TT 850 fuel mileage

[rudyr]

I road up to Sturgis sd. Today. Low side 16 to 17 high 52 mpg.@ 85 to 95 mph carrying about 300 lb. I got 16 to 17 mpg that is for most of SD. Now under 75 mph 40,50 mpg. Took about 16 hr. & 1100 miles app.Rudy

[Tusayan]

I road up to Sturgis sd. Today. Low side 16 to 17 high 52 mpg.@ 85 to 95 mph carrying about 300 lb. I got 16 to 17 mpg that is for most of SD. Now under 75 mph 40,50 mpg. Took about 16 hr. & 1100 miles app.Rudy

Yes, V85TT fuel consumption seems strongly influenced by speed, as expected, but it’s even more so than you might expect.  I have seen entire tanks consumed at between low 30s and high 50s mpg average depending on road speed and headwind.

[Huzo]

On new year’s day of this year, I relied on a servo that ultimately was not open..
I ran out of fuel at 504 km, 8 km short of the next servo. I had been at 110 km for most of that leg before I hit the closed station.

[guzziart]

Yes, V85TT fuel consumption seems strongly influenced by speed, as expected, but it’s even more so than you might expect.  I have seen entire tanks consumed at between low 30s and high 50s mpg average depending on road speed and headwind.

Agreed.  I experienced the same on my 650 Wee Strom...low 30's doing 90mph running with big GS's, I guess that's why BMW puts an 8.5 gallon tank on that bike.  The Strom typically gets low 50's to low 60mpg at speeds 55-70.

[blu guzz]

i road from northern kentucky to cedar vale kansas in may.  seemed to be headwinds in both directions, how special is that. three cases full plus large duffel across the back seat and the winter big cal-sci windscreen, 75-80 mph.  before the first stop, my computer scared the crap out of me with estimates of around 32 to 34.  we made an earlier than usual stop because of this and found that when the gas had been pumped, it was getting more like 42, which i found acceptable given the conditions and also meant a comfortable 120-150 miles between stops.  there is no shortage of gas stops near interstates east of the mississippi. 

[JJ]

Is it just me...or does that 850TT seem a little...."THIRSTY?!?"

[rudyr]

Got feed the horses.Rudy

[Old Jock]

Nope 16-17mpg, then seen others agreeing I was just thinking WOW!!

Don't think I'd seen anything like that since the Kawa H1 days

[Solorider73]

My V85TT get 45 - 55 mpg for my normal riding. At 80mph indicated on the speedo the computer shows low 30mpg. I’ve never checked it for accuracy but my fuel gauge seems to drop faster than normal or it could be me worrying. It might also be MG being conservative on the calculation, similar to having a 1.5 gallon reserve.

[PJPR01]

Got feed the horses.Rudy

There's not that many horses to feed.  I can't imagine why you'd get 16 mpg....unless you had a 60 mph headwind to plow into, or was the 300 lbs including a parachute dragging off the back of the bike?

Send pics Rudy!  Need to see the V85 kicking up some dust up north!

[Tusayan]

Is it just me...or does that 850TT seem a little...."THIRSTY?!?"

Depends....  I rode mine two-up from Monterey CA to Cambria and got almost 60 mpg on that ride, which is moderate in speed with few stops.  At that rate you could do 300 miles with reserve before filling up.

On an earlier ride at 75 mph or so with a strong headwind, I got 32 mpg overall for the tank with 27 mpg showing on the display for long continuous periods and the fuel gauge dropping fast.  On most tanks I can make it 250 miles with enough left in reserve, on that one it was something like 160 miles if memory serves.

My BMW R100GS will get similar (low) mileage when riding at a steady 85 mph, as I have ridden it in Europe from Rome to Austria in a day.  It normally gets maybe 41 mpg, but you can push it down into the low 30s at speed.

[elvisboy77]

I get anywhere from about 40 to about 50 MPG.  I really don't pay much attention to that other than knowing approximate range.

If I wanted good gas mileage I would get a Honda Super Cub 125- 100 MPG.

[rudyr]

I don’t think their was head wind at the time looked at 16 to 17 mpg. But that said the we get on 90. Gas may not be 91 oct. but have wondered about that, it’s all about money during Sturgis. One day tent camping is $15 the next day it went $35. I will try to take a picture when I load up.Rudy

[twowheeladdict]

Is it just me...or does that 850TT seem a little...."THIRSTY?!?"

Aerodynamics of a brick. Actually worse than a brick.   That is why adventure bikes don’t make fuel efficient interstate bikes.

[Huzo]

Aerodynamics of a brick. Actually worse than a brick.   That is why adventure bikes don’t make fuel efficient interstate bikes.

You don’t think 504 km on 23 litres is comparatively good ?
That’s what this one did

[rudyr]

I was thinking I filled up chamberion sd then at some town judo something and then just out side of Rapied city sd. I payed all with a card car so when I get the bill. I would to how much gas in sd. I know I filled up Sioux fall & one other spot. Rudy

[DesertPilot]

Here on SF Bay area fun roads, boring roads, and freeways, I've been routinely getting better than 50 mph at speeds below 80.  When I want to go faster than 80 I ride the Ducati.

[Chuck in Indiana]

I've been reading this thread and I think I have the answer. It is not hard to get the "current mpg" reading to show 17. But the "average mpg" reading is another story all together. My car, Stelvio, and V7III, can all show a low indication if you look at the current reading when accelerating. In reality, my car gets 36 average, 45 on the Stelvio, and 60 on back roads on the V7III Beetle equipped map.

Rudy, I think you are looking at the wrong reading.

John Henry

Yeah, it is Shirley  not getting 17 for a whole tank. The worse I've ever had was on the Jack-All rig loaded down out west bucking a 30 +knot headwind. Around 30. Maybe high 20s. A guy on a Goldwing with a trailer came over at a gas station and asked what kind of mileage I was getting. When I told him, he said, "Whew.. I feel better now. I thought something was wrong with my bike."

[Tusayan]

About 35 years ago I was a track day with a Honda 750 Interceptor…. After a couple of sessions I topped it off… 15 mpg.  Like everything else it got in the 40s in normal service.

[rudyr]

I’m home took 17 hr. To get home but never ran over 89 mph.  1 hr. more than when I went up but I went a Littel faster going up.  Questions when does the v85 computer set the barometric pressure?  When the key turned on? My gas mileage got better the farther south I came. 28 29 @ 89 coming across SD. 31 32 mph in Ar. Rudy

[vibr8r]

Wind resistance increases at the square of the increase in speed.  If you double your speed from 45 to 90, you get 4 times the wind resistance.