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Harley-Davidson Sportster: How to Calculate/Maximize MPG

Everyone wants a chance to get better fuel economy. Check out a couple things you can do to improve your gas mileage.

By Neftali Medina - February 12, 2016

This article applies to the Harley-Davidson Sportster.

One of the best things about owning a Harley is the gas mileage. You can easily get the same numbers a hybrid car puts down, without losing the aggressive flair a Sportster provides. However, to achieve the best mileage possible, there are a couple things you can do. From driving below a certain RPM range to even tuning your bike, check out some of the ways to increase the overall fuel economy of your Harley Sportster.

Harley Davidson Sportster How to Maximize MPG

Materials Needed

  • Dynometer/Tune
  • Note pad/pen

This article is split into two sections. The first step explains how to calculate your fuel economy, while the rest include tips to help increase the overall fuel economy on your bike.

Step 1 – Calculate your fuel economy

If you are a math wiz, or just know the basics, calculating your fuel economy is really easy to do. To begin, record the following:

  • Pay attention to the odometer.
  • Begin driving the motorcycle like normal.
  • Drive until the tank shines the gas light.
  • Write down the amount of miles on your trip meter.
  • Fill up at a gas station and write the amount of fuel you paid for.
  • Divide the miles with the amount of fuel you've purchased to get your approximate average.
Harley odometer
Figure 1. Record the miles on the odometer.

Step 2 – Watch your riding style

This is the easiest and most basic improvement you can perform to help increase the overall fuel economy. Keep your hands off of a blaring throttle, and also keep the RPM at a nice hum. You can easily achieve fuel economy in the mid-50s with this method.

Keep the RPMs low for better MPG
Figure 2. Keep those RPMs low.

Step 3 – Tune the bike

The environment where the motorcycle is ridden also plays a major role in affecting gas mileage. However, to combat this, you can either go to a professional tuner or provide a tune for the engine. Doing this is good for the overall performance of the bike, and allows you the ability to control how the fuel burns. However, doing this procedure yourself is difficult, so it may be best to leave it to the professionals.

Tune the motorcycle
Figure 3. Tune the motorcycle.

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