Bikes with greater MPG

Im fairly dissaponted with my WR250X :( its fantastic in every way apart from gas mileage. This is a commuter bike for me, and im getting on average 70MPG (UK Gallons)

The WR replaced my 25 year old Honda XLR250. This did over 80mpg no matter how I rode it, I did expect a 25 year newer bike not to be worse, as I can get as little as 65mpg now if I ride hard.

The other thing that concerns me, is bikes like the BMW 650GS claim 70+ mpg from owners, and that a 650 that wont get blown about on the freeway so much.

So I have 2 options,
1, make the WR do more miles, been suggested that chain can make a difference, although what can be done engine wise?

2, new bike, what is out there with decent gas mileage? 70mpg from a 650 size wouldnt bother me, but needs to be 80+ from anything smaller (needs to be a trail or SM for my height, so KTM Duke 200 not really an option)


Cheers.

I have an 07 F650GS and real world riding 2up Im getting 65-70 MPG. Its great for road/ dirt road, its my camper bike and it will hold 75-80 MPH all day long.

You're driving a new bike, with new technology, fuel injected to get better performance, AND, must meet tighter air quality exhaust restrictions. The EPA stuff does tend to hurt mileage with all vehicles. If the manufacturers of cars and motorcycles could ignore those regulations, there's no doubt in my mind that the MPG would improve drastically. So you have one alternative with the WRX. Drive slower, or change the gearing. Check out the CleanMPG web site. This guy gets 100 mpg out of a WR250. Might have to change some of your driving techniques, but it can be done. And that's US Gallons.

The WR is still mostly tuned for power, not for great mileage. If you compare it to other 250cc dual sports, you'll see it's the most powerful of the bunch. (compared to the KLX250 and the new honda). they have less power, and probably get a somewhat better mileage if you aren't pulling it's neck. although with bikes that have even less power than the wr, like the honda, that probably means not taking it much over 65.


if you really want the best mileage, get a scooter. A new modern 150 or 200 cc scooter will get A LOT higher mileage than any 250 dual sport. They will also manage the freeway pretty well (will be for sure more comfortable than the wr). If mileage is your only concern, you should give them some thought

F*** gas milage.

Its the RPM range its tuned to run in. Your old honda was probably more of a low RPM torque bike right? Tuning a bike for high rpm power makes it less efficient everywhere else and when it actually is running at high RPM where its most efficient, there is a lot of pumping and friction losses due to the fact that you're at a high rpm. The bike would probably benefit from a low rpm range cam, but it would be fairly expensive to have made.

Going to lighter radial tires increased my mpg (before I had heavy DS tires). When I had a windshield I think it helped some too. I had taller gearing at one point, it helped some, just don't go too tall or you can no longer use 6th gear and you lose any gains you made. A 14 tooth front with stock height tires ran good for me, but the gains will probably depend on what speed you spend most of your time at. Honestly, slowing down a few MPH would probably make the most difference, but over here that would be dangerous at rush hour lol. I got much better mileage before I calculated my speedometer error and started compensating by going 15mph over what it says (which means im speeding by about 8mph), but I also used to have people riding my ass and making dangerous passes around me.

Personally I only get around 55-60mpg (66-72 in UK mpg) out of mine the way I drive (and my weight)... but I commute 473 miles a month on average. If I drive it like a granpa I can get 70mpg (84 in UK mpg). US gas is about $3.50 per US gallon, so if I drive like a bat out of hell I spend ~$30 a month on gas, if I drive like a granpa I spend $23 a month on gas (if I drive my truck, $82.75). I just factor the $7 into my entertainment budget.
That is commute alone, I drive probably double that a month because all my friends live far away, but same principle applies for me ;)

Long story short, you could end up spending thousands on a different bike to save $100 a year or so on gas. Especially when you factor in the WRX's other money saving features. Low maintenance, very few valve checks, and easy on tires.

Keep in mind that the WR250R, like many dual-sport bikes, isn't the most aerodynamic motorcycle on the road. Of course, it depends on what speeds you are riding at too. Bikes like the BMW F650GS seem to offer better aerodynamics, however, they also offer much more weight. A quick search yielded a wet weight of 439lbs for a BMW F650GS, compared to about 299lbs (wet) for the WR250R. A difference of 140lbs!! Then again if you are doing mostly street riding rather than hard-core trail riding - this shouldn't be an issue. On Fuelly, the F650GS appears to be averaging around 58 mpg (about 70 mpg imperial).

