Fuel mileage

[Scooter363y]

I was beginning to wonder if there was something wrong with my bike. Just riding locally I was getting about 35 mpg plus-minus 2-3 mph

Well a couple of weeks ago a friend and I went on a trip to buffalo. On this trip we were going 65-75 mph. At a gas stop I figured out I was getting 45 mpg. This is my first wing on my first highway trip so can other wing owners tell me if this is a normal swing in mileage?

Don't get me wrong I like the road/highway mileage but the gap seems to be a bit wide. So seeing what others experience would be helpful. I realize that this a big heavy bike so that makes the highway mpg even more incredible. So I just might have to take more long highway trips.

Ride safe
Scooter

[Dusty Boots]

Normal.
The steadier you keep your right wrist (and below 3,000 RPM) the better mileage you'll get !
There's a few other factors at play, such as head/tail winds, temps/humidity and quality of fuel to name a few, but you are in the ball park

[MikeB]

Was your friend riding a GL1800 or was the friend a passenger? If they were on a GL1800, did you and your partner get fuel at the same time? Did you think to ask what they took to fill the tank?

[Scooter363y]

No he was on a Suzuki gsx1100g. He was getting roughly. The same mileage. I was wondering about the spread

[Scooter363y]

I was solo and so was he.

[offcenter]

I ride a '99 SE. I do a quick mileage check in my head at every fill up.
My bike seems to stay right around 42 mpg.
I'm not the easiest on throttle either, nor am I the hardest.
But I do take advantage of the Goldwing's available
get up and go.

[MikeB]

45 mpg at 65 to 75 is not out of the ordinary but it is a bit higher than my mileage on my 1500 and my 1800. Between 34 and 43 is the span on either of my bikes.

[FM-USA]

On my 1500 'one up' I get about the same fuel mileage as you.
When we're 'two up' I have achieved 51 mpg. This tells me the aerodynamics isn't set well for 'one up' riding.
Tie a large sack (human size) in the passenger seat and see what you get with your 1800.

[bstig60]

On my 1500 I get about 35 pulling the trailer and have gotten 50 riding in the mountains at slower speeds. 42=45 freeway riding. My 1800 gets about 38 pulling the trailer and 42=45 on the freeway. Leaving on a 2 week trip pulling the trailer next Saturday. I will get a better idea about trailer mileage after a few days.

[bikrbob1]

With the GL1800 I was getting 40 going 70/75. With the small camper I was getting 31 at the same speed. With the GL1100 I was getting 43 without the trailer and 35 with the camper at the same speed

[Corkster52]

Post by Dusty Boots » Fri Jun 30, 2017 2:46 pm
The steadier you keep your right wrist (and below 3,000 RPM) the better mileage you'll get !

If I religiously stay below 3K I can get around 43 mpg on my 1500

[joebiodiesel]

I'm brand new to 'wing ownership. Last week I purchased a 93 Aspencade from my brother in law, then rode it home from Syracuse, NY to Greensboro, NC. I didn't know how low my gas gauge could read before I ran out, so I was adding 4.5 - 4.8 gallons when I stopped. I got a low of 27MPG and a high of 35MPG over 650 miles. I was surprised that I was able to get it down in the 20s, but I was definitely riding it hard. The worst mileage came at sustained high speed. These bikes sure have a lot of real estate that cuts through the air. The windshield is half the size of a barn door! , so it certainly makes sense that the mileage will drop by a lot as the wind resistance climbs.
I'm comforted by this thread knowing that I'm right in the same zone as everyone else. Fuel mileage is a great indicator of engine health. Jetting and timing have gotta be right, and with 25 year old carburetors, it's good to know they're working as designed.

Joe

[Corkster52]

Joe, adding half a can of Sea Foam every 4th tank or so also helps.

[offcenter]

It just occurred to me.....
I regularly get 42 mpg on my '99 1500 SE.
Then I see reports of people like you who get much worse mileage.
You mentioned the windshield being the size of a barn door.
That may be it. I'm not that tall and I have my windshield cut way
down so I can look over the top of it. So my bike is pushing
a LOT LESS air in front of it than yours.

[joebiodiesel]

I'm not sure if my windshield is stock or not. I'm 6'4" and I can't see over it unless I stretch my neck. Mine will be cut down before my next trip!

Thanks for the tip on the sea foam. I'll give it a try.
Joe

[FM-USA]

2 UP on my 91 Interstate with 190K miles and riding back roads 40 to 60 mph. One time on consecutive tank fulls I got 51 mpg back to back in the same day.
That was with Regular gas, not that ethKRAPanol.
I'm LUCKY to get 38 mpg's with that 10% KornKrap in the gas.

[DaSkipper]

First 1,000 mile trip on my new 2016 GL1800 I got 41-42 mpg. Drove a variety of speeds, 50 - 70 mph, 2 up fully loaded. I wasn't expecting that good of mpg right out of the box.

[topgun]

To reply to OP,
Yes you will experience a variance in mpg in stop n go VS hyway same as you do with a car and how much you wind-up the right grip also.

[DenverWinger]

My still new-to-me '93 Aspy has been getting around 34 mpg on daily driving to/from work, which is mostly interstate highway, not too bad a drive in the mornings but mostly stop-and-go on the way home. One tank got me 42mpg, half of that tank used up in the mountains on a nice slow drive, the other half back & forth to work again. Wonder what the mileage would have been if I had used the entire tank in the mountains. I haven't pulled the trailer with the 1500 yet, but planning a trip cross-country later this summer. The 1100 averages about 38 mpg on the same kind of daily driving, and last trip with the camper to Michigan and back averaged 26mpg overall, the way there via Interstate highway (about 24 mpg), the way home via US-24, slower driving and around 27-30 mpg.

[raven41951]

My 1500 got 35-39 on my daily riding. It had gone as high as 52 during a low speed tour (150 miles, speeds 45-60 mph) down to 32 on an extended high speed (80+) interstate run.

My 1800 has 2,000 miles on it now and the mileage is about the same under similar conditions. Throttle twisting is much more exciting on this baby.