RT gas Mileage?

[dave_jo]

I've put about 1000 miles on my recently purchased '02 R1150RT and I seem to be getting mileage in the mid 30's which seems to be awfully low. I ride moderately, not slow but I'm not a speed demon either.

Is this normal or does the bike need help?

[philbytx]

That's on the low side....

How did you arrive at the mileage figures BTW??

My lowest is around 40 and that is thrashing around the backroads.

[smiller]

That's a little low but not awfully low. Do a good tune up, new plugs, maybe check the air cleaner, etc., and you'll probably get it up to around 40 or so, which is about normal for semi-spirited riding.

[Stan Walker]

So much depends on your riding style, and the roads you ride on.

 

35 mpg in stop and go traffic could be OK. The same gas mileage touring in Colorado would be very low indeed.

 

I don't normally even check my mileage around town doing my normal commute. I wait until I'm on a multi-day / multi-tank trip so as to get a better overall average. That being said, my last trip of some 6300 miles over a period of two weeks netted me 46.5 mph. I was on my '02 RT.

 

Stan

[dave_jo]

185 miles divided by 5.2 gallons = 35.6 mpg

Last time it was 37.4 mpg

These figures kind of ruin one of my justifications for riding the bike. I suppose it will be OK as long as my wife doesn't find out.

[smiller]

I wait until I'm on a multi-day / multi-tank trip so as to get a better overall average.

I think that will net you a somewhat better than average figure, depending on your typical use. I can attain mid-40s when touring, but barely 40 when commuting or around town.

[Flyer5]

My RT seems to vary but overall average is about 46 mpg . I guess as stated check airfilter ,good tune up .Keep RPMs around 4000 below 3k it just seems to be worse . Dave

[Bheckel169]

I'm getting anywhere from 48 mpg to 53 mpg. Consistently.

Bruce

[Quinn]

I've tracked my mileage since I bought the bike used. '04 RT. 46.8 mpg life to date. High of 56mpg returning from the mountains and low of 40 puttering around my neighborhood when I first got the bike and spent a tank practicing low speed handling. I drive like a little old lady in a cement truck.

There's also a good chance you aren't filling up with any consistancy. I get about a half gallon difference depending on my persistance cramming the gas into the tank.

 

All that said; I read a review of the new Concours 14 where the guy said he got 26 mpg and the other writers got 30 on their road trip. I couldn't take those numbers back to my wife.

[Stan Walker]

I'm getting anywhere from 48 mpg to 53 mpg. Consistently.

Bruce

 

But that's on a hexhead, doesn't help a bit here.

 

Stan

[Carroll]

I have an 03 and my mileage has been as low as 35 and as high as 44. I keep the bike in tune and ride semi spirited. So i don't think your mileage is unusual.

 

Carroll

[AZgman]

I average about 45 mpg, my highest mileage was 51 mpg in NE New Mexico, and it was a good thing because it was almost 90 miles between gas stations and I had 200 miles on the tank when I past the last one! Best mileage seems to be at 3500 - 4000rpm in 6th

[Tommie]

My 96 RT avg around 35 mpg city and mid 40's on highway at about 70 mph. Your mpg sound about right to me.

[outpost22]

My '96 RT averages a low of 42 up to a high of 52.

 

If I was you, I would:

1. Check air filter

2. Put in new plugs

3. adjust valves

4. Do a throttle body sync

5. Try a long highway run to check averages again.

 

I would expect your existing low results if you were running winter blend ethanol gas, but not on summer gas and summer temps.

[PapaJ]

I do a lot of in town, and slower riding (I live on an island with lots of two lane roads and travel trailers)and I average around 36-38 around town. When I get it on the road 70-80 mph and some time in 6th gear. It goes up to the mid 40's (46.7 last trip.) The bike has a recent throttle sync., valve adjust, air filter and plugs. I'd say you're ok if you are driving in town.

[11101110]

I am getting about 33 commuting. My round trip is only six miles with about 3/4mi from my house to neighborhood exit. Then a detour through another neighborhood after a brief 45mph run then through a construction zone. Comming home I hit an expressway for a mile, 55 posted but can be anywhere form 40 to 70, then stop at the end of the ramp wait for green move 100 ft wait for another green turn right at next intersection and 3/4 miles down hill to my house. I bought the bike because I figured the powertrain would get to temp on such a short trip. My car would not. But I found out the bike is soooooooooooooooooooooo much more fun

 

I was also considering a F650GS but it just didn't fit under me that well. But lighter and better millage.

[John in NC]

2004RT I get 52+ 2 up. Always have since new.

[T__]

I've put about 1000 miles on my recently purchased '02 R1150RT and I seem to be getting mileage in the mid 30's which seems to be awfully low. I ride moderately, not slow but I'm not a speed demon either.

Is this normal or does the bike need help?

 

Dave, that does sound a little on the low side.. I ride the he** out of my 02 RT & it is usually above that..

