Any ideas on how to increase fuel mileage

EricGDR · 08-20-2008, 04:02 PM

Hi, I was curious about any possible modifications that could be made to my new '02 VFR that would increase fuel mileage. (New to me, that is.) I'm still a High School student and can definately feel the gas prices depleting my already small budget.
And out of curiosity, what kind of mileage are you getting out of your VFRs?
Any ideas and suggestions are appreciated.

SCraig · 08-20-2008, 04:43 PM

Limit travel on the throttle to about 25%.

Fuel economy is, to a great extent, a function of you and when and where you ride. In town I get about 38mpg. On the interstate I get about 42mpg. On two-lanes, riding semi-hard and enjoying the ride I get nearly 50mpg. Traffic kills gas mileage. High speed kills gas mileage. Pick times of day when traffic is light, stay away from the top end of the power band. Get out of town on rural roads where there is little traffic and no stop lights.

SLOav8r · 08-20-2008, 06:59 PM

Yah it's about 98% rider controlled.

I had a friend (clearly retarded) that was adamant that 4th gear was appropriate for freeway cruising at 70 because it was below the "shift point" in the manual. Naturally, he got under 30mpg on his honda.

Expect mid 30's while "racing" around on your bike. 45+ while conservatively cruising the highways. It's up to you really.

That being said, if your bike is really low mileage, it may still have a 6 year old air filter/spark plugs/etc. If you've got a power commander tucked under the seat, that'll sap a mile or two as well, but that's only when you're pushing it.

Action · 08-20-2008, 07:07 PM

In addition to what the others said, you could go one tooth larger on the front sprocket. It would give less torque off the line but give you lower RPM's at cruising speed. If you are curious what other 6th Gen's get check out this thread - LINK

Action

EricGDR · 08-20-2008, 08:46 PM

hey thanks for the posts guys

marc28ni · 08-24-2008, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricGDR

hey thanks for the posts guys

Fillled my tank and im tryin to ride every where without the vtec lol will see what that makes with short shift and none heavry braking

Molsan · 08-25-2008, 08:13 AM

Go on a diet.

but like most said lower throttle and lower reves.
also keeping consistent speeds helps rather than speeding up slowing down.
Try to look far far ahead and if you need to stop a head just let off the throttle and coast, no point racing up to a red light. try to time it so you don't stop(within reason).
brake less.
keep tires in a good shape.
same things you would do in a car.

as for bike specific or mod's unsure as most mod's are aimed at performance. make sure your filters are clean.

Scubalong · 08-25-2008, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricGDR

Hi, I was curious about any possible modifications that could be made to my new '02 VFR that would increase fuel mileage. (New to me, that is.) I'm still a High School student and can definately feel the gas prices depleting my already small budget.
And out of curiosity, what kind of mileage are you getting out of your VFRs?
Any ideas and suggestions are appreciated.

Here is the link to your question.
http://vfrworld.com/forums/sixth-gen...l-mileage.html

nozzle · 08-26-2008, 07:51 PM

Less:
frontal area - factory side cases cost me 1 or 2 mpg, top case influence is in the noise, and I'm short

weight - don't carry stuff you don't need. I do need that protective layer to keep my six-pack abs safe, so no diet for me....well, unless it is a beer diet.

acceleration - your wrist and the rpm range you run has a huge impact on your economy

I am going to bet that the stock set up on your bike will give you the best fuel mileage, vice getting a pipe etc... the fuel injection system is optimized at the factory, I don't know of a shop that "tunes" for mileage, but maybe that is a new business opportunity?

Fizz · 08-26-2008, 08:18 PM

An '02 VFR and you can't afford gas? I can't imagine how you'd pay for insurance and other maintenance.

I wish I was riding in High School, I had to wait a few months after I turned 18 to get my first bike though.

crustyrider · 08-26-2008, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viff

An '02 VFR and you can't afford gas? I can't imagine how you'd pay for insurance and other maintenance.

I wish I was riding in High School, I had to wait a few months after I turned 18 to get my first bike though.

