1200RT and MPG Envy

[ahllev]

I'm definitely starting to feel a little envious of all you new 1200RT owners and your extraordinary gas mileage figures and trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong. I now have about 600 miles on the bike and on my last fillup stretched my MPG to an astounding 37.2......urgh!!!!

 

Now unless I start driving around in 4th gear at 30mph I'm not sure what to do. Perhaps things will improve when I go for my first service (the dealer told me to bring it in between 800 and 1000 miles) so I won't get all pushed out of shape for now.

 

But are there any other new RT owners who are suffering from MPG envy? I'm from the misery loves company camp.

[H C Edwards]

I checked mileage on my 1200GS for the first several tanks, and I was getting about the same as you. Now I've got over 5000 miles, and the couple of times I checked it's up to the low 40's. Maybe it has to break in.

[1200Bob]

allevv, I am averaging about 47 mpg with 1200 miles on the odometer. Better than I expected for a bike of this size. Now if I can get it from burning so much oil I'll really be impressed.

Bob

[pigtrotters]

Wow... I'm so excited at having a new Beemer that I havent even bothered with the econony yet.

Must look into that....???

[steveknapp]

I can't speak for the 12RT, but both my 1150RT and 12GS vary depending on the speed I'm riding.

 

The 12GS for example pulls nearly 50 if I keep the speeds down to 50-60ish. But drops to 40ish at 80.

[JohnJC]

37 does sound low. My 12ST is getting close to 50mpg every tank. I don't baby it, lots of 1st/2nd gear red-lines. Mixed driving, probably 20% freeway, and tap tripple digits a few times every tankfull. I keep it between 3.5k and 4k rpms while cruising, normal shift around 5k, and always above 4.5k when playing. Every tank has been near 50.

[ahllev]

Most of my driving has been back and forth to work with only a little highway stuff. The dealer told me to break it in as if I'd owned it for 2 years as opposed to 2 minutes. Just said no long periods of constant rpms and no lugging. I've kept it under 6500 rpm for the most part and have done most of my riding around town or on local roads in 2nd or 3rd. Did take it up on the Parkway this morning for about 40 miles with some cruising in 6th gear (never thought I'd get up that high) at 65-75mph. For the first time the consumption meter on the dash went above 40mpg (yeah!!!). Oh, and by the way, my 37mpg has been actual, not by the guage. My riding sounds similar to JohnC but without the redline shifts and without the highway driving.

 

thanks for the responses

 

Alan

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Uphill = worse gas milage, downhill = better.

Fast = worse, slow = better

Long acceleration = worse, short = better.

 

There ain't no magic here either. Riding habits have more to do with fuel milage than any other factor given a reasonalbe state of tune. Elevation being the next most important, I should rephrase that and say air density is the next most important. High plains drifters will do better than sea level sloggers.

 

My recent ride up the BRP might give an example. My R1100S has a history of 39 mpg cruising at an indicated 85 mph for nearly 35K miles now. A switch to the new Mobil 1 Extended Life oil in the engine, transmission and final drive has actually seen that on the north side of 40 mpg for the last 3K miles or so. Ran 2 tanks up on the Blue Ridge in the same RPM range, actually a bit lower as I was 4th gear at 50 - 60 mph or 3800 to 4800 RPM. Fuel milage was upwards of 45 mpg. Why? 2500 feet of elevation, average and 55 mph average speed as opposed to 80 or so. BTW, this was some farily agressive riding with lots of time on the sides of the tires and lots of time on the gas to compensate for the change in radius.

 

I wouldn't worry about what you get or even compare it to what others get, unless you are riding side by side over the same terrain, all comparisons are more or less meaningless.

[Steve1962]

Hi ,

I have the new 1200 RT , 2500 miles on the clock so far and I am averaging 58 mpg , giving a tank range of over 300 miles .

I used to have an 1150 GS , and after that an 1100RT - both these bikes averaged low 40's mpg .

It really is a great bike , and the tank range just makes me wanna stay out on it longer ....... NICE !!

 

Steve

[ShovelStrokeEd]

That's about 48.29 miles per US gallon. Again, what speeds, over what terrain, and useage habits in re acceleration.

[Steve1962]

I don't ride the bike hard , but not too gentle either - most of the time on country roads between 50 and 60 mph .

 

Steve

[Chunky]

I started out with 47 mpg on my R1200RT & with each tank of gas it got better. Now I have 5300 miles on heer & am up to 50 mpg with a 332 mile rage. I've pushed the fuel gage way past empty and have added as much as 6.8 gallons of gas. Boy was I on fumes then! LOL Have faith, it'll get better.

[WBoyter]

I'm averaging 49-53 mpg over the last two fillups. But I've only had the bike a little over a week. Did have the valves adjusted at the end of last week, but haven't had the opportunity to run through a couple of tanks for comparison yet.

[tallman]

Fast = worse, slow = better

 

My GT...

Fast = 25-28 mpg

Slow = 35-38 mpg

quityurbitchinanjusride...

[Catbird]

I only have ~300 plus miles on my '05 RT. According to the digital readout of my gas gauge, I'm getting an average of 47-49 MPG. I will be verifying the validity of this figure later today and will post the result. My best guess is that it's correct.

[jackflash]

I rode my 1200 RT yesterday 189 miles on mostly twistie mountain roads with a lot of strong throttle twisting, engine braking and a few 100mph bursts where it wasn't too tight. The highway riding didn't total more than 25 miles at reasonable speeds. I averaged 53.4mpg on the whole trip. The bike has 2900 miles on it. The worst it ever got was a little over 49mpg and this was on all highway at 80 to 110 mph. I guess the bike just doesn't like gasoline or oil for that matter. It's only used 14 oz. of oil in 2350 miles. Me thinks the new RT's like to be run hard. FWIW.

[ChuckS]

I have just over 4000 miles on the 1200 RT and am getting anywhere from 51.9 on the interstate with the cruze on 70, to around 42 daily communiting between 90 & 110, then downtown driving. I think thats great! I don't mind the drop from 50's to 40's (mpg) cuz I just have to much fun!

[Meyersie]

Mine started out at about 42, but now at 1900, the last reading I got both from the on-board computer (the lil' $80 extra gizadeech) and from my checking last fillup against miles from previous one, I'm now getting 52.6mpg. Compared to my former 1150Rt at best 42 & change, I ain't complainin' a-tall. And... that 52 is mostly riding back roads around Pittsburgh never much out of 4th or 5th gear... R's kept generally between 2500 & 4200... No wheelies.

I think they get better with age!