gas mileage

[bigmac7139]

just wondering what everyone is getting on theirs. i have the 93 and im a bigger guy(6'4 around 300 lbs), and i need new tires (thinking whitewalls). but i was just wondering, because i have seen people saying there getting between 40 and 45. im pulling more like 30-35. now i get riding habits(my speedo usually sits about70 to 75ish highway where most of my riding is)air pressure and that kinda thing, but i would think i would still do better. my second part is,from fill up(usualy on kick stand not center stand) and from full to empty on guage, i put back in on average 4-4.3 gallons on average. every where i can find it says its got a 6 gallon tank. so does it have the 6 gallon tank on it? the only times i have seen the light for the fuel come on is when i start the bike. after that i have never seen it come on for low fuel. just a couple fuel questions i have. thanks for your replies

[David in NW Penna]

We usually get in the upper 40's to the lower 50's on our '98 XVII. The only time we've every dropped below 40 was traveling two up, pulling a fully packed camper, and pushing hard. We traveled to Gettysburg a few weeks ago with some friends and I think we actually had one tank full that was around 54 mpg (I was running 89 gas for the trip, but usually run 87 octane). As far as the gas tank capacity, the manual says 23.2 liters (23.2 L = 6.12879 gal(US Liq).)

[davidl]

I think I can answer your second Q. I fill up most of the time when my gas gauge is on E or has been on for 10-20 miles. At that time, my XII still has approx 2 gallons left. I think its a psychological thing when you see the guage on empty, you feel you need to fillup. On mine, I get approx 43 MPG. 6+ gallons@43 mpg, I should be able to ride,,240-250+ miles. I usually fillup about 200 miles. How many miles do you get before you fill up?

david

[gearheadfla]

I also go more by miles than the gauge, I run 200 miles before fill up and get about 50 mpg on highway and that was two up riding, I live in Fla. so its all flat roads. I did install a K&N air filter and it helped the mileage some. Never have seen low fuel light on either and takes around 4 gals. to fill.

[flip18436572]

42 mpg is my best and most of my riding is hilly county roads and highway to work and back.

[debron]

I can get 50-51 if I keep the speed below 60 on varied terrain, hilly, flat, and twisty. On my recent trip with loaded saddle bags, trunk, tour pack on the rear seat, tent and other items on the trunk rack, and a small cooler with food and ice on a trailer-hitch rack, I got in the lower 40's on the freeway traveling 75-80 with various cross and head winds. Lowest was 39 crossing the mountains in New Mexico (6,000') with hellacious head winds. Typical mixed riding mixing hills, twisties, riding solo at speeds to 65 or so I generally average 46-47. I run 87 octane with 10% Ethanol.

I usually fill up when the gauge is around "E" and usually takes 4+ gallons (200-230 miles.) Most I've ever put it is 5 gallons. I have never seen the low fuel light (except when I first turn the key on) so I don't know if it would ever come on.

[Nathan (South Carolina)]

BigMac,
I have yet to find a VXII with an accurate fuel gauge. My fuel gauge will show empty at about 4 gallons of fuel used. The low fuel light is supposed to come on when you have about .9 gallons of gas left in the tank. The VXII has a 6 gallon tank. I too fill up around the 200 mile point on the trip meter. I only use the fuel gauge to monitor fuel usage with my trip meter. On the freeway running 60 to 70 mph, I average 40 to 42 mpg and on back roads with speeds between 45 and 55 mph, I average around 50 mpg. In the mountains of North Carolina, I have managed to get 52 mpg. Make sure that your tires have the proper air pressure. That will have an affect on gas mileage.

[SgtSlag]

I average 38 MPG, but my '93 has only recently had the carbs rebuilt, and balanced (back in the shop for float issue pee-ing gas on start-up, and after shutting off -- listed in another thread, problem being taken care of...). I hope to get better mileage after I get it back from the Shop. I ride two-up, nearly always, on varied terrain, mostly two-lane highways, 55-60 MPH.

My '79 Honda 750 averages 43 MPG, two-up, same conditions. Heck, even running that bike severely overloaded, two-up, touring, we averaged 43 MPG, over a 1,935 mile trip. I was sincerely hoping to at least match that old bike for mileage on the Voyager. Here's to hoping the carb overhaul, and balancing, improves things.

Really good to know that the gas gauge is not overly accurate -- especially nice to know that we can go 200+ miles before needing to fill up! Didn't know the gas tank's capacity was six gallons -- again, that really helps for planning on our next tour, in a few weeks. Did not know about the low fuel light, either. Cheers!

[Bobby B]

I am 6'- 4" 270 and twoup about 10% of the time. I always compute mpg with every fill up. Lowest was 40 mpg and I had a sore right wrist. Best was 51.6 mpg on a 45-55 mph ride. Average running to work with stoplights, etc is 43-44 mpg. Clean air filter, dino oil, proper pressure tires, etc. Florida is flat but almost always windy here....

This morning I took a 126 mile ride at 60-70 mph and got 48 mpg and over 200 hitch hikers,we have love bugs here right now, look it up, they are awful and a pain in the posterior to clean off the bike.

[gearheadfla]

Yep, been cleaning them critters off everyday for over a week, looks like their starting to let up a little now. My mileage has got down in the low 40,s and high 30's but thats when I was putting Harley's in their place. I find that to be great fun.

