fuel range on vaquero

[coach]

so first i believe the range numbers that the display shows is full of crap unless it shows till empty. i was riding and it showed that i had 60 more miles to go but the needle was all the way down and FUEL kept on blinking. i gassed up 4.25 gallons and only had 125 miles on the bike.
secondly, this sucks, im only getting 30 miles per gallon. is that normal? do i need to add the fuel processor and all the other stuff to get better gas milage? right now my bike is all stock. please help

coach

[recumbentbob]

If you only have a total of 125 miles on a new bike it needs to get broken in b4 you get any kind of gas mileage. ,
Check it again at 5000 miles

[HwyRider]

You only need a fuel processor if you change the air intake. Anyone that tells you any different is full of it. Once your bike is broken in you should get 40-42 mpg.

[xlock]

I'm getting just under 40 mpg with 600 miles on the odometer. I'm running intake/slip ons/EJK so not exactly apples to apples.

[Old Bear]

First off, do not believe the lie-o-meter. You are guaranteed that the speedometer and odometer are both off by a significant amount. I purchased an electronic calibrator and adjusted my speedometer to match a GPS on level, straight and flat highway. The odometer however, is still off. No way to adjust it independent of the speedometer. In short, even once broken in, determine your mileage the old fashioned way, using a route that you know the distance of.
The flashing "FUEL" comes on around 40 miles remaining, but that is based on instant mileage readout (which you can't see), not the average. On more than one occasion I have been buzzing down the Interstate and have the FUEL start flashing. I get off at my exit, and the display goes back to normal. I can ride twenty more minutes clear across town at city speeds before the FUEL starts flashing again.

[Peg]

I guess I'm full of it then? I'd say it's worth adding a fuel controller to an otherwise stock bike, and I did so on both my Nomad and then my Voyager. These bikes are extremely lean from the factory to meet emision standards, so a little more fuel will help from the get go. Pipes and air will further improve both performance and fuel economy.

[redjay]

The difference between a stock 1700 and a 1700 with an aftermarket fuel processor and air intake is like night and day, no comparison.

The 1700 comes from the factory with asthma and the mods allow the bike to breathe.

[HwyRider]

I get 40-42 mpg on my bike with no fuel processor. Where is the benefit of a fuel processor when it comes to mpg.?

[redjay]

I get 40-42 mpg on my bike with no fuel processor. Where is the benefit of a fuel processor when it comes to mpg.?

There might not be much benefit of a fuel processor to increase fuel mileage but the bike runs so much better at any given speed.

The fuel processor and modified intake transforms the 1700 into a much more enjoyable bike to ride.

The bike ran cooler and way better after the mods. Fuel mileage did not suffer.

[HwyRider]

But this post is about fuel mileage.

[Top Cat]

But this post is about fuel mileage.

Have you ever seen a thread on this forum stay on topic :D

[redjay]

The OP asked if he needed to add a fuel processor. I think I answered his question, and yours ?

[HwyRider]

Yep.

There might not be much benefit of a fuel processor to increase fuel mileage.

[CBO Vaquero]

My Vaquero started out with really bad mileage but it does get better when she's broken in. I now have close to 1400 miles and it's right around 39-40 mpg and that all local riding with no long trips yet. Bone stock with a taller windshield.

[captj3]

so first i believe the range numbers that the display shows is full of crap unless it shows till empty. i was riding and it showed that i had 60 more miles to go but the needle was all the way down and FUEL kept on blinking. i gassed up 4.25 gallons and only had 125 miles on the bike.
secondly, this sucks, im only getting 30 miles per gallon. is that normal? do i need to add the fuel processor and all the other stuff to get better gas milage? right now my bike is all stock. please help

coach

Despite what everyone else will say here as to how many miles per gallon they get I'll chime in. I get the same mileage you are complaining about since the bike was new 30mpg. That is with the big 3 installed. The bike run so much better now compared to factory set up. The best mileage I ever got with the vaquero is 34 mpg, it rated at 36mpg from kawasaki. The only wat I was able to achieve this was by really concentrating on riding and shifting like grandma on Quaaludes. :lmao: I gave up on it and ride it from station to station. My normal fill up when the light comes on is around 4.3 gallons@130 miles on the tank which is normal for me. You will have 1 gallon left at this point. I hope this helps.

[smokier]

Greetings coach (http://www.vulcanbagger.com/forums/member.php?u=6870),
My 11 Vaq got about that when new. Now at 6500+ miles I get in the mid forties. Most of that is my learning how to ride her economically. Once got 50.2 indicated and 47.9 actual on a trip where we ran 62 indicated, on level ground and I drove like "Grandma on Quaalude's" for the whole tank. According to the Fuelieo app on my phone, her overall running average is 42.
Completely, bone-dead stock... ZERO mods that would impact mileage/performance.
Well, one. I replaced the windshield with a ClearView medium (10"), so a little more wind resistance...
Smokier

[captj3]

I feel honored I was quoted...lol Thanks!

[rick6375]

I bought both of my bikes new, the 05 800 Classic, and it picked up 5mpg after a couple thousand miles. The Voyager was getting about 33mpg when new, but am now getting 38-39 on the highway at 65-70, and 36 in stop n go commuting to and from work. The AvgMpg display will lie to you, saying better than you are getting, but gets closer the longer before resetting it.

