Fuel Consumption RIDDLE?

[firemink]

Hi Guys,

Bought my VTR 1000 F3 model last September, done stopper mod and always refuelled when light came on about 110 to 120 miles. Decided to ride until nearly out of fuel so as to establish my tank range. Yesterday took a blast to Plymouth and back in the sunshine, average speed with occasional blasts to 120+, certainly not a gentle ride. Red light comes on at 130 miles, carry on riding home with red light flashing and refuel at 150 miles. Bike takes 16.02 litres of fuel to fill up. Now according to my calculations my bike is averaging 9.36 miles a litre or 42.6 miles to the imperial gallon. My tank is 19 litres so despite the fuel light flashing away I still had 2.8 litres of fuel left, so another 20 miles taking range to 170 miles. This still leaves .8 of a litre of fuel.
Everywhere I have looked Firestorm is thirsty, poor tank range even on 19 litre model, expect no more than 35mpg and so on. Well 42.6 miles to the gallon is not thirsty by sports bike standards and 170 miles tank range is very impressive. In fact I was so surprised that I thought I must of made a mistake. Did 28 miles this morning refuelled 3 litres of fuel to full, 9.36 miles to a litre. Its correct!

Please tell me what you are getting perhaps the thirsty as wombles stigma about the storm is overstated. Does anyone know if the fuel warning light comes on generally too early? Be better if the damn thing came on when 2 litres left in the tank!

My bike set up is as follows, apart from stopper mod, its bog standard. Serviced last month, new air filter honda original, iridium plugs, carb balanced and air fuel mixture set up on DYNO. TPS is standard.

Might go touring now! Ha :

[lloydie]

No one will get the same as you as everyone rides different .
170 that's great .
Next time take a jerry can full of fuel with you fill the tank and run it dry .
I still need to do this after I've finished pissing about with mods :-)

[Kev L]

Mines an F3 and I have found the same thing, more fuel left than the guage would habe you believe.

[Virt]

Tad confused. F3 has a fuel gauge not a red light?

[Wicky]

Long distance motorway/A road cruising riding is better for fuel consumption as you can always be in high gears. City/urban stop/starting will trash fuel economy.

[Redthunder]

I think Honda err on the side of caution.
My vfr750 fuel gauge shows empty a long time before the fuel light comes on. If used in anger can get 160 miles till reserve but gauge shows emptyish about 140

[lumpyv]

calculated mine for the 1st time in 4 years last week. it did about 42 mpg. don't do much town work though, I believe that's what really stuffs these bikes

[agentpineapple]

Tad confused. F3 has a fuel gauge not a red light?

when you get to the last bar on the digital gauge, doesn't it turn red and then start flashing on and off?
isn't there something about being unable to get the last bit of fuel from the tank, because of the shape of the tank?
with the a 19ltr fuel tanked storm, i reckon tourings ok, you could always put a sneaky container of fuel in a painer/back box for extra range, i reckon after 150miles you'd want to stop to stretch your legs anyways....

[VTRDark]

Long distance motorway/A road cruising riding is better for fuel consumption as you can always be in high gears. City/urban stop/starting will trash fuel economy.

That's exactly what I have found also. Around town stop start stop start it's terrible, but I soon as I get onto open roads and give it some the fuel economy is loads better. It's weird and goes against all logic but the more I thrash it the better the economy.

With later model with the digital bars you will fine that the first bar will disappear very quick the next bar not so quick and so on. By the time you get to the last bar it will stay on ages, maybe something like 50% - 75% longer than the first bar.

I used to think my economy was extremely bad, but I fill up on the sidestand so there is a gap at the top. I don't fill to the brim because I don't wont to waste fuel out the overflow or risk a vacuum lock. If I do fill to the brim then I can smell the fuel when riding for the first few miles, it stinks of it.

I normally get about 70 to 80 miles until the RLOD comes on and normally fill up reasonably quick as soon as it comes on. Last weekend I done a little experiment to see how far I can get on the reserve and I must have got close to another 15-20 miles before I filled up, there was still a dribble in the tank, but I did not want to risk going further as I did not have fuel on me if I got caught out. I would like to have a 2nd reserve a bit like the old fashioned reserve tap. It would be nice to run with the RLOD on for as long as poss but have that extra little bit of security of a tap when down to last bit. Just enough to get to the next fuel station.

So basically what I learnt was that my economy is not as bad as I first thought for a small tank.

(:-})

[AMCQ46]

after 100 miles I need to put in between 11 and 12L depending on how I have been riding, so if you are getting 28 miles on 3l you are doing slightly better than me

[Stratman]

I have always averaged around 42mpg on a normal ride.

Trouble comes when it drops to say 36 when being very "progressive" then with a 16 l tank that give a notional rang of just 126 and you'll never run the tank completely empty (there will probably be a litre sloshing around at the bottom, so that comes down to 118 miles.

[bazza696]

I get about the same sort of mileage out of my storm, but you find a lot of guys on here get worse figures cause no two storms have the same mods.

Mine is bog standard with the exception of the aftermarket cans, but she is fueled right for them, others have KnN filters and dynojet kits which start to kill off your fuel economy.

[leelee]

Took mine out yesterday over to friends caravan 120 mile round trip used full tank light came on 110 was 2 up with throw overs on it average speed 70 mph so was happy with fuel consumption. Still it's only for playing on so don't care what fuel it uses lol

[Pops]

I went Wales last weekend with missus on back and loads of camping gear and got 132 miles before light come on. I then did 15miles on lightlooking for a fuel station. Sat at a steady 70-80mph . Mines an 98 model with k&N , aftermarket cans. If I go crazy I see the fuel light around the 90mile mark.

[ging500]

Im getting about 110 miles out of my bike which is equating to around 51-52 mpg..... I know I have an sv, but I wanted to share.

As bazza sed, comparing fuel economy is difficult, my sv is a little worse in fuel at the mo as its got a bigger rear sprocket or the person who owned it before put the wrong one I !!