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" I'm sorry but I have to call BS on all the 50 mpg statements. I averaged a little over 36 mpg over 2400+ miles on a trip last year. That included interstate at 75-80, 2 lane highway and passing through town. "

Well when you cruise the avg hd at 75-80mph along with some slower 2 lane riding 36mpg is right where you should be.

But your dead wrong on guys reporting higher mpg because i am one of them that in fact knows how properly calc mpg that has also checked the speedo on my hd via gps showing to be accurate enough well within spec for miles & speed.

Like you i have got the same 36mpg on my 09 flhtcu when riding more aggressive at 75-80mpg ,but when i am riding at higher elevation & fillup @ that elevation riding solo a full tank non aggressive in the higher elevation in 60-65mph range thats when i get 49+ MPG.

And when i am riding non aggressive locally on wk end out in the counrty with the wife with bike/bags loaded along with a little in town at a few stop lights here & there at the very least my bike consistently gets 41.5-42mpg and when i ride solo on the same roads @ same speeds/cond's i get 43.5-44mpg.

And when i check fuel mileage i always put the bike in same position on side stand and fill to same approx lvl in fuel tank to ensure more consistent reading,when riding local i use same station & pump for even more accuracy too.

Here are things i do & or have done to my bike that collectively together are the reason i consistently get higher mpg then other guys are experiencing on thier HD's which are as follows:

* DO NOT LET BIKE WARM UP (3,4,5mins) WHILE IN PREP TO GET ON BIKE WHICH INC MPG.

I 1ST PUT ON MY JACKET/GLOVES/HELMET & THEN I FIRE UP THE MOTOR AND SADDLE UP.

I LET THE MOTOR IDLE FOR APPROX 45-60SEC'S & THEN TAKE OFF RIDING EASY TILL MOTOR & OIL WARMS TO NORM OP TEMP.

DONT SIT STILL WITH MOTOR IDLING FOR 3-4-5MINS WHILE BSN'G W-OTHER RIDERS WHILE FOR EXAMPLE WHEN OTHERS ARE FUELING UP AND THEN TAKE OFF AFTER THAT.

WHEN I WANT TO BS WITH OTHER RIDERS FOR 3-4-5MINS I SHUT THE MOTOR DOWN.

* I DON'T ALWAYS SIT THERE BLIPPING THE HECK OUT OF THE THROTTLE AT STOPLIGHTS EITHER ALL OF WHICH REDUCES FUEL USE.

* I DONT ALWAYS DOWNSHIFT THRU EACH EACH GEAR BLIPPING THROTTLE INTO EACH GEAR TOO WHEN COMING TO A STOP.

FOR EXAMPLE,WHEN COMING TO A STOP FROM 55-60MPH I SIMPLY HOLD THE CLUTCH IN WHILE SLOWLY DOWN SHIFT FROM 5TH TO 4TH ETC WHILE COMING TO A STOP WITH NO BLIPPING OF THROTTLE REUCDING FUEL USE.

* I CLEAN THE AIR FILTER AT EVERY 4-5K MILE MOTOR OIL & FILTER CHANGE USING SPECTRO SEMI BLEND 20W-50 FORMULATED FOR LRG HD V-TWINS. I ALSO CHANGE PRIM CASE OIL @ SAME TOO.

CLEANER FILTER = BETTER MPG.

* WHEN RUNNING STD PLUGS I CHK AND RE ADJ GAP AS REQUIRED WHILE DOING MOTOR OIL CHANGE @ 4-5K MILES FOR BETTER MPG.

AM CURRENTLY RUNNING DBL PLAT PLUGS THAT GO A LOT MORE MILES WITH LITTLE TO NO GAP EROSION OVER THEIR ENTIRE SRV'C LIFE.

I PLAN TO CHK GAP EVERY 10K MILES (CLEAN ONLY IF REQUIRED TOO) AND WILL SEE HOW THEY LOOK TO DETERMINE WHEN TO REPLACE THEM.

IN MY CARS I GET GET 100K MILES OUT OF DBL PLAT PLUGS,BUT I DONT THINK THEY WILL GO CLOSE TO 100K IN AN HD & WILL LIKELY REPLACE THEM @ 45-50 MAYBE 60K INC CHECKING EVERY 10K MILES WHICH IS UP 3X LONGER THEN STD PLUGS.

ENSURING PLUGS ARE ALWAYS CLEAN & PROPERLY GAPED = BETTER MPG.

* JUST PRIOR TO EACH MOTOR OIL & FILER CHANGE I ALSO RUN A HEALTHY 9 OZ DOSE OF CHEVRON'S TECHRON (CONCENTRATED VERSION ) TO ENSURE INJECTORS AND COMB CHAMBERS ARE KEPT CLEAN OF EXCESSIVE CARBON BUILDUP WHICH ENSURES MAX EFFICIENCY & BEST MPG.