[HMB Don]

I have run my Voyager out of gas twice once when the trip meter read 300 and the last time the trip meter read 282. Both times I put 6 gallons, in the tank to fill up. I'm on my second fuel gauge sender, this is a used one that was given to me, by NorCal Club member Marvin Deatherage. Both fuel senders read the same. When I fill up (side stand), the fuel gauge reads above full. When the needle moves down to the full mark, if my trip meter reads 73 miles. I am getting 42 mpg, when the needle gets to the half tank mark, trip meter reads 132. again 42 mpg, when my red light come on my trip meter reads 212. Again 42 mpg, the tank will fill with 5 gallons of fuel.

Even with the winter gas here is California, I'm getting 45 to 49 mpg. I use low RPM when I ride, as low a 1,600 RPM. With the amount of Torque the 1200 engine produces, I can get away with this. I also shift as soon as the engine can pull the next gear with out lugging. Most of my riding is done in 5th gear, with soft twisting of the throttle. A long time ago I got into the low 30's on one tank. It was on I-80 west bound between Salt Lake City and Wendover Nv. I was following a sports car with the numbers of 911, it was a good time.

When I'm on the Freeway I keep the speedo needle at 68 to 70 mph. I will get 49 to 52 mpg, going over mountians or on the flats. When pulling the Time Out Trailer loaded I keep the speedo needle at 67 mph, giving me 39 to 42 mpg. When pulling the trailer I use Shell or Chevron 89 Octane with Amsoil PI fuel additive, just riding motorcycle Solo or Two up 87 Octane. These are the same mileages I would get when I ride two up with trailer,or solo or two up without the trailer. My speedo is 2 mph fast.

It has taken me 9 years and 159,000 miles to get this information, and fuel mileage. With plenty of help from Carl Leo, and this forum. I'm looking forward to meeting a lot of you, at the AVA Rally in De Gray, we can compare notes on this.

Don Medina
President
NorCal Voyagers Club
2002 Voyager
AVA Member of the Year 2010

[blcksheep1]

I am a fairly heavy guy (260lbs) and my wife is not small either . We average about 42mpg together and I get around 47mpg alone.


On a side note..

I am 6'- 4" 270 and twoup about 10% of the time. I always compute mpg with every fill up. Lowest was 40 mpg and I had a sore right wrist. Best was 51.6 mpg on a 45-55 mph ride. Average running to work with stoplights, etc is 43-44 mpg. Clean air filter, dino oil, proper pressure tires, etc. Florida is flat but almost always windy here....

This morning I took a 126 mile ride at 60-70 mph and got 48 mpg and over 200 hitch hikers,we have love bugs here right now, look it up, they are awful and a pain in the posterior to clean off the bike.

Fabric softner sheets work great for removing love bugs.

[cushman eagle]

So far this year,I am averaging 48 mpg,my last two tanks averaging 49.About half my riding is two up,a mix of highway and back road.I have riden in excess of 50 miles with the low fuel light on and have put 5.8 gallons in the tank.The bike is a 99 XII,and as others have said,the gauge shows empty with 2.1 gallons remaining.I would rather have fuel remaining with an empty gauge than gauge remaining with an empty tank.

[richardb, austin]

What Cushman said on the fillup, but I only average 43 mpg.

[Chris near Kansas City]

I believe I usually get around 40 (but no better) with combined riding of solo, 2-up and around town and easy highway on the '01. However, the last 2 trips, Moonshine and IPV, I barely got 35 and especially the IPV trip, several tanks I only got 30. Low fuel light came on today at 147 and 154. The first tank (147) I filled up at 166 miles and put in 5.4 gallons. 75mph, wind, oversize windshield, bbq belly, loaded bike....but still seems low.

[VoyKimmer]

I usually average 45mpg but on this trip to Savanna for the IPV I got 50+mpg. Mostly black top riding. I have run my 02 XII out of gas once at about 280 something on the tank. I have gotten in the 30’s when hot rodding it and fast highway speeds.

[Highway Rider]

I'm more in the mid to higher 30's running the supper slab at 70 to 75 mph--last fill the low fuel light came on at 180 miles--put in 4.8 gallons of fuel--that comes out to 37.5 miles to a gallon. that was solo I weigh 190lb and there was no other additional loaded weight. Would like took get better but that just may be the cost of supper slab ridding. I think the worst that I have ever gotten was down around 28-30 mile per gallon now that is terrrible!

[Bobby B]

Streetster, that seems really low. When I run 75mph for an extended period I get a little closer to 43mpg I believe this is due to the wind

[David (N. Alabama)]

When I first got my '01 Voyager and was getting used to riding it I stuck with the back roads and 45 mph and was getting 54 MPG. Then as I got used to the bike I was averaging 46 MPG, but I also couldn't get pure gas anymore.

Then I removed the Cobra pipes and the my mileage went down to 42 MPG. Now before you wonder if the Cobras increased my mileage because of better air flow and all that I will tell you why the Cobras increased my mileage.

With the Cobra pipes the bike got pretty loud at 4000 RPMs so I rarely went past 4000. Once I took the pipes off and put the stock back on I would find myself in the 5000 RPM range quite often. Loud pipes do give the sensation of "getting on" the throttle.

[Mr Jensee]

I usually fill mine up when the OD is sitting on 229 miles. Last time I filled up took right at 5 gal. 87 octane. That came to 45.8 mpg. I do not ride a lot at 70 mph or above. Logic has it that the faster you go the lower your mileage.