R1200RT gas mileage

[Whip]

5500 miles...2 up w/ gear.....38.9 miles/gal.......Does that sound right?????...I was getting over 50 around town during break-in(alone).......

[DennyB]

No. Wife and I just did a 2500 mi trip. Averaged 48.5 mpg.

[sideways]

More information is needed for any useful knowledge to come from this thread.

What are your average speeds?

Max speeds?

How much does rider and passenger weigh? Be honest!

How much weight in the luggage?

What sort of roads? Kansas interstates? Mountain passes in Colorado?

Two lanes behind Winnebagos?

What tire pressures are you running two up?

Are you believing the trip computer all the time or are you meticulously filling your tank to the brim each time, recording the odometer and trip meter, and then working it out with a calculator?

 

I don't have my trip log in front of me at the moment, but I have noticed a 3-4 mpg drop, as would be expected, when carrying the saddlebags and expecially the large topcase. Passenger and weight in the case a little more so. A day at the track caused a drop in mpg, too, but not as much as I'd expected!

[gefish]

Doesn't sound right to me. Just finished a 1k miler with wife and full luggage (large topcase and tankbag included) and averaged 49.5mpg. Solo with just saddlebags I seem to average 50 - 52mpg and I don't just ride easy.

[ScottFla]

1500 miles over a weekend -- average 51 MPG. No passanger, side luggage and top case loaded. Average speed for the entire trip, 66 MPH. Long highway portions with avarage of over 70 MPH.

[Gordon K Phillips]

Not right. I have 4500 mi.on the bike and my worst was 48mi/gal fully loaded, slight head wind and averaging 78mph. I am at 3000ft, temp ~ 70 going solo, no bags at a steady 60mph, light traffic, I regularly get 60-61 mi/gal. My regular is 52mi/gal going 70-80 in the mountains. I never got better than 48 with my R1150RT. Something is wrong, the R12RT is fantastic.

[Whip]

more info....I weigh 165lb...my wife 125lb...gear maybe

75lb....from San Antonio to Banff and back to Breckenridge Co. 43 miles per Gal...From Breck home the average dropped to 38.9.....which means the bike was getting more like 30 miles /Gal...Temp. went up dramatically.... close to 100 degrees???????????????

no more mountains and average speed about 5-8 over the limit......This was calculated by the BC....

[sisu]

Just did 3500 miles with 2 up, big topcase and a Bailey higher coverage w/s. I weigh 200, passenger about 130. We got between 38 and 57 miles per gallon, averaged 48.5. The worst mileage usually was recorded on long freeway segments at 75 MPH or so, especially with headwinds.

 

Question, has anyone ever put in more than 6.1 gallons in the tank? I question the capacity or the accuracy of the fuel guage and miles to empty readings. Wish I knew if I really have 7 gallons to use.

 

The mileage overall is a bit better than the 2002 R1150RT and the R1100RT I had previously.

[xyzfrankh]

Capacity is 27lt or 6.1 Imperial Gallons ( 8 pints in a gallon) does the USA have 6 pints in one of their gallons ? or is it they only have 16 fl oz in a pint ? The UK has 20 fl oz in a pint !!

[Joe_Rocket]

Communiting in Phoenix traffic, 200lb rider, 30 lbs of gear; low average 50.0mpg, high average 57.0mpg

 

JW

[Rob]

I just put 6.25 US gallons in my 12RT. The count down was at zero for about 5 miles.....

[Bob Palin]

Capacity is 27lt or 6.1 Imperial Gallons ( 8 pints in a gallon) does the USA have 6 pints in one of their gallons ? or is it they only have 16 fl oz in a pint ? The UK has 20 fl oz in a pint !!

16oz in a pint, though even the ounces are not quite the same size. They also have 100lb in a hundredweight (silly people) though nobody uses that measure, that's why the US uses lbs to weigh things rather than stones and lbs (1UK cwt = 8 stone).

[klondike]

I just finished a 1800 mi trip, 195 lb. solo rider w/bags and a small duffel bag straped down. Most of it was done on the interstate doing about 80. I didn't figure individual tank fill mileage, I just figured the total gallons used. It came out to 43.9mpg. Usually to and from work I get 48 to 50. I once got in 6.2 gallons.

[Got2Greys]

I am a 180 lb rider. I averaged 50-53 mpg on the trip from NC to Lima for the BMWMOA Rally. Commuting back and forth to work, I average 47 to 52 mpg, depending on whether I travel by interstate or through multiple traffic lights through town.

[RCroft]

I've got 1008 miles on my ST - milage (one up, 180 lbs, no luggage) is right at 40 MPG, no matter if it's all around town or highway speeds. I sure thought it would be better. I also get quite a bit of popping on decel once the engine warms up. Anyone else get that?

 

I'm at sea level, Central FL, 85-95 degrees.

 

RC

[lmats]

I usually put between 6.6 and 7.0 gallons in at every fill up....7.0 kind of made me nervous

[Burt]

......This was calculated by the BC....

If the BC works like the one on the LTs, they aren't always accurate. You can recalibrate them on the LT. You have to find your actual mileage the old fahioned way by dividing your miles by the gallons at fill ups. Then you have to follow a procedure outlined on the LT DB. Its not difficult to do.

[Catbird]

I've only got about 1,100 miles on my R12RT wth no long trips yet. So far, my BC is showing an average of ~47/plus mpg for 90% "around town" and 10% "highway" riding.

