4 banger vs twins - Page 4 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

sendler · 05-08-2015, 11:09 PM

The average on Fuelly for the SV650 shows more like 47 mpgUS. A Kawai Ninja650 is around 48. The Honda NC700, CBR500R, and CBR250R are all showing 65 mpgUS or better. If you can get by with a top speed of 65 mph the Honda PCX150 does an amazing 93 mpgUS. The new Honda long stroke engines are leading the way on fuel economy. At a great price point.
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renault_megane_dci · 05-09-2015, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sendler

The average on Fuelly for the SV650 shows more like 47 mpgUS. A Kawai Ninja650 is around 48. The Honda NC700, CBR500R, and CBR250R are all showing 65 mpgUS or better. If you can get by with a top speed of 65 mph the Honda PCX150 does an amazing 93 mpgUS. The new Honda long stroke engines are leading the way on fuel economy. At a great price point.
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And obviously the inverted ranking for engine output : surest way to better FE is less power

Frank Lee · 05-09-2015, 06:02 AM

But there aren't 221 bikes on the chart.

There are 37 bikes at 100mpg+. I'd like to think EMers could top that.

sendler · 05-09-2015, 08:14 AM

210 out of 219 PCX150's on the chart. There must be 9 outliers with modes of 1 that didn't fit. My lifetime is around 100 mpgUS for my 80% at 55 mph commute. And that is with a big Givi top box hanging off of the back. If I rode at 40 mph the numbers would be much better. I would like to build an aero tail trunk but other people in my family use that bike and it is fun and unimtimidating to take a date out for a ride so I don't want to make it look too radical or commit it to solo use with a tail.
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Frank Lee · 05-09-2015, 08:32 AM

Detachable aero trunk/tail ala old SilverWing!

hfbmw · 05-09-2015, 08:46 AM

I have told several people that if they want to only save fuel by riding a motorcycle that they really need a Honda Civic!

The costs of replacing tires compared to a car is where the money loss is. The BMW I have is supposed to have Radial tires. The cost of a motorcycle tire is about the same as a car but less 2 of course. $125 dollars plus mounting the tires. I do all my own to keep the price down.

Radial tires are getting better for motorcycles. When first manufactured the limit was 5000 miles. I have worn out tires in 10,000 miles. Now there is this idea of a dual compound tire which wears longer in the center of the tires.

I have ridden over 139,000 miles on the BMW K 1100 RS that I have had since July of 2007. With a radial tire the mileage is above 50 mpg. However I use bias tires, rear lasts 17000 miles and the front to 20,000 miles.

However I also have tried a Fitch catalyst. Good for 250,000 miles, it is dropped in the gas tank. The previous K bike the mileage jumped from 45 mpg to 55! But then the computer "adjusted" and mileage again was at 45.
The Fitch is claimed to upgrade the fuel in the tank. Putting in regular will raise the octane to the middle grade. I try to use premium fuel with the main gas stations I use is BP. However the fuel changes for winter and of course the mileage drops due to the change as well as the engine doesn't warm up.

Take care! gas is cheap compared to medical or accidents!

Tim Lindstrom
Columbia Heights, MN
1995 BMW K1100RS, 162,300+ miles

sendler · 05-09-2015, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hfbmw

where the money loss is.

This has not been my experience. I replaced the rear on my CBR250R at 14,000 miles and the rear tire on the PCX at 10,000 for $80. The Michelin replacement is doing much better than the soft IRC. The original front tires are still on both bikes at 19,000 miles. 4 tires on my Honda Fit lasted 35,000 and cost $400. Tire cost is close to the same. My Fit gets 40 mpgUS. Both bikes are over 90. And take up 1/4 of the space on the road and in the parking lot. It's not about money. It's about saving some fossil fuel for later generations.

pwillikers · 05-09-2015, 10:25 AM

+1 on the SV.

pwillikers · 05-09-2015, 10:26 AM

The 1999-2002 SV650 was carbureted and had a round tube trellis frame. The 2003-2008 SV was fuel injected and got about 5 more MPG than the carb'd one.

pwillikers · 05-09-2015, 10:29 AM

The '03-'08, 2nd gen, has an angular cast aluminum frame (AKA Pointy) which, in my opinion, is not nearly as fetching as the 1st gen (AKA Curvy).