* I OFTEN CHK TIRE PRESSURE TO ENSURE ITS NOT LOW THAT CAN INC MPG.

*INSTALLED WARDS COOLING FANS & ULTRACOOL OIL COOLER THAT TOGETHER REDUCED MOTOR OIL TEMP UP TO 50DEG F IN SUMMER HEAT.

AND KEEP IN MIND PARTS OF THE OILS JOB IS TO ALSO REDUCE/LOWER ENGINE TEMP TOO SO WHEN OIL TEMP IS REDUCED UP TO 50DEG F IN SUMMER HEAT AFTER INSTALLING THOSE 2 COOLING MODS OVER ALL ENGINE TEMP IS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE @ THE SAME TIME TOO.

* INSTALLED DK'S CRANKCASE BREATHER KIT THAT RELOCATES FROM AIR CLEANER TO VENTING TO ATMOSPHERE.

DOING THAT ELIMINATES ALL THE OVERHEATED CRANKCASE & BLOWBY GASES FROM BEING INGESTED/SUCKED INTO THE MOTOR INCREASING OVERALL EFFICIENCY WHICH CAN ALSO INCREASE MPG & ENGINE PERF TOO.

* GUYS RUNNING AFTERMARKET TUNERS THAT WERE TUNED FOR MAX POWER WITHOUT REGARD FOR GOOD OR BEST MPG CAN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE FUEL MILEAGE TOO.

* IN GENERAL SINCE I AM NOW AN OLDER MORE SEASONED RIDER JUST SHY OF 62YRS YOUNG (LOL!) THATS BEEN RIDING BIKES SINCE I WAS 10YRS OLD STARING ON DIRT BIKES I NOW FEEL NO NEED TO GO NUTS MOSTLY RIDING NON AGGRESSIVE WHICH ALSO SAVES FUEL INC FUEL MILEAGE TOO.

I USE LITTLE THROTTLE WHILE TAKING OFF FROM A STOP GETTING UP TO CRUISE SPEED OFTEN SHIFTING @ 2,800-3K RPM MAX VS BEING HEAVIER ON THE THROTTLE EVERY TIME TAKING OFF FROM A STOP GOING THRU THE GEARS GETTING UP TO CRUISE SPEED WHILE ALSO SHIFTING @ A BIT HIGHER 3,200-3,500+ RPM WHICH SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING FUEL MILEAGE WHEN DOING JUST THAT ALONE.

COLLECTIVELY TOGETHER doing all the above is why i get significantly better fuel mileage your not getting on your HD thus dont think is possible when it truly is when you do some if not all of the above.

I really dont care how much mpg my HD gets,but for me being a motor head that builds perf motors (specialty 60's-70's muscle cars/bikes in the past too) so getting motors in my vehicles to run cooler and more efficiently producing best pwr/trq & throttle response is what it's all about for me weather it be a stock or built motor & doing that more often then not increases mpg in the process too.

Bottom line is doing only 1 or 2 of the things i stated above will likely not inc mpg THAT much,but its when you collectively together do most if not all the things i stated above is when you significantly inc fuel mileage.

BTW,mpg on my bike took an overall 1-1.5 mpg reduction in fuel mileage #'s i stated above after i installed night rider adjustable resistors to slightly enrich fuel mix to correct/fix a lean surge issue @ cruise that also improved/smoothed idle & made throttle/engines response to throttle input a bit crisper/trq'y feeling too making the small reduction in fuel mileage well worth the overall improvement in driveability/engine perf my hd got.

Happy Motoring!

Scott

 

Yawn.........

 

I get 38 on my RKC. But I calculate consumption at 36 for insurance so I don't run out
while daydreaming during a ride. Probably bump that up to 40 or more if I rode slower!
But I can't ride 55!

 

Better not let "lh4x4" see this ... :>)

 

I run allot of non-interstate highway, two up. The average is around 36.4MPG on my 13 Limited

 

Ya I know Larry......lol. But I still call BS on anyone claiming 50mpg. Now maybe you can answer a question for me. Why does wscott always go into one of those long winded posts with the same BS?????

 

I don't believe the wscott ever heard of "Cliff Notes" :>)

 

I've had several baggers ( among the other multitude of scooters I've had over the last 50 years ) and 50 mph ( average ) isn't normal ... and if it was I gotta think it would be a very boring ride. :>)

 

My 16 SGS with no cat & K&N AF in the stock housing averages 43/44MPG. I didn't buy it to save gas. LOL