of open highway riding (60mph and below)

$3.50 a gallon for gas, huh? I just paid $2.79 a gallon on Friday and $2.59 a gallon when I filled up the CRV outsode of Cleveland...

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by PerrydaSavage on 07/29/07 at 15:23:57

Quote:

Have to gas-up within the next day or so and will report my consumption from the past week; during which my Riding consisted of mostly 50-60kph around town stop/go stuff and a brief 15km highway jaunt at 90kph ...

Alright ... as promised in my earlier Post, here's some numbers from my recent gas-up.

Did 135km (83.89mi) over the conditions described above and used 6.264 liters (1.65 US Gal.) of fuel, which equals 51mpg.

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by barb36jack31 on 07/29/07 at 16:37:50

I am still getting 58 MPG after the carb mods and the SuperTrapp muffler. I do not run at 75+ much of the time - 55-60 is more like it.

Jack H.

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by PerrydaSavage on 08/10/07 at 07:35:10

Here's my latest; 120km for 4.6 liters of fuel ... mostly highway and secondary highway at speeds between 50kph & 100kph ... very little stop n' go.
Worked out to 61 miles per US gallon

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by DanGill on 08/10/07 at 09:44:46

I get around 52 MPG, but most of my riding is stop and go. I get on a highway only for about 2 miles in the morning, and not at all in the afternoon. I have a stock '06 with none of the carb mods done. Yet.

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by serenity3743 on 08/10/07 at 10:23:44

I've always gotten 50 + or - MPG. I ride on the interstate at 60 - 70 mph, not heavy-handed. The only time I've gotten less was when I was having a fuel tank crud problem. I would love to get 60 +, if someone could tell me how.

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by steely on 08/10/07 at 15:53:00

I get 50-55 mpg for the most part. However, most of my riding is short trips since I live just 1.2 miles from work and rarely get out of this part of town. When I do more highway riding, I get somewhere in the 58-62 mpg range. When I am just out having fun, I get around 47 mpg, but that is my own darned fault for having a heavy hand.

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by forrest on 08/10/07 at 16:10:19

07 with apx 4k and I get apx 65 with a combo 50mph the stop and go traffic

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by Ed_L. on 08/10/07 at 17:57:29

Gotta problem with the wrist so I'm getting around 50mpg mixed driving in traffic and highway. :-/

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by barb36jack31 on 08/10/07 at 18:42:21

My last two tanks were 52.5 and 56.3 - Have done the carb mods and have a SuperTrapp installed. Have about 3200 miles on the bike. Have just bought an iridium plug. Think I will change it out and see what happens. My riding is conservative and mostly on Maine twisty windies at 55-60 MPH. Love to hear that old thumper sing as I accelerate out of the corners, so my mileage may be suffering somewhat.

Jack H.

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by Paladin on 08/10/07 at 19:10:44

Many years ago I was driving a '67 Triumph Spitfire -- a tiny sports car, 1300cc, twin SUs. Hard, abusively hard, tore the rear end out twice hard -- and I still got 30+ mpg. Once, for two full tankfuls, I drove nicely -- no WOT, no redlining every gear. Boring. Fall asleep at the wheel boring. I had to be crazy to do it boring. Got a whomping 32 mpg. ARRGH!! Figured it just wasn't worth it. I've enjoyed driving/riding hard ever since.

Nowadays, I'm riding about 500 miles a month, largely because my 4 mile one-way commute just doesn't add many miles. At 45 mpg and $2.80/gal that costs me $31.11 a month in gasoline. IF I rode nicely I might be able to get that up to 55 mpg and lower the tab to $25.45. Riding balls to the wall pedal to the metal costs me less than twenty cents a day.

Sure beats a $2 cup of coffee for a morning wakeup.

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/11/07 at 06:12:14

Paladin is right. There's no better entertainment dollar spent than those "wasted" on gas by hard riding.
You have all seen me whine about the MPG I was getting from the 650. I handed the bike to my daughter, dropped the main jet back to a 150 & now she gets 56 riding around town. It still slightly soots the brake actuator & only rarely gives a light pop on decel, so, even tho it has a cam from Lancer in it & a Supertrapp with 14 disks & a K&N drop in & has been desnorkelled, it doesn't seem too lean. I know Reelthing said( & I don't blame him) "You are runnin a One Fitty? " But, I tried the larger jets & all it did was soot things up & burn gas,,

SKATNBC, I see no one has answered your question. I wish I had a clue what to tell ya. There are guys here who I'll bet can help, but you may need to single them out with instant messaging. I think they will need details, like, how much soot is in the pipe? If it's a white ash & theres almost nothing to get on a finger, it's not running rich. Maybe it needs made more efficient by allowing more intake flow? I dunno, It wouldnt have taken me 6 months to jet the carb if I had a clue. Good luck, we should all be getting enough MPG to get 100 miles before hunting gas.