I was gonna say the same thing....... but to you question I have the perfect answer....... give me the bike.... you'll get great mileage out of your schwinn and the insurance is hella cheap.

or do what the others have said

EricGDR · 08-27-2008, 09:23 AM

haha very funny. It's not that I simply can't afford the liquid dinosaur, I just don't like handing my money over to Exxon, Y'know?
and no, crustyrider, you can't have my bike... haha

Lgn001 · 08-27-2008, 10:24 AM

Interestingly enough, one of the most overlooked factors in decent fuel mileage is engine temperature, both on carbureted and fuel injected motors. If a lot of your trips are short and the bike cools off in between, it will spend a lot of its time running a bit rich and/or inefficiently while the engine is coming up to operating temperature. Until the motor gets up to temp, a lot of the heat that is being generated in the combustion chamber is getting absorbed into the surrounding surfaces and water jackets, rather than being converted into mechanical energy.

As everybody else has pointed out, wrist control and wind resistance are the other major factors. Even on longer highway trips (200+ miles), my mileage will range from a low of about 40 MPG to a high of about 54 MPG. The low is due to top gear cruising at 5500-6000 RPM with some occasional hard acceleration and downshifting. The high is a steady top gear cruise at 4000 - 5000 RPM, no downshifting and mild acceleration very occasionally.

Longerfellow · 08-27-2008, 01:18 PM

More down hill riding-

Mac · 08-27-2008, 03:30 PM

All in the twist of the wrist, to make 100Hp, you need gas. 55 mpg, or 35 mpg, your choice.
My car makes 425Hp, I can get 20 mpg, or 6 mpg, my choice.

Mac

Fizz · 08-27-2008, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Longerfellow

More down hill riding-

Arguably, if you do a lot of downhill riding you need to do uphill riding to get back... they cancel each other out.

VsVFR · 08-28-2008, 07:27 AM

Make sure your tires are aired properly! It really does make a difference and is not just a way for the media to make fun of political candidates.

Either way, $15 in a vfr beats $40-100 in a cage.

Vs

Longerfellow · 08-29-2008, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viff

Arguably, if you do a lot of downhill riding you need to do uphill riding to get back... they cancel each other out.

I realize that. I wsa being a.... how do you say it.... a SMART ASS!

BASFjon · 09-08-2008, 09:56 PM

you gotta be kidding - Honda already corked off the VFR in so many ways, that I don't think it's possible to squeeze anymore out of it.

But Honestly, synch your TB's, Make sure your tires are spinning free of the Rotors (no hot spots), Tires are inflated, And that your Gas Mileage Log hasn't shown a dip in recent mileage - this would indicate showing is out of spec.

..oh yeah:

Bags cost you about 2 mpg on the highway

And Ducking behind the windscreen at 70+ seems to help the speedo raise another 3~4 mph without any more throttle. But around town, I'd say travel at a higher speed, but not accelerating as much and as briskly.

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08-20-2008, 04:02 PM	#1 (permalink)
EricGDR Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Last Online: 11-26-2008 08:05 AM Location: Ithaca, NY My Ride: '02 VFR Posts: 7 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Any ideas on how to increase fuel mileage Hi, I was curious about any possible modifications that could be made to my new '02 VFR that would increase fuel mileage. (New to me, that is.) I'm still a High School student and can definately feel the gas prices depleting my already small budget. And out of curiosity, what kind of mileage are you getting out of your VFRs? Any ideas and suggestions are appreciated.

08-20-2008, 04:43 PM	#2 (permalink)
SCraig Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Last Online: Today 10:49 AM Location: Nashville, TN My Ride: 2007 VFR800 Posts: 392 Thanks: 1 Thanked 22 Times in 15 Posts	Limit travel on the throttle to about 25%. Fuel economy is, to a great extent, a function of you and when and where you ride. In town I get about 38mpg. On the interstate I get about 42mpg. On two-lanes, riding semi-hard and enjoying the ride I get nearly 50mpg. Traffic kills gas mileage. High speed kills gas mileage. Pick times of day when traffic is light, stay away from the top end of the power band. Get out of town on rural roads where there is little traffic and no stop lights. __________________ Scott Craig - Nashville, TN -- '07 Honda VFR800 - '06 Suzuki DL650 -- My Bike Page

