MPG and RPM's

[screamstone]

So I was reading a little while ago on a thread where Goose wanted a different gearing ratio so that he could ride at a little HIGHER RPM to imprive gas mileage. That seems backward.

 

What is the best RPM to be cruising at on this bike??? I come from a 2 cylinder, so there I was used to keeping it low- like 2000-2500ish... Should I be riding this at a higher RPM to get the best mileage?

 

 

 

On a second note,when I'm kinda riding hard and gunning it in the higher RPM's, it feels like the transmission is slipping sometimes, and then slowly grabs (over a second or so), almost like the clutch is a little in, even though my hand is off the clutch. That normal?

[mike_kelly_68]

I was wondering about that when I read it also. Hope someone will post a little more info. I get 36 whether in town or on the big road.

 

As for transmission slipping, could be clutch springs.

 

This bike will run. If you like to ride a little hard try to shift without the clutch. You will know if you are reaching high enough R's, it will shift easily without clutch.

[YamaDuck]

I can't answer your question but I can tell you about my experience. I have a 2001 with a whine. Not bad bad it whines. It doesn't seem to whine as bad if I'm in 5th gear under 60mph. 65 mph in 5th is where it starts whining. About 75 mph in 5th is where it starts quieting down. 4th gear starts whining about 60 mph. So I have been riding in 5th anywhere from 35 to 60mph just to get rid of the whine. Before I did this I was riding in the normal rpm range and normal gear range (4th gear at 60mph) and I was getting 42 to 43 mpg. Noe that I am riding in 5th most of the time I ham getting 37 to 38 mpg. Hope this helps?

[Flyinfool]

What can happen if your RPM is to low you are actually riding with the throttle MORE open to get enough power to the rear wheel in the higher gear. Down shifting to run a higher rpm will actually close the throttle some to maintain the same speed. Yes it sounds backwards but it works, to a point. The most efficient speed to run an engine is usually at or just below peak torque.

 

With my truck pulling a 6000 lb camper at 70mph in overdrive the engine is turning about 2500 RPM, I will get 9-10 MPG, If I shift into 3rd the rpm will go up to 3000, the speed will stay at 70, and the mileage will go up to 12-13 MPG. Without the camper that same truck gets 17-18MPG at 70mph on the same road whether it is in 3rd or overdrive.

 

As far as the slipping at high rpms and load, there are a bunch of threads on the slipping clutch and how to easily fix it.

[N3FOL]

I can't answer your question but I can tell you about my experience. I have a 2001 with a whine. Not bad bad it whines. It doesn't seem to whine as bad if I'm in 5th gear under 60mph. 65 mph in 5th is where it starts whining. About 75 mph in 5th is where it starts quieting down. 4th gear starts whining about 60 mph. So I have been riding in 5th anywhere from 35 to 60mph just to get rid of the whine. Before I did this I was riding in the normal rpm range and normal gear range (4th gear at 60mph) and I was getting 42 to 43 mpg. Noe that I am riding in 5th most of the time I ham getting 37 to 38 mpg. Hope this helps?

 

I am gradually learning on this end the more miles I put in on the bike. From 1st to 3rd, I don't have a problem shifting at a higher RPM with speed. On 4th, I now make sure that I am over to at least 55 and closer to 60 mph before shifting to 5th. Yes, this will all depend on the terrain...if it is a downslope...I am already on 5th at 55 mph and gaining speed. At 60 mph on 4th, I feel the rpm is really up there.

 

Cruising down the highway, 5th gear seems to like 80 mph on my speedo (actually just going 75 mph - speedo is a little off). With that style of shifting, I am currently at 38 or 39 mpg per tank.

 

[V7Goose]

So I was reading a little while ago on a thread where Goose wanted a different gearing ratio so that he could ride at a little HIGHER RPM to imprive gas mileage. That seems backward.

 

What is the best RPM to be cruising at on this bike??? I come from a 2 cylinder, so there I was used to keeping it low- like 2000-2500ish... Should I be riding this at a higher RPM to get the best mileage?

 

On a second note,when I'm kinda riding hard and gunning it in the higher RPM's, it feels like the transmission is slipping sometimes, and then slowly grabs (over a second or so), almost like the clutch is a little in, even though my hand is off the clutch. That normal?

Please give me the link for the thread you were looking at - ain't no way I ever said I wanted a higher RPM!!! There are people here who think we should all have the higher gear ratio of the VMAX on the RSV, but I AM NOT ONE OF THEM. I personally think the stock gear ratios on the RSV are just about perfect for this bike in its current trim.

 

There WAS a time when I did a test running only in 4th gear to compare the 2nd gen MPG with the 1st gen at the same RPM (the quick answer: the 1st gen gets better gas mileage than the 2nd gen because it is lighter and more aerodynamic - the 2nd gen gets bad MPG if you do not cruise in 5th. - just like you would expect).

 

On your second note - your clutch is slipping. YOu need to put a PCW spring in it.

Goose

[Bummer]

I'm not terribly concerned about mileage. As long as I am having a good time and don't run out of gas, I'm good. If I'da wanted mileage I'da gotten a scooter. However (all speed references are uncorrected at about 7% high):

 

During the week I commute about twenty miles on urban interstate to, and then from. I often find myself running prevailing speed (70 to 75) in third. I then go ahead and shift to fourth. I like to keep it out of fifth to help me handle the requirements of rush hour traffic, sometimes dropping back to third. This seems to yield mid to low thirties mpg.

