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Gas Mileage...under 30? seriously??

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bones

bones

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Joined
Feb 12, 2007
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Location
Cedar Rapids, IA
First Name
Chris
Last Name
Zubak
Bought the bike with 2700 miles, PO took good care of it and I believe it has been broken in properly. I now have 3800 on it and on an 800 mile trip never hit 35mpg. This last tank has been 50/50 city/hwy. Gas gauge is blinking at 102 miles! Come on, that's in the 20's!! Sure I get on it, but I am far from a hooligan. I have ran 89 regular and 91 premium. No change. Could it need some dealer service? Fuel mapping? Bike is bone stock BTW.

Do I have to keep it under 70 and never romp on it to get 45 that people claim? If so, there is no reason to own this bike. I will go back to a smaller VFR and have IMO a better bike I can occasionally light up and still hit north of 150 before reserve.

So far my limited time on this bike it needs far too many tweeks and upgrades to make it anything close to what I wanted in a sport touring bike. Tomorrow if the weather holds I have almost a 200 mile trip and will baby it and hope to see that light blink at 130-140 and be close to 40mpg.

Not impressed thus far.
 
Consider the possibility that the gas gauge sending unit is bad..... the only way to tell for sure is to fill it up and start keeping a mileage log of sorts. Seems like most of the 1250 crew has been getting well above 40 mpg so it's either the gauge or you have some other issue going on.

You might also avoid getting gas at the same location every time - perhaps there was a bad batch that got into your tank.

Edit to add.... I don't see any reason to use more than 87 octane unless the owner's manual calls for it.
 
I've been logging my mileage since mile 01 and I'm averaging 44-46 mpg using 87 octane on all kinds of riding. Keep a log and if you're still sub-40's get to a good shop.
 
bones said:
Bought the bike with 2700 miles, PO took good care of it and I believe it has been broken in properly. I now have 3800 on it and on an 800 mile trip never hit 35mpg. This last tank has been 50/50 city/hwy. Gas gauge is blinking at 102 miles! Come on, that's in the 20's!! Sure I get on it, but I am far from a hooligan. I have ran 89 regular and 91 premium. No change. Could it need some dealer service? Fuel mapping? Bike is bone stock BTW.

Do I have to keep it under 70 and never romp on it to get 45 that people claim? If so, there is no reason to own this bike. I will go back to a smaller VFR and have IMO a better bike I can occasionally light up and still hit north of 150 before reserve.

So far my limited time on this bike it needs far too many tweeks and upgrades to make it anything close to what I wanted in a sport touring bike. Tomorrow if the weather holds I have almost a 200 mile trip and will baby it and hope to see that light blink at 130-140 and be close to 40mpg.

Not impressed thus far.
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Sooooooo how many gallons are you putting in it when blinking/120 miles
rworm
102 miles
 
Isnt there a gal to go when it starts blinking? Mine will start at 120 average and that always includes a couple quick warp drives, seems fair enough to me, I think somebody wants a VFR.
 
sz rider said:
Isnt there a gal to go when it starts blinking?
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More than that - 5.5 litres. That's nearly one and a half of your little US gallons. My gauge starts blinking any time from 120-140 (Suzuki) miles. I emptied a tank at a constant true (by the GPS) 85mph two-up with panniers and top box and got a real 48mpg (UK) which is 40mpUSg.

As others have said, though, you can't calculate consumption off the gauge -you have to do it off the amount you put in.
 
sz rider said:
Isnt there a gal to go when it starts blinking? Mine will start at 120 average and that always includes a couple quick warp drives, seems fair enough to me, I think somebody wants a VFR.
Click to expand...
I own a VFR :clap: Selling it to buy a newer one this time next year, hopefully not sooner.

Some funny responses

I put in 3.8-4 gallons and get gas as soon as I see a station since I don't trust digital gauges. So yes I am calculating it. Would I be complaining if it blinked at 110 and I was putting in 2 gallons??? :rofl:
 
I have been getting about 42mpg, two up. I get a little hooliginism now and then on each fill up. Alone I think I get around 45mpg. Perhaps a trip to a good mechanic is in order??
P.S.: I have almost 4k on the clock
 
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5 yr. warr. so I might just take it to the dealer and see what they can conclude from just plugging it in to the computer.
 
I only have 380 miles on my Bandit and so far I am around 43 mpg, Let a shop look at it being you didn't buy it new, maybe they changed something, hope it works out for you, I really like my Bandit.
 
Well. 188 miles this afternoon. The first 100 was all county roads and I cruised at 70ish for the most part. Coming home I took all interstate and filled up at 132 (still had 2 bars left on the gauge) and only put in 3.1 gallons and that's ~42mpg so I had to have really been riding it a lot harder than I thought the first 800 miles on that trip. Average speed today was 65mph and I only got into a few times to pass cars or accelerate having fun here and there. Not to mention at those speeds the bike is a lot more comfortable to ride anyway.

Moral of the story, this post was a waste of bandwidth really. :D Thanks everyone. Hope I can deal with the other shortcomings over time and enjoy this bike for a lot longer.
 
bones said:
Well. 188 miles this afternoon. The first 100 was all county roads and I cruised at 70ish for the most part. Coming home I took all interstate and filled up at 132 (still had 2 bars left on the gauge) and only put in 3.1 gallons and that's ~42mpg so I had to have really been riding it a lot harder than I thought the first 800 miles on that trip. Average speed today was 65mph and I only got into a few times to pass cars or accelerate having fun here and there. Not to mention at those speeds the bike is a lot more comfortable to ride anyway.