08-20-2008, 06:59 PM	#3 (permalink)
SLOav8r Sky King Join Date: Aug 2006 Last Online: Today 11:13 AM Location: Central Coast, CA - Find Me! My Ride: 1999 VFR 800 / 2000 CBR 1100XX Blackbird View my Photo Gallery Posts: 792 Thanks: 0 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts	Yah it's about 98% rider controlled. I had a friend (clearly retarded) that was adamant that 4th gear was appropriate for freeway cruising at 70 because it was below the "shift point" in the manual. Naturally, he got under 30mpg on his honda. Expect mid 30's while "racing" around on your bike. 45+ while conservatively cruising the highways. It's up to you really. That being said, if your bike is really low mileage, it may still have a 6 year old air filter/spark plugs/etc. If you've got a power commander tucked under the seat, that'll sap a mile or two as well, but that's only when you're pushing it. __________________ SLOav8r Will fly for food...

08-20-2008, 07:07 PM	#4 (permalink)
Action Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Last Online: Today 10:50 AM Location: Albuquerque - Find Me! My Ride: 2004 VFR View my Photo Gallery Posts: 560 Thanks: 8 Thanked 19 Times in 19 Posts	In addition to what the others said, you could go one tooth larger on the front sprocket. It would give less torque off the line but give you lower RPM's at cruising speed. If you are curious what other 6th Gen's get check out this thread - LINK Action __________________ 2004 VFR: Heil Bars, BMC, 2 Bros, Fender Elim, Heated Grips, +2 rear sprocket, DID gold chain. Tires- Pilot Road 2CT's The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts. -Bertrand Russell

08-20-2008, 08:46 PM	#5 (permalink)
EricGDR Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Last Online: 11-26-2008 08:05 AM Location: Ithaca, NY My Ride: '02 VFR Posts: 7 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	hey thanks for the posts guys

08-25-2008, 08:13 AM	#7 (permalink)
Molsan Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Last Online: Today 02:48 PM Location: Red Deer Alberta - Find Me! My Ride: 2005 VFR 800 ABS RED View my Photo Gallery Posts: 467 Thanks: 20 Thanked 30 Times in 24 Posts	Go on a diet. but like most said lower throttle and lower reves. also keeping consistent speeds helps rather than speeding up slowing down. Try to look far far ahead and if you need to stop a head just let off the throttle and coast, no point racing up to a red light. try to time it so you don't stop(within reason). brake less. keep tires in a good shape. same things you would do in a car. as for bike specific or mod's unsure as most mod's are aimed at performance. make sure your filters are clean. __________________ Proud Member-Sixth Gen Millitia-1ST VTEC Battalion

08-26-2008, 07:51 PM	#9 (permalink)
nozzle Uber Noz Join Date: May 2007 Last Online: 11-25-2008 05:52 AM Location: Southern Maryland - Find Me! My Ride: 07 RWB 'ceptor View my Photo Gallery Posts: 1,492 Thanks: 3 Thanked 13 Times in 12 Posts	Less: frontal area - factory side cases cost me 1 or 2 mpg, top case influence is in the noise, and I'm short weight - don't carry stuff you don't need. I do need that protective layer to keep my six-pack abs safe, so no diet for me....well, unless it is a beer diet. acceleration - your wrist and the rpm range you run has a huge impact on your economy I am going to bet that the stock set up on your bike will give you the best fuel mileage, vice getting a pipe etc... the fuel injection system is optimized at the factory, I don't know of a shop that "tunes" for mileage, but maybe that is a new business opportunity?

08-26-2008, 08:18 PM	#10 (permalink)
Fizz 200ccs Up Join Date: Jan 2008 Last Online: Today 09:27 AM Location: San Diego, CA - Find Me! My Ride: '85 Honda VF500F '90 Yamaha Radian '07 Yamaha FZ1 View my Photo Gallery Posts: 493 Thanks: 3 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	An '02 VFR and you can't afford gas? I can't imagine how you'd pay for insurance and other maintenance. I wish I was riding in High School, I had to wait a few months after I turned 18 to get my first bike though. __________________ Lame joke of the week: Why do Motorcycles want to fall at stops? Because they're two tired!

