V7 Gas Mileage

[OlDogface]

This data is for between 400 miles and 1,400 on the odometer of my '13 V7 Stone riding a mix of city, country and highway in the rolling hills of south central Pennsylvania near posted speed limit with moderate acceleration and stopping. (No speeding tickets in 10+ years but I do tend to stay in passing lane.):

MPG/tank:
46.2
43.3
47.9
47.6
50.3
47.6
48.9
50.9
46.8

High MPG:   50.9
Average MPG:   47.8
Low MPG:    43.3


Average miles/fill: 122 (...old habits die hard. My last bike could do 100 miles on the primary and 20 on reserve. I know this one can go much further.)
Average gallons to fill:  2.575

[Kev m]

Wow, sometimes I wonder if has formulation is different or is it's just the hills vs the flat.

I only had my V7 in PA (Chester County area) for about a year before we moved here to the land of flat and straight.

I seen to remember lower mpg averages in PA, but I can't nail the exact.

Here in NJ I've been getting a good 48-54 mpg for the last two years.

I don't think I've ever gotten less than 46, and that was probably PA the dead of winter.

[Ncdan]

I recently got an 07 Calvin. The bike was in near mint condition with only 5400 miles. Everything stock factory, no fuel air app upgrades. My first tank I checked of ridding short rides around the countryside, I got 46mpg. I guess this must be pretty much what I can expect to get most of the time , right?

[SmithSwede]

I consistently get about 41 to 42 mpg on my 13 Stone. 

Always with 30 liter Hepco Becker saddle bags.  Plus my potato sack body. 

And constant 80 to 85 mph interstate cruising and "spirited" acceleration.   

Which seems to be a constant.  I get about the same with Kawasaki 250 Ninja, constant revs, potato sack body.   Now Triumph Street Triple is turning in about the same

[Hymes Inc.]

You guy's numbers seem pretty consistent. With Wymple as my witness my first tank from full was 177 miles 3.1 gal. 57mpg. Second fill up was 186 miles 3.4 gal. 54.7mpg. Third was 118 miles 2 gal. 59mpg. This is a bone stock 13 special with hepco bags and a small windscreen. Mix of highway and city, both days were fairly windy.

[Kev m]

Ncdan, your Cali is a completely different beast. I rarely got better than 44ish on mine.

Smith, your numbers sound freakishly low, but I rarely exceed 70 for any length of time. Still, it's rare I'm below 50 and then I'm pissed.

[Triple Jim]

I get about the same with Kawasaki 250 Ninja, constant revs, potato sack body. 

Holy crap!  I get low-mid 60s with my Ninja 250, and my daughter gets close to 70!  We'll ride together, her on the 250 and me on the Mille, and we'll need to stop for gas at about the same time, with 300 miles on the trip odometers.
 
What I really don't understand is why modern motorcycles with computer controlled fuel injection don't get as far per gallon as my '89 Mille GT.  It normally is in the low-mid 50s.

[Tom H]

Fuel mileage is a weird thing.

My all electronic FI '04 Cali EVT is getting about 42mpg on a 120mile run of mainly freeway riding. On the same 120 mile run, my '72 carbed Police Eldo gets between 42-44mpg. Both use for the miles 2.8-3.0 USG.

On the other hand, my '70 Police Ambo uses 3.5-3.8 for the same run. I think I need to do some carb work?

Tom

[Mr Pootle]

I'll not confuse things by giving mpg. UK gallons are bigger than the US ones, and it's too early in the day for me to be converting them. Suffice it to say that I get around 200 miles to the tankful.

[Kev m]

I'll not confuse things by giving mpg. UK gallons are bigger than the US ones, and it's too early in the day for me to be converting them. Suffice it to say that I get around 200 miles to the tankful.

Hell my low fuel light doesn't even come on until 200 miles, so I usually get more like at least 250 out of a tank and 275 is not unheard of.

Holy crap!  I get low-mid 60s with my Ninja 250, and my daughter gets close to 70!  We'll ride together, her on the 250 and me on the Mille, and we'll need to stop for gas at about the same time, with 300 miles on the trip odometers.
 
What I really don't understand is why modern motorcycles with computer controlled fuel injection don't get as far per gallon as my '89 Mille GT.  It normally is in the low-mid 50s.

