Topic: Gas Mileage

[Wingmonk]

I was curious if anyone here keeps records on what their bikes do MPG wise. I was loafin' on the web looking for tidbits and found a site stating that the CB750 series averaged 45 mpg. For you folks overseas is it miles per liter?
  I dug up some old records on mine and noted the best mpg I ever did was 69.34.

  I kept such records as mpg can tell you a lot on how the bike is performing..then again, maybe I was really running very lean..lol. Plugs always looked good however.

  I wonder what a really tuned 500/550 could do, along with the 350/400 version?

  Bob in Colorado

[SteveD CB500F]

Plus don't forget that our gallons are bigger (20%) than yours.

My '72 500:  45mpg on a good day
My '77 550:  60mpg on a good day - boy those K3 carbs are great (just don't try and drive it cold without the choke!)

[Gordon]

I've been averaging 42 in the city and 50 on the highway (at 5000-8000'. Alt.) on my '71 CB750.

[cben750f0]

i get about 155km to reserve...*shrug*... peace

[rob]

Hi everyone,

I usually go ~145km on a tank in the city, and the tank usually takes between 7 and 8 litres to fill, this works out to 19-20km per litre.  Haven't tried highway mileage yet.

Rob

[keith64]

receintly checked my 74" CB 750 with 37,000 miles and had 42 mpg.

[78 k550]

Hey All,
 I just figured out my mileage. 57 mpg, lots better than my Honcho at 11.9

Paul

[74cb750]

Not bad. I just figured my cb750 gets like maybe 35mpg. I wonder if it has anything to do with the burnouts, wheelies and general bad driving habits of my wife? Hey, I gotta blame somebody.

[Philly550K1]

you're getting 57 with a 550?  what sprockets?

[SteveD CB500F]

This has appeared in many threads (and always will, I suspect)

My 550K3 averages 55mpg and has run over 60mpg in the past.  The difference is in the lean carbs they fitted to the post-77 models (Keihin PD046 - see other threads) - takes forever to warm up though!

My 500 does about 45mpg

And don't forget these are UK gallons (who said everything is bigger in the US?)

[MetalHead550]

Wouldnt lean carbs warm the bike up faster?  How the hell do you guys get that kinda gas mileage on your 550s!?  Best I can get is 37 mpg and thats with stock sprockets and a well tuned, very solid engine with 17k on it.  I run the 91 octane with 10% ethanol since its cheaper than the 89 right now and 90% of my miles are on highways and freeways so my rpms are usually up there.  Mabey that has alot to do with it.  You guys must put around town like grandmas!

[SteveD CB500F]

I guess 55mpg(UK) is 44mpg(US) given our gallon is 20% bigger than yours.  I assume our miles are the same

Well, I don't thrash everywhere but I wouldn't say I hang around - it sounds too good at over 6000rpm.

I must admit the 60mpg was on a run with a group of 125s - I just poodled along in top at 55mph!

[78 k550]

 I'll get a count on the sprockets. Changing my chain tonight I think my bike has the original one piece chain. I can't find a master.

[jbailey]

I have a 1975 CB550K1 basically stock, but aftermarket exhaust.  I replaced the rear sprocket with a 34.  I also installed NGK iridiums, a unifilter, set the valves and set the timing with a timing light.  The biggest differance is the timing.  Static setting seems to off a few degrees.

Anyway, I'm now getting about 50 mpg (US) average.  I got 53.4 on the last tank with mostly 60-70 MPH driving.

Last year I got 35 or 36 MPG on a regular basis.  I have no idea what made the big change, but I'm not complaining.

[Philly550K1]

you were getting 35 mpg, then changed the sprocket (as well as all the other stuff) and got 50 mpg?  that makes sense.  not sure that's what you meant, though.

science!

[jbailey]

Guess I wasn't real clear, but yes, I got about 35-36 MPG last year and after the changes, I now get 50-53 MPG.  What do you think made the most improvement?

