|
SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> how to increase mpg? /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1361117541 Message started by Thump thump on 02/17/13 at 08:12:21 |
|
Title: how to increase mpg? Post by Thump thump on 02/17/13 at 08:12:21 Have a 97 savage I'm using for commuting in south florida. The biggest savings in my commute comes in increasing the mpg. Right now I'm at 45ish with city driving and driving in the rain on the freeway. Currently using sea foam or lucas with fill ups and will be adding an inline fuel filter this weekend. Any more ideas or suggestions? |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by verslagen1 on 02/17/13 at 08:20:31 You should be able to get 50ish even with slightly richer jets than stock. put the stock white spacer back in, might even have to go thicker. |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by Serowbot on 02/17/13 at 08:34:59 If you're looking for economy,... as in more MPG's... why spend the money on additives?... (they don't help mileage)... Use regular gas,.. no additives,.... and keep your speed steady and under 60mph... Keep your air filter clean,... run the leanest jets that allow for smooth running... The rest is in the right wrist... I average 63pg... |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by ZAR on 02/17/13 at 08:37:17 55555C54504B5C390 wrote:
Welcome Thump! The Seafoam will help a dirty fuel system but it's a waste of $$$ using it every fill-up. If it's going to help it will have done so in a couple of tankfulls. Beyond that,it's all in the tuning and riding style! No "secret tricks" or "magic cures" will do it. Start off the very FIRST thing by getting a service manual for your bike and study it until you understand your scoot. After that,make sure your scoot is tuned properly,running proper oil(normal auto oil is NOT the right oil for these bikes! Search and read the "oil" threads in this forum). Unless your engine is heavily modified use regular fuel. Many here have tried higher octane fuels and found no improvement in performance or milage with plus or premium octanes. After watching folks comments in the forum several months now about fuel economy your milage may be a little low if "45ish" is your average. I ride 80 miles a day to work split about 1/3s city/70mph interstate/rural 2 lanes and average 55-60mpg. |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by Greg on 02/17/13 at 08:46:04 My mileage has dropped from 50-52 to 42-45. I did do minor mods that required rejetting. My biggest problem is the fun I have running WOT through the gear changes. Drive like an old lady (or Bot :) ) and your mileage should go up. |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by Thump thump on 02/17/13 at 19:15:36 Is if possible the air filter has gone bad and causing the engine to run rich? I just took her out fir a 50 mile run driving granny still and still 45mpg. Carbs are next. |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by ZAR on 02/17/13 at 20:17:17 7E7E777F7B6077120 wrote:
Thump would you clarify for us,is this scooter new to you or have you had it a while? That will help us help you by understanding if the mileage was better and dropped off. If that is the case,did it drop off slowly or just....wham...one day 60mpg,next day 45mpg. And to answer your question,yes,the air filter being dirty can cause a drop in mileage,but normally not all at once. |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by Gyrobob on 02/18/13 at 06:19:25 Seafoam is just a solvent. It may or may not have an effect on a gummed-up carburetor. If you carburetor is clean, adding additives like Seafoam will worsen your mileage. Seafoam burns rather poorly compared to gas. The more you put in, the less mileage you will get. This is true for all additives. If your carb is clean, diluting the gas with other crap only causes the motor to make less power and to travel a shorter distance on each tank of gas. |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by Thump thump on 02/18/13 at 07:55:38 1E0516440 wrote:
Thump would you clarify for us,is this scooter new to you or have you had it a while? That will help us help you by understanding if the mileage was better and dropped off. If that is the case,did it drop off slowly or just....wham...one day 60mpg,next day 45mpg. And to answer your question,yes,the air filter being dirty can cause a drop in mileage,but normally not all at once. [/quote] I got her a couple of weeks ago. She had been garage kept with only 380 miles on her. Carbs were cleaned just befor I got her and the lines were replaced. then they ran bad fuel through her, hence the sea foam. It still has the original air filter. I know the mpgs are low right now. I'm trying to figure out how to get it back up then some extra |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by Pine on 02/18/13 at 08:00:16 I dont know how you are getting 45... I always get at least 50.. but generally 