RK Windshield costs 7 mpg?
At most gas pumps the dispense too quickly and shut off or shudder if you try to pump slow. Thus making it a real PITA to fill to the same level every time.
Recently I found a gas station with a couple of new pumps that pump super smooth and slow allowing me to fill up right to the bottom of the fuel tank fill hole insert nearly perfectly without gushing gas all over my tank or having to stuff a paper towel in next to the nozzle.
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,962
Likes: 140
From: NY
If your going on 1 tank of fuel with windscreen installed thats not enough,you need to run at least 3-4 full tanks of fuel to get somekind of
realistic data to get an avg.
In general you should not loose 7mpg post installing a windscreen ,but if your cruising at higher speeds of 73-75mph or faster fuel mileage will start dropping like a stone.
I ride conservatively 2up 90-95% of the time on an 09 flhtcu with stock 96 motor with a tall windscreen and in mixed driving have avg'd 41.5-42mpg over the past 8k miles.
The best i have done riding 2up is 44.5mpg on a longer run & the worst i have ever donewas 40.5 mpg at cruise speeds of between 50-62 mph or so on avg with very almost no time in 6th/OD gear ,again riding 2 up.
And this is in NY state where there are a lot of hills & mountain grades where i ride too.
If your bike continues to get 33mpg or so id do the basics 1st,install fresh plugs,replace plug wires if bikes over a couple yrs old , clean the air filter or replace if needed,change oil & filter and just as important to fuel mileage stay out of the throttle when going thru the gears getting up to cruise speed which will kill /significantly reduce fuel mileage if you do that.
Use light throttle and shift at 2,800-3k rpm tops when going thru the gears getting up to cruise speed which is key to improving & or maintaining best mpg.
And choose a gear that will have the motor at approx 2500-2,600rpm (+ - 100-200rpm) when you at your final cruise speed so your not lugging it at 2,200-2,300 in 5th or 6th gear or cruising at 2,900-3k+ rpm in for example 5th gear when you could drop cruise rpm by a fair amount going to 6th gear in that example to save fuel unless your going up a steep mountain grade and need to be at higher rpm in 5th untill you hit flat ground again.
Scott
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,301
Likes: 24
From: Minden LA
I do believe you'll need to do more than one tankful to get an average you can trust.
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,962
Likes: 140
From: NY
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True but you dont loose 7mpg with winter blend fuel in a bike or avg car,its more like a 1.5-2mpg loss on avg to maybe a 3- 4mpg loss in worse cases, but not a 7 mpg loss with winter blend fuel in a bike.
Here in NY my last 3 bikes that were all diff mfgs and sizes from 1000cc's to as much as 1700cc's all lost approx 1.75-2mpg when using winter blend fuel.
And on top of that the OP is located in GA. so wouldn't think GA would have winter blend fuel just yet but i guess you never know.
Scott
True but you dont loose 7mpg with winter blend fuel in a bike or avg car,its more like a 1.5-2mpg loss on avg to maybe a 3- 4mpg loss in worse cases, but not a 7 mpg loss with winter blend fuel in a bike.
Here in NY my last 3 bikes that were all diff mfgs and sizes from 1000cc's to as much as 1700cc's all lost approx 1.75-2mpg when using winter blend fuel.
And on top of that the OP is located in GA. so wouldn't think GA would have winter blend fuel just yet but i guess you never know.
Scott
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 547
Likes: 43
From: Cartersville, GA
The lowest prior was 36 mpg and the highest prior was 43, that has been over 3100 miles. I'll be running the windshield more now that temps have cooled off some so I will have more data.
It was just a shock to see low 30s like that, especially on a route that I have taken many times.
It was just a shock to see low 30s like that, especially on a route that I have taken many times.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 496
Likes: 33
From: MA
I see your from GA so this may sound stupid (forgive me) I know up here in New England fuels change to a "winter blend" which hurts gas mileage. I don't know if they do it down south too.
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