 

First off as you just bought the bike look for a fuel controller device added (usually on top of the air box under the seat) .. If you have one & it isn’t set properly that could be the cause of the low MPG..

 

If no fuel controller then make sure the PINK CCP is still in the fuse box (will look like pink relay) .. If that is removed to make it run better the mileage will drop off noticeably..

 

Does your bike surge in the 2000-3500 RPM light steady throttle range? If not then look for either an added fuel controller or a removed CCP..

 

Also keep in mind if your 02 RT is like most you are probably getting even worse mileage than you think as the odo’s are pretty generous on the 02 RT’s .. Run with a GPS for real world fuel economy figures (or run a measured course & figure the % error difference) ..

 

Twisty

[Heck]

I've put about 1000 miles on my recently purchased '02 R1150RT and I seem to be getting mileage in the mid 30's which seems to be awfully low. I ride moderately, not slow but I'm not a speed demon either.

Is this normal or does the bike need help?

 

My '03 gets anywhere from 33 to 38 depending on riding factors...I always thought it was low compared to folks that I ride with..(ie similar riding styles, similar bikes etc) but I found that a 7% grade downhill with 40mph tailwind helps a little...

[BFish]

42-43 mpg. spend time on the slab in the 80mph plus zone and equal time in 4th at 5k rpm plus. it's always 42-43mpg.

[Jerry Johnston]

My 96RT normally avg 43 to 48mpg when riding solo counting Freeway riding and when two up riding at 60 to a max of 80 on secondary roads I get an avg of 49 to 50mpg. Got nearly 60mpg once when riding slow 50 and under. The worst I ever got was approx. 38mpg riding up to 120mph in Montana

[notacop]

My 1100RTP gets from low 40's to 65 MPG depending on the state I'm in. Colorado gas, altitude and low sight seeing speeds make it a gas sipper.

Californy crap gas and traffic get me 43 on the commute.

50's is not unusual unless there is a head wind. Eat more beans and create your own tail wind!

[Silver Surfer/AKAButters]

Mine is only good for the high 30's as well. On a long trip at posted speed limits, perhaps 42-43.

 

Rich

[Bill_Walker]

Sounds like a lot of folks here are doing better than I am with my '04. I'm usually in the mid-to-upper thirties in around-town and twisties riding. I can do 90 mph in 6th gear all day (on a closed course, of course!) and get 40 mpg even.

 

Factors that may affect mileage: I rarely let the engine run below 4000 rpm (except in 1st gear), and I have a Cee Bailey's +2 Eurocut windshield. I'll bet we'd find that windshields make a lot of difference. Oh, and I always ride with all 3 cases, with "standard" lids on the bags (i.e., not city lids). How many of you with higher mileage are riding without a top case?

[Dan Gleebitz]

Mine never seems to vary much, measured tank full to tank full, giving 55mpg ... thats a UK Gallon

[mefly2]

My '04 stays in the high 40s / low 50s at reasonable highway speeds.

[dave_jo]

Just checked it again. 38.8mpg

She's going in for the 12k service in about 1K. We'll see if anything is amiss then. Air filter looks OK and there doesn't seem to be any aftermarket goodies attached. I'm going to try riding at a bit higher RPMs and see if that has any effect.

On the positive side, I've put 180 miles on the bike in the last 24 hours without taking a serious ride. Will have to slow up a bit when I go back to work Wednesday.

School is starting and I have to go back to warping the mathematical minds of our youth.

 

Anyone wanna do some Calculus problems???

[hawkmo]

If I keep the speed under 70 I get 53-54 mpg. On 2 occasions when I was using a ceramic oil additive I got 56 and 57mpg. Go faster and the mileage drops fast.

[MachineJoe]

She's going in for the 12k service in about 1K.

 

A 2002 with 11K miles?

This is TRULY a rair bike

 

I get high 30's as well. I'll change the air filter and Plugs n stuff and wee if i get any better

[Chugger]

Dave, I also get the same mileage as your getting - it's a lot to do with terrain, elevation and riding style.

 

My 02RT has 27K on it and is well tuned.

 

I wouldn't worry about it

 

Chugger BLU 1150RT

[Chugger]

If I keep the speed under 70 I get 53-54 mpg. On 2 occasions when I was using a ceramic oil additive I got 56 and 57mpg. Go faster and the mileage drops fast.

 

Now I found the problem (keep the speed under 70)

[tobyzusa]

Bit of a hijack here. Just remember if you want to know your true mileage per gallon, you must adjust your calculated figure down by about 4% since the odometer reads 4% high. A compare of the bike's trip odometer to a gps odometer will show the variation.

[Redbrick]

I'm getting anywhere from 48 mpg to 53 mpg. Consistently.

Bruce

 

But that's on a hexhead, doesn't help a bit here.

 

Stan

 

On our Canada trip of over 4M miles Kathy's 1150RT consistently took more gas at fill ups than my 1200RT....Didn't really figure out how much mileage difference there was but would guess it was 5% or so range....

Both getting in the mid to high 40 MPG on average....Not very scientific but the difference was definitly there...