55. Commuting to work ( for me) I ride very conservative, meaning, I shift up throught the gears pretty quick ... just under lugging. Then I top out at 50 MPH. So the bike is never working all that hard. Even the one time I went 140 miles at 60 MPH .. I still got much better than 50. oil too thick clutch is slipping how much do you weigh??? low tire air pressure fouled plug or other poor ignition gas leaking out over night or during driving ( petcock leak) air filter has had gas on it ( ruins it) clogged up muffler (grasping) bad calculations/measurements |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by Oldfeller on 02/18/13 at 08:36:13 I got her a couple of weeks ago. She had been garage kept with only 380 miles on her. Carbs were cleaned just befor I got her and the lines were replaced. then they ran bad fuel through her, hence the sea foam. It still has the original air filter. I know the mpgs are low right now. I'm trying to figure out how to get it back up then some extra Yikes, a good find but a bit dangerous/aggravating at the very beginning. A 1997 with 380 miles on the clock was left sitting in the garage for most of Sixteen Years .... it completely evaporated at least one tank of gas, maybe several. the oil is antique (if it wasn't replaced, it needs replacing now) the air filter is crapped up some (may possibly need replacement) The stock petcock filter screen is filled up with varnish from the evaporated gasoline (recommend replace with Raptor as a re-emptive prevention medicine as if the stock vac petcock isn't screwing up now it will start soon enough. Vac petcock malfunction can give poor gas mileage all by itself) You need to put a fuel filter on it to catch all the varnish bits from the inside walls of the gas tank which it will continue to produce and pass along for the next few years. Putting carb cleaner in the tank just accelerates this peel off, so it can make block up issues worse while it strips the tank. And, the scariest thing, the previous owner "cleaned the carburetor" which is a total unknown element. It says to me that peeled off crap from the gas tank and varnish build up in the carb were bad enough to keep the bike from starting at one point in time. He has fought the first few skirmishes of the evapo gas tank wars, so you only have to clean out the machine gun nests and pillboxes and tanks ... ====================== Now, what should you do and what order should you do them? (if you insist on "doing stuff" that is) First, order a fuel filter, a Raptor petcock and an air filter and a couple of oil filters. Put the Raptor petcock and the fine micron paper pleated fuel filter in place first off. Then put in your new air filter. One of the failure modes of the OEM stock vac petcock is to flow fuel back into the airbox, wetting the air filter and reducing its ability to pass air. Change your oil with a list recommended 5w40 synthetic oil like Rotella T6. Do this AFTER you put the Raptor petcock in place since one of the other failure modes of the OEM stock vac petcock is to put gasoline into your sump and ruin your oil. Might also take a look at the tires for dry rotting. (save the old air filter, it may be cleanable with compressed air and Brake Parts Cleaner solvent. If not it can be converted into a low resistance air filter using tricks in Tech Section.) ====================== Alternate "do nothing" method Put up with it, like so many here on the list do. The bike will run OK after all, so what do you want, an egg in your beer? Run it, it will slowly get better ( or else you will get used to it ). Given enough time, varnish build up related problems will dissolve very slowly in normal pump gasoline. Normal maintenance over normal times will take out the rest of the items, except the possibly the slowly failing stock vac petcock. And enough years and normal maintenance will take it out too, but it will be seen as "new problems" by then even though the intimal start of the problems have been around since the bike sat for six years. This method costs less money now and lets you have lots of time to think about what you eventually will need to do. ====================== Lastly, your gas mileage. It is right now within the normal "twist of the wrist" variation range that we commonly see here on the list. If you want the very best gas mileage, don't fiddle with the stock set up at all and ride like a old woman. All recommended modifications to carbs, air boxes, exhausts, rejetting, cams and everything else you see on this list will COST YOU GAS MILEAGE compared to the stock oem set up. ;D You see, you should have bought yourself a 250 as they get much better gas mileage than a Savage and when you ride a Savage using all the gas mileage maxing techniques, you couldn't win a road race against a 250 run balls to the walls and with it still getting better mileage than you will be getting. |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by WD on 02/18/13 at 09:26:25 It sat for 16 years