30mpg?

[Insterereo]

so i've had the bike for a few months now. I bought it used (2006 bonny standard) and took off the AI.

I'm getting a consistant 30MPG when I do the math at the pump. (miles on trip odo / gallons put in)

I always fill up at 90 miles and i always put in about 3 gallons.

This is a bit low mileage, no? i assume the average/target mileage would be somewhere around 40mpg

I have always had a feeling that my bike runs a tad rich too. would I just need to adjust the screw on the carb to make it more lean?

thanks for any ideas or advice

 

[tribear]

Yessir. 30mpg is way low. I'm getting 46 - 50+ mpg on both the Bonnie and Scram depending on riding habits. Keep in mind a lean condition can kill your fuel economy as well. These bikes are jetted lean from the factory.....That being said, give us some more details about your ride: Current jetting (mains, pilots, mixture screw position), any mods such as free flowing exhaust, airbox mods (snorkel removed, high flow filter). If you are unsure of some of these settings might you get a hold of the previous owner for some info? If not, you'll have to dig into her and do some sluthing....that's the best part! Enjoy and let us know what you've got!

 

[JimVonBaden]

I'm lucky to get 40mpg on my Scrambler. Before opening up the intake, and changing exhaust, 33mpg was the norm.

Might be the way I ride though!

Jim

 

[BlackBonNYC]

I get a little over 40 on the highway, and around 30mpg riding around the city.

So you are not way off if you are doing city type riding. I know a few other twin riders locally and they don't do much better, if at all. However, if you are all stock with no rejetting your numbers should look better than mine.

I have airbox removal, open pipes, 140,42 2.5 turns

 

[T-boy]

If your bike is stock with the exception of the AI removal, I would think 30 mpg is a tad low. When I first put my open pipes on and rejetted with 135 mains and 42 pilots I went from 41-42 mpg to about 32-33 mpg--combined highway and city riding with a somewhat aggressive throttle hand. Changed out the 135's to 125's and while sacrificing a little performance, I am back up to the 40-41 mpg range which is close to where I was before my pipe changeover. As tribear said...need to know more about your setup to offer some real advice. Also, riding habits directly affect your mpg.

 

[Bullitt]

I'm running with the AI removed, airbox elimination and straight headers and do better than 40 mpg.... Not the best, but I'll take it over 17mpg in my truck any day!

 

[sweatmachine]

Instereo, how does the bike run? List your mods and jetting, and how you ride.

My guess is that you're rich on the needles. Do you have shims under the needles? If so, remove them and see how it runs. If you have two shims def remove one, if you have one remove it and give it a go again.

 

[Insterereo]

Thanks for the responses guys.

Unfortunetly, I do not know anything about the current carb set-up. I bought the bike used from a dealership. Everything on the bike was stock when I got it, and only had 3000 miles (remember, 2006 bike). I cant imagine the previous owner had any interest in messing with that stuff. My guess is maybe the dealership tweaked with the settings when they were setting the bike up for sale?

I really have a strong feeling that the bike runs rich, as it runs better cold than when it is warmed up, the later being a tad sluggish. I was told rich runs better cold and lean runs better hot.

I am a pretty capable hands on kind of guy and would have no problem getting new jets and resetting the screws. I was thinking of just doing it for good measure anyway.

so 125 main jets? at 2.5 turns?

oh! also, I commute to work every day and....well...I admit i might like to accelerate quick, but i always cruise in the highest possible gear...maybe even too high, 5th gear at 55mph.

Couldnt hurt to get new jets anyway, right?

thanks again everyone

 

[T-boy]

I think Bellacorse sells Emgos? Maybe they would have a suggestion as to the optimum jetting and turns on the A/F screws...Or perhaps someone from this forum with the same setup as yours. Look into Sweat's suggestion regarding any shims under the needles. My setup of 125 mains & 42 pilots 2.5 turns out works well with the BC Sleepers on my '07, don't know about your Emgos. Keep us posted on what's going on.

 

[MattRat]

the engine only has 3000 miles? My mileage improved significantly around 6-7k, going from 35ish to 40ish. I think this enging just takes a while to break in. Also, the main factor in your mileage is your right hand. Try to ease up on twisting it and see how your mileage goes.

 

[BlueJ]

...your right hand. Try to ease up on twisting it...

On SO many levels.... where's the fun in THAT?!?!?!?

 

[Insterereo]

i mean, really, there's a time and a place for excessive right hand twisting

 

[sweatmachine]

i mean, really, there's a time and a place for excessive right hand twisting

what? I'm not supposed to do it all the time?

 

[Craigore]

I've been running the Emgo cheapos since the beginning of summer and am running 145 mains with 42 pilots and ~1.75 turns out. I'm getting something new and then heading to the dyno.

 

[blkthrux]

I just sto[ and fill it up every time out.

 

[KingBear]

I'm getting 45mpg from my stock T100. If I did some much needed tuning for mixture and balance I'm sure I could do a little better.

 

[GT rideaholic]

I know many probably do no like the fuel injection as its probably harder to tune.. (I dunno)... But the only change I did to my 09 T100 was the 19 tooth front sprocket and I get between 51 and 60 mpg. If I ride 65 mph or less I put in 3 gallons at 183 miles on the odometer.. My worst was 3.6 gallon at 187 miles, and that was running 70+ mph I recently just got back from another cross country trip camping at the north rim of the Grand Canyon, and this time I was able to ride to the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado and the fuel injection never missed a beat. There was snow at the top.. At 12000 feet I put the bike in 5th gear and it chugged up the mountain without a burp.. I did run mot of it in third gear, but was curious to see how it would do in high gear.. Some may remember that last month I had done this trip with my wife for a three week ride across the US and Canada (8K miles) on my 74 Suzuki GT750 two stroke.. That bike did struggle in the higher altitudes. The Triumph fuel injection is awesome . I was gone for two more weeks on the Bonnie and covered 4968 miles.. My bike is 3 months old and needs the valve adjusted already.. I have just over 13K miles on it. I have a bunch of pictures at www.flickr.com/photos/ironbuttallen if your interested in a bonnieville adventure ride.

Allen..... Rideaholic
IBA 21871

 

[ttbonnie]

that is way low- I just got my bike running and had her through the twisties with a passanger- 130 before i went to reserve-( im at 180 shes at 93-
new girl same bike life is good for those of u following my saga) Imnot at the jedi level yet so i dont know why:fight3:
cheers tt

 

[bonnaz]

GT_rideaholic, great pictures, looks like a lot of fun, gotta get up to Pikes Peak sometime.

I get an average of 50-52 on my stock 09 T100 though most of my riding is daily commute.
keep meaning to get some new pipes but haven't heard any that impress me enough to replace my stealth mode silencers, plus the tunes sound better at this decibel level.
I will bite the bullet sometime and get new pipes, but for now, the EFI is AOK in my book.