[Mongo Jerry]

I have sort of a odd question, not a problem just something I seem to be noticing on my NEW 2010 GL1800.

Let me set the stage for you so you know where I am going with all this. Back in May of this year 2011 I bought my first new GL1800. Filled the tank and went out for a ride till I almost ended up pushing it to a gas station. I got about 350 Km ( about 218 Miles ) out of a full tank, and I do mean full to the point it was almost over flowing…!

Each and everytime I filled up I would set the TRIP to ZERO and when I needed gas I would fill up again and write the Km’s on the gas bill so I could track the number of Km’s and Litres burned…and so on. On average I was getting 350 to tops 375 Km’s per tank and I am easy rider picking up speed gently and not caving new grooves the road from corning. I did this gas useage and Km’s for the first 5,000 some Km’s and it always came back in that 350 to 375 Km range when the gas light would come on.

I have now had the bike 2 months and 8 days….I really thought it was longer but just looked at the papers on it….yup…bought it in May, brought it home on May 3 / 2011.
I now have, 14,700 Km’s on it, gee how can you tell I ride…just a little…LOL.

Anyways, I was riding and forgot all about how far I had gone, did not look at the gas gauge, and saw it was near empty and the gas light had come on. Then I look at my trip counter which I rest EVERY time I fill up….force of habit as my other bike never had a gas gauge and use the trip as my gas gauge. Now I look down and see what…? HOLY SH!!....I see it showing that I have clocked 415 Km’s on this tank when the light came on. I was freaked out…see I still had 35 more Km’s to do before I would have any hope of finding gas where I was at the time. I thought to myself….well you really screwed up now…now you going to find out what its like to push a wing to a gas station.

All the gas station where closed as it was 1am in the middle of nowhere…I made it home on that tank and in the morning I had to ride near 10 Km’s to the gas station to fill it up…I made it…!

NOW THE QUESTION… Have any of you ever noticed that as your bikes engine aged some from that of NEW….have any of you ever noticed that your getting better gas mileage as it aged….???? I have put it to the test on my bike now….2 tank fulls…and I seem to be getting into the 400’s Km range on a tank now…and not like 350 and running on fumes like I did when the bike was very new and had less then 5,000 some Km’s on it.


By the way I did the math on all the gas bills....which by the way I have saved from day one. If I put it in MPG numbers....when the bike was very new the MPG I was getting was 39 to 40....I think on one bill I just about hit the 41 MPG point.....almost.... Now...for whatever reason...the last two bills work out to 44.2 MPG 466Km if I run the tank dry ( 291 Miles )

Ok....so why the better gas mileage now....? Or if the engine broken in now...and thats why...? I did however for what its worth notice a slight change in the engine at around point where I hit the 11,000 or so Km mark.

As for oil....its Amsoil 10W40....and there Amsoil oil Filter. But then I have been running it on that ever since I hit the 4,000 Km point. Up till then it was factory oil in it.

 

[Steve333]

Have any of you ever noticed that as your bikes engine aged some from that of NEW….have any of you ever noticed that your getting better gas mileage as it aged….????

Yes.

BTW, it's been longer than 2 months and 8 days since you bought the motorcycle. Just saying.......

 

[Mongo Jerry]

2 months....3 months.....who really cares...other then the bike is still very new....just lost that show room smell to it....LOL. So at what point did your engine flip over and start to get getter MPG numbers....?

I think mine went at around 11,000 Km's or so....but did not notice till I was in crap with a long way to go...on a near dry tank.

My old bike, a 2004 Honda Shadow that I put some 77,000 on before I traded it in on the Wing....that one I saw it was getting better mileage after I hit about 5,000 Km's on on...I think it hit its peek at about 30,000 and stayed there till I hit about 70,000....then from that point on...I could see it was not getting as good mileage as it once did.

 

[WoadWunner]

Mine went up as the bike got broke in. I average 50 mpg with and all time best of 58 mpg. I was cruising at 90 - 100 kph on the back roads all day.

 

[Mongo Jerry]

Mine went up as the bike got broke in. I average 50 mpg with and all time best of 58 mpg. I was cruising at 90 - 100 kph on the back roads all day.

Are we talking about a GL1800 here....???? At what point was it "broken in"...?

This is funny really as so many have told me before I bought the gold wing when I asked....so whats the standard break in time for the 1800...?