with the rings not bedded in... :o Holeeeey crap... My bike came from Biloxi MS, I bought it brand new, and the dealer and mechanic were both factory race team trained. They told me to ride it like I hated it for the first couple thousand miles or the rings would never fully seat. And to use ONLY 15W40 or 20W50 to compensate for the high heat of the area during spring-fall. And they were right, low speed commuting (16 mile round trip at 35-45 mph) regularly saw mid to high 70s mpg. Stock with a free breathing exhaust and the air screw out a turn or so past factory. Change the petcock for a mechanical one, change your oil and filter, change your air filter. And give the thing some serious throttle to finish breaking in the engine. I think mine gets the lowest mileage, but has the most wind resistance... 15" rise handlebar, jets a "few" sizes bigger than stock, intake and exhaust changes... and a 6'2" 235# (on a good day) rider... 36 mpg average the last few times I rode it. |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by Paladin. on 02/18/13 at 09:47:04 62626B63677C6B0E0 wrote:
Smooth and steady. Watch the traffic, watch the traffic signals as far ahead you can see, time the changes, adjust your speed so you never stop at red lights. In L.A. I can generally see the traffic lights a half of a mile ahead. Heh! I'm getting a measured 67.5 mpg in with 90/10% city/freeway. |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by justin_o_guy2 on 02/19/13 at 09:26:36 Ive got a 150 main, trimmed down white washer, 14 disks on a Supertrapp & I can get 49 MPG, and have some fun doin it. REmember , its a torque producing engine. Shift gears before its rapped out, You get the best MPG at the lowest speed you can smoothly run in high gear. Coast to stops when its workable with traffic, at least watch ahead, adjust throttle based on traffic / lights, etc. Bugs me to death to ride with someone who doesnt respond to a yellow lite when theyre over 1/2 a bl;ock away. They stay in the gas like theyre headed for a lite that just turned green & then slow down & stop quickly, Just in time for it to turn green. If theyd Just slow down & roll on up, they could save $$$ on gas, tires & brakes. |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by WD on 02/19/13 at 11:15:52 Finish breaking the engine in, the fuel economy will improve as the rings seat. And break it in with REGULAR oil, not synthetic, the cylinder was factory machined for a dino juice break in period. Don't do anything to the carb, exhaust or intake tract until you've got at least 2500 miles on the engine. |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by Serowbot on 02/19/13 at 17:13:12 I'm a lot like Paladin, as far as riding style... I can go plenty fast if I want to... ... but I drive my car and my bike for economy otherwise... Watch the traffic up head,... coast to lights,.. easy take-offs,... short shift and use the torque... I rarely need more than 1/3 throttle to out accelerate any traffic at a light... But,... if I want to go,... I can show you my tailights... |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by ZAR on 02/19/13 at 19:10:36 697F68756D78756E1A0 wrote:
Yep Sero! I hate riding with my buddies on their baggers. It's hard to keep from running over them at stoplights ;D! |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by justin_o_guy2 on 02/20/13 at 09:51:48 I THINK this helps. Others may disagree. Makes sense to me, tho. Run that thing up & Slap the throttle closed. It'll pull the rings up tite on the cylinder, helping seat them in. & Nail the gas on it some. Vary RPM & ride it. |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by Thump thump on 02/21/13 at 19:32:42 It does help! Much appreciated. Obviously I've never had to break a bike in... Now that I'm riding her like an angry midget I can feel the engine start to run smoother. The inline fuel filter helped. The air filter is ordered. And side notes... Switching fuel brands to Sunoco has made a huge difference in the way she responds (backfire is almost gone.) Also, My cousin is a Suzuki dealer, per him the petcock valve problem was repaired by the mid 90s. Has anyone experienced anything different? |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by Serowbot on 02/21/13 at 20:08:54 Your cousin, is a Suzuki dealer?... :-? That petcock hasn't changed since the first Savage was made... ;D... |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by houstonbofh on 02/21/13 at 20:16:09 6D6D646C687364010 wrote:
I am so sorry to hear about your cousin, and you have our deepest sympathies... ;) And no, he is wrong. (Although the rubber is better, it still ain't going to last forever) |
|
Title: Re: how to increase mpg? Post by Thump thump on 02/22/13 at 05:53:44 I thought maybe he was off about the fuel valve. But don't knock him tho. It means I get the family discount..... parts at cost ;D |
|
SuzukiSavage.com » Powered by YaBB 2.2! YaBB © 2000-2007. All Rights Reserved. |