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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> New Rider - clutch question /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1286938405 Message started by Howitzer on 10/12/10 at 19:53:24 |
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Title: New Rider - clutch question Post by Howitzer on 10/12/10 at 19:53:24 Hi all, Just wanted to introduce myself. I got my motorcycle endorsement this summer, after taking the MSF safety course, and I just bought my first bike a week ago. I got a used 2006 black Suzuki S-40, with 4000 miles on it. I've been riding it everyday since then :). I'm trying to get more riding experience on it, build up my skills. I do have a clutching question for everyone here. In the city, I can only get about 25mpg around the particular route/area I take. As such, I think I'm going to try to save a bit of gas by cruising down on clutch/neutral going towards stoplights. Do you know if it's bad to hold down the clutch a lot on a bike? I know for cars, it's not recommended, as it can wear out the clutch spring (so I hear). Thanks all. I'm so glad there's this forum here for Suzuki owners. |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by Boofer on 10/12/10 at 20:10:26 Welcome, and safe riding to you. I wouldn't worry about the clutch springs, but nearly everyone on here will tell you to keep your bike in gear at intersections and watch your mirriors for rear enders and keep a lookout for an avenue of escape if someone tries to ride up your back. Get a Clymers Manual and check the air filter now. Change the oil and filter. Check the air in your tires. I really don't understand how you can get such bad mileage. Anybody else think this is way too low, even in the city? |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by Phelonius on 10/12/10 at 20:11:22 S'not good on any manual clutch vehicle. Why are you getting less than half the MPG that anyone else is? Do you travel only up steep hills in lower gears and never come down? Your machine should be getting in excess of 50 MPG. Mine averaged 45MPG pulling a sidecar. Some folks on this site regularly get above 60MPG. |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by verslagen1 on 10/12/10 at 20:21:05 In cars you wear out the throw out bearing. In this m/c, the springs might take a set by holding them fully compressed. And maybe wearout your hand. ;D check for gas leaks, check the vac line for gas (should be dry) check the air filter, air in the tires, etc. last time oil was changed? welcome to the club, btw. 8-) |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by Lupo on 10/12/10 at 21:18:48 Keep the skills the MSF people taught you. You aren't the reason for such poor mileage. The motorcycle you have is at fault. An LS should get better then 40 under the worst conditions and realistically around + or - 50 though 60 would be reachable. As the others have said, check and tune. If it's running good, don't take this wrong but is your math calculation correct. Miles divided by gallons. I only say it because I've caught myself going ..duh. |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/13/10 at 03:04:55 I've got a Stage One cam, 155 main jet, Supertrapp exhaust & Im not riding to save gas & I Still get 49 MPG. |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by Oldfeller on 10/13/10 at 10:00:25 Heck, I get worse mileage than Justin does, maybe new rider's just enjoying himself with his new bike and running the silly snot out of it :-? ...... ? Clutch push rod may get shortened a bit by holding the clutch in all the time. Kind of a silly thing to do, really. ::) Your bike is in rough shape if it is stockish ..... start with a tune up, then monitor gas mileage. You bought it used -- did the PO change out the stock jets by any chance? |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by mornhm - FSO on 10/13/10 at 11:16:04 Old Feller, and Howitzer, 25 mpg or less on a Savage means there is something seriously wrong. Even riding the heck out of mine, I never got lower than 48 mpg. Over all the miles I rode mine, I averaged 52 mpg. |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by Oldfeller on 10/13/10 at 18:33:54 There are all kinds of stupid things people can do to a bike to kill the gas mileage. My favorite was to adjust the rear brake petal so it didn't take much motion to have it start to engage ..... (that's orginally what I thought you were supposed to do .... ;) I wuz stupid at one time too ) It took a couple of trips to the gas pump for me to realise the rear brake was dragging all the time (slightly, but always on) Our new boy's got to start looking for things that are wrong -- he can start with "dragging brakes". |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by bill67 on 10/13/10 at 18:35:59 I always did the opposite so you had to push harder on the brake.I use the rear brake more than the front,I know lots of people say thats not the way but its the way I like it. |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by Howitzer on 10/14/10 at 11:12:23 Thanks for all the replies guys. I'll check again for the gas mileage on the second fill-up. I just fill-up until the gas pump stops, and see how many miles I put on since last time. I'll also see if I can change the air filter/oil filter. The oil looks a bit dirty...but there's only 4000 miles on this bike. The previous owner didn't do much but ride it 1-2 miles to work and back every day. I'm doing pretty much the same. One thing to note. I use the choke to start the engine, and pretty much leave it on for a mile or two. That will basically take me all the way to school. It's pretty cold in the morning (40-50's), and the engine seems to struggle a bit if I leave it off. This ups the fuel consumption, so maybe that's part of why my mileage is so low? @Boofer: Will check the air filter. @Verslagen1: The PO said he brought it in for an oil change this spring. He said he didn't do anything to the bike other than that, in the two years he owned it. @Lupo: I hope my math is wrong. I'll check again at the next fillup. Then I'll be having one of those ...duh moments. |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by Howitzer on 10/14/10 at 11:14:31 Oh I should add that I ran Sea Foam through it two days ago. I still have it in my tank I believe, as I didn't use up the whole tank yet. Didn't see much smoke, and inside the gas tank is shiny clean, as far as I can see. I'll check again for smoke when I start it later