How do you get 53mpg on a 2010+ Softail?
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Tourer
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 275
Likes: 1
From:
I don't recall where I read it - probably 2-3 years ago. 10% Ethanol is suppose to drop your car's milage about 2mpg. Maybe it's a bigger hit if your vehicle is rated at 50mpg instead of 25mpg?
We didn't start getting ethanol here in the northeast until around 07/08 (iirc). Seems like a stretch, maybe my '06 Street Bob owes part of it's 50+mpg highway milage to ethanol-free gas???
We didn't start getting ethanol here in the northeast until around 07/08 (iirc). Seems like a stretch, maybe my '06 Street Bob owes part of it's 50+mpg highway milage to ethanol-free gas???
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 153
Likes: 3
I've gotten over 50 MPG once. It was a slow 45-ish run in 5th gear most of the time. Generally I get about 45. Some spirited riding and some average use. I like some kick in the butt when taking off so may be a little heavy on the throttle.
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,074
Likes: 1
From: Baltimore, MD
I'm not the only one that can get that MPG. Nope. Of course, I do take it easy, but even when riding a bit harder I'm puching upper 40's, close to 50.
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 417
Likes: 1
From: Spartanburg, South Carolina
If lugging the engine at 50-55 mph using 6th gear then I guess the 6th gear is a waste of time and money!? My dealership wrenches has always told me and others lugging occures when you can actually feel the bike chugging... and then to downshift till you get your speed back up. Hence, use the seat of your pants and gut feeling to determine LUGGING..
I am getting about 45 MPG out of Marathon gas and a slight increase out of Shell branded gas. I also shift into 6th gear around 55 mph on a nice smooth highway and don't feel any engine chugging... So I don't consider it Lugging nor does any Harley rider in our riding group... Just Saying
I am getting about 45 MPG out of Marathon gas and a slight increase out of Shell branded gas. I also shift into 6th gear around 55 mph on a nice smooth highway and don't feel any engine chugging... So I don't consider it Lugging nor does any Harley rider in our riding group... Just Saying
I'm just saying this because I've read it in so many threads, AND in reputable magazines...ie, American Iron, American Bagger. Every forum has their resident engine gurus and all I've read is that they are of the opinion the bike is lugging (whether you "feel" it or not) at 50-55mph in 6th.
Even many on here seem to shift into 6th at 65+ mph. JMHO!!!
P.S.- Go over to the forum called "Cycle Chat" and do a search ...you can read it all over (the gurus over there are djl and red) they talk about lugging and 6th gear over and over in various threads.
Last edited by Heritage632; Oct 5, 2010 at 02:15 AM.
Banned
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,580
Likes: 7
From: The Internet (& Dyer, Indiana)
My dealership wrenches has always told me and others lugging occures when you can actually feel the bike chugging...
I strongly believe in 65 + for 6th gear.
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
From: NH
Ha, Joe297 is just trying to get information and you guys want to **** and moan and say people are lying. Really informative.
I haven't seen 53 mpg but I have seen 51: 194 miles/ 3.8 gallons = 51.05 mpg, calculated when I went for my 1000 mile service earlier this summer. I kept the numbers because I want to see if the mpg goes down over time. Stock air and exhaust, just me riding, no windshield. Only mod is 12" Fat Mini Apes. It was a calm day and not much traffic. I have one more long ride (hopefully) before winter gets here and I'll calculate the highway mpg again.
Also, I agree that 65mph+ for 6th gear. The engine seemed really smooth and needed very little throttle on flats and downhills, until the wind kicked up.
I haven't seen 53 mpg but I have seen 51: 194 miles/ 3.8 gallons = 51.05 mpg, calculated when I went for my 1000 mile service earlier this summer. I kept the numbers because I want to see if the mpg goes down over time. Stock air and exhaust, just me riding, no windshield. Only mod is 12" Fat Mini Apes. It was a calm day and not much traffic. I have one more long ride (hopefully) before winter gets here and I'll calculate the highway mpg again.
Also, I agree that 65mph+ for 6th gear. The engine seemed really smooth and needed very little throttle on flats and downhills, until the wind kicked up.
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Road Master
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 766
Likes: 1
From: 415/707
looks like i'm the only one on here who's never checked what kind of fuel mileage i get on my fatty or in my cars, let alone being overly **** about wringing the nth degree by lugging their motors & doing damage to hit some fairytale number 
NEWSBREAK !!! higher RPM's at lower cruising speeds are actually GOOD FOR YOUR MOTOR
could really care less what my mileage is,,, i ride the **** outta it, & i gas it up
NEWSBREAK !!! higher RPM's at lower cruising speeds are actually GOOD FOR YOUR MOTOR
could really care less what my mileage is,,, i ride the **** outta it, & i gas it up
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,586
Likes: 6,435
From: Honah Lee
Keeping up
One thought on why some and why I have dealt enough time to form an idea of what to expect to drop in the tank after so many miles is the fact that if its way off there may be a bag sucked in the air box of your GranTurismo and by catching it early may just save the motor. Nothing worse then sucking a Walmart bag through the valves at 12000RPM in my car or 6000RPM on my Harley.
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Oct 5, 2010 at 12:15 PM.