08-27-2008, 09:23 AM	#12 (permalink)
EricGDR Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Last Online: 11-26-2008 08:05 AM Location: Ithaca, NY My Ride: '02 VFR Posts: 7 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	haha very funny. It's not that I simply can't afford the liquid dinosaur, I just don't like handing my money over to Exxon, Y'know? and no, crustyrider, you can't have my bike... haha

08-27-2008, 10:24 AM	#13 (permalink)
Lgn001 Most Royal Deluxe Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Last Online: Today 04:32 PM Location: Russian River by Ocean, CA My Ride: 1983 CB1100F 2000 SV650 2007 VFR View my Photo Gallery Posts: 990 Thanks: 19 Thanked 47 Times in 38 Posts	Interestingly enough, one of the most overlooked factors in decent fuel mileage is engine temperature, both on carbureted and fuel injected motors. If a lot of your trips are short and the bike cools off in between, it will spend a lot of its time running a bit rich and/or inefficiently while the engine is coming up to operating temperature. Until the motor gets up to temp, a lot of the heat that is being generated in the combustion chamber is getting absorbed into the surrounding surfaces and water jackets, rather than being converted into mechanical energy. As everybody else has pointed out, wrist control and wind resistance are the other major factors. Even on longer highway trips (200+ miles), my mileage will range from a low of about 40 MPG to a high of about 54 MPG. The low is due to top gear cruising at 5500-6000 RPM with some occasional hard acceleration and downshifting. The high is a steady top gear cruise at 4000 - 5000 RPM, no downshifting and mild acceleration very occasionally.

08-27-2008, 01:18 PM	#14 (permalink)
Longerfellow Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Last Online: Today 04:33 PM Location: Pollock Pines, CA My Ride: 1997 Honda VFR750F 1996 Honda XR600R Baja Posts: 318 Thanks: 9 Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts	More down hill riding-

08-27-2008, 03:30 PM	#15 (permalink)
Mac Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Last Online: 12-01-2008 03:23 AM Location: NC High Country My Ride: '06 Interceptor Posts: 139 Thanks: 7 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	All in the twist of the wrist, to make 100Hp, you need gas. 55 mpg, or 35 mpg, your choice. My car makes 425Hp, I can get 20 mpg, or 6 mpg, my choice. Mac

08-28-2008, 07:27 AM	#17 (permalink)
VsVFR Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Last Online: Yesterday 09:03 PM Location: Western KY - Find Me! My Ride: 2006 VFR Pearl White View my Photo Gallery Posts: 230 Thanks: 12 Thanked 10 Times in 6 Posts	Make sure your tires are aired properly! It really does make a difference and is not just a way for the media to make fun of political candidates. Either way, $15 in a vfr beats $40-100 in a cage. Vs

09-08-2008, 09:56 PM	#19 (permalink)
BASFjon Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Last Online: 10-30-2008 07:53 PM Location: Danville, IL My Ride: 2007 VFR800 ABS in Candy Red Posts: 25 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	you gotta be kidding - Honda already corked off the VFR in so many ways, that I don't think it's possible to squeeze anymore out of it. But Honestly, synch your TB's, Make sure your tires are spinning free of the Rotors (no hot spots), Tires are inflated, And that your Gas Mileage Log hasn't shown a dip in recent mileage - this would indicate showing is out of spec. ..oh yeah: Bags cost you about 2 mpg on the highway And Ducking behind the windscreen at 70+ seems to help the speedo raise another 3~4 mph without any more throttle. But around town, I'd say travel at a higher speed, but not accelerating as much and as briskly.

09-08-2008, 10:06 PM	#20 (permalink)
winaje Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Last Online: 11-30-2008 02:26 AM Location: Melbourne, Australia - Find Me! My Ride: 2005 VFR800 in Winning Red View my Photo Gallery Posts: 241 Thanks: 6 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts