Farkles, winter gas, and MPG

[mcook]

In the couple of months since installing the Puig touring screen and Barkbusters hand guards, I've noticed a consistent drop in mileage, with an 8-tank average at 60. The first two 8-tank groups late last summer, when I got the bike, averaged 63 mpg. (Non-DCT bike.) I should mention that I've been running the tail trunk more often lately as well.

I realize it's a small change but it's clearly there. It'll be interesting to see what happens when we switch away from our winter gas here in CA.

Anyone else noticed seasonal variations?

 

[bamamate]

My truck drops 3-4 mpg during the winter and I've seen the same thing on the bike. From mid 60s in Sept when I got the bike to low 60s now.

 

[ziggie]

I haven't checked per tank.but i seem to lose one bar on the gauge every 50 miles.at next fill up i will have to keep track of it and find out what im getting.

 

[daveyharr]

I have a friend that works for a fuel delivery company and he said they put more additives in the gas during winter months which means less MPG.

 

[JDE]

Yeah, I was getting 65mpgs avg. Now about 60 is what I get as well. Got 56mpgs on one tank a couple tanks ago and actually ran out of gas because my fuel gauge is off and at the 65mpgs I was getting before I should have made it to the next station where I planned on filling up.

 

[frozenpoet]

if ask I'm doing is going to school, 8 miles one way, my mpg sucks. longer rides it does better.

 

[Rocker66]

I don't know if they put extra additives in over here. I have certainly never heard of it. Maybe because our tempretures don't vary enough

 

[AZ_Ed]

So far I have mainly been using mine for a weekly "Sunday" drive. I have 3650 miles on it and have been averaging 77 mpg. On 3 full tanks I have been over 80. I have the Calsci medium shield, try to stay out of traffic and ride mostly between 60 and 65 mph. Looking at my gas spreadsheet I don't see an obvious trend and after the fact wouldn't even attempt to correlate for fuel blend, wind and temperature. ed

 

[yticolev]

Coincidentally, I just came from Fuelly looking at mileage reports for the NC. When you go to individual owners, there is a distinct drop around October. Makes sense to me between winter gas and lowered thermal engine efficiency in the winter. My car drops by perhaps 10 percent in the winter.

 

[MZ5]

I read a lot on the internet about winter gasoline and lower mpg. In several years of tracking EVERY tank in all my vehicles, I see no such effect. I do see a gradual decline as winter temperatures drop (or rather, I _did_ when I lived where it was very cold), but I also see a drop as summer temps climb and I'm using the A/C a lot again (remember than winter uses the A/C compressor on a car a lot, too, while the defroster is on). Spring and fall yield me the highest mpg in climates where A/C is regularly used in the summer. Summers show highest mpg where A/C isn't needed or used. The bikes have shown similar trends, though of course summer heat doesn't cause the A/C to come on. LOL!

 

[Jguarfn28]

I got mine in October, so I hope the posts about winter gas are right. I should be getting over 70 during the summer, no problem then.

 

[LA_NC700X]

My bike are stock... Stock windscreen and everything... My MPG has been around 75...

I always knew that a bigger screen will decrease the MPG by a little... Tail bag/trunk another few mpg less... I have not use for any of those so far as I have no need for them yet...