What are you getting for gas mileage?

[momontheloose]

I filled the tank a few weeks ago and set the trip odometer to zero. I've been riding every chance I can to figure out my gas mileage. Finally filled up again today and figured it out. 69.7 mpg, I'm very pleased with that. I did a mixture of highway and city driving. I've got 500 miles on my bike so far. Kymco website says average of 61 mpg. What are the rest of you guys getting? How about when you go on trips/mainly highway driving?
Momontheloose

[geezerbob]

I generally get 68-69 running around suburbia, 58-65 on 55 mph roads, and 48-55 on the interstates.  It varies a lot by speed and by how hard I roll back on the throttle when accelerating.  If yours if fuel injected, it should do a little better.  Best ever was 78 on the Skyline Drive in Virginia (35 speed limit), followed by several tanks in the 72 mpg range on the Blue Ridge Parkway where the speed limit is 45.  I didn't count three tanks where I discovered that the pump was off and giving away a little free gas.  I was about 10 mpg above normal on them.

[axy]

Agility 125 - 78+ mpg
People 250 S - 57 mpg

Mixed city+suburban drive.

I am 240 lbs...

[garumn]

I am now at just over 2,900 miles on my '09 Xciting 250.  I do all maintenance (clockwork fluid changes) and am 6'1", 190lbs.  My commute is 22 miles each way split fairly evenly on a 45 mph limit parkway and a 55 mph limit local highway, but have had it comfortably on a 65 mph limit highway a few times for goofing around riding.  I have had zero problems/issues with the scoot and am incredibly pleased so far.  At this point, my average is 72.1 mpg, and my best is 73.9 recently.  Oh, if it matters, I have experimented between 87, 89 and 91 octane fuels with no noticeable difference in mileage.

I can not recommend the Kymco scooter enough - it's a wonderful and fun machine!

[momontheloose]

I couldn't agree with you more garumn. I just got back from the Iron Range Super Scooter Rally in Virginia, MN, USA. I got 73 MPG on the highways and freeways going usually  around 65 mph. I'm a 50 year old mother of 3 boys and I love this bike. It is my first and I can't see getting anything else for quite a long time. It is so well balanced and so easy to maneuver. This rally was my first real road trip using the bike as the sport touring machine that it is marketed as. It does not disappoint. However - I did fine when the wind gusts were 20 - 30 mph but when they were 45 - 50 mph I was just getting blown all over the place no matter what speed I went. If I layed my body down behind the windshield I could cut right through it but man when I sat up straight the gusts coming from my right hit my body and head knocking me into the left side of the lane or making me momentarily lean my bike at an angle to keep balance. I do like the lower windshield for summer driving cause it helps keeps me cool and I like feeling the breeze but man...... those winds coming back from the rally were nasty. I've got to admit though that looking at the cavernous storage under the seat of the Suzuki's made me think about trading to a Burgman just for the storage. I put a really nice trunk on my bike from A1hardware.com with LED lights that I really like but it doesn't come close to the storage under the Burgman's seat.  The 250 is a great bike for one but I just don't think that it would cut it for long distance touring for 2 people. If I can ever convince the old man (who is terrified of my bike) to get behind me for a trip I'll have to get a Burgman. I would keep my Kymco xciting 250 though for town driving and for solo trips.

momontheloose

[spaxton]

I am using FFI MPG caps and I get more mileage and engine performance. ;-)

[garumn]

I couldn't agree with you more garumn. I just got back from the Iron Range Super Scooter Rally in Virginia, MN, USA. I got 73 MPG on the highways and freeways going usually  around 65 mph. I'm a 50 year old mother of 3 boys and I love this bike. It is my first and I can't see getting anything else for quite a long time. It is so well balanced and so easy to maneuver. This rally was my first real road trip using the bike as the sport touring machine that it is marketed as. It does not disappoint. However - I did fine when the wind gusts were 20 - 30 mph but when they were 45 - 50 mph I was just getting blown all over the place no matter what speed I went. If I layed my body down behind the windshield I could cut right through it but man when I sat up straight the gusts coming from my right hit my body and head knocking me into the left side of the lane or making me momentarily lean my bike at an angle to keep balance. I do like the lower windshield for summer driving cause it helps keeps me cool and I like feeling the breeze but man...... those winds coming back from the rally were nasty. I've got to admit though that looking at the cavernous storage under the seat of the Suzuki's made me think about trading to a Burgman just for the storage. I put a really nice trunk on my bike from A1hardware.com with LED lights that I really like but it doesn't come close to the storage under the Burgman's seat.  The 250 is a great bike for one but I just don't think that it would cut it for long distance touring for 2 people. If I can ever convince the old man (who is terrified of my bike) to get behind me for a trip I'll have to get a Burgman. I would keep my Kymco xciting 250 though for town driving and for solo trips.

momontheloose

Hey, mom - good news!  I am looking for a trunk as well - do you mean "a1hardbags.com?"  I had run across them previously.  I just don't know about the look of having a trunk that looks like a Sebring's on my scoot... 

