R1200RT Gas Mileage

[MarkM]

Greetings,

 

Prior to my 18k service on my '05 R1200RT I noticed that my gas mileage (according to the computer) had dropped to around 24.2 miles per gallon. I have now had the 6k service and the mileage has not improved after putting on another 100 miles. Does anyone know what the dealer may have missed?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

-mark=

[bakerzdosen]

I don't have an answer (well, a non-sarcastic one anyway... ), but I'm pretty sure that it'd be important to know if you mentioned it to the dealer when you took it in. Also, does it feel any different? I can't come up with anything that would cause that kind of drop in efficiency that wouldn't be noticable.

 

Sorry.

[Boffin]

Greetings,

 

Prior to my 18k service on my '05 R1200RT I noticed that my gas mileage (according to the computer) had dropped to around 24.2 miles per gallon. I have now had the 6k service and the mileage has not improved after putting on another 100 miles. Does anyone know what the dealer may have missed?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

-mark=

 

TB synch can have a marked effect on gas mileage, so much so that throttle bodies that are inside the permitted range for synch can give you lowered mileage compared to an owner performed anal synch. The dealer tech has limited time and gets the synch 'in-spec' rather than 'spot-on'.

 

Andy

[ScottT]

Well Mark, my question is, is your RT really getting 24.2 mpg? After 100 miles how much fuel did you need to fill it up? If your RT is getting 24 mpg then something is wrong and I mean wrong in a BAD way. My RT has never done worse than 43 mpg and has gotten as high as 63 at altitude out west. It now has over 24k and is serviced by me. However, I suspect your RT probably is not getting 24 mpg if it is running ok. Sounds like the "board computer" has lost it's marbles.

[ben1364]

Logic would say that Scott is right. Cherman electronics may be the most complex but they aren't always the most trouble free. My R12RT hasn't delivered less than 43 mog using the pencil and paper calculator that used to be the norm. California does have some rather goofy gasoline formulations which could also account for some loss of fuel efficiency.

[Tcreek]

My 05 RT did same thing, the computer was wack-O, BMW tech reset computer, all is well. i was seeing 22-24, was getting 48 -50, easy fix, take to shop.

[Highway41]

Mine did much the same thing - big decrease in indicated MPG. Like it kept counting the gallons but stopped counting the miles. I reset the Avg MPG and it returned to normal. Bill

[MarkM]

Thanks all...

 

Is there an easy way I can reset the computer?

[ChrisA]

Thanks all...

 

Is there an easy way I can reset the computer?

 

Just scroll through the items using the BC button and hold it for a few seconds to reset the MPG and also Average Speed. If you're looking for some type of factory reset, you'll probably need the dealer, but as someone previous said, just try resetting the calculator on the BC.

[DrDakar]

I am commuting between my house and work : 2 miles on heavy traffic. 3 traffic lights. I am riding 3 mins and waiting at the lights 3 mins. Under this condition, my milage is 35 mpg. For weekend rides, it does not go below 40 and above 50.

[MarkM]

I am happy to report that the reset worked. I am now getting a nice smooth 49 miles per gallon!

 

Woot!

[sideways]

These gas mileage threads fascinate me, especially when people say they get very high or very low mileage.

 

If I'm not mistaken the Motorcycle Consumer News review of the 12RT said they averaged 43 mpg over several tanks.

As part of my OCD therapy, I tracked every drop in my bike over 12,000 miles, calculating with the gas receipts, comparing the odometer, the trip meter and the gps for accuracy, and I've gotten almost exactly 42.7 mpg.

 

Recently I met another board member, with whom I swapped lower fairings (Hi Chris), and he got about the same.

 

I'm 6 ft tall, 180 #, ride hard, use some or all luggage, and have an oversized CB shield.

 

Are you guys that get much better mileage built like jockeys so you can crouch behind the stock windscreen, or are you far more vigilant about posted speeds than I can bear, or how do you do it?

 

And do you really believe the bike calculator?

