After running out of fuel, I thought I'd have a look at what mileage I was actually achieving on the bike. Websites have claimed anywhere from 70 to 120mpg on these, with 100mpg being the norm. Fantastic! My car is good for 50mpg if I'm careful on the motorway, and I do enjoy paying less for fuel as I am a miserly old man.
There are a few things that can really affect the mileage of a motorcycle, such as wind and tyre resistance, the weight it has to pull, and driving style.
It seemed to me the bike was a bit thirsty - When I bought it, the chap said it wasn't good for 100mpg, but he put that down to him being 'a fat bloke'. I'm not the trimmest of athletes, and I thought I could do well with it. He said it had a full tank when he sold it to me. I hadn't written down the miles completed or anything, so I had no idea how much it was using. I looked in the tank before setting off on my first commute, and it looked okay - however I had no idea what nearly empty looked like.
It ran out, and it would not light up after turning to reserve.
At this stage, I was worried it might be something else preventing the bike from running. So I parked the bike, locked it up, and walked to the nearest train station (in full gear, carrying a helmet, on a very hot day!) to get to work. I spent the day being humiliated by my coworkers, and worrying my bike was useless and a waste of money. I also worked out a plan. I went home (via public transport, with the great unwashed of London), hopped in the car, and drove to my local garage. I bought a petrol container and some petrol, and drive over to where I had abandoned the poor thing. It took the full 5 litres, and after a few tries it lit up! I breathed a sigh of relief and knew I didn't have to worry it was something other major issue. I now know the petrol gauge well and truly does not work.
So, I drove the car back, caught a bus back to the bike, and immediately topped up the tank with some Esso Supreme petrol, and noted the mileage. As I'm now fully aware that the gauge does not work, I kept my eye on it, and after four days of commuting, I topped it up again. I had done 85.2 miles, and used 4.14 litres of fuel - this equates to 77.9mpg. Not bad. I'd like to see better, but looking online, it would appear one the best things I can do for my mileage is lose weight. Sigh....
There are some other things I can do as well. I've ordered a new air filter- the original is still in place after eight years and thirty thousand odd miles. I also checked the tyre pressures and discovered the front tyre was at about 17psi, and the rear was 22. The recommended for this bike is 25psi for the front, and 29 for the rear, so out comes the hand pump....
I am still too inexperienced to notice a difference in the way the bike handles after putting the correct pressure in the tyres, but I'm sure it helps.
After a few more weeks of glorious, trouble-free rides to and from work, I have a fairly accurate idea of the mileage I can expect. I get a bit nervous, and top up every 80 miles or so. I've bought petrol five times, and the average mileage is 76.4mpg. Not the 120mpg I was hoping for, but still pretty good! In the time I've had the bike, I've spent about half of what I would have spent giving my money to TfL, so I am pleased about that!
Next up, a new air filter...
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