Fuel usage

Started by CDNRatMan, September 07, 2017, 21:14:17 PM

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CDNRatMan

Well the shop I went to was of 2 mind sets, new chain or clean and lube the original, so;

remove and clean new one and lube and reinstall at $92.00 per hour, and no guarantee it was going to last the trip if it was in fact a tight spot and not just crud in the links.

new chain and install in less then 30 mins. So new chain is $133.00.

So I opted for the new chain deal, and they ended up billing me $125.00 for chain and $30.00 for labour. $155.00 + 20.15 taxes so $175.15 .......versus say 2 hours to remove and clean chain because we know it will not be an hour or less, $184.00 shop rate so $184.00 + 23.92 taxes, = $207.92 and we know we will make it home. SO go figure.....

The mechanic took a good look at both sprockets for me, and he assured me it was not the sprockets as they looked fine and he did turn them, he even had me sit on the bike once he had tightened the chain, he also checked the oil and the tires for pressure. So I was impressed that they took the time to be through and I was not a normal customer.
The last bit of the ride was just peachy and the noises and such are gone......
I also talked to a lad who grew up in the area of PEI and worked there as a youngster, and he said that it was common that the red "clay" sand of PEI destroys equipment fast and is hard on any moving parts.....so now I am home I will see how the chain fares.

GPS is not to get you THERE but rather to get you home from THERE

kw-retrorider

Tfrank: The hills, stop and go as well as heavy on the right wrist will all make a difference. I don't wind the engine out much (shifting most times on the zero...20, 30 , 40, 50) and am in a more flat area. I do have the stock gearing though.

Ratman: So once the chain was cleaned and properly lubed again....all good? That means no connection to the sprocket change or coprimes? I would think if the sprockets were and issue, you wouldn't have gotten thru this last trip...just sayin'


CDNRatMan

    Ok an to be fair I did do the sprocket swap and am running a 18/38 set up and find it on the highways really good for running in the 120 to 130 kph range, and to be honest I can not and never have found or felt a difference in the low speed city and town riding......
perhaps I need to find a person with a stock set up 800 and go for a ride and see when do they shift and how they shift on hills and such.
Now I was also told by the local mechanic whom I trust in his ideas and thoughts, and he said one time that the Vulcan engine likes to be run at higher rpms than lugging. So with that in mind I am constantly shifting gears now on hills and in twisties. I try never to lug my engine and keep the Rpms up.

kw, I am still trying to sort out what causes a tight spot in the chain. In this case I am going to write it off to the very heavy rain and riding in huge and deep puddles, one section of road the water was over my running boards, and my feet got wet...lol...and the red sand of the island getting into my chain and screwing it up....

GPS is not to get you THERE but rather to get you home from THERE

Tfrank59

Yes 35 MPG is low and sometimes I get closer to 40 but I've never gotten better than 45. There are a lot of Hills where I am and the kind of riding I do on my Drifter involves traffic a lot of stop-and go, and I'll admit I'm pretty assertive with the right wrist :D. something else that might come into play here is that I have kept the stock gearing on my bike.

Tom

'06 Drifter 800, '98 Valkyrie

"HD: The most efficient way to convert gasoline into noise without the pesky effects of horsepower."

kw-retrorider

Ratman - Very reasonable considering the loaded condition. Assume the trip is over? Glad you made it back safely....so what about the chain?

Tfrank - 35 mpg seems kind of low....lots of hills where you live? I'm always around 50 mpg in mixed driving - over 50 when on the highway for a full tank.


CDNRatMan

#4

  Tfrank59 this was a ride that did both, types of riding, as in towns, along major highways only as a means to get to the secondary roads. The Cabot Trail was also in this.
So I would say yes to your question, but having you understand that there was a say 65% highway riding and the the 35% city and tourist area riding.......

GPS is not to get you THERE but rather to get you home from THERE

CDNRatMan

  OH forgot to add this info:

Well consider this also because I thought to do this while on the road, me in my clothing and boots with rain gear on = 259 lbs, black sissy bar pack as it was, 45 lbs, and the saddle bags including the fuel can with gas in it was another 35 lbs so a total of 339 lbs of weight on the bike during the trip.

GPS is not to get you THERE but rather to get you home from THERE

Tfrank59

Yeah that's way better than what I get I'm only doing about 35 MPG. But I guess you're talking about a long trip on the highway isn't it

Tom

'06 Drifter 800, '98 Valkyrie

"HD: The most efficient way to convert gasoline into noise without the pesky effects of horsepower."

CDNRatMan

So after keeping track of my fuel and my kilometers, during my ride to the east coast I have this figured out.
17 km to the liter
5.75 liter per 100 km
49.0 miles per gal.

So not bad....

GPS is not to get you THERE but rather to get you home from THERE

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