Increasing mpg with each fill up?

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Larry David
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Increasing mpg with each fill up?

Post by Larry David »

I seem to be getting increased mpg after each fill up. I have done 5 fill ups since I bought the bike and the total miles I have been getting from each fill up had been as follows. 130, 140, 141, 143, 146. The bike wasn't new when I bought it and already had 8000 miles on it. I'm doing the same routes and riding the bike in the same manner. The weight in/on the bike is also always the same. Can anyone explain why I seem to be getting more and more out of each fill up? I have read that this can happen when using the bike from new but it isn't new.
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Re: Increasing mpg with each fill up?

Post by GeezyRider »

Maybe you are stretching your fuel tank out? Seriously, my milage is also improving partly because it is getting broken in and partly because my throttle control is improving. Especially on acceleration.
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Re: Increasing mpg with each fill up?

Post by maddiedog »

Whoa, that's insane gas mileage. My mpg got better after the 1st service, but it didn't steadily rise like that!

I'm unsure, maybe you're riding more conservatively as time goes by, or being gentler on the throttle?
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Previously rides: 2005 V-Strom DL650, 1974 Vespa Ciao, 2011 Honda PCX 170 (tons of mods - takegawa 170cc big bore kit, gears, etc), 1996 Honda Nighthawk 250, 1987 Honda Spree, 2000 KTM 125SX, 2003 Honda Silverwing, 2007 Genuine Buddy 125, 1998 Honda PC800, 2008 Buddy 125 (white), 2008 Buddy 125 (red), 2001 Honda Reflex, 1987 Honda Elite, 1988 Honda Spree, 2007 Yamaha Vino, 2007 Honda Metro, 2x 125cc pure-chinesium dirt bikes
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Re: Increasing mpg with each fill up?

Post by Alibally »

My last two fills were 137 miles, which works out at 116mpg (uk) . Being a bit more gentle on the throttle pulling away makes a difference to my consumption because apart from that the only other thing that's changed is the weather as is hot here at the moment so the warm up time may be shorter.
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Re: Increasing mpg with each fill up?

Post by ScooterKim »

I actually found my mileage a bit decreased. it was 115, 109, now 100 mpg. I installed a larger GIVI windscreen which I am sure added to the decrease. what other factors affect mileage?
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cessna151
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Re: Increasing mpg with each fill up?

Post by cessna151 »

Larry David wrote:I seem to be getting increased mpg after each fill up. I have done 5 fill ups since I bought the bike and the total miles I have been getting from each fill up had been as follows. 130, 140, 141, 143, 146.
Are you saying you run it completely out of gas for each fill up? If not then the mileage on the odometer alone is not accurate enough to know what's really going on. Divide the miles by the gallons for each fill up to give us your actual MPG so we know what it's really doing.
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Larry David
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Re: Increasing mpg with each fill up?

Post by Larry David »

cessna151 wrote:
Larry David wrote:I seem to be getting increased mpg after each fill up. I have done 5 fill ups since I bought the bike and the total miles I have been getting from each fill up had been as follows. 130, 140, 141, 143, 146.
Are you saying you run it completely out of gas for each fill up? If not then the mileage on the odometer alone is not accurate enough to know what's really going on. Divide the miles by the gallons for each fill up to give us your actual MPG so we know what it's really doing.
No, I don't ride it until it runs out of gas. I don't carry a fuel bottle with me. As soon as the last bar starts flashing I ride it about another 10 miles and then fill it up again. I've always done the same. It's not possible to know exactly how many litres of fuel I'm using each time unless I rode it until it was completely dry.
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Re: Increasing mpg with each fill up?

Post by scisor34 »

How hard you twist your right wrist is your answer to increased fuel consumption. I've stated my personal exerience in another topic but I'll say it again. My first few thousand miles I loved going WOT at stop lights, pulling away from common traffic at twice their acceleration rate. This type of riding yielded 85-90mpg. Once I got past the fact I didn't need to show I wasn't a hindrance to the flow of traffic and accelerated at the same rate traffic was, I've consistently gotten 106mpg. Also filling your tank up to the exact same level everytime is the only way you'll get a true mpg rating. Easy on the pump trigger, filling 'er up to where it's just about to overfill every time is crucial for accurate mpg. Adding a bigger windshield will definitely help your mpg and performance, pushing the wind over the majority of your upper body is going to give you better mpg as well as performance.
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Re: Increasing mpg with each fill up?

Post by ScooterKim »

scisor34 wrote: Also filling your tank up to the exact same level every time is the only way you'll get a true mpg rating. Easy on the pump trigger, filling 'er up to where it's just about to overfill every time is crucial for accurate mpg. Adding a bigger windshield will definitely help your mpg and performance, pushing the wind over the majority of your upper body is going to give you better mpg as well as performance.
so, the last time I got gas I was almost dry. the 3 times before I had 2 bars showing. that's probably the answer as to why my gas mileage was less. I usually don't "WOT" it at the lights and stops. I'm NOT a WOT kind of girl. ;)
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Re: Increasing mpg with each fill up?

Post by scisor34 »

When you fill up has no effect on your mpg, the important thing is filling up to the exact same level everytime for an accurate reading. I always fill mine up to the absolute top, to the point that if I tried to put another drop in it would overflow. Glad you're enjoying your PCX as much as I am.
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Re: Increasing mpg with each fill up?

