Gas mileage dropped

[b4u]

My gas mileage dropped from 40/43 MPG to 33 MPG last Aug/Sept. Had the Trike in the shop during hunting season and they could not find anything wrong. I know ethnol is a problem, but I'm trying to use non-ethnol fuel. Am I just fooling myself about no ethnol being in my fuel? Is anyone else experiencing a sudden drop in their MPG?
2005 Honda GoldWing 1800 Trike

[Gorilla]

My gas mileage dropped from 40/43 MPG to 33 MPG last Aug/Sept. Had the Trike in the shop during hunting season and they could not find anything wrong. I know ethanol is a problem, but I'm trying to use non-ethanol fuel. Am I just fooling myself about no ethanol being in my fuel? Is anyone else experiencing a sudden drop in their MPG?
2005 Honda GoldWing 1800 Trike

welcome aboard. 33 mph is normal for your trike. 40/43 mph is very unusual. How long had you been getting that kind of mileage with the trike? My mileage has gone down a little this year from last 34 to 36 down to 33 to 35 I'm sure because of ethanol.

[b4u]

We had owned and ridden the Trike for over 6 months before the mileage dropped. We rode all over the southern part of the U.S. and checked mileage every tank since buying the Trike.
The last good tank was 41.1 in Sept, next tank was 35.7, now it's around 33/35. I know there are many factory involved in getting good mileage and this isn't my first rodeo when it comes to riding bikes, but for some reason, the bottom fell out with my mileage and I was just wondering if anyone else has had a sudden drop in mileage. I've done everything I know, and my mechanic has checked everything he knows. I even ran a pint of diesel mixed with 6 gal of gas through to clean the engine and got 34MPG. Not a big change!!

[ronchi]

not sure where everybody lives, but back here on the east coast especially delaware we have to use oxygenated fuel through the winter months. always at least 2 mpg drop. then we switch over to regular ethonol gas. green should stay with st patricks day. be safe !!

[b4u]

I live about 1 hour drive from the Ms Gulf Coast. It just doesn't get that cold down here. If it did, I would move further south!

[Gorilla]

well if you were getting that great mileage for 6 months then something caused a change of 25%. I don't have any better answer then you or your mechcanic. Good luck let us know if you find something.

[b4u]

I was hoping someone had experinced this problem before and had found a fix for it. Now I'm hoping no one EVER has this problem.

[b4u]

I've reset the ECM several times, just to be sure I did it right, but this didn't help. Can the Honda Dealership reset the ECM back to factory settings and does this take special software to do this?

[b4u]

I'll post the latest on what I've found out about my mileage. Saturday we rode about 350 miles. We were headed north the first part of our ride and my mileage went from 34.2 MPG to 38.2 MPG getting fuel along the interstate. As we headed back south, our gas mileage started dropping and finally ended up at 34.4 MPG when we filled up at a station in our hometown. Now, the 34.2 is better than the 32 MPG I was getting before I added a pint of diesel to 6 gal of gas. This was to clean my engine. It does a better job of cleaning than Seafoam or anything else. But I only used a pint, no more!!! It burns hotter and contains certain properties other cleaners don't contain. If anyone can tell me what's going on here I sure would like to know because I'm headed to Key West next week and I'm hoping my mileage doesn't drop to 15 MPG!! I first though the gas-achol here in our town was giving me a real problem, but the other 7 Trikes that were riding with us got their regular 38 to 41 MPG repectively.

[John Luciano]

Wow that is great 38 MPG I can't remember getting such great mileage. (11 years riding my DFT that uses the original Goldwing rear end ) What is your Tach reading. I find even 200 Rpms above 2,500 drops my MPG fast. Riding double reduces the MPG and even gaining 20lb might cause a drop. lugging the motor down ( going 40 or less in 5th) speed fluctuations( passing cars ,Stop and go traffic excessive idling, outside temp. humidity.( get better MPG on a rainy or gloomy ,cool day than on a hot sunny one) I have never heard of the Diesel fuel trick, I have heard of automatic tranny fluid and also Marvel mystery oil). Pulling a trailer (500#) riding 2 up ( total pass weight 285 lbs) going 75 MPH on a 90 deg sunny day I got 28 MPG. Riding with my buddies on back roads ,never over 50MPH 80% in 5th gear, on a 60deg overcast day I got 40 MPG.

