Gas Mileage

Classic Goldwings

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scdmarx

Well-known member
Supporting Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2009
Messages
1,788
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Location
On a mountain in the Ozarks
My Bike Models
1982 Standard
On my 83 Interstate the gas gauge only reads the top half of the tank. In other words - when the tank is full, the gauge reads full. But when the gauge gets to empty I still have half a tank left. So I pretty much rely on the odometer to estimate when I'll be need'n to gas up. Normally at all highway speeds I'll switch to reserve at just around 170-175 miles. But recently my speedometer just "quit". So I guess I'm gonna have to find a fix for one or the other. But that's not what this is about.

Over the weekend I had to take a trip to the valley. I have driven to this destination many times, so I know that it is 150 miles one way. I gassed up here in town when I left and just paciently took my time and cruised in the right lane like I had all day to get there. In the 55mph zone, I was moving along with traffic @ just about 3400rpm in 5th gear. So I figure that must equate to 55-60-ish? So that's what I cruised all the way there. I had packed a queen size AirBed tied ontop of the trunk, My pllow in one side bag, mama's pillow in the other side bag, a light imitation leather womens jacket-a heavy leather womens jacket (just in case), a pair of womens boots, 2 pairs of womens gloves, pretty sunglasses in the trunk along with the usual misc. tire plugs/fix-a-flat, etc. I had an extra helmet bungeed down to the rear of the seat. There was a nasty cross wind that was sort of at my tail most of the time. (it's been unusually windy this year)
Anyways, got there, spent the night partying, left the next day. Gassed up before leaving town and could only get 2 gallons to go in. I looked down in the hole and saw that the tank was full. Yup!, 2 gallons to go 150 miles @55 mph with luggage. Unbelievable? I was a little taken aback myself!
Drove the same road, same speeds coming back. Gassed up when I got back into town and was able to squeeze 3 gallons into it. The only difference was the ol'lady, her purse, a small backpack containing a change of clothes and cosmetics, and the nasty crosswind sort of head on at times. Ok, I know what you're thinking and not that I'd argue with you, :whistling: :ahem:
but the real point I'm making here is that if you can find the patience to drive 55 it's like getting a free gallon of gas. :clapping: :music:
 
that impressive milage william id say ....the 1500s with ll there extra wieght compare or beat a lot of the oldwings ....realy makes one thing hard about a two carb system ... :mrgreen:


that was good toy :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :hihihi: :mrgreen:
 
dan filipi":1kjg7ttv said:
Was this trip 2 up?
Even 1 up that mpg is unheard of!
Even with a tail wind I've never gotten anything over 43
1 up going (2 gals. Mobil Regular) and 2 up coming back (3 gals. Texaco Regular). I wish I could prove it, or figure out what happened. 42 to 44.5 is normal for me and best I could hope for, but that's rolling 70 mph @4k rpm most of the way. 1 up or 2 has really never made all that much difference.
 
toytender01":h575ptk4 said:
Boy am I glad you picked up the wife, I was worried with all that girley stuff on your trip down, you diden't say in the beginning that you were going to pick her up :swoon: :heat: :smilie_happy:

Why? We're in California. Don't you ever get the urge to walk on the wild side? :ahem:

Geepers! I better include a few of these.... :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :cheeky:
 
scdmarx":3cdl7148 said:
toytender01":3cdl7148 said:
Boy am I glad you picked up the wife, I was worried with all that girley stuff on your trip down, you diden't say in the beginning that you were going to pick her up :swoon: :heat: :smilie_happy:

Why? We're in California. Don't you ever get the urge to walk on the wild side? :ahem:

Geepers! I better include a few of these.... :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :cheeky:
:smilie_happy: :smilie_happy:
 
I have found that on the country road drives at 45 to 55 MPH, I can go 190 miles before the reserve kicks in. When I load up the bike with gear (but only 1 up) it rides better and there is a slight improvement in mileage at those speeds. 2 up and the MPG drops. I assume it is the wind resistance of 2 up that causes the drop in MPG because the weight is the same as when I ride 1 up with my gear.
 
joedrum":3dabud0b said:
that impressive milage william id say ....the 1500s with ll there extra wieght compare or beat a lot of the oldwings ....realy makes one thing hard about a two carb system ... :mrgreen:


that was good toy :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :hihihi: :mrgreen:
i've never done better than 48mpg on the 1200 wing
 
I genarally average about 40mpg
The best I ever got was two up(my 11 year old) with trailor filled with camping gear,riding back down home from the U.P. in a steady rain the whole 300 miles in the dark.
Only stopping when we had to (one gas/food stop in lake city) running the highway at about 55/60 mph treating the throttle like we where on ice (I was very nervous) and I averaged 50 mpg through two tanks.Ive never been able to duplicate that.

Point being is driving habits play more into it than load it seems.
 
3400 rpm on my stock 83 Interstate puts me a bit over 65 mph in 5th gear on level highways. So you're getting great milage at a reasonable speed IMHO. Wind speed and direction does make quite a difference in MPG in my experience. Classics, especially when loaded with gear, are not that aero-dynamic.
Jim
 
mcgovern61":15by11in said:
scdmarx":15by11in said:
toytender01":15by11in said:
Boy am I glad you picked up the wife, I was worried with all that girley stuff on your trip down, you diden't say in the beginning that you were going to pick her up :swoon: :heat: :smilie_happy:

Why? We're in California. Don't you ever get the urge to walk on the wild side? :ahem:

Geepers! I better include a few of these.... :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :cheeky:
:smilie_happy: :smilie_happy:
I tried riding with high heels on. That first to second gear shift was difficult to say the least with my heel-toe shifter. Don't tell anyone :hihihi:
 
aslatk":1clf7ydg said:
I tried riding with high heels on. That first to second gear shift was difficult to say the least with my heel-toe shifter. Don't tell anyone :hihihi:
:smilie_happy:
 
I have only put about 4,500 miles on my Goldwing so far , but everytime I have checked , it's been about 42 MPG . and I figure thats not too bad.
 
aslatk":dli6qeb5 said:
I tried riding with high heels on. That first to second gear shift was difficult to say the least with my heel-toe shifter. Don't tell anyone :hihihi:

You guys ain't nothin'! Riding naked is the only way to go. :Egyptian: :shock: :smilie_happy:
 
Andyb":1539k8iz said:
aslatk":1539k8iz said:
I tried riding with high heels on. That first to second gear shift was difficult to say the least with my heel-toe shifter. Don't tell anyone :hihihi:

You guys ain't nothin'! Riding naked is the only way to go. :Egyptian: :shock: :smilie_happy:
At least leave the chaps on :nea:
:Doh2:
 
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