- Posts: 606
- Thank you received: 2
Harley/Shadow gas mileage
- seanof30306
- Topic Author
- Offline
- User
I've been suprised to hear Harley guys telling me they're getting 40-45-50 mpg out of their Hogs. A guy I work with has a 2001 Honda 750 Shadow and swears he gets 45-50 mpg out of it, more on the highway.
Are V-twins just inherently more efficient that I4s?
"That @#$%!!! KZ650"
79 KZ650 B3
Dual front disc brakes
Z1R 18" front wheel
Pumper carbs w/pods
MAC 4-1 w/ drilled-out baffle
Dyna S ignition w/ Dyna Green coils
WG coil mod
'81 CSR charging system
17/41 gearing
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- kzwolfsr
- Offline
- User
- Posts: 1221
- Thank you received: 16
1979 KZ SR650, stock candy persimmon red and crossover pipes
1981 KZ 1000LTD with non stock and more comfortable handle bars and 4 into one V&H
Original man of the Caribbean
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- steell
- Offline
- User
If you want to show them up, ride your bike like the average cruiser rider, shift at 2k rpm and accelerate slowly, ride as slow as you can, rpm kills gas mileage.
If your bike is well tuned, you should be able to get 60-65 mpg, if you really try.
I have a 750 twin (well tuned) and my best has been 85 mpg, but that was at a max cruising speed of 45 mph and gradual acceleration while shifting at no more than 2k rpm.
GPzInfested (my Nephew) has a 40 mile drive to work. He has been getting 50-55 mpg by using this method on his GPz750 Turbo. His mileage drops into the twenties when he starts playing around.
KD9JUR
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- OKC_Kent
- Offline
- User
- Posts: 1718
- Thank you received: 20
Oklahoma City, OK
78 KZ650 B2 82,000+ miles
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- seanof30306
- Topic Author
- Offline
- User
- Posts: 606
- Thank you received: 2
I'd be really unhappy if I only got 45-50 mpg out of my bike on average :woohoo:
If you want to show them up, ride your bike like the average cruiser rider, shift at 2k rpm and accelerate slowly, ride as slow as you can, rpm kills gas mileage.
If your bike is well tuned, you should be able to get 60-65 mpg, if you really try.
I have a 750 twin (well tuned) and my best has been 85 mpg, but that was at a max cruising speed of 45 mph and gradual acceleration while shifting at no more than 2k rpm.
GPzInfested (my Nephew) has a 40 mile drive to work. He has been getting 50-55 mpg by using this method on his GPz750 Turbo. His mileage drops into the twenties when he starts playing around.
I wish that was the case. I hypermile my bike; short shifting, 55-60 mph, max on the highway, shut it off at stoplights, coast on long downhills with the engine off, etc. I get around 40mpg. It's only an estimate, since my gauges were off being restored and I haven't been able to get an accurate mpg reading, but almost all of my riding is to and from work, and I know what that distance is. There is absolutely no way I'm getting 50+ mpg out of my KZ 650.
"That @#$%!!! KZ650"
79 KZ650 B3
Dual front disc brakes
Z1R 18" front wheel
Pumper carbs w/pods
MAC 4-1 w/ drilled-out baffle
Dyna S ignition w/ Dyna Green coils
WG coil mod
'81 CSR charging system
17/41 gearing
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- oldcoldankles
- Offline
- User
Peachland BC
1981 KZ1000 CSR M1
1983 KZ550 LTD M1 (Shaft)
1989 Corvette coupe
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- steell
- Offline
- User
When is the last time you did a "complete" tune up? Including checking/adjusting the valves and syncing the carbs?
Like I said earlier GPzInfested gets 50-55 mpg on his 750 Turbo when he really tries, I was riding it today though and I bet it only got in the high twenties (that sucker's still accelerating like gangbusters at 130 mph!!)
My 750 twin gets 55-65 mpg riding normally, but 85 mpg if I cruise at 45 and drive for mileage. But I went through it and did a complete tune up, and I do mean complete.
KD9JUR
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- seanof30306
- Topic Author
- Offline
- User
- Posts: 606
- Thank you received: 2
I don't know if you've been following my "adventures" on here since I bought this bike last July, but I've done nothing but "tune" it since I bought it.
It has new Dyna Green coils, new Dyna S ignition, new Accel wires, new plugs.
