Gas Mileage
Thread Starter
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4th Gear
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: Round Rock, Texas
Gas Mileage
Hello Everyone,
Just bought a 2006 Harley Heritage Classic (88" carb)last week and went on a trip from Austin to Dallas and back. Rode 2 up with full saddlebags. Bike ran great but had to switch to reserve at 118 miles. Bike averaged about 25 miles to the gallon which seems real low to me. Any suggestions on what is wrong or what I need to do.
Thanks,
Sooners1
Just bought a 2006 Harley Heritage Classic (88" carb)last week and went on a trip from Austin to Dallas and back. Rode 2 up with full saddlebags. Bike ran great but had to switch to reserve at 118 miles. Bike averaged about 25 miles to the gallon which seems real low to me. Any suggestions on what is wrong or what I need to do.
Thanks,
Sooners1
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,205
Likes: 3
From: Mebane, NC
Hello Everyone,
Just bought a 2006 Harley Heritage Classic (88" carb)last week and went on a trip from Austin to Dallas and back. Rode 2 up with full saddlebags. Bike ran great but had to switch to reserve at 118 miles. Bike averaged about 25 miles to the gallon which seems real low to me. Any suggestions on what is wrong or what I need to do.
Thanks,
Sooners1
Just bought a 2006 Harley Heritage Classic (88" carb)last week and went on a trip from Austin to Dallas and back. Rode 2 up with full saddlebags. Bike ran great but had to switch to reserve at 118 miles. Bike averaged about 25 miles to the gallon which seems real low to me. Any suggestions on what is wrong or what I need to do.
Thanks,
Sooners1
Thread Starter
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4th Gear
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: Round Rock, Texas
I believe so. Engine is an 88", Stock air cleaner, stock pipes. I have not checked the air filter yet but I plan to do that this evening. I also am going to look at the plugs to see if it is running rich but even if it is I don't think it would cause that large of a drop. The front tire is cupping slightly and the bike has 21K miles on it. The bike never backfired and ran good.
Thread Starter
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4th Gear
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: Round Rock, Texas
I believe everything is stock but I will check with my sales guy. I got this mpg while riding 75 mph on the interstate. I was not riding into the wind. No stops or guns just straight 5 gear ride. If everything is stock on the motor, is there anything else that could be causing this?
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,748
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From: NC
I believe everything is stock but I will check with my sales guy. I got this mpg while riding 75 mph on the interstate. I was not riding into the wind. No stops or guns just straight 5 gear ride. If everything is stock on the motor, is there anything else that could be causing this?
Running to rich on fuel maybe. Even if it isn't stock 75mph is a fuel drainer. I get around 35 to 37 mpg at that speed when I was stock and now that it is built. Softails have a lower gear ratio than touring bikes so we shouldnt get what touring bikes get in mpg.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,796
Likes: 36
From: Toronto, Ontario
Odds are you are running too rich, I have a carbed bike as well and although I never got as bad as this, but I did get bad milage and once I adjusted my carbs it ran like a champ. the difference was almost 30% !.
Things that affect your mileage other than your carbs in order of importance in effect.
1 - City vs. Highway
2 - Your style of riding ? if you are not too aggressive on the throttle from light to light
3 - Your cruising speed (at 60Mph my consumption is 80% of my consumption at 75Mph)
4 - Your tire pressure (adjust properly.
You would be surprised with the amount of difference these will make.
My 'lighter' softail two up (myself and wife are maybe 320 including gear), gets me between 40 to 50 Mph depending on the factors above.
Things that affect your mileage other than your carbs in order of importance in effect.
1 - City vs. Highway
2 - Your style of riding ? if you are not too aggressive on the throttle from light to light
3 - Your cruising speed (at 60Mph my consumption is 80% of my consumption at 75Mph)
4 - Your tire pressure (adjust properly.
You would be surprised with the amount of difference these will make.
My 'lighter' softail two up (myself and wife are maybe 320 including gear), gets me between 40 to 50 Mph depending on the factors above.
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what kind of gas are your using? brand octane?
how hot is the bike running?
Driving style is big.
Type and kind of sparkplug?
search for reading sparkplugs here on the forum there are some really in depth articles.
1999 FLSTC, EV27 CAM 10:1 Compression, 47 mpg. Platinum Autolites. But stock in my opinion which will not buy you much start at carb and do research.
how hot is the bike running?
Driving style is big.
Type and kind of sparkplug?
search for reading sparkplugs here on the forum there are some really in depth articles.
1999 FLSTC, EV27 CAM 10:1 Compression, 47 mpg. Platinum Autolites. But stock in my opinion which will not buy you much start at carb and do research.
Thread Starter
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4th Gear
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: Round Rock, Texas
Ok, got home and looked at the bike and it does have screamin eagle 2 pipes on it. I don't know if these are stock or not. If not could not adjusting the air/gas mixture screw or rejetting be the problem for the low mpg? To answer other questions I am using 93 octane gas.