Cycle World just released an interesting collection of small-displacement bike reviews online.

http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/02/27/small-displacement-motorcycle-mileage-challenge/

Here is a break-down of the fuel economy figures (U.S. mpg) for small displacement dual-sport bikes and sportbikes. The bike's weren't flogged during this test, but they weren't babied either. The review qualified the test by stating:

"We weren’t seeking the absolute best mileage possible, so we did not employ petrol-pinching tactics such as drafting, riding at a dangerously slow pace or switching off the engine at traffic signals. Rather, we sought a more real-world result indicative of “normal,” albeit conservative, riding behavior. We rode at the posted speed limit throughout the route, ranging from 65 mph on the freeway to a low of 35 mph in town. We accelerated away from stops at a moderate rate, changing up through the gears at midrange revs. GPS monitored speed and distance to cover for the optimistic inaccuracy typical of many motorcycle speedometers."

Dual-Sports

Honda CRF250L.........67.2 mpg
Kawasaki KLX250R.....59.6 mpg
Yamaha WR250R........63.0 mpg


Sportbikes

Honda CBR250R.......82.5 mpg
Hyosung GT250R......67.9 mpg
Kawasaki Ninja 300...59.0 mpg

So it sounds like the fuel economy figures you achieved are at least in the ball-park. If you want to sacrifice about 5hp - you could always opt for a CRF250L instead that sports a powerband geared toward low and midrange torque. You would likely boost your fuel economy a bit in the process.

Or you could abandon dual-sports completely and opt for a CBR250R which would net you about 98 mpg (Imperial) if fuel economy is that important to you.

Mike

I need to echo oic0's closing comment -

Are you factoring in Initial cost, maintenance and repairs?

I'm quite sure the repairs and maintenance over the course of five years will be far less expensive for the WR than the BMW as an example..

You guys are not riding it right. I hardly see 50 mpg. S

Cycle World just released an interesting collection of small-displacement bike reviews online.

http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/02/27/small-displacement-motorcycle-mileage-challenge/

excerpt: "Small-displacement motorcycles, when ridden casually,
 using relatively small throttle openings, are remarkably efficient."

or not

Chief_Lee_Visceral wrote:

You guys are not riding it right. I hardly see 50 mpg. S

Cycle World just released an interesting collection of small-displacement bike reviews online.

http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/02/27/small-displacement-motorcycle-mileage-challenge/

excerpt: "Small-displacement motorcycles, when ridden casually,
 using relatively small throttle openings, are remarkably efficient."

or not

50mpg happens to me if I run it at 80mph for most of the tank, but I can take off redlining every gear from every stop light and still get 55-60mpg.

Yeah I am a little rich with the Powercommander I believe. In fact talking about it I should play with my map again. Plus I have a Safari Tank which along with my girth hurts the aero. Have to update my sig too because I am now running 13/48. What is your gearing Ocio?

Chief_Lee_Visceral wrote:

Yeah I am a little rich with the Powercommander I believe. In fact talking about it I should play with my map again. Plus I have a Safari Tank which along with my girth hurts the aero. Have to update my sig too because I am now running 13/48. What is your gearing Ocio?

14/47 I think? Whatever it is, its just a hair lower than stock but with more chain clearance (mines also the X, so smaller tires). I've got some girth on me too, 6'3 285lbs I wondering how much quicker the bike would be with someone 140 lbs lighter lol.

oic0 wrote:

Chief_Lee_Visceral wrote:

Yeah I am a little rich with the Powercommander I believe. In fact talking about it I should play with my map again. Plus I have a Safari Tank which along with my girth hurts the aero. Have to update my sig too because I am now running 13/48. What is your gearing Ocio?

14/47 I think? Whatever it is, its just a hair lower than stock but with more chain clearance (mines also the X, so smaller tires). I've got some girth on me too, 6'3 285lbs I wondering how much quicker the bike would be with someone 140 lbs lighter lol.

I weigh about 145 with gear, and let me tell you it is a quick little bike. I run 13/45 gearing right now, and I am pretty happy with it, but have no experience with anything else.