[Philly550K1]

sprocket, by far, i would think - it's like adding overdrive.  it all helps, naturally.  i went from about 34 mpg to 37 after doing just tappets and timing.  i have pretty much the stock sprocket ratio, and i cruise at 75-80 about half the time....

-jc

[Spear]

Despite the fact my motor is 812 cc and everything else is standard, I get 60mpg on a trip sitting on 60-65 mph - with some minor hills included. For the information of the Aussies, I did that in the first weekend of April 2004 from Dubbo to Nelson Bay, Nelson Bay and return via Gloucester (Buckett's Way), Nabiac and Forster-Tuncurry - then Nelson Bay back to Dubbo (via Maitland and Dunedoo both ways).  Also had a full load - 2 big carry bags on the back.

[low-side]

My 750K5 (also modified a bit but with stock gearing) gets 35mpg folgging it around town and about 45mpg on the highway.

[rob]

hey everyone,

I kept a much closer eye on my tank this time through, and also tried to see how much milleage I could get from a tank, as I dont know what its volume is.

I got 210 km for 10 litres of gas.  For you yanks, that works out to 130 miles in 2.6 gallons.  Works out to 50 miles per gallon.  This was mostly city cruising, not much stop and go traffic, little bit of highway.  There was a little bit of tank sloshing around the tank when I filled up, so I figure that the tank volume might be 11 litres or so.

Rob

[Wingmonk]

I was curious if anyone here keeps records on what their bikes do MPG wise. I was loafin' on the web looking for tidbits and found a site stating that the CB750 series averaged 45 mpg. For you folks overseas is it miles per liter?
  I dug up some old records on mine and noted the best mpg I ever did was 69.34.

  I kept such records as mpg can tell you a lot on how the bike is performing..then again, maybe I was really running very lean..lol. Plugs always looked good however.

  I wonder what a really tuned 500/550 could do, along with the 350/400 version?

  Bob in Colorado

 I guess I should have mentiond that my record keeping was only on highway trips, so that explains the 69.34 mpg figure. I never kept records for town stuff.
 Just figured I better explain myself so someone out there won't be pullin out their hair wondering why their bike sucks gas so bad.
 Also, on highway trips I used to have a big ugly ass full frame fairing and when I complete my bike I will be curious on how a no-fairing machine will fare.

 Bob in Colorado

[78 k550]

Just did this last week.
 57 mpg.

[CB750K8]

I was curious if anyone here keeps records on what their bikes do MPG wise. I was loafin' on the web looking for tidbits and found a site stating that the CB750 series averaged 45 mpg. For you folks overseas is it miles per liter?
  I dug up some old records on mine and noted the best mpg I ever did was 69.34.

  I kept such records as mpg can tell you a lot on how the bike is performing..then again, maybe I was really running very lean..lol. Plugs always looked good however.

  I wonder what a really tuned 500/550 could do, along with the 350/400 version?

  Bob in Colorado

Reading all the posts saying 50 plus mpg, I wonder how you are riding.  Downhill with a tail wind?  i don't ride with a thought to gas mileage, I consider the red line is where you should shift so my mileage is not great.  I would be excited if i got 30 mpg.  I know that last summer on the LAX to New Orleans Easy Rider Ride, I would go on reserve at about 140 miles but that would vary based on whether we were in the Rockies or the deserts of New Mexico/Texas... 

Ride it like you stole it!!
Elwood

[lordmartin]

I just returned from a 3 year 21,000 mile trip around the USA. Most of that with camping gear strapped to the bike.
I kept a log of all the gas when I was on the road and averaged 46 mpg and my bike runs rich. I could have got a lot more if it didn't.

[Mikeshonda750F]

Heh 75 750 with a mix of highway cruising, in town riding and haulin ass through the curves at 7kRPM... roughly 25MPG. at 104Miles i ran onto reserve from a full tank = ) changed the mainjets and needles lastnight.