SuzukiSavage.com - Gas Mileage?

Drifter Senior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 430	Gas Mileage? 07/25/10 at 09:09:20 What is the best and worst mileage you have had with your savage. Mention the year and any mods like a pipe change or chain drive etc. Do you notice any change running the 10% ethanol blend?
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james may Senior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 252 holyoke, ma Gender:	Re: Gas Mileage? Reply #1 - 07/25/10 at 09:15:33 always ran 10% ethanol that's all we have around here.. and I'm getting 40-55mpg depending on if I go out for a long trip or multiple trips with warming up for 5 min before going out each time. Wish I had the space/money to get a 50cc scooter as a around town vehicle so I can get 75-100mpg around town and 55mpg on longer trips..
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bill67 Serious Thumper Offline old tired Posts: 8517 genoa city wisconsin Gender:	Re: Gas Mileage? Reply #2 - 07/25/10 at 10:09:22 I run always 100% gasoline average 63 mpg low one time of 58 mpg.1/2 inch hole drilled in center up in the muffler,2 numbers up on high speed jet one up on low speed,Pretty much all back road driving.Spacer stock
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J2

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Re: Gas Mileage?
Reply #3 - 07/25/10 at 12:08:44

I bought a 2006 S40 about a month ago. It had 12-hundred miles on it, basically a new bike. Suzuki rates this 650 thumper at 63 mpg, and when considering horsepower-to-weight ratio, it ought to do that. I ride like an old man (I am an old man.). I can't get more than 50 mpg. I started using 93 octane, as dealer said. Moved to 89 when I read that the OEM specifies 87 octane (regular). So far, no difference in mpg. Wonder what I am doing wrong.

J2

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BuckRYCA

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Re: Gas Mileage?
Reply #4 - 07/25/10 at 12:33:19

My daughter's 1996 Savage is stock AFAIK except that I pulled the brass plug and turned the idle circuit adjuster screw 1/2 turn CCW. That got rid of most of the backfiring. I ride the thing a fair amount, mostly secondary roads. I, too, am an old man and ride like it most of the time. Savage only gets low 50s for MPG. My Bandit which has almost twice the displacement and four times the number of carbs gets upper 40s, sometimes 50 MPG. I find that to be unexpected. Huh

The Bandit will run circles around the Savage.

Oh, yeah, the only gas you can buy in CT is 10% ethanol. 87 octane gas delivers the most MPG. You should use it unless your engine knocks on it. A 5-minute warm-up is a waste of time and gas. It's likely harder not easier on the engine. No more than a 1 minute warm-up and go easy for the first 5-10 minutes of riding. I use 5W40 oil instead of 10W40 because it lubricates better on start-up.

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'96 Savage - now a Ryca CS-1

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J2

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Re: Gas Mileage?
Reply #5 - 07/25/10 at 13:23:19

Interesting, Buck. If I had to pose a theory ... I would say the S40/Savage is simply an oldie, but a goodie. In other words, when this bike was designed (perhaps 1970's), engineers didn't really try to build in a lot of fuel efficiency. Odd, since the so-called "gas crisis" occurred in the 70's. FI would make a difference. Actually, all of the light bikes I have owned (300-450cc) achieved mpg in the 50-range. Zoom zoom, not sip sip. That's still a lot better than my pickup, but, when OEM rates it at 63, and some riders report 63 mpg, makes me wonder if my stock S40 has a thirsty issue somewhere.

J2

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Routy

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Re: Gas Mileage?
Reply #6 - 07/25/10 at 13:32:44

There was a poll a while back,.....backed up what was already known,...that the Savage-40 get around 50 mpg. That could mean 45-55, or whatever you want it to mean.
I seldom get 50, because I'm in nothing but hills, and I can't keep from cobbin the throttle ! But really,......I never did get serious about checkin it anyway, cuz I really don't care. If I didn't love the bike, I'd ditch it no matter what milage it got. Being as I love the bike, ain't no milage could make me sell it. Wink

On edit,...forgot to say,......
If you want to ride like a pansyied woosy and get 60 mpg, do it ! Grin

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Rich
'07 S40 Blvd stocker, except drilled OEM exhaust and white spacer mod...1/2 (.055)

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bill67

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Re: Gas Mileage?
Reply #7 - 07/25/10 at 13:37:18

J2 wrote on 07/25/10 at 13:23:19:

Interesting, Buck. If I had to pose a theory ... I would say the S40/Savage is simply an oldie, but a goodie. In other words, when this bike was designed (perhaps 1970's), engineers didn't really try to build in a lot of fuel efficiency. Odd, since the so-called "gas crisis" occurred in the 70's. FI would make a difference. Actually, all of the light bikes I have owned (300-450cc) achieved mpg in the 50-range. Zoom zoom, not sip sip. That's still a lot better than my pickup, but, when OEM rates it at 63, and some riders report 63 mpg, makes me wonder if my stock S40 has a thirsty issue somewhere.

