Poor Fuel Milage 2007 Nomad

[ba47]

Good Morning

I recently purchased a 2007 Nomad and I am only getting around 30mpg on the highway and 27-28 in town
Moved up to the Nomad from a Shadow 750 that averaged over 50mpg, needless to say I was a little shocked the first time I filled it.

Modifications Stock Pipes Debaffled, got belly removed, K&N Air Filter with no modification to the air intake, DynoJet III processor.

Had it dynoed and the numbers were low 50 HP 81 FT LBS

Other modifications include a Quadzilla Fairing and and a Harley King Tour Pack so more weight than stock.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Dick Strickland
Grand Island NE

[Top Cat]

I would say it has to do with the fuel processor not being adjusted properly.
I have a 2007 Nomad and the debaffle was done,the solenoids removed and other than that the motor and exhaust are stock. No fuel processor and stock air intake. I get 40 to 42 city or highway, it doesn't matter.

[Cajunrider]

Dick, I would start by cleaning the intake ports with carb cleaner spray or sea foam and an old toothbrush. Be sure the K & N is clean and maybe look at the map on your fuel processor. It may be too rich for very little mods. The guys that performed the dyno didn't make any suggestions? How many miles on the bike? Are you pretty aggressive on the throttle?

[ba47]

Thanks for the fast replies, the guy that dynoed the bike did lean out it because it was running a little rich. He has one of the best reputations around. Bike has 20,000 miles.

When you say solenoids removed what do you mean?

Thanks
Dick

[blowndodge]

behind the right dog bowl, there are 2 fast idle solenoids that some remove (real easy) to stop the clatter on start up with them. It makes cold starts a little harder unless you pull the fast idle choke cable out on the left side under the fuel tank.

[trosco]

Dick, I have an 07 with 37,000 miles on. Stock pipes debaffled, the goat bladder is there and untampered with. (that device is important to the motors performance). I have the cobra FI2000R controller on the bike. I have had a hyper charger intake on it but am experimenting with my own design intake right now. In general you can consider my bike to have a low restriction intake.

First there is something very wrong with your bike's setup if it is making low 80's in torque but only low 50's in horse power! In stock form the 1600's make about 62 HP and 82 lbs of torque. The torque peak is around 2500rpm and HP peaks around 5000 rpm. Modified the way it is my bike produces about 64 HP and 85 lbs of torque. Those are pretty common numbers with a controller and intake mod and you should be seeing that from your bike.
For your HP to cut off in the low 50's means you are peaking HP down below 4000 rpm and at 25% less HP than a normal Nomad. And because you are so far down on power in the rpm range that our bikes operate in I would guess that if you fix the performance problem you will also fix the efficiency (fuel mileage) problem.
If I ride secondary roads and state highways and spend most of my time below 70 mph I get 41mpg, if I am doing mostly highways and interstates but running generally 75ish mph then I get 39 mpg but if I am by myself and in the haul a** mode on the interstate and I set the cruise on 84mph then I get 33 mpg.
I'm 6 ft and weigh 270, I ride fairly aggressively but am rarely 2 up. (Wife wants another Goldwing before she comes with me like she used to) I maintain my bike well and I get similar mileage to most folks. One theme I see on all Nomads is that if you ride them hard they use a lot of gas! And a lame as your motor is right now you are riding it hard when you are taking it easy.
Somebody that is on the forum and has PCIII can tell you how to download a generic fuel flow curve to it and you should try that.

[cactusjack]

I think you are running way rich. Another factor could be your riding habits. I don't know, just saying.

I have an '07 with Cobra True Duals, a Cobra FI2000R fuel processor and open intake. I average 38-40 in town and 42-45 on freeways. We have a lot of 75MPH highways out here and my MPG drops to around 35 on those. I have nearly 48k on my bike.

27-28 in town is very low, even for a Nomad.

[ringadingh]

You should be in the low 40's for mpg. If your hp is in the low 50's thats part of the reason for your low mileage, because you have to twist the throttle more to maintain hwy speeds, whereas if you made more power you wouldn't be twisting the throttle as hard. You may need to readjust the fuel processor. As mentioned Id clean the throttle body and run a tank with Seafoam through it to get the mileage back up.

[Jared]

Why are you running a fuel processor? If you have stock pipes and stock intake (KN doesn't count) than you shouldn't need to mess with the fuel.

IMO try removing the PC3 and see how the bike runs without it.

[macmac]

I agree with Trosco.... Something is way out of the norm..... I don't like the no back pressure set up and i never liked the PC III. That K&N is restricted via the cross over tube.

Did you buy the bike this way or did you make it this way?

My bike is set up with a right side only air filter exposed to rain, a TFI, V&H Baggers, coasters, No ISc's, and screems for a Nomad. It will burn rubber leaving a light and it wears a Dunlop SP 5000 car tire too boot.

It never gets less than 40 MPG's.

90% of my riding is 2 up and combined with my wife we weigh 300 pounds.

[blowndodge]

I can do math mac and I'm tellin' yer wife !!!!!!!!

[caddman11]

I too have an 07, Roadhouse pipes and 1/2 caddmann setup with solenoids unhooked. I'm also using a Fi2000 Cobra. When I first setup this combo I was getting 28-32 MPG and I really liked listening to the bike. Now, I keep out of my throttle and below 70mph and get 37-39. If you like a quick pickup or riding at 80, then you'll probably only get about 30; sucks, don't it?

[macmac]

Well I weigh more than her in winter, but we don't ride around heya' in winta'.

Winter is a sort of slack time for hard labor which leans me out in sumah', so it's true she is heavier than me in sumah' but some has to cause earth quakes!

She's a taller gal, so carries it well... I am still working on the beer bra, so she can carry 3....

[blowndodge]

too funny...

[Cajunrider]

Originally Posted by Utah Motorcyclist

Why are you running a fuel processor? If you have stock pipes and stock intake (KN doesn't count) than you shouldn't need to mess with the fuel.

IMO try removing the PC3 and see how the bike runs without it.

Jared, Up in the high country, a stock bike probably doesn't need a fuel processor. Down here in the extreme heat and at sea level, a fuel processor is essentially a must have. Pinging, high engine temperature, and just plain sluggish running demanded a processor on my bike when it was stock. With my current settings, I am getting from 37 - 42 mpg average riding 2 up. With these settings in the high country my mpg drops into the 24 - 30 range due to the thinner air. I had to lean it out in Custer last year because of constant decel backfiring and very poor economy. After leaning it out my mpg went back up into the 30's riding 2 up and pulling the trailer. Upon arriving back home I had to richen it up again because of sluggish performance.