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5 ways to improve motorcycle fuel economy

By 31.01.2020February 8th, 2020One Comment

I noticed that some of us worry about fuel consumption. Although I love riding in sport mode I am sometimes shocked by how long (or short) my gas lasts. Before the riding season takes off, here are some things you can do to manage how much gas your bike uses.

Not only the cargo you carry but also your own weight matters! – foto by motorbikerider.com

What can we do to save petrol? I will give you 5 ways to improve your motorcycle fuel economy:

Firstly, it would be a good idea to service your bike before riding it because the number one reason for unnecessarily high fuel consumption is a dirty air filter. Pay special attention to that. With normal use you should change your filter after 20 thousand miles (+/-30k km) but if you hit the occasional dusty dirt road you might want to change it more often.

Also, try to take it easy on the gas. I know, that isn’t easy on a sportbike and you might have no intention to ever do so, but still. It is an option. Multiple short trips take much more gas than the same distance in one single trip, this is due to the engine heating up which costs a lot of energy.

Weight. Not only the cargo you carry but also your own weight makes a difference to fuel economy, so if you’re heavy on the scales yourself be aware that has an effect too. Winter is over, and the six pack can lose some of its insulation.

High grade fuel might cost a bit more but might actually save you a penny and therefore help you improve your motorcycle fuel economy. Something many people forget is that it isn’t smart to overfill your tank. If you try to get too much fuel into your tank it can cause issues. Gas needs to expand in your tank, and if you don’t leave room for that expansion then your fuel economy will suffer.

Tire Pressure

Make sure your tires are filled to the correct pressure. When the air pressure gets low, the area your tires cover will be larger, which increases drag and makes for poorer fuel economy. Filling the tires too much, on the other hand, will give you a rough ride and result in much faster tire wear. Remember that when the temperature changes tire pressures too will change, so check your tire pressure regularly.

Talking about tire pressure, the MIR team bought 3 TPMSs and will be testing them over the next couple months. Before the season really takes we will post the results right here. Last year Guido wrote about it in this article

Read more in this article by motorbikewriter.

One Comment

  • Wayne says:

    Thanks for the great tips. You are so right in selecting the proper mode while traveling. I use the rain mode when traveling long distances where fuel economy is crucial. This minor change has transformed my ride from 35 mpg to as much as 56 mpg. Makes a enormous difference when time and distance are important.

    Ride safe.

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