The answers I got was...there is NO break in...there ready to go right away. Being a Millwright ( indust. heavy duty mech. ) I know thats a load of BS. Everything new has a break in time...gears, valves, and so on....no such thing as ZERO break in time in my books.

 

[prosso]

...have any of you ever noticed that your getting better gas mileage as it aged

Jerry
Yes of course, as the engine "breaks in" your mileage will improve.
I have had several new bikes that I have noticed this on.

I have never pushed my luck past the 350 km mark ( about the distance from my place in Cloverdale to Cache creek) But I almost never "pick up speed gently"
as I think that that is a recipe for disaster... and also not much fun.:shock:
I hope that you are enjoying your new bike!!!
Maybe see you on the road.
Paul

 

[Mongo Jerry]

Myself I do not push it to see how long I can go without pushing it to a gas station. HOWEVER I am long haul rider and I really want to know...just how far I can go on a tank....

And why is picking up speed gently a problem.....?

 

[OrangeCrush]

My fuel light comes on around 220-225 miles. Both 1800's.
I did manage to run out of gas once ... 10 miles from Saskatoon. Fortunately my sister noticed I was no longer behind them, turned around and then went to get me some gas. The odometer was at 310 miles.
Several years later I discovered there were no gas stations on the bypass for Regina ... and almost ran out of gas. Odometer said 297 miles ... and she took 6.49 gals.
I average 37-40 mpg, depending on whether I keep the speedometer needle on 75, or on 70 mph.
'09 ABS ... which means the speedometer is corrected by GPS so it's more accurate than my readings for my '02.

If you got 218 miles before the light came on, I'd say that's pretty average. If you got that to EMPTY ... I'd say you must've been doing some serious throttle twisting.

As far as getting different mileage ... you'd have to compare more than just the amount of fuel. I've gotten as much as 50mpg riding at posted limits in the Blue Ridge Mountains (posted being mostly 45mph). I've gotten as little as 35 mpg when boogying across SD with it's higher speed limit.

 

[jjolly]

fuelish questions.,

I do get better mileage running midgrade gas than regular and you will get better mileage if gas has no ethanol in it.popcorn I check mileage every tank too. I do believe my worst mpg was 37 and my best just over 42. I ride 2 up 90% of the time and I tend to have a heavy throttle hand..

 

[Buzz57]

The best I have gotten is 465 km on a tank. I average 350-375 and almost always fill up when she gets to a 1/4 tank(about 16-18litres) I don't go to MT. I average 50 mpg W/O the trailer and 43 with. Never changes much and grade of fuel does make a difference with Regular 87 octane the best, super the worst(about 2mpg less).

 

[thekid]

highway vs city, I average 275 km in city, 350 km on highway before light comes on.

speed has direct affect on you mpg.

If I could stay at 80 kmh, I know I would get more km/tank

 

[prosso]

Myself

And why is picking up speed gently a problem.....?

Jerry
I find that a gentle speed increase is dangerious in traffic specially if you shift slowly because most people are driving automatics, and once that they see you move AT ALL they put their foot down and their attention
goes to someother thing.
Another thing that I have found (at least for myself) is that if I slowly increase my speed then my shifting is almost always rough and I can feel gear clash.
Finally like I said to start with, I just enjoy faster acceleration makes me feel good....
Paul

 

[prosso]

highway vs city, I average 275 km in city, 350 km on highway before light comes on.

speed has direct affect on you mpg.

If I could stay at 80 kmh, I know I would get more km/tank

:agree: pretty much the same as me.
I don't often ride at 80kmh unless doing something like Spences bridge to Merritt ...sometimes....with the wife

 

[Mongo Jerry]

highway vs city, I average 275 km in city, 350 km on highway before light comes on.

speed has direct affect on you mpg.

If I could stay at 80 kmh, I know I would get more km/tank

I have not seen any real big differance in what I get out of a tank from that of doing say 80 Km/h or that of 120 Km/h. Where I have seen a differance is when I am in the mountains and doing some serious hill climbs...then I see it. However as for speed, I seem to feel that my best tank range takes place at 90 to 95 Km/h. Not sure what I get in the city, as this bike spends very little time in the city. I would say my riding is 90% highway and open roads with speeds of 80 to 110 ( 80 to 100 being average ). For city I really liked my Honda Shadow....not that was a great bike for city driving...light easy to get around on.

 

[awst572]

I guys,
At present I getting 400 to 450 Km's to a tank. I have a 2001 with 93000Kms and a car tire on the back. I'm happy