Motorcycles are considered RV's and a hobby. Many say they don't care about mpg. However the 1000 rider focus group H-D used in setting priorities to develop the M8 found that it was high on the list.

For me I developed a side hobby of what is call "hyper milers". I do not go to the extreme that some do but studied the strategies that were safe and reasonable.

To that end I even had hybrid cars. In the past I went through the Prius II, C, V and the Avalon hybrid model. Currently I have a Sonata SE Hybrid that has consistently yielded 52 to 54 mph for the past year.

TC's were EPA rated at 42 combined and 54 highway. I have never found the city data. The M8 is rated at 45 combined and I have not found the city or highway data. logic would indicate that both are better than the TC to have a higher combined amount.

When I started my collection after retiring my first intent was to have examples of most offerings. The list I had made for consideration included Triumph, BMW, Moto Guzzi, Royal Enfield (everyone should have a one lunger), Ducati, Ural, a few metrics and Harley.

At the end of the second year (needed to build the garage first) I had the beginning group. Honda VTX1800 and a Honda Rune. In the following three years I added a FXSTC, Buell Ulysses XT and a Nomad 1600.

When I started touring the first tour was on the VTX 1800. It was a 12 day ride through 12 States and I kept coming close to running out of gas. The first area was a 106 mile gap in services on I-70 in Utah. Latter it almost happened in Arizona.

Then I toured with the Nomad with the same problems of not sufficient fuel range.

I found the answer with the Softail as it still 11 years latter yields 50 mpg.

Since the principal goal was touring I shifted the goal of the collection to just H-D models.

I read all the materials that I could find on fuel, detonation, tuning, engine break in strategies, lubricants and engine components.

From trying things from that research I came up with an engine setup that runs the engine cooler, a bit stronger and lower fuel consumption and will last longer.

Why? Because that is what motivates me. Different strokes for different folks.

However here are the benefits of monitoring mpg. It is like a sensor that tells you the state of the breather element, rings, plugs, valves, tune and even compression.

For me and me alone it saves about $12 to $15 hundred dollars a year for the amount of riding that I do. That covers all the cost of the license plates and helps with about a third of the insurance costs of the collection.

I learned also from touring in rural areas for the past 5 years that I must carry Techron with and use it frequently when I fill up at a station that most likely has not had its tanks filled in many weeks if not months. I run with DTE mode 100% of the time. Within a few miles I can see a problem with bad gas.

The other thing is in dusty conditions as in the desert states the air filter will not make it through the entire trip. I now carry a second clean one.

I will not be doing these tours much longer. As this year has been testing my very senior body more than the last. But I will keep seeing this country of mine and meeting the folks that helped build it until I can't get on the bikes. The midwest small towns are struggling and dying off. Go see them and visit with them while you can.

I almost forgot. The biggest single factor in mpg is the operator. WOT, high speed and just having fun will override any set up.

 

Exactly,, That's why I seldom care about mpg.
Maybe thing will change when I get a touring bike, but I still enjoy riding the Dyna

 

I don't ride hoping to get great mileage, but it always makes me happy to get 40 mpg or better, even though rolling on the throttle is such fun.

 

...... up's your post count

 

Where exactly is that $1500 per year savings coming from? Certainly not all in gas.

 

I will never understand high mpg and all the "power" some people have. I'll take my 33.3 on 3 wheels and 13.3 on 6 wheels and keep outa the traffic.

 

My 2000 Ultra Classic T/C88, after being updated with a "95" Big Bore Kit and a Baker DD6 transmission gave me about 40 MPG's running at 3000 RPMs. which is about identical to my 2013 CVO Ultra with the stock 110 engine.

My FLSTC's gave the best mileage (50+MPG's) of any full size road bike that I've ever owned.

For me it boils down to this:
On a 1,000 mile trip, my CVO Ultra will use approximately 5 gallons of fuel more than a FLSTC.
I've owned 2 FLSTC's and my wife has owned 2 also (still has her '08) and I love those bikes, but for my type of riding, and Ultra is more of my kind of bike and if it costs me approximately $15 more for the extra fuel on a 1,000 mile trip, so be it.

Within two years (or so) I'm planning on getting a Tri-Glide (I'm hoping for independent suspension by then) so I'm preparing for the 32-33 MPG's now so I won't be too shocked when I actually start feeding that tank.

 

Gas mileage is a great diagnostic. The points about range in rural areas is also good.

 

The only reason I care about mpg is so I know how far I can go on a tank of gas. So I want to get good mileage so that I can go farther between gas stops. That's it.

Cheers!

 

It seems to me that I have been living hand to mouth for the last couple of years, and the more trips I can make to work and back on a tank of gas is the better.