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Posted by Troll
- November 13, 2012, 12:50:39 PM2500 rpm= about where I shift, anyway
Posted by 45 Bravo
- November 13, 2012, 12:07:50 PMBy suggested shifts, I mean the revised ones, at 2500~ rpm, not the low numbers in the manual.
20-25 shift to 2nd, 35ish 3rd, 50 to 4th, 60+ to 5th.
45 Bravo
Posted by Troll
- November 13, 2012, 11:00:18 AMOk, then. This is something I've been working on, almost since I got the bike. My 1980 FLT would get 50 mpg pretty consistently. As a matter of fact, the last rip I took on it I went 235 miles on 4.5 gallons of gas. I had reconfigured it to turn 3000 rpm @ 70 mph from the stock settings (something you can do with chain drive you can't with either belt of shaft). I had ditched the stock carb. for a blockhead Kehin C-V, and made my own jets ( I sure miss carbs). The Drifter, which turns about 200 rpm less @ 70 in overdrive, never got more than about 40 on the highway, until I started fiddling. I played with TPS voltages (which helped below 60 mph, but not above) and finally made my own air cleaner backing plate and ditched the restrictive stock air box system. The result was immediate and dramatic. The first time I went out this year with the new system, holding a steady throttle with my vista cruise, a 44 mile interstate trip yielded 51 mpg. I was ecstatic. I made lots of trips this year of the long distance variety, and with a mix of 70+ and 60+ speeds, the average has been around 47 mpg. I routinely have the idiot light come on now, at about 180 miles, rather than 140. I had, up until recently, been running the Cobra "peace pipe" and It was pretty good, but the tip of the pipe was always black/sooty, indicating too rich a mixture. I installed a stock system about a month or so ago, and this seems to be the missing piece to the puzzle. The tips of the 2 pipes inside the fishtail are gray, not black! Last Saturday, I went for a ride to some Vet memorials. I rode 97 miles and used 1.8 gallons of gas...53 mpg! I always shift, if I'm just riding without trying to impress some pony car driver who wants to race, on the whole numbers...20 mph to 2nd, 30 to 3rd, etc. The factory suggested speeds for upshifting are : 1-2, 12 mph, 2-3, 19, 3-4, 25, and 4-5, 31...got this right out of my owner's manual, so take it for what's it's worth.
Posted by ChilliDrift
- November 13, 2012, 08:26:47 AMThat's pretty interesting. I usually get 100 miles on my combined city hi way tank before the light kicks on. I've got V&H long shots baffles removed with a power commander and K&N air filter. On the hi way I get 120 and bingo light. 3 to 3.2 gal. I don't short shift anywhere except; n town. And generally ride it pretty hard on the hi way to get up to speed. I had a chance to ride my friends stock bike and there was a big difference in HP. It was pleasantly quiet. But definitely lacked in horsepower compared to what I was accustomed to.
Posted by DC
- November 13, 2012, 07:47:16 AMIt would be interesting to see a study (gather data and plot) that includes as many variables as possible and record the mileage for city/highway. This would be hard to do though, as everyone rides differently.
Still, a spreadsheet showing the several major exhaust brands (stock, Brand 1, Brand 2, Brand n), intake (stock, Brand 1, Brand 2, Brand n), windshield vs. no windshield, tire brand model and riding pressures, oil (synth or dino), ambient riding air temp, etc., that yield X mileage. This could problably be plotted on a 3D graph and maybe some trends would start to show. In other words, certain combinations of mods or no mods yield better mileage. This would be better than the anecdotal info that we are used to seeing. But then again, it's nice to dream.
Posted by 45 Bravo
- November 13, 2012, 07:12:22 AMFactory exhaust, previous owner removed the cold weather solenoids, no other changes to the factory breathing arrangements.
No power chips, no engine enhancements.
25,000 miles on the bike.
45 Bravo
Posted by DC
- November 13, 2012, 06:38:57 AMJust curious, any intake mods? What exhaust do you have on it?
Posted by 45 Bravo
- November 12, 2012, 23:02:08 PMHello, I know this has been covered before, but while on my long ride to Kentucky i had a lot of time to think about things.
I grew up riding a HD 51 police special of my dads, and i also had a 76 sportster, and a long list of transverse mounted 4 cylinders. I have always short shifted the v twins, i just seems natural that way, and i like the way the inline 4's sound good when revved like they were meant to be.
On here I have heard everyone talking about their mileage, how good it is, how bad it is, and I kept thinking what the correlation between them could be.
On my daily ride to work i ride 1.5 miles exactly each way, 3 or 4 times a week i go out of my way just to make the ride last a little longer.
In this time, i have been short shifting my drifter, and i can count on my bingo fuel light coming on between 63 and 68 miles on the odometer, this commute is in town, with a max speed of 45.
when i fill up it takes about 3.25 gallons every time.
This averages to less than 20mpg in town.
Both before and after the trip i have made concerted efforts to shift at the SUGGESTED shift points, even on the short trips.
I have an app on my phone and ipad that track my mileage and stuff.
During the trip i averaged 45.6mpg, over twice the mileage in town.
During the times that i shifted at the suggested speeds, for the entire tank, in town, the bingo fuel light would come on at 80 - 85 miles on the odometer, and take 3.25 gallons for the fill up.
that puts it in the 25mpg range, in town.
45 Bravo