 

Phil........Redbrick

[AndyS]

Do you try to 'lug' the bike in top gear? If so this can have a bad effect on fuel consumtion.

I get on average over 35000 miles 52 miles per UK gallon.

I think your figure is on the low end of acceptable and would be worth investigating possible improvements (tuning, riding style, conditions etc).

Andy

[EffBee]

You say the bike is "recently purchased." Some 1150RT's had a bit of a surging problem. One quick cure was to remove the Cat Code Plug (CCP) which causes the engine management system to default to full rich. If the previous owner did this, that might be the cause of your poor mileage. Have your dealer check to see that the bike has its CCP and that it is the proper one for that model (some people were substituting European CCP's, so it looks like there's one in place, but it's not the right one).

 

If your bike needs a CCP (about $10 and it's located in the fuse box under the seat) and this turns the bike back into one that surges, then you need to make sure it gets an accurate valve adjustment and throttle-body sync. If it still surges, a Techlusion R259 will cure it.

[rhadd1]

In town on my local commute I get around 37, 7.5 miles each way stop-n-go. On the 2900 mile round trip to the MOA in Wisconsin I averaged 47 with a high of 50, stretch on the Interstate was around 40-42.

[eddd]

Seems a bit low. My '96 R1100RT will be right around 40 with non-highway miles. It gets closer to 44 on the highway. High speeds combined with strong head winds can drop me to 37-39.

[Quinn]

You might also try a tank full with the windshield down. I understand that the taller screens decrease mileage. I would assume that luggage does also. Overfilling the crankcase causes more lose. Just some random thoughts.

[kcscout]

My 2000 1100RT gets mid-high 30s for my in-town stop-'n'-go riding.

[chemman]

My commute is a mix of slab, four lane with lights, and local roads. I generally get about 40-41 mpg there. On the highway cruising about 70+, I get 50+ mpg.

[apk]

Some interesting replies here, I think riding style is also important, I've not had mine long, but on a fast 300mile trip got 55mpg (full size uk gallons!) but normally about 46mpg, I rarely take the revs over 3000rpm, so think I may be slogging it(used to driving a diesel car and don't need to rev beyond 2500rpm!)Next tank I will try using more revs, as on the long trip despite much higher speeds (and revs) it returned much better mpg.

 

I also think that short trips (less than 10 miles )kill the consumption, as it takes that long for all the oils to heat up fully.

[OoPEZoO]

My commute is a mix of slab, four lane with lights, and local roads. I generally get about 40-41 mpg there. On the highway cruising about 70+, I get 50+ mpg.

 

+1 for me as well. Thats exactly what I get with mine. My best was 62mpg, but that was rolling through the plains states at about 70mph stuck in the middle of a pack of Harleys and Goldwings I was traveling with. It was nice only having to fill up every other stop

[Lucas2Bosch]

I know we are talking RTs, but I do a mixed bag of commuting on my '95 RSL and get 48 mpg US with a constant 200 mile range. Mine has the pink chip with GS Tubes, shield down, and system cases that stick way out.

 

Style of riding...flow of traffic, pass trucks quickly, trying to keep from getting ran over from those crazy Dallas cagers.

[2wheelterry]

On an average over about a year and 12K miles, 41 MPG.

[Mainiac]

I've only checked mine a couple of times... 46 the first time and 48 just recently. It does seem to cost a lot more to fill it recently though ?? 02 RT

[Heck]

FWIW, I also ride a 2001 1200C Montana...Mileage on that runs anywhere from 38-42...only non-stock farkle on it is a larger Cee-Bailey windshield.. All this and only 3400 miles on the clock...Think I oughta keep 'er???

[GregsARed]

windshield down...

definetly. Seat lowest position.

 

Mine: ~45 local, low 50's trippin. NO SLABS, <65 mph.

I've seen 330's on a tank twice.

 

Give the bike time to break in also. I think my trippin mileage is better after 200k than it was at 100k.

 

My best mileage comes in the mountains when I can get above 5th gr. No, my 99 didn't come w/ a 6th gr, but I can still go through some of the motions. I love those "Caution Trucks Use Low Gear" signs. I can suck in that clutch and go for Miles, still maintaining speed.

I imagine I impress a few on how quiet the B runs, those in the 'scenic view' pull outs.

It also reminds me how much I love these rides.

[MAT2CHI]

My best was 54 mpg, but I average mid 40's. Mine is a 2004 twin spark head RT, so I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse as far as gas millage is concerned.

[Boxerdad]

In Iowa (read very very flat) I get 40-42 everyday with a 93 mile one way commute all on open highway. But I just returned from a trip through the mountains in CO, WY, and MT. While in the mountains I got 45-48. Non ethynol gas all around. I don't get it.

[justplainray]

'04 1150 rt 2-spark

gets 39/40 here in CT (10% ethanol mandated by law)

gets 42/43 when in VT (good old MTBE)

similiar road/traffic conditions & riding solo