[Peg]

My fuel economy improved with the addition of a fuel processor on both the Nomad, and the Voyager. Plus I was able to use a lower grade (cheaper) fuel without ping. I tune it for fuel economy as the priority, tested and improved with the assistance of a fuel app on my phone - FuelLog. I think it's simply that the bike is now more fuel efficient.

But then HwyRider say's I'm "full of it", so your results may vary. :D

[HwyRider]

I didn't single anyone out. It was a broad based comment that you evidently took personally.

[HwyRider]

This is straight from Dobek.

Fuel mileage and achieving the best performance usually ends up being a compromise one way or the other. Most vehicles already come a little lean from the factory to achieve the best fuel mileage and to pass emissions. When you start modifying your vehicle then most of the time you lean out the fuel mixture even more. To tune your vehicle and have it operate smoothly you will end up adding fuel. Adding fuel to achieve the best performance tends to result in lower fuel mileage. In rare instances though some riders may experience an increase in fuel mileage.

[HwyRider]

I guess you must be one of the rare instances Peg.

[RACNRAY]

First off, do not believe the lie-o-meter. You are guaranteed that the speedometer and odometer are both off by a significant amount. I purchased an electronic calibrator and adjusted my speedometer to match a GPS on level, straight and flat highway. The odometer however, is still off. No way to adjust it independent of the speedometer. In short, even once broken in, determine your mileage the old fashioned way, using a route that you know the distance of.
The flashing "FUEL" comes on around 40 miles remaining, but that is based on instant mileage readout (which you can't see), not the average. On more than one occasion I have been buzzing down the Interstate and have the FUEL start flashing. I get off at my exit, and the display goes back to normal. I can ride twenty more minutes clear across town at city speeds before the FUEL starts flashing again.

YEP ON ALL ACCOUNTS JERRY...when I'm low on fuel a hard stop, hard acceleration or a sharp turn will get the "low fuel" display on just for it to turn off shortly after.

I have also found the necessity due to inaccurate odo/mpg readouts on the dash to rely solely on the trip function of a GPS to document the miles traveled on a tank of fuel. The only inconsistency left in the calculation of mpg is the accuracy of the gallons pumped, we hope they are accurate.

With a mix of local hiway and city driving I have been averaging 42-43 mpg. On those tanks the mpg display on the skoot can display 2-3 mpg higher than calculated with a GPS.

I filled up last nite with 220.7 mls showing on the GPS taking 4.894 gllns which calculates out to 45.1 mpg, yet the skoots display showed 47.4.

It is a fact that ANYONE with the least bit interest in knowing true mpg use a GPS to monitor miles traveled and calculate gallons used at fill-up.

RACNRAY

[coach]

thank you for the insight guys. i have 2200 miles on the bike and i ride in chicago so lots of stop and go. im going to ride to new york in two weeks so ill see the miles for the long ride. again thank you for all the insight

[hlknvlcn60]

I have achieved with the big 3 and around 7500 miles now 168 miles before pulling into the pump. the gauge seems to go down faster than it should, but the light still hadn't come on yet. But...that was out there in the desert running 6th gear at around 75-80 steadily. Around town the mpg goes right down running through the tranny, even granny shifting.

[rick6375]

I'm on a site that tracks your MPG, and a couple of other members in the motorcycle forum say they get better mpg by accerating up to speed quicker rather than very easy. I cant verify this, but something else to try, and it more fun to get to speed quicker, just dont get to heavy on the throttle.

[hlknvlcn60]

Haha....always tempting to get on the throttle but these 17's get going just fine without the need for FWO...all that torque and short shifting at half open gets me going just fine.

[Lumberjack]

Fuel/ping is my hope in running a fuel processor too and will pay for itself down the road. Not to mention minimize exhaust popping.

My fuel economy improved with the addition of a fuel processor on both the Nomad, and the Voyager. Plus I was able to use a lower grade (cheaper) fuel without ping. I tune it for fuel economy as the priority, tested and improved with the assistance of a fuel app on my phone - FuelLog. I think it's simply that the bike is now more fuel efficient.

But then HwyRider say's I'm "full of it", so your results may vary. :D

[Scootergptx]

When I rode the bike home from the dealer, the display was showing 28mpg. Wasn't real happy about that, but saw here where people were getting anywhere from 38 to 45. Didn't help much. But as I rode it more, the mpg kept going up. On the 4th tank of gas and it's up to 39.2 now. My old C90 was a lot lighter than this bike and I was getting right at 40 on it. So if it doesn't go up any more, I'll still be happy.

[RACNRAY]

As of right now the most miles on a tank of gas going by my GPS was 251 miles, this was on a non windy day at nice speeds on 45-70 mph all on open roads, minimal stops and only about 3-5 miles in city traffic.

RACNRAY

[hlknvlcn60]

I agree.....with the big 3 my Vaquero runs much better, stronger, faster and cooler and with noticeably more gusto. I can run about 160 miles or so out here in the high desert at cruising speeds before my sweat glands open up for fueling paranoia. I found out it was all about getting my tuner right and as antiquated as my Cobra FI200R tri-pot tuner is, the thing works if you follow the instructions. I can muster up to 40 MPG cruising.

[coach]

i now have 5000 miles on mine and still about 30 miles per gallon. hope to put big 3 mods this winter but really frustrated with this right now. still love the bike.

[jjkvl]

My 2011 Vaquero gets about 38 mpg according to the bike's odometer with 3/4 highway and 1/4 city miles and riding alone. Everything is stock except a taller windshield and I don't drive too aggressively. Tires inflated to recommended level. I fill up alternatively with 89 and 91 octane gas.