gregsfc
New Member
I recently competed in the 2014 AMA Vintage Days Vetter Fuel Economy Challenge in Lexington, OH with my 2014 CTX700 standard transmission and brakes with a 12" Madstad adjustable screen, a removed muffler with only a straight, 14" 1 1/2" o.d. aluminized pipe extension, and a Dewalt DWST08204 Toughsystem box strapped to the pillion part of the seat directly behind me. The rest of my bike is fully stock. I sure wish there had been some NC700Xs and more stock bikes in the competition, but at least there were some of us there riding with the super-slick, streamlined machines.
I've been riding with this same set up commuting to work and this summer I've been really doing well with respect to fuel economy. I have been averaging around 79 mpg since the temps got warm. Winter time was more like around 70 mpg for my commutes.
Previously, at one of the other Vetter fuel challenges @ Quail, there was a brand-new, decked-out NC700XD in the competition that finished the contest at around 70.5 mpg. I felt like our power train could far exceed that number and I was hoping through tucking and keeping myself in a high gear with the straight-shift version of this bike, I could come in around 80-85 and really show what this bike could do in a real world test.
I don't know what happened. Everything was legitimate, the ride was not all that different than going on a group ride back home except somewhat faster than a group ride, but after riding over 70 miles, I still had not lost a bar on the fuel gauge. Evidently the tucking on the highway stretches was making a big difference. When I got to the end and pulled into the station @ 150.1 on my odometer, I had lost only two bars and knew that I had the best tank I'd ever had, but I wasn't prepared for what I saw next...I filled up the tank, and it took only 1.512 gallons. I applied my normal 2.3% odometer error and came up with 97 mpg. But the official results improved on my own records, because they decided that our distance was 154, and thus my number came out @ 101.81 mpg, which beat a Suzuki DR200 by 20 mpg and all the other stock bikes and scooters by a long shot. This ride was slowed some by traffic, construction and going through some small towns, but it had alot of 60-65 mph stretches and even one interstate stretch @ 70 mph. Alot of stop-and-go, which I thought would have hurt me some.
Here are the results of the event:
2014 Craig Vetter Fuel Economy Challenge, Vintage Days
Notice from the table that I nearly got the same mpg as Craig Vetter himself who rides a streamlined Honda Helix. I missed his score only by 1.5 mpg.
Later on Craig says he will highlight my CTX700 on the above linked page.
Too bad I laid my bike over in Columbus, OH on the way home, but it's already in the shop, and I'm nearly healed too.
I've been riding with this same set up commuting to work and this summer I've been really doing well with respect to fuel economy. I have been averaging around 79 mpg since the temps got warm. Winter time was more like around 70 mpg for my commutes.
Previously, at one of the other Vetter fuel challenges @ Quail, there was a brand-new, decked-out NC700XD in the competition that finished the contest at around 70.5 mpg. I felt like our power train could far exceed that number and I was hoping through tucking and keeping myself in a high gear with the straight-shift version of this bike, I could come in around 80-85 and really show what this bike could do in a real world test.
I don't know what happened. Everything was legitimate, the ride was not all that different than going on a group ride back home except somewhat faster than a group ride, but after riding over 70 miles, I still had not lost a bar on the fuel gauge. Evidently the tucking on the highway stretches was making a big difference. When I got to the end and pulled into the station @ 150.1 on my odometer, I had lost only two bars and knew that I had the best tank I'd ever had, but I wasn't prepared for what I saw next...I filled up the tank, and it took only 1.512 gallons. I applied my normal 2.3% odometer error and came up with 97 mpg. But the official results improved on my own records, because they decided that our distance was 154, and thus my number came out @ 101.81 mpg, which beat a Suzuki DR200 by 20 mpg and all the other stock bikes and scooters by a long shot. This ride was slowed some by traffic, construction and going through some small towns, but it had alot of 60-65 mph stretches and even one interstate stretch @ 70 mph. Alot of stop-and-go, which I thought would have hurt me some.
Here are the results of the event:
2014 Craig Vetter Fuel Economy Challenge, Vintage Days
Notice from the table that I nearly got the same mpg as Craig Vetter himself who rides a streamlined Honda Helix. I missed his score only by 1.5 mpg.
Later on Craig says he will highlight my CTX700 on the above linked page.
Too bad I laid my bike over in Columbus, OH on the way home, but it's already in the shop, and I'm nearly healed too.