The carbs have been completely rebuilt and synched, and the valves have been adjusted multiple times.
It has a new chain and sprockets (530 chain, 17t front, 41t rear).
The bike runs perfectly, with one exception; I think it's fat. The bike has a Mac 4-1 and pods, so when rebuilding the carbs, I rejetted them to 17.5 pilot jets and 110 mains. The needles are non-adjustable.
It runs great, but it smokes a little black smoke at idle and when you get on it, the pipe is sooty, and the plug chops are blackish, too. I was originally very pleased that in cold weather, I have to use little or no choke, but, I've realized that is probably another indication that it is fat.
I've been waiting to get my gauges back before I started working with the jetting so I can run a few tankfuls through it to establish an accurate baseline. Now that I have them, though, I have another damn electrical issue to get worked out, first (another post).
That said, though, I just don't think you're going to see the kind of mileage you're talking about from a KZ650. There was an extensive discussion about it on KZ650.info.
forums.kz650.info/index.php?topic=176.0
While there were a few posters getting upwards of 55mpg, by far, most were in the high 30s /low 40s. With the bike jetted properly and using my hypermiling techniques, I think the upper ceiling for me is 50mpg, given the fact that I am 6'5" and go 290.
If I could get 60 mpg out of my bike, I'd be turning cartwheels down main street!
"That @#$%!!! KZ650"
79 KZ650 B3
Dual front disc brakes
Z1R 18" front wheel
Pumper carbs w/pods
MAC 4-1 w/ drilled-out baffle
Dyna S ignition w/ Dyna Green coils
WG coil mod
'81 CSR charging system
17/41 gearing
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- ronjones
- Offline
- User
- Posts: 565
- Thank you received: 4
It seems that if you're compairing a 4 cyl 650 w/V-twins, you may be compairing apples w/oranges. I really don't know anything about the inline 4's milage, but I have a 750 twin, and agree w/Steell. The worst milage I got was around 48, and that was doing a lot of hiway, 60-70mph w/hard accel, and before I finally got it tuned right. I recently got 68mpg doing the harley cruse speeds of 45-55. Thats with pods and 3.5 main jet sizes larger than stock.seanof30306, if you are riding it the way you say you are, then something is really not right on your bike.
When is the last time you did a "complete" tune up? Including checking/adjusting the valves and syncing the carbs?
Like I said earlier GPzInfested gets 50-55 mpg on his 750 Turbo when he really tries, I was riding it today though and I bet it only got in the high twenties (that sucker's still accelerating like gangbusters at 130 mph!!)
My 750 twin gets 55-65 mpg riding normally, but 85 mpg if I cruise at 45 and drive for mileage. But I went through it and did a complete tune up, and I do mean complete.
'82 KZ750 CSR, M1 twin. Mac 2-1 exhaust, K&N pods, 17tooth drive sprocket, Mikuni BS-34 carbs w/#47.5 pilot jet and #125 main jet, Canadian XS650 needlejetjet needle, Wired George's coil mod.
Barrak, Nancy and Harry says: Welcome to the United Soviet States of America, Comrades
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- kawtoy
- Offline
- User
- Posts: 806
- Thank you received: 6
They should be getting around 300mpg since the bikes spend all their time on a trailer :laugh:I've been suprised to hear Harley guys telling me they're getting 40-45-50 mpg out of their Hogs.
Harley Davidson- Turning gas into noise without the harmful affects of horsepower for over 100 years.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- seanof30306
- Topic Author
- Offline
- User
- Posts: 606
- Thank you received: 2
I ran across a guy with a Buell XB12X. It's a beautiful bike, and he swears he's getting 60 mpg out of it. It's a 1200 cc bike!
I looked on the bikes webpage, and it's EPA mpg is 51 city / 64 highway. I guess he's right.
www.buell.com/en_us/bikes/adventure/xb12x/specs.asp
"That @#$%!!! KZ650"
79 KZ650 B3
Dual front disc brakes
Z1R 18" front wheel
Pumper carbs w/pods
MAC 4-1 w/ drilled-out baffle
Dyna S ignition w/ Dyna Green coils
WG coil mod
'81 CSR charging system
17/41 gearing
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- peachc
- Offline
- User
- Posts: 136
- Thank you received: 0
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.