[garumn]

I am using FFI MPG caps and I get more mileage and engine performance. ;-)

Could you give specifics on increases you have found?  A great article on that product is:

http://www.fuelsaving.info/ffi.htm

[Nossy]

I know I am replying late to this, but I hope to get a little bit of wisdom here.  I typically only get 40-42 mpg.  Most of my riding is done through a small town with stop and go driving.  I'm 6'3" and 240 lbs.  I know my size and my where i drive has an impact, but this much?  Only once when I drove about 45 miles at about 45 mph did I get decent mileage.  I'm thinking the good mileage was a fluke and I have serious problems to deal with.
The oil change service needed light just came on and I notice a gas smell in my oil (I changed the oil 600 miles ago).   Could this be part of a bigger problem?

Thanks,
Nossy

[axy]

I know I am replying late to this, but I hope to get a little bit of wisdom here.  I typically only get 40-42 mpg.  Most of my riding is done through a small town with stop and go driving.  I'm 6'3" and 240 lbs.  I know my size and my where i drive has an impact, but this much?  Only once when I drove about 45 miles at about 45 mph did I get decent mileage.  I'm thinking the good mileage was a fluke and I have serious problems to deal with.
The oil change service needed light just came on and I notice a gas smell in my oil (I changed the oil 600 miles ago).   Could this be part of a bigger problem?

Thanks,
Nossy

Nobody is posting the bike they ride.

Also I do not know why people have unrealistic expectations in regard to scooter consumption. You are 240 lbs, ride a lot in the city and 40-42 mpg is a bad result for you? I do not think so.

I have had quite a number of scooters and bikes in my life. All of them were in top condition and I can tell you the following:

- 50 cc 2 stroke will usually need between 3 and 5 l/100 km. Converted to US fuel efficiency that would be 47-78 mpg. There are BIG differences in consumption but they usually tend to go towards 75 mpg.
- 125 cc 4 stroke will usually consume 3-3.5 l/100 km. That's 67-78 mpg
- 200 cc 4 stroke will need around 4.5 l/100 km, 52 mpg
- 250 cc 4 stroke will need 4-5 l/100 km, 47-59 mpg

I live outside of the city so 80 % of my daily route is open road (not highway) and 20 % is city traffic. Agility 125 needs with just me up does around 70 mpg. People 250 S - 59 mph.

However, People's consumption with passenger up is not that much changed, maybe + 5 %. But, with a passenger on a highway it will do 47 mpg or less, which is + 25 %.

Also, I notice that People has high set choke and it consumes up to 10 % more in the winter time compared to summer.

However, all this is taking too much care about details.

If you really want to get nervous, bikes with 90-100 hp use around the same amount of fuel as 250 cc scooter. Now, that's a waste of gasoline. If you compare output ratios, either they would have to use 20 l/100 kms or the scooters should use 1 l/100 km but neither is true.

Also, take into consideration not only fuel consumption but lower absolute depreciation of less expensive vehicle like a scooter, there is no need to pay for the parking, there is no waiting in the traffic as you can split the lanes etc...

[jprestonian]

I just joined this, to help me keep track: http://www.fuelly.com/
.

[axy]

One more thing.

We all know that speedometers on our bikes are 10-15 % optimistic.

This means that consumption calculated using tacho readings should be corrected for the same 10-15 % because actual distance shown is 10-15 % higher than actual distance covered.

[Nossy]

Axy, I didn't post the name of my scooter, since this is the Xciting 250 section of the forum.  You are right that I'm a big guy, and I know that this will affect my mileage.  But looking at the other mileage comments, I was wondering if there is something amiss with my X 250.

[axy]

Axy, I didn't post the name of my scooter, since this is the Xciting 250 section of the forum.  You are right that I'm a big guy, and I know that this will affect my mileage.  But looking at the other mileage comments, I was wondering if there is something amiss with my X 250.

I would say - everything is just fine.

[momontheloose]

I would say it is not. That you are getting only 40 - 42 mpg is awful.  Are you sure you have the odometer on miles and not kilometers??? Just checking. I would mention it to my dealer. Mention that gas smell too. I have around 2,000 miles on my bike now. My average for the last 3 tanks was 74.7 mpg. I'm 5'4" and 185lbs.  driving is a mixture of 40 - 65 mph roads. I really think you should be getting a lot better mileage.