I think there are probably multiple factors contributing to it:

1. Power, often the more modern bike is making more power and that's just going to use more fuel.

2. Throttle response is quicker on most EFI and that can translate into differences in riding style (more frequent/more aggressive acceleration).

3. Efficiency. Sometimes anti-pollution regulations miss the forest for the trees concentrating on the wrong conditions and meeting those standards may reduce pollution but may also harm efficiency at certain points in the map.

Also related to these points is the fact that a carb is set linearly drawing fuel based on vacuum. But if it's jetted lean then it runs lean in all conditions use that jet. Granted it could be leaner at idle and richer on the main.

An EFI system can go from dangerously lean in closed-loop to absolute pig rich at WOT and I think ultimately is often set to respond more to rider input because of that.

[jas67]

Between my two V7's ('14 V7 Special, '13 V7 Racer), I average about 50 MPG.   Most of my riding is commuting, only 15 miles each way, so, a good percentage of that time is warming up, esp. in cooler weather.

On longer rides, I get better.    I did two 300+ miles days in August with full top case and side cases, and averaged 57 MPG.   And this was in moderately hilly country.

Like Kev M, I spend most of the time on my V7's between 50 and 70 MPH.

[OlDogface]

A couple of other data points after reading your comments:  I am 5'10" and weight 160 lbs with a solid athletic build. Luggage consists of a Tourmaster Elite Tailbag on the pillion and a Willie & Max toolbag on the fork. I normally carry a few small tools (combo screwdriver, tire gauge, & full set of hex wrenches), laptop, lunch, and gym clothes every day. Add more clothes, a small Trangia stove, and an Areopress if touring. The data above includes a ~400 mile overnight tour.

No windshield or other deflectors. My commute is 13.8 miles each way and includes a mix of interstate (2 miles), two lane highway (8 miles), country road (2 miles), and city (2 miles stop/go). Average overall commuting speed is probably around 45 mph based on my car which has a function for average speed/trip. Usual clothing consists of a full face modular helmet, leather jacket (with high-vis vest if dark out), jeans/Dockers, boots and gloves. The vest does tend to parachute a bit. When touring I switch to a textile Cortech jacket and overpants set which doubles as raingear.

[Kev m]

Since we're confessing I'm a svelte (ha ha) 225, and got mid 50's on those 300+ mile days this summer with Jay. I was running a pair of 30L HB sidecases and a 45L HB topcase all loaded to the brim and run with a Dart Marlin flyscreen.

[Mr Pootle]

That's 200 miles from full to light coming on also. I've never dared right to the end. How far do you get when that light comes on?

[Kev m]

That's 200 miles from full to light coming on also. I've never dared right to the end. How far do you get when that light comes on?

The light comes on these days somewhere around at least 200 miles, and if I pull over right away it will take exactly 4 US gallons. Which means I know that I'm getting at least 50 mpg at that point (more the higher the mileage is above 200 when the light comes on) and that I have AT LEAST 1 usable US gallon of fuel left.

Meaning IF the light comes on at only 200 miles I KNOW I can at LEAST get to 250.

If it comes on later, say 220, then I KNOW I can get past 270 miles.

etc.

[lucydad2]

2012 V7R right at 48-50 mpg.  I weight in at 164 pounds.

Run the hell out of it.  Use Shell premium.

Great bike.  Fill it at around 100 miles on trip ODO, no idea what real range is as I hate running out of gas.

Triumph 675 Triple all over the place on mileage.  Really depends on how much I push it.

[Dofin]

2015 V7 stone with 12K miles, I have a National full wind screen with lowers, simi soft bags and a small tail case.  The lowest mileage I get is when I am loaded for tent camping and on the interstate a 75-80 mph, 47mpg.  Just myself (190lbs) fairing and the tail bag I get 50-52 mpg.  I always use 91-93 oct fuel. 

[Testarossa]

Over the last ten years my 850T averaged 45 mpg (US). The Mille does the same (over the first dozen fills) but corrected for odometer error, 42.5.  Both with stock sea-level jetting, 91 octane 10% ethanol gas, K&N pods and the same fairing. That gives me reserve at 200 miles and 250 range. I'd like to know how to get 50 mpg on the Mille without running dangerously lean.