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by firsts40 on 08/11/07 at 08:49:47

Coming home from work last night, I hit reserve at 127 miles. This comes out to be 55.something MPG. My tank hits reserve at 2.3 gallons. I ride approximately 12 miles round trip to work with a lot of stop and go traffic and about 3 miles of 55-60 MPH. My 06 is 100% stock

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by BigWes on 08/11/07 at 16:23:07

thanks to all of you for the info. it appears im in the general ball park of ok with 55-65mpg depending.

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by PerrydaSavage on 08/17/07 at 03:57:13

Update with my latest fill-up (my LS is bone stock BTW);
Again mostly highway & secondary by-way Riding, little stop n' go with speeds between 40 & 60mph ... 150km (93.2mi) for 6.2 liters (1.64 US Gal.) = 57 mpg

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by Balderdash on 08/17/07 at 08:45:41

My reserve seems to have changed lately.

Last month I was filling up with 2.1 or 2.15 gallons at the pump without hitting reserve yet on the bike tank.

Yesterday though I hit reserve while on the highway, pulled into the gas station and could only put 1.9 gallons in the tank and it was full already? Why did I need reserve already?

Can the tube get knocked around in the tank and move it's level entry hole? Does the outdoor temperature really affect how much gas you can put in the tank? (it was really hot when I was only able to put 1.9 gallons in...)

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by verslagen1 on 08/17/07 at 08:54:31

You may have some junk in the tank clogging up the filter. Drain the tank, pull the pec0ck out and clean out the screen.

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by T-Mack1 on 08/17/07 at 08:58:21

On a just rebuilt engine, 0.5mm oversize piston, also did the "white spacer" mod.

First tank: 39.5 mpg
Second tank: 39.9 mpg
Third tank: 40.9 mpg

Still need to tweak the carb as I might have the air screw too rich, and would like to upgrade mainjet as the bike still has the stock '01 "145". Thinking going to 150 in the set I got from Lancer. (got a 150, 152.5 & a 155).

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by Balderdash on 08/17/07 at 09:01:05

verslagen1 wrote:

You may have some junk in the tank clogging up the filter. Drain the tank, pull the pec0ck out and clean out the screen.

D'oH, I was afraid somone would say that :'(

;)

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by Balderdash on 08/17/07 at 09:04:10

T-Mack1 wrote:

On a just rebuilt engine, 0.5mm oversize piston, also did the "white spacer" mod.

First tank: 39.5 mpg
Second tank: 39.9 mpg
Third tank: 40.9 mpg
...

since you haven't changed the Main yet, I don't know why your gas mileage would be that bad.

How does it sound when it's running?

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by T-Mack1 on 08/17/07 at 09:15:41

Don't have another Savage to compare to. I think it sounds ok at idle. I was able to adjust the air screw to both too lean and too rich conditions. I have a Tach so tried to get max RPM. I think I'll go back to the half way between too lean & too rich method.

Driving down the road, well........ it doesn't sound like the '82 Honda CM250C or the '71 Honda CL175 that I use to own. Might be a small roughness to it. A buddy of mine said that a too, too lean condition will also affects mileage because the fuel to air mixture is not optimun and the engine actually works more. Any thoughts on that??

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by wmtrash1998 on 08/17/07 at 09:18:46

My 03 gets about 50 MPG no matter how I drive. Its pretty much stock. I will in the future add a Supertrap muffler, K&N airfilter and a rejet. I'm anxious to see how the mods will affect mileage.

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by Balderdash on 08/17/07 at 10:24:49

T-Mack1 wrote:

...
A buddy of mine said that a too, too lean condition will also affects mileage because the fuel to air mixture is not optimun and the engine actually works more. Any thoughts on that??

I believe that a too lean engine is a bad thing and the engine runs too hard and gets too hot and wears out soon, but I don't know that it would get worse gas mileage...

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by LANCER on 08/17/07 at 11:59:23

You can nip the "too lean condition" in the bud by jumping up to the biggest main jet I sent and see if it bogs down at full throttle in the high rpm range...if so then you know it is too rich.
From there just start going down one size at a time until you can run wide open in the high rpm range with smooth power and no bogging.

From there you can go back to the pilot system jetting and tuning for the low range, then the needle adjustment for the mid range, and then a final check again of the main jet to rap up the high range.

Title: Re: Gas mileage question
Post by T-Mack1 on 08/17/07 at 13:40:42

Lancer and others, going to my original thread on rejetting for oversized psiton. This thread is for gas mileage.

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?board=RubberSideDown;action=display;num=1185815110