Moral of the story, this post was a waste of bandwidth really. :D Thanks everyone. Hope I can deal with the other shortcomings over time and enjoy this bike for a lot longer.
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A lot of times fun is spelled with a bunch of "$$$$$". Tire life is another aspect of having fun. Some have reported the OEM tire lasting 2,000 miles. Just like gas mileage, tire mileage is gauged by the right wrist!!
 
cooo-oool avatar, willie. now i have to remember where i saw it? ...........oh yeah, on the front of the aftermarket repair manuals.
hah!
 
My bandit gets about 2 mpg better mileage with 87 octane as compared to 89, or higher, octane gas. You don't need to use high octane gas because the engine compression is low on the bandit.
 
Rode to Kansas City again last night and got into the 40's. We have ethanol here and that takes a bit off mpg I imagine too. It's all good, just wish I had my taller screen for this trip.
 
suzukijo said:
cooo-oool avatar, willie. now i have to remember where i saw it? ...........oh yeah, on the front of the aftermarket repair manuals.
hah!
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Yeah, it's the cover of the Clymers T500,350,250 twins manual. The original picture was taken when Ron Grant and I did a TR500 (roadrace motor) build for Bob Braverman and Cycle Guide magazine. I was bored waiting to do a 1/4 mile pass at the old Orange County Raceway. Most of the magazine stuff was a bunch of "Hurryup 'n Wait". They took this picture and published it without me knowing. Next thing I know, it's on the Clymer book. Wish I could have gotten royalties from it's use!! I was just a happy 24 year old that was thrilled to be paid to do what other people would have paid to do!

Edit; Hey Jo, the cover of the Cycle Mechanics that you PM'ed me about was done at the same time.
Willie

2390803785_8f4b0b5c6c_b.jpg
 
poor suspension, seat, wind protection are my real gripes right now. Mainly the suspension and that costs $$ I am not willing to spend on it quite yet. I'll be okay with it, it's growing on me with every ride. Thing is if I could have test rode one I would not have bought it. shrug
 
bones said:
poor suspension, seat, wind protection are my real gripes right now. Mainly the suspension and that costs $$ I am not willing to spend on it quite yet. I'll be okay with it, it's growing on me with every ride. Thing is if I could have test rode one I would not have bought it. shrug
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Sounds like you didn't research the bike enough before you bought it.

When I bought mine I knew the front suspension wasn't fully adjustable so I didn't expect GSXR handeling and the price of the Bandit1250 also reflects that.
Although I must say I like the way the Bandit handles, I ride fairly aggressively (just about 1/16th of an inch of chicken strip left:trust: )
I like the stiffer suspension cuz I don't get ANY wallowing in the twisties (and I weigh 290lbs!) The bike is brand new though.

I've found most stock seats arn't the greatest on a "Bang For The Buck Bike" thats what I consider the Bandit1250. In order to keep the price low the manufactuer has to cut corners somewhere.

If you want real good wind protection you need a FULL fairing bike.
 
It is what I thought it was and for 6K I am not going to get rid of it for something else. It does fine for the most part, ride is a bit stiff for my tastes, but the drivetrain is rock solid and that really is all that matters to me.

Probably get a sargent once they come out and go from there. Curious to see how it goes 2 up and have a few females itching for a ride once it warms up for them.

So, I am done complaining and dealing with the dislikes, but the likes are dominating the dislikes thus far.
 
bones said:
Curious to see how it goes 2 up and have a few females itching for a ride once it warms up for them.
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Lately all my riding has been 2 up with my wife we have went around 300 miles together not all at one time but up to a 100 or so miles on one ride, no complaints at all from my wife and most of the time I don’t ever know she is behind me. The Bandit does great 2 up for me.
 
Same here - 2000 miles in the month I've had it - almost all two-up. That includes commuting every day (45 mile round trip) and a couple of 300 mile days as part of a 1000 mile long weekend. The Bandit got the wifely approval - "one of the most comfortable bike's you've had", she said.

And with the suspension set up right you really don't know there's a pillion except under braking when a bit more bite would be preferable.

Benefits hugely from a Triboseat, though, to stop her sliding forwards all the time.
 
Interesting post on the octane, with 87 giving the best mileage. I've always used 89 and get 38mpg typically. I ride pretty hard though. I'll try the 87 next tank and see how that goes. The lowest octane you can use without detonation is the best fuel. Just never thought to try it.
 
MikeS said:
The lowest octane you can use without detonation is the best fuel.
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An interesting claim..... How do you define 'best'? You will get most power from the fuel that the engine was optimised with. On a bike without knock detection (and not many have this yet - some BMWs do) you won't get a power benefit from going for higher octane but you will lose power by going for lower octane even if you don't get detonation.

But petrol isn't just about octane - better fuels will contain more effective detergents and other additives which will not only maintain your engine in better condition but may also improve fuel consumption. While higher octane doesn't necesarily mean better in itself, fuel companies are more likely to use more sophisticated additives in higher octane (and therefore more expensive) fuel because (a) they'll be used in higher performance engines and (b) they can charge more and get their money back.
 
Gasoline (petrol) ratings, used to be true octane ratings based on the percentage of octane to normal heptane in the mix. Then "ethyl" the highest available rating went away when they droppen tetraethyl lead as an "octane" booster even though that was a misnomer as well. Here in California, it's hard to imagine just what exactly it is that's in the fuel any more. But from a pragmatic stand point, the fuel rating is still an anti-knock value and little more. Higher cylinder pressures (BMEP) and slower moving pistons are the most suseptible to detonation. Higher ratings slow the burn rate of fuel at a given cyl. psi. So higher rated fuels really are not the "good stuff" unless your particular engine needs it. 89 is usually just a blend of 87 and 91 done at the pump. I'll try some 87 which is the lowest recommended by Suzuki, listen for knock and see if my mileage goes up. Monday is my day off so I'll start by going for a ride to run this last bit of 89 out.
 
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