J2

I would put some Sea Foam in your gas and see if that helps at all,I get on my a lot in high gear but don't much in the low gears.

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Charon

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Re: Gas Mileage?
Reply #8 - 07/25/10 at 13:40:49

Click on the Fuelly logo in my signature, and you can look at all my fuel mileages. Some have notes explaining what was going on. I started tagging the fill-ups where I used E-10 this year, but you have to bear in mind that the mileage for those fillups labelled E-10 will show in the next fillup's mileage. My bike is stock, except that I have a windshield. I tried the "white spacer mod" as documented in the Fuelly notes, but the only effect I noted was about 10% worse fuel mileage.

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Eschew obfuscation.

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J2

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Re: Gas Mileage?
Reply #9 - 07/25/10 at 13:58:41

Thanks for the suggestions. The MPG issue doesn't really concern me. I just want to be sure the bike is running as it should. I appreciate the Fuelly (?). You are doing better in the efficiency department than I am. Maybe I am just not "pansyied" enough Wink

The sport bikes (donor cycles) come whizzin by ... dodging in and out from between the 18-wheelers, and I keep thinking ... all of the 10-50Is (fatal accidents) I covered during 35 years as a reporter ... Yep. Be seein me down the road. Be scrapin you off the road!

Ride safe.

J2

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BuckRYCA

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Re: Gas Mileage?
Reply #10 - 07/25/10 at 14:11:48

The only reason I track MPG is to note a change in the well-being of my engines. Is it time for new plugs?, air filter?, a dose of Sea Foam?, etc. Clearly I would not be riding a motorcycle rather aimlessly in big circles centered on my house if operating costs were an object.

I see your point about the Savage/S40 design being a dated one. I believe the first year of production was 1986. Still the thing has low horsepower (25?) and light weight, 4 valves and Twin-Swirl Combustion(!), SOHC, electronic ignition, a modern CV carb, and comes lean as can be from the factory. Expected better MPG at least relative to my 1200cc, 4-carb Bandit.

It interestesting to compare the Savage/S40 manufacturer's-claimed 63 MPG to that of the 500cc Royal Enfield Electra at 87 MPG. REs are cool, old-style thumpers with a long history. Unfortunately Royal Enfield dealers are few and far between.

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« Last Edit: 07/25/10 at 16:16:16 by BuckRYCA »

'96 Savage - now a Ryca CS-1

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bill67 Serious Thumper Offline old tired Posts: 8517 genoa city wisconsin Gender:	Re: Gas Mileage? Reply #11 - 07/25/10 at 15:31:18 The S40 is gear low for the torque its got it could be geared 20% higher and it would get better gas mileage.
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Charon Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 1811 Harvard, NE Gender:	Re: Gas Mileage? Reply #12 - 07/25/10 at 16:15:24 OK, Bill. You have made the claim that "geared 20% higher and it would get better gas mileage." Now prove it. Show us your documented gas mileage to date, for a start. Then make the change (which will probably involve a chain conversion) and show us the results.
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J2

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Re: Gas Mileage?
Reply #13 - 07/25/10 at 16:50:45

While only an anecdotal observation, I might tend to agree with Bill. Having ridden a bunch of different bikes, I would guess that the single 650cc cylinder does produce a lot of torque for a 381lb bike. I have started it from a dead stop in second gear a couple of times Shocked

, and it didn't mind at all. I would bet that it could be geared higher without sacrificing too much around town.

When I threw my leg over for the first time after a number of years riding scooters, I wondered a little if I would be able to go back to a clutch and shift lever without some practice, but it came right back. I didn't have to think, although I kept looking for the tach. One thing about the S40 I had to get used to ... it goes off the line very well with little rotation on the throttle. At first, I had two speeds: Stop and Fast. I have acclimated to its acceleration now, and I would like to see FI and a six speed tranny. Of course, then the bike would not be the classic it is.

J2

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james may Senior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 252 holyoke, ma Gender:	Re: Gas Mileage? Reply #14 - 07/25/10 at 18:09:32 How's the acceleration on a royal enfield 500? I've got a Suzuki/royal enfield dealer right near by in granby(all power). All the enfolds look like 70s bikes though. Bikes are actually quite inefficient aerodynamic drag and all a hummer is has less drag than a bike.
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