[PaulW42]

Then you have to follow a procedure outlined on the LT DB. Its not difficult to do.

 

Burt,

 

Sorry for ignorance but what is LT DB and where could I find the procedure to try to see if it works on the RT?

 

Cheers.

 

Paul

[Dave Grinsel]

I just returned from a 3800 trip on my ST. I typically got 50+ MPG at each fill up. In the mountains of Colorado a couple of tanks were 60 MPG. The worst mileage was the 80-85 MPH drone across Nebraska when MPG droped to 48 MPG. I rode one up with side bags and tank bag with stock windshield. I weigh 185 pounds.

[Burt]

Sorry for ignorance but what is LT DB and where could I find the procedure to try to see if it works on the RT?

The LT DB is www.BMWLT.NET. It a discussion board like this one, only its primarily for LT riders. In the FAQ there is a procedure for recalibtating the BC if it isn't accurate on gas mileage. I don't think there is a copyright problem, so I copied and pasted the procedure below. If there is a copyright issue, I'm sure it will be deleted from my post. If so, I can PM you with the information, or you can register on the LT site..

 

"My trip computer (BC) does a lousy job of figuring gas mileage. Can it be adjusted?

 

Yes. The procedure is as follows (thanks to Paul Ford):

To adjust the MPG readout on the BC, do the following:

 

1) Divide the displayed MPG value by the actual MPG value, than multiply by 1000. For example, 48 MPG divided by 55 MPG = 0.872 x 1000 = 872. Remember this number. (Editor's note: You might want to run a few tanks through resetting the BC only on the first tank but measuring actual MPG by hand for each tank to get a good average.)

 

2) Press the reset and mode buttons on the BC simultaneously, then release. (Editor's note: do this with the ignition ON.) The BC will display '01'.

 

3) Use the BC button on the right hand control switch to scroll through the four test screens. Stop when '03' is displayed and then press the reset button. WARNING: Watch the screen carefully at this point! As soon as you press 'reset', look for the very first number displayed. This is the current MPG calibration factor but it's only displayed for a second before the number starts to count up. The OEM setting is usually 1000 (no calibration) but it might not be and you may wish to return to the original number if you're not happy with the results of this exercise. The number will begin to scroll, starting with the current setting, up to 1250. It will then begin again at 750 and continue up. When this number reaches the number closest to the number that you remembered from step 1), press the reset button again. That will reset the calibration factor for your display.

 

The other three test screens will not do anything."

[drodg]

I've got 1008 miles on my ST - milage (one up, 180 lbs, no luggage) is right at 40 MPG, no matter if it's all around town or highway speeds. I sure thought it would be better. I also get quite a bit of popping on decel once the engine warms up. Anyone else get that?

 

I'm at sea level, Central FL, 85-95 degrees.

On warm days I get the same popping noise.

RC

[Chunky]

310 pounder here, side bags & trunk. 10.5k miles on da bike. Getting 53.4 miles per gal. Got 300 miles on the tank - still riding. Showing 70 miles still in the tank. A new record for my new bike. Been riding in 6th gear at 60 mph.

[sisu]

I record all the gas/oil/maint/etc. in a logbook that now has 5 different bikes in it dating back to 1979. I have yet to see a trip computer that is as accurate as a simple calculation, plus you must do it repeatedly to avoid bad fills etc. The trip computer in the 1200RT for mileage is quite close, the speedomer error is only about 3/4%+ and the odometer is about 1.5% pessimistic, a good thing as it will give me a bit more warranty. The oilheads I had all had speedometers 8/9% positive. Still, I would like to know if there is actually a 7 gallon capacity in the tank,, when the trip computer says I have 12 miles left, it will only take about 6 gallons. I might try to carry some gas and run it to empty sometime.

[sisu]

What does the mile to empty reading normally say when you fill?

[Steve1962]

I'm getting the same with mine [ 38.6mpg indicated ] , even though I'm riding solo most of the time - I haven't done the trip meter check yet .

Due for a 6k service next week , and I have asked the dealer to check it out - as far as I can tell the bike is running fine , and although I have been riding progressively , I can't believe that the fuel consumption would change to that degree - when I first got the bike it was regularly showing 55 -57 mpg ......... will report back after the service.

 

Steve

[cjmkerns]

My 1300 mile report.

 

Filled up today with 290 miles on the tank, took 6.03 gallons for 48 mpg. Roughly 90% slabbing at about 75 mph average, 10% round towning, all solo with bags & small trunk attached. My 98 RT would have returned about 42 or 43 with the same riding.

 

Another observation, my miles remaining in tank appears to mean miles to reserve. The above tank was about 10 miles past 0. If I fill up at the 0 point it takes 5.8 gallons.

 

Love this machine as much as I love the 98.

 

Regards,

 

Carl

[PaulW42]

Burt,

 

Belated thanks for your reply (I somehow manged to miss it yesterday!).

 

I suspect there may be something similar on the RT but, with only 1 BC button, its going to be a different method of access. I may have a play this weekend if I get time.

 

Cheers.

 

Paul

[Chunky]

I can now attest to a true 7.1 gallon tank as My last two tanks have been pushed to the limit. 365 miles requiring 7.1 gallons to fill. I planned the ride so I'd be close to gas stations. I babied 6th gear at 3,ooo rpm. Not my usual riding but I wanted to see how far I could go. I was about 15 miles beyond the computer "---" for gas remaining.

[lmats]

It is usually out of range for the last 5 -7 miles when it takes over 6.6 gallons