Cali 1400 fuel mileage

[HDGoose]

And we learn who the real riders are, again.

For the folks that provided their fuel mpg experiences, thanks.

For the other folks, well, we may not have much to talk about at rallies.

[Dean Rose]

You could always do what scooter riders do on long trips: carry extra fuel in a can strapped to the bike somewhere!

Speaking of scooters, my new Vespa 300 GTS has been returning more than 70 MPG on average. With its 2.5 gallon fuel tank, it should be good for 175 miles. However, the low fuel light comes on early, and I start to get nervous.

I'd love to get a Cal 1400 Touring, but I'd hate to start worrying about running out of fuel at 150 miles...

I start looking for fuel @ 150 mi when on my '02 EV.

Dean

[HDGoose]

Will consider the Norge or Stelvo now...

[Dean Rose]

Will consider the Norge or Stelvo now...

This ought be very interesting. The only rider who wants to raise the height of a Stelvio.


Dean

[HDGoose]

This ought be very interesting. The only rider who wants to raise the height of a Stelvio.


Dean

Not really 'raising the' level, but putting in springs and damping to suit my weight.

[Lannis]

Not really 'raising the' level, but putting in springs and damping to suit my weight.

I know that you're riding solo now, but Fay and I replaced the front springs, front spring spacers, and complete rear shock and spring on our Stelvio to accommodate a nominal 440 pound two-up people-and-luggage load.   So you're probably in that range somewhere.

If not, I'd probably suggest passing up that last biscuit at the dinner table from now on ... 

Lannis

[Lannis]

But then, I never understood the fascination with fuel efficiency for what, to me, is an expensive toy anyway.

For those of us for whom the bike is our primary mode of transportation, and who don't have unlimited funds with which to fuel it, the difference between 32 and 50 MPG means $1000 a year or so.   

Plus I like to do whatever I can to not just be a greedy user-upper of a limited resource on the "I'll burn all I want because I can afford it and it'll probably last out my time on Earth".    I'm sure I could do more, but maintaining a "fleet mileage" including the cars at my house of 40+ MPG is already doing more than most people do ....

Lannis

[Arizona Wayne]

You could always do what scooter riders do on long trips: carry extra fuel in a can strapped to the bike somewhere!

Speaking of scooters, my new Vespa 300 GTS has been returning more than 70 MPG on average. With its 2.5 gallon fuel tank, it should be good for 175 miles. However, the low fuel light comes on early, and I start to get nervous.

I'd love to get a Cal 1400 Touring, but I'd hate to start worrying about running out of fuel at 150 miles...

My 400 Piaggio MP3 gets 65 mpg loaded(900#) @70 mph, has a 3.2 gal. tank and I carry 1 gal. extra.  You ride places in Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, you better have more range than 160 miles between fillups.    My CX100, Convert., LM IV would easily go over 200 mi. before needing gas.  The newer bikes get the harder it is to find 1s that will.     Part of it is the 10% mpg loss thanks to ethanol.

I put aftermarket/louder mufflers on my 750 Breva and it's mpg has jumped from 50 to 55 mpg.    It has a 4.6 gal. tank but in reality you can only get 4 gal. out of it at a time(in tank fuel pump).

Until you run your tank dry you really don't know it's reserve miles range.  EVs have more reserve range left than you think. 

[Dean Rose]

Not really 'raising the' level, but putting in springs and damping to suit my weight.

Goose you make most of us look small. Maybe you need to post a pic of you on the Lemans you used to have.

Dean

[Chuck in Indiana]

Hey, Gary.. the Lario will do 200 miles between fillups.   

You might look like a circus bear on a bicycle, though..

[Lannis]

Hey, Gary.. the Lario will do 200 miles between fillups.   

You might look like a circus bear on a bicycle, though..

Nothing wrong with bears!   Proud creatures, they are.

One good thing about bigger gas tanks is that it gives you more options when out on a ride.   