 

When I'm going somewhere distant, fully loaded, I'll crank her up to around 80 or 85 using fifth, set the cruise, and just go. Mid to high thirties mpg, usually, though I once got 29 into a headwind across South Dakota.

 

When I'm playing on red roads and twisties I don't generally wind up going over 45 or 50, and I seldom shift above third. I tend to ride a bit, um, spirited, shall we say. Mileage tends to run the highest, from high thirties to mid forties.

 

Like Goose, I'm very happy with the gearing on this bike. It ain't a v-twin - for best results, turn it up! 2000 to 2500 is for parking lots, not cruising. It's good to have a tach.

 

On the whine: Mine sounds a little like an angry sewing machine between 2500 and 3000 rpms. Not loud, but it's there. Simple solution: I keep it above 3000 rpms. I consider the whine to be the engine complaining that I'm being mean to it. I absolutely will not cruise below the whine. Changing to a 3" under stock Clearview windshield reduced the amount of whine I heard.

 

And finally, screamstone, as previously mentioned, it's clutch spring time. Do a search, there's plenty of discussion.

[Freebird]

This is one of those areas where my test results are just different than Gooses. Before changing to the VMAX rear, I tested this a couple of times by running full tanks of gas on the Interstate in 5th gear and in 4th gear. I got no appreciable difference in gas mileage between the two. Riding two up, pulling a trailer and especially in heavy wind, I've actually gotten better mileage with the VMAX rear and find it to be in a much better power range.

[jlh3rd]

last year, about this time...we got up, jumped on the bike and headed south on 81 for the blueridge and natchez trace....i hadn't been on the bike in a while and was really feel'in good...1.5 hrs go by,runnin about 65 , and all this time i'm thinkin , wow how smooth this bike is, it's really running great....and realize....i'm in 4th gear, i never shifted to fifth.......so now i'm thinkin the gas mileage is gonna suck....well, it didn't...i got what i usually got..39-40.....i was surprised....

[Seaking]

Now this interesting for me since I'm on a three road trip through the USA (taking a day off the road in Mobile Alabama, poolside).

 

My buddy and I are running even pace and after numerous fuel stops and comparing the riding with the speeds and weather conditions I have auchincloss better idea what my bike is doing and why. Some of this may surprise some of you and some this will get your heads shaking. But these are my observations after 3,500 miles.

 

Highways we average 38 mpg (US) doing around 60 - 65 mph

 

at 65 - 75 mph we average 35 mpg. (actual speeds from gps)

 

however as soon as u toss in a headwind component the fuelileshe drops like u wouldn't believe.

 

On our first day out on this trip we got caught short and had to double back to a gas station as we we were both on reserve with only 114 miles on the odometer. But the winds were 30 mph on the nose. Horrible mileage.

 

Another day at the same highway speeds on I95 we did way souch better than averageostly due to a tail wind component.

 

The very best mileage I ever got was 50 mpg in the Florida Keys but that was a lot of 45 - 55 slow riding with little or no winds. And coasting the engine in 4th and 5th most of the way. My buddy who did 4th gear only got less mileage than I did.

 

So what does a lot of this mean to me?

 

Well for my bike, it means that 70 on the guage (62 real speed) is my best mileage speed if there is no real heavy headwind. I would Average 38 mpg and as long as you are not 'chugging' the engine in 5th gear you can eek out even more.

 

As someone mentioned earlier, riding in 5th at too slow a speed may actually be worse for mileage due to more open throttle.

 

All fun and games.

 

Now will someone turn down the heat? Pale white northern boys getting odd looks down here.

 

Cheers

[screamstone]

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=13266

 

MY mistake! It wasn't goose, it was freebird... Sorry Goose!

 

 

I think I'll be staying with the current gearing... seems split, and without a difinitive answer, I'll go the free way with what I already have! (besides, I apparently need a new clutch or something...)

 

 

rs

[Flyinfool]

Not a new clutch, just a new clutch spring. Big $$$ difference.

[Sandbagger]

I have asked a similar question and got very counter intuitive answers from people much smarter than me on this subject. At any rate, I get low 40's when I keep the RPM's at 3500 or below which coincides with 65 mph. When I go to 4000 to 4300 which is going to be 75 mph my mpg will drop to low 30's. Part of my strange joy is mpg so I watch this pretty close with a calulator.

[Grisolm1]

I got my best mileage ever, 40mpg, last weekend riding with a buddy on his Beemer dualsport. We were riding fairly easy on secondary roads and I was keeping it in a lower gear than I usually do.

 

Looks like 3500-4500 is a better RPM than 2500-3500 at moderate speeds.

[aspen60]

I check every tank of gas I run through and I always get 41 to 44 mpg. Zipping around traffic on the way home from work I run it hard, Ya know, got to get past all the stupid people. I know the speedo is a little off so the numbers aren't really this good but this is just off my odometer. I almost always get 200 miles on every tank also.

[Sylvester]

This is one of those areas where my test results are just different than Gooses. Before changing to the VMAX rear, I tested this a couple of times by running full tanks of gas on the Interstate in 5th gear and in 4th gear. I got no appreciable difference in gas mileage between the two. Riding two up, pulling a trailer and especially in heavy wind, I've actually gotten better mileage with the VMAX rear and find it to be in a much better power range.

 

 

When I get back from a 3500-4000 mile ride starting next Tuesday, I am going to order the V Max rear gearing. I run better and get good mileage with fourth gear at 70 mile per hour.