 

Or maybe my bike is just a dog, or maybe I can't ride in a straight line. (Guess that is a possibility! )

[SageRider]

Sideways,

My 12RT has returned a high of 66 MPG on a tank in Oregon when I cruised at about 60MPH. 400+ mile range on one tank is really neat! At 60MPH is excrutiating!

I regularly see in excess of 52 MPG when travelling about 75 MPH on predominately straight roads. I don't even think of refueling till in excess of 300 miles have gone by.

The lowest I have seen from this bike is in the upper 40 MPG range when aggressively attacking the twisties.

[LordHumongous]

Last tank of gas 304 miles 5.3 gallons at refill = 57+ MPG.... BC reads 57.4 . This was done with about 70% freeway at 70 MPH average, with some riding above the ton mark, 30% mountain roads about 50 MPH average speed. Windshield just high enough to stop wind noise (1/3 up). Top case and tank bag, no side cases. I am 6' and 235 lbs. with gear on. My BC seems to read right.

[sideways]

Those are great mileage numbers, chaps!

I'm jealous.

I do ride somewhat faster as a rule, but maybe I should check to see if I'm dragging a brake or something...

[PaulW42]

FWIW I get around 53 mpg (Imperial) which I think is about 44mpg (US) and I am not very fast - mostly on A and country roads with a little bit of motorway thrown in.

 

The mpg will depend on where you are in the software updates. The one that came out in December time (IIRC) increased the fuel consumption quite markedly (approx. 8% I reckon).

[pbbeck]

On this summer's cross-continent ride, I was averaging 48 - 49 mpg heading east, mostly on interstates. This is with side cases, 49L topcase, and with more stuff strapped to my pillion seat.

 

On the return trip west, I was average 40 - 42. Darn headwinds!

[JustKrusen]

I just returned from a weekend trip to GA, TN & NC. MPG figured by calcutor not the bike computer. My average for the trip was 43.7. The hi was 47.7 while in the mountains on all 2 lane roads at a brisk pace. Low was 39.7 on the interstate at 80-90.

 

MPG is very sensitive to speed. The faster you go the more it costs. The lower speeds in the mountains were obtained while mainly in 3rd gear with short periods in 4th or 2nd.

 

Ed Kruse (aka Speed Nut)

Naples FL

GWRRA #124374

AMA Member

'06 R1200RT

'02 GL1800 ABS Silver

"Just Kruse'n"

[cjmkerns]

Just returned from a 12 day 5,345 mile trip through the SW states (yea, it was hot). Low tank was about 43 MPG, high about 54. Trip average was 47.9. Ran 327 miles on one tank. I really love this bikes long legs.

 

On a side note, I wondered if the 12RT's stock seat would work for me. It did, my longest day was 923 miles and my butt was fine. I think part of the reason it works is that I am able to move around on it, and I stay pretty active on the bike on long trips (stand, stretch etc. while moving).

 

Regards,

 

Carl

[peterbulgar]

Hope that y'all don't mind if an R1150R rider butts in with a comment. Thanks.

 

On a recent trip to the BMWRA rally in Boise and then to northwest Alberta I was in the company of a friend on his R1200GS. At our fillups I would consistently put in a couple of tenths of a gallon less than he did, in spite of his more efficient hexhead engine. His bike has Jesse cases, a top box, and a tall windscreen. Mine has the BMW system cases, no box, and a CEE Bailey sport screen. Also, at a given speed in sixth gear I'm turning a hundred or so fewer revs than he is. On occasion his GPS would indicate an unreasonably high maximum speed for the day, which relates to your discovery that the computer cannot always be trusted.

 

I'm compulsive about calculating my mpg: I usually get 44-46 mpg in my commute and weekend riding - here in the SF Bay Area the freeway speeds vary from 0 to 80 mph. In Canada I was consistently achieving 50-55 mpg. I attribute this to sustained moderate speeds on a whiff of throttle, and the fact that real gasoline is available in Canada instead of the adulterated swill that we are forced to burn in CA. The third member of our group rides a K1200RS, and he reported a similar improvement in gas mileage while we were in Canada. The GS rider also noted that his bike ran smoother and felt better after filling up with the 94 octane Chevron that was available in few places - calculated as (R + M)/2, same as in the USA. Here in CA the best premium in only 91 octane.

Peter '04 R1150RA, '73 R75/5

[Mainuh]

These gas mileage threads fascinate me, especially when people say they get very high or very low mileage.

 

If I'm not mistaken the Motorcycle Consumer News review of the 12RT said they averaged 43 mpg over several tanks.

As part of my OCD therapy, I tracked every drop in my bike over 12,000 miles, calculating with the gas receipts, comparing the odometer, the trip meter and the gps for accuracy, and I've gotten almost exactly 42.7 mpg.

 

Recently I met another board member, with whom I swapped lower fairings (Hi Chris), and he got about the same.

 

I'm 6 ft tall, 180 #, ride hard, use some or all luggage, and have an oversized CB shield.

 

Are you guys that get much better mileage built like jockeys so you can crouch behind the stock windscreen, or are you far more vigilant about posted speeds than I can bear, or how do you do it?

 

And do you really believe the bike calculator?

 

Or maybe my bike is just a dog, or maybe I can't ride in a straight line. (Guess that is a possibility! )

 

Brad,

 

I too have tracked every drop of gas that's gone into my bike since the day it left the dealer. I'm not built like a jockey... 6', 210#. And unless I'm trying to break the 130 mph mark I don't crouch behind the stock windscreen. I ride fairly hard, wheelie often After returning from the MOA rally and tallying up those gas slips, I have averaged 48.7 mpg over the whole life of the bike, but I did not do as well for the first 1000-1500 miles when it was down around the 40-42 mpg range. If MCN was testing brand new bikes, that could be the reason for their posted results. Lately mine has been averaging 49-52mpg which has slowly been creeping the alltime average up a bit.

 

And no, I don't believe the bike mileage calculator or most of the other instrumentation on the bike for that matter... they are only a rough guide, but my bike's mileage calculations are usually within 1 mpg of what I get when I do the real math.

 

Ride safe.

[jdos2]

I too get facinated by MPG threads...

And for once, for the first time EVER, I can report an obvious "above average" number.

 

First of all, my bike's computer often nails the number- typically 48 in my normal commuting (and calculations are very close- 47.8-48.5 or so).

 

Last weekend was an amazing moment- I filled up on the ride down to the AMA Vintage days. GF's R65 (ew) got 40. I got 51.5. 75 MPH, cruise control, HOT day, and I got OVER 50 measured by the bike's computer, and then by quantity/distance calculation.

 

I'm STILL impressed.

 

Now, if I could only get my dealer to recalibrate my fuel gauge for free, and quit talking nonsense about 3,000 mile oil changes.

 

My Honda ST never got better than 47, and the Guzzi V-11, 40 (yes, there were tuning issues but try to find someone with the correct dual-exhaust analyzer, software, and knowledge near Cleveland, Ohio, USA!)

[Bheckel169]

Wow, that's low. Check computer for sure.

I'm at altitude (4500 ft to over 6000) and I'm getting, 54.7 miles per gallon on average. I love this!

Bruce

[black99S]

I too have tracked every drop of gas that's gone into my bike since the day it left the dealer

Compared to my (traded) 99R11S, I'm just glad I get more than 160km before reserve (city or 130+km/hr roadfun) or max 240km before having to push it (moderate highway).

Now I just put super premium in the R12RT and ride the berries off it. Fuel cost and mileage is irrelevant compared to the cost of the bike and the grin factor.

[Albert]

I believe the RT gets better mileage at altitude (I think I've heard this somewhere before). Recently I did some riding in the Smokies (probably 3 - 4 k feet) and noticed the BC reported 52 mpg after that tank. Normally I'm in the 47 - 48 mpg range. These are not scientific numbers. I set my trip meter and reset the BC and go with the rough numbers from the BC. For me, if I get 325 miles or 287 miles from a tank full, I'm ready to stop anyway.

[DennyB]

Last month, to Montana and back with my wife and full bags/ topcase, averaged about 47mpg. The low was 42mpg due, I think, to headinds. Since then, went to the NC mountains, single without much luggage. Run about 70-75 where possible. Computer says 54.7mpg and my own math confirms that.