today. |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by mornhm - FSO on 10/14/10 at 12:29:57 To get an accurate reading on your mileage, you need to visually fill the tank to the (exact) same level each time, or check the mpg over a few thousand miles keeping a log of how many gallons are used. If you are not keeping track of mileage over the long term, make sure that you fill up at the same location (so the lean angle is the same) and visually fill the tank to the same level - be careful not to overfill, the bottom of the fill neck is where you want the level to end up, not above. With the small tank on MCs (and the Savage has one of the smallest, a small difference between one fill up and the next can make a significant difference, I don't think you said how many miles you were basing your calculation on, but if you are going about 100 miles between fillups, which is pretty typical, you wouldn't be able to fit enough gas in the tank. If I happened to leave the choke on my way to work when I rode the Savage, the engine would be completely warmed up and not running right once I pulled up to a stop sign (reminding me that I should push that thing off). I never noticed much of a difference in mileage, but I'm sure there was some. Even with only 4000 miles, your Savage is close to 7 years old, with one oil change - I'd get it changed now :o :o :o |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by Oldfeller on 10/14/10 at 14:06:52 Leaving your choke on all the time will KILL your gas mileage. Don't leave the choke on after you get the bike up and rolling, push it back in and the engine will warm up after the first minute of rolling down the road. If the bike won't run apart from choke, you have something else wrong with it. |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by bill67 on 10/14/10 at 14:22:26 686A776B6D68050 wrote:
How do you come up with close to 7 years old its a 2006. |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by EJID on 10/14/10 at 14:42:02 656E6B6B3130070 wrote:
How do you come up with close to 7 years old its a 2006.[/quote] Model year 1...2006 (likely production started in 2005) 2...2007 (likely production started in 2006) 3...2008 (likely production started in 2007) 4...2009 (likely production started in 2008) 5...2010 (likely production started in 2009) 6...2011 (likely production started in 2010) So technically a 2006 bike was produced in 2005 making it 7 years old in 2011 (almost there!!!) |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by Howitzer on 10/14/10 at 15:03:38 Haha, it would still be 5 years old if it was made in 2005. 2005-2006 = 1 year 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 = 5 years. It was made sometime in 2005, as it is now sometime in 2010. Thanks for the tips on filling the gas tank though. I read in the manual to fill up to the neck level, but it was hard to see down the tank when I filled it, so I just stuck the spout in, and added until it stopped. How do you guys look into the can to check fillup level? I figured the spout was long enough that I wouldn't overfill, but maybe I am underfilling the tank now. I drove it about 50 miles, and added 2 gallons from the last time I filled up. But may I really just didn't fill up the tank correctly. You guys are making me feel like I simply calculated the mileage wrong, or didn't fill up correctly! There was an oil change earlier this year, and I'll guess there was maybe a thousand miles put on it after? @Oldfeller: I'll try to turn off the choke sooner. Still getting used to this bike, and it just seemed to run stronger with the choke on ::). It does run with the choke off, in the cold mornings, but there is less power output than warmed up. |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by verslagen1 on 10/14/10 at 15:47:08 The reason not to run with choke on is that extra gas goes into the cylinder washing the oil off the walls causing extra oil consumption. |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/14/10 at 19:13:46 He was sayin its 7 y/o in Rotella years. In klotz years, its still new, on the showroom floor! With Suzuki oil, its exactly as old as it is on the callender. |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by Oldfeller on 10/15/10 at 05:08:45 Now folks, that was an excellent example of Billogic (for those that could follow it along through the various rotations). Remember, Bill thinks that way and he speaks a slightly different language of his very own that we have termed "Billish" to differentiate it from English. The main syntax of Billish is the one liner, where he takes a situation and rotates it 20 degrees from normal reality in at least two axis (which generally is worth a chuckle to be sure and is often times great comic relief from our daily grind, which is why we all love Bill). :D |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by Oldfeller on 10/15/10 at 05:15:53 OK, so your rear brake is got enough slop in it that you think it may be "too loose" and you are turning your choke off as soon as the bike gets rolling good. What is your gas mileage this week? |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by Howitzer on 10/15/10 at 06:21:30 I've put 40 miles on it so far, but I'm going out of town for the weekend, so I'll have to post back when I use up my current tank. I did start turning off the choke after running. I don't think there's a problem with the rear brake though. I think that was someone else's suggestion. |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by bill67 on 10/15/10 at 06:30:05 352A2C2B3631003000382A266D5F0 wrote:
+1 |
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Title: Re: New Rider - clutch question Post by Boofer on 10/15/10 at 21:35:29 Could it be possible that you have a leak somewhere? I have a 10 horse Snapper Briggs&Stratton engine with a sticky float. I caught it leaking fuel from the top of the carb where the breather sits. It did not get into the oil, but I don't know why. In line cut-off fixed it. When the regular stuff fails to work out, look for something kooky. I would empty the tank completely, put in one gallon of gas from a marked container that verifies the pump reading. Then I would drive it at 55 mph on a road trip and check how many miles it takes to run dry in prime or reserve. Take a quart of gas with you to get to a gas station. Not scientific, but close. If it leaks overnight and goes back to its old tricks after that, you'll know it. Good luck. Boofer |
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