MPG question
MPG question
I have an 02 fat boy carbed, screaming eagle stage 1 air filter, S&S 510 cams with gear drive and a mikuni 42 carb. I filled my tank which should be 5 gallons and drove 140.4 miles and the gas gauge said I was passed empty. Did not go into reserve, but when I filled up it would only take 4 gallons. This works out to 35 mpg. Is this about normal for the engine work I have had done? Also I should have had another gallon left in the tank it it only took 4 gallons to fill up. Is there anyway to calibrate the fuel gauge? Thanks in advance for any help..
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 100,455
Likes: 19,811
From: Centennial, CO
Harley's gas gauges are notoriously inaccurate. Fill it, set trip meter to zero, ride it til you go on reserve, notice the miles on your trip meter, then fill it and do your MPG calculations. Reset trip meter to zero. You now know how far you can go til you hit reserve and need to start looking for a gas station.
If want to get real close how far you can go on a tank, Bring a gallon of gas with you and ride til you run out.
My '04 injected can go 200 miles til absolutely empty. I get about 42 MPG on a regular basis riding around the city. There are only a few guys in this Forum that claim to have an accurate gauge. I'm one of them.
If want to get real close how far you can go on a tank, Bring a gallon of gas with you and ride til you run out.
My '04 injected can go 200 miles til absolutely empty. I get about 42 MPG on a regular basis riding around the city. There are only a few guys in this Forum that claim to have an accurate gauge. I'm one of them.
I just wanted to know if the mpg sounded right and if I could reasonably think that after 140 miles I still had about a gallon of fuel left (just in case I'm not near a gas station). I have always reset my trip meter when I refuel, usually around a 100 miles because that's when my gauge shows empty.
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 178
Likes: 11
From: Billings, MT
2 reasons I can think of. the first is just to know EXACTLY how far you can go, especially since the gauges aren't known to be super accurate, and second, because in some places, like Montana, where I live, there can be HUGE distances between places to fill up.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 3,427
Likes: 164
From: Home
What good is knowing EXACTLY how far one can go when there isn't a gas station around?
I start keeping an eye out for a gas station when my LED fuel gauge shows 3 lights. To this day I have no idea what the mpg on any motorcycle I own.
I start keeping an eye out for a gas station when my LED fuel gauge shows 3 lights. To this day I have no idea what the mpg on any motorcycle I own.
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Big Kahuna HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 322,622
Likes: 3,077
From: .....
I do this too but usually at 100 if I'm out on a long ride on the interstate. But if I'm not and just riding around where there's cities and towns around, it's usually 50.
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Road Warrior
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,962
Likes: 245
From: Triune, TN
I have tanks where I get 44 mpg and tanks where it's 35. Depends on how hard I ride, where I ride, headwind or tailwind. My light usually comes on with about 1 gallon left in tank, if I havnt got fuel by then I start looking. If I am riding in the boonies I don't let the tank get too low, usually refill if there is 150 miles on tank. It ain't rocket science....
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 3,466
Likes: 425
From: Illinois
Keisler,we know nothing about your riding habits,but 35mpg is not that bad on a carbed bike.
Last edited by hdbob2006; Jun 12, 2016 at 04:40 PM.