I might be riding down a road in a mountain valley toward the end of a day, and I see a road turning off that looks like it twists and turns up the side of the mountain, with potential for new roads and new landscapes.

I look at my gas level.   I have about 30 miles of gas left of my 140 mile capacity.   I know there's gas 10 miles ahead on the valley road, but I've no time to ride there, fill up, and ride back and try this new road.   So I can't go up the new road today, might easily run out of gas ....

But if I had 200 miles of capacity, I KNOW I can find a gas station in 90 miles anywhere in Appalachia, so off I go to new horizons ....

Lannis

[nsmith]

a rear rack and a call to Tour tank . com will take care of that range problem. When hooked up my Breva 1100 will cover over 575 miles with ease. The tank is rated at 5 gal but 5.75 still leaves room for temp expansion. Check um out.

[Arizona Wayne]

a rear rack and a call to Tour tank . com will take care of that range problem. When hooked up my Breva 1100 will cover over 575 miles with ease. The tank is rated at 5 gal but 5.75 still leaves room for temp expansion. Check um out.

Does your Tt gas cap lock?  I know a guy who added a gas tank on the back of his Guzzi and rode it to Alaska.  Filled the extra gas tank before calling it a night in a motel and the next morning it was empty. 

[toaster404]

115 miles on secondary road, 93 octane ethanol gas, average speed 33, 35.9 mpg.

At some point I would really like to see the average at a fillup be at least 40!!!!

On the other hand, it starts giving me dire warnings and empty lights etc WAY too early.  I wonder what's up, pull in, and put 3.6 gallons US in.  5.4 gallon tank!  So if I wanted to run down to 1 gallon, 4.4 gallons at 35 mpg = 154 miles.  Once past the rockies, I'd be carrying a 1.5 gallon can with me. 

Even 40 mpg only gets me 176.

For 200 miles, I'd need to be getting 45 mpg.  On the other hand, on the Interstate at 70 I'm getting in the 40s according to the instrumentation, and at 55 I'm close to 50 mpg, so it might could happen!

[Lannis]

I've never had a bike that would take me 200 miles between fill-ups. Can scarcely imagine it .

My 1981 BMW R65 would go 300 miles on a tank.

My current 1975 Norton Interstate will beat that by about 20 miles .... Very useful.

Lannis

[jdgretz]

I'm another one of those who is spoiled with a 200 mile or better tank on the '07 Norge.  Normally the low fuel light comes on around 215 miles.  It's nice having that cushion when on the road, and if I'm simply burning miles to get to my destination, not having to stop every 140 miles is nice.  My old C-10 Concours would also get around 225 on a tank without problem.

jdg

[Kiwi Dave]

I'd love to get a Cal 1400 Touring, but I'd hate to start worrying about running out of fuel at 150 miles...

So instead you worry about running out @ 200 or 250 miles?  These are worrying times!   

[Zoom Zoom]

I have 16 or 17 hundred miles on the Eldo now. Its mileage estimator is pessimistic. As I just returned home from a long weekend, I can give some input here. On the highway, with the cruise set and doing between 70 and 75, I was getting 41 and change. The last tank I filled on the way home was 45.5. That, BTW, is miles off the GPS by the number of gallons I put in the tank. The dash says less. Phil up at Cleveland Moto also advised I use 89. He said the plugs are burning cleaner with that rather than 91 or 93.

John Henry

[Nick]

Phil up at Cleveland Moto also advised I use 89. He said the plugs are burning cleaner with that rather than 91 or 93.

John Henry

Even if the OM states:"Premium unleaded petrol, minimum octane rating 95 (NORM)
and 85 (NOMM)"
I had read somewhere that 9.5 to 1 and below compression ratios use regular while above that uses premium. The 1400 is 10.5:1

[Zoom Zoom]

Actually my owners manual says 90 octane. I'm not getting any pinging so I'll go with the recommendation for now.

John Henry

[Zoom Zoom]

Page 131 of the manual: "USA unleaded fuel minimum octane rating (R+M)/2 method 90."

John Henry