In the winter I am getting about 52 to 54 mpg. I was getting 57 to 59 mpg in the late summer/fall. I always start out a tank of gas thinking that I am going to take it easy and see how far I can stretch it, but then a mile or two into the ride my wrist gets a mind of its own...

My previous bike was a SV650s, and I would consistently get 50 to 55 mpg regardless of riding style. It was all stock. I was a bit surprised that the 250x was that low, but I do have a pipe, air box mods, FMF programmer, and it likes to bounce of the rev limiter a lot...

There have been more than a few members here who've gotten over 65 mpg, and one guy who hyper-miles that got 102 mpg.

And I'm talking about members who live in North America.

If you want better gas mileage - stay below 60 mph, and train your throttle hand to behave itself.

Personally, I'm tickled to death to get anything over 50 mpg.

I find it interesting that the CRF250L (dual-sport) and the CBR250R (streetbike) share the same powerplant. And the CBR250R weighs at least 40 lbs more. Yet on the same fuel economy run the CBR250R nets more than 15 mpg better than the CRF250L. Is it a matter of gearing, aerodynamics, and friction (knobbies)?

Dual-Sports

Honda CRF250L.........67.2 mpg
Kawasaki KLX250R.....59.6 mpg
Yamaha WR250R........63.0 mpg


Sportbikes

Honda CBR250R.......82.5 mpg
Hyosung GT250R......67.9 mpg
Kawasaki Ninja 300...59.0 mpg

Mike

dmmcd wrote:

oic0 wrote:

Chief_Lee_Visceral wrote:

Yeah I am a little rich with the Powercommander I believe. In fact talking about it I should play with my map again. Plus I have a Safari Tank which along with my girth hurts the aero. Have to update my sig too because I am now running 13/48. What is your gearing Ocio?

14/47 I think? Whatever it is, its just a hair lower than stock but with more chain clearance (mines also the X, so smaller tires). I've got some girth on me too, 6'3 285lbs I wondering how much quicker the bike would be with someone 140 lbs lighter lol.

I weigh about 145 with gear, and let me tell you it is a quick little bike. I run 13/45 gearing right now, and I am pretty happy with it, but have no experience with anything else.

In the winter I am getting about 52 to 54 mpg. I was getting 57 to 59 mpg in the late summer/fall. I always start out a tank of gas thinking that I am going to take it easy and see how far I can stretch it, but then a mile or two into the ride my wrist gets a mind of its own...

My previous bike was a SV650s, and I would consistently get 50 to 55 mpg regardless of riding style. It was all stock. I was a bit surprised that the 250x was that low, but I do have a pipe, air box mods, FMF programmer, and it likes to bounce of the rev limiter a lot...

Probably soo, with my big ass I've timed mine at about 7-7.5 seconds 0-60, so I can see 6 seconds for a skinny fellow. It does ruin some of the feeling when you ride something else though lol. My VTX will do 0-60 in the 3 second range. When I change back I have the urge to kick it and go "giddyup damnit!".

I guess the WR is tuned for power, thus lower MPG.

I never see over 70mph on my clock, and usually only get to around 60mph on the straights. While I may use the bikes acceleration, I certainly do not use its speed.

I have a feeling that the O ring chain is the other part of the issue, and may drop to just a heavy duty type chain to try that once the O ring wears out.

The biggest issue is range, I guess an IMS 3 gallon tank will help a lot, being a commuter, I dont want to be filling up more than once a week, I think this is what really bothers me.


Been looking however at the Honda NC700x, dont like the bike at all, but owners seem to average 80MPG, heavy bike, 700cc twin, all that stuff used to mean poor MPG, so its supprising a 700cc can do more than a 250cc in this year.

O-ring chains feel like they have a lot of friction when cold, but when they get warmed up from moving they become a lot looser. Still not as loose as a plain one, but the difference in power is so small you can't detect it in a dyno, hence shouldn't affect gas mileage much at all.

Do you do a lot of stop and go? if so maybe lighter tires and a tubeless setup? I know what you mean about the gas though, getting ~100 miles to a tank sucks. I often look at the IMS 4.7 gallon and think of how far I could go lol, but the bike would be heavier, uglier, and the tank is expensive.