Post by tomtic »

In response to Larry, I have also found my mpg rising in the past few weeks. I think the heatwave we are having in Britain at the moment definitely has something to do with it. I mostly ride rural A/B roads and keep up with other traffic, and I have seen my mpg as high as the 130mpg area. My last 7 fill-ups have seen an average of 127.7 mpg. :D
I am also sure the genuine Honda large screen helps too.
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Re: Increasing mpg with each fill up?

Post by Carpathian hawk »

It is normal; it is about breaking in; what I got:

-0-200 km ........fuel consumption=2,64 L/100 km....~ 93 mileage
-200-300 km.....fuel consumption=2,22 L/100 km.....~107 mileage

I have only 300 km and the maximum speed was 50km/h; next 100 km I will touch 60 km/h...
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Re: Increasing mpg with each fill up?

Post by gn2 »

Ride the thing normally.
There's no need to baby it, just don't do full throttle starts.
You could do more harm than good if you don't give it a bit of a workout.
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Re: Increasing mpg with each fill up?

Post by Carpathian hawk »

You are right GN2!
My problem is to know what is normally in my area.(Bucharest) The town has a very crowded traffic (stop& go facility make me feel comfortably into my mind...). Downtown I can't use more than 45-50 km/h. I can get more speed during the week-end on the routes connecting the satelitte-village of the Bucharest or travelling out.

Do you think is better to give PCX more powerfull to short bursts of acceleration? Here I guess I am to gentle....because is my PCX; when I did the test-drive with PCX125 of the dealer, I use it at the maximum to see what PCX can do; I remember that test vechicule was more vivace then my scooter is now. May be was only the first impression, after my previuous Yamaha Neos 4T 50 which I used downtown. What do you think?
Currently own: 2013 Honda PCX150 red, 2008 Suzuki Burgman 400 red.
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Re: Increasing mpg with each fill up?

Post by Larry David »

Carpathian hawk wrote:It is normal; it is about breaking in; what I got:

-0-200 km ........fuel consumption=2,64 L/100 km....~ 93 mileage
-200-300 km.....fuel consumption=2,22 L/100 km.....~107 mileage

I have only 300 km and the maximum speed was 50km/h; next 100 km I will touch 60 km/h...
As I mentioned in my opening post, I have not had the bike from new. It already had done 8000 miles when I bought it so it was already 'broken in'
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Re: Increasing mpg with each fill up?

Post by Carpathian hawk »

Larry, in your case I guess is about the fact that you more know & feel your scooter and your usually routes, you better accomodate with the PCX and you apply to it your best kind of driving.(The optimisation!)

I am at the third fulfill and I got fuel consumption of 2L/100 km, echivalent of a mileage=119 US MPG.
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Re: Increasing mpg with each fill up?

Post by scootsie »

It is interesting to see the milage others are getting. I own a 2013 PCX 150 with 6000 miles on it. From the 2nd week I owned it, I added the smaller Givi windshield and I think that has helped me average 107mpg over the first 5500 miles. I have since changed the oil to 100% synthetic and since then I am averaging 114mpg which blows me away. This is in Pennsylvania with regular 87 octane no-name Wawa gas. I find it hard to believe going synthetic would increase it by 7mpg, but that's what happened for the last 500 miles; wouldn't be surprised if that drops slightly over time because 114 just seems too unbelievable to maintain.
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Re: Increasing mpg with each fill up?

Post by skuuter »

Hmmmm....I get no where near these mileages with my PCX150....usually in the 84 to 94 MPG Range....104 was Tops, and that was spending a half day putting around twisty State Park Roads with 15-35 MPH Speed Limits, and Lotsa' Park Rangers to ensure the Posted Speeds were met....I always "peak" in mileage after the first service (always done by me) and change to Honda Semi-Synthetic Oil...my PCX150 gets "ever so slightly" better gas mileage than my PCX125 did. I attribute this to less "pegged throttle" required on Trips..... 8)
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Re: Increasing mpg with each fill up?

Post by scootsie »

Sorry ScooterKim, not sure how to reply to you. I am near Philly, 30 miles NW. My son just told me to try 89 octane; you're right...for the price difference it would be worth a test to try. And Skuuter, a buddy of mine told me his scooter's milage dropped off noticeably when he overfilled with too much oil. Probably does not apply to you, but just a thought to consider. I am good with numbers; sure I am accurate. My "worst" tankful over 6000 miles was 105mpg; I wish I knew why yours was different. My smaller Givi windshield helped, but I think only 3-4 mpg. Also I am only 165 lbs. which is on the light side.
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Re: Increasing mpg with each fill up?

Post by ScooterKim »

I'm no expert here but I think that the smaller GIVI windshield helps with a better gas mileage. I could be all wet about this. I get about 105 mpg and with a large GIVI windshield, and I think that's great. that seems to be what I have consistently gotten. I don't think it will change. My route that I travel is flat and I don't gun it. I think Skuuter's travels are probably the coolest: curvy, hilly, and just the best sites anyone could travel. so, that's the trade off. Good background, not as good mileage.

speaking of the small and the large GIVI windshield, I was wondering if and when I got to ride in the rain with my large GIVI... will I still be able to see clearly? how is the distortion level? I can not look over the windshield...
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