[Greydog]

32-34 MPG is what I average normally. 80 MPH freeway speeds will lower that average somewhat. Wish I could get 38-40 but that ain't gonna happen with the 103" and cams. I'm curious as to how your friends are getting that good mileage? I'm thinking "creative computation"

[Stephen]

I was getting 39 with mine as a two wheeler and a kit will knock off 5 to 8 mpg off that. I'm getting 31 maybe close to 32 triked out. I'm thinking I would like to learn some of that "creative computation"

[b4u]

I don't know what to tell you about getting 40 + MPG. I retired last year, bought the Trike and it got 40/43 MPG. Since this was my first time on a highway bike, I though that everyone got about the same mileage. I've always raced off road bikes. After my mileage dropped, I'm now finding out, my mileage dropped to the norm of everyone elses.

A few things that may help your mileage that I have already installed: High Torque exhaust pipes. I have true duel exhaust, no cross-over, min back pressure. High performance muffers. My Trike is quiet, until I twist the throttle. No cat. converter. P/T rear end.
All these goodies were installed last summer and my mileage was good. Around Aug/Sept my mileage dropped and hasn't returned. If there is a problem with winter blend fuel, why doesn't the other Trikes I ride with have the same problem?

[Stephen]

I don't know what to tell you about getting 40 + MPG. I retired last year, bought the Trike and it got 40/43 MPG. Since this was my first time on a highway bike, I though that everyone got about the same mileage. I've always raced off road bikes. After my mileage dropped, I'm now finding out, my mileage dropped to the norm of everyone elses.

A few things that may help your mileage that I have already installed: High Torque exhaust pipes. I have true duel exhaust, no cross-over, min back pressure. High performance muffers. My Trike is quiet, until I twist the throttle. No cat. converter. P/T rear end.
All these goodies were installed last summer and my mileage was good. Around Aug/Sept my mileage dropped and hasn't returned. If there is a problem with winter blend fuel, why doesn't the other Trikes I ride with have the same problem?

Are the other trikes you ride with set up this same way? And what's a P/T rear end?

[Scalp Hunter]

My experience is with both a harley ultra glide and a go;dwing 1800, I have consistently noted that when I am riding at altitude(ie: Colorado, Arizona etc.) I get significantly better mileage than I do when I am at lower altitudes (Texas, Arkansas, Lousiana etc.) the difference is sometimes as much as 7 or 8 mpg better. This has proven to be true more than once. Also friends I have ridden with have noted the same thing. I've also noticed that cold weather causes a increase im mpg, tho not as significant. Don't know if this helps, just stating facts as I have observed them. Maybe fuel injection and altitude are the reasons, don't know.

[John Luciano]

I think that would be Posi Rear End. None of which would give you a 6 MPG increase over 80% of the people on this forum. ( We "TT' took a survey 3 years ago I think still on going and 34 to 38 was the average ) I got a friend that does the " Creative Calculations " too . He will do it with a GAS Gage Wow 1/2 tank 150 miles that like 3 gallons or he will fill the tank to the brim then on the next fill up stop at the shut off. Or put in 4 gallons when we start out and when we fill on the trip fill he will say wow I went 250 miles in 4 gals. I will say how much did it take this time and he says "that don't make any difference". it's how far u go with what you started with . 1 Quart of gas difference is a big change 250 miles on 7 gal is 35 MPG 250 on 6.6 is 37 MPG 6.5 is 38 6.4 =39 Only talking 68 oz .. My filler neck holds that much. Takes a lot to increase 0 to 60MPH time and also 3 MPG. I know a guy that spent $1,000 on his car to gain 3 /10 of a sec. in a 1/4 mile

[tis]

Gee: I would be willing to drop 20 miles down to around 40/43 just to be able to get out and ride. We still have snow and bitter cold. LOL.....P.S. Stephen I believe when he mentioned P/T rear end he was referring to a Posi-Traction rear end. I'm sure he'll clarify this ...:Computer:

[Greydog]

I don't know what to tell you about getting 40 + MPG. I retired last year, bought the Trike and it got 40/43 MPG. Since this was my first time on a highway bike, I though that everyone got about the same mileage. I've always raced off road bikes. After my mileage dropped, I'm now finding out, my mileage dropped to the norm of everyone elses.

A few things that may help your mileage that I have already installed: High Torque exhaust pipes. I have true duel exhaust, no cross-over, min back pressure. High performance muffers. My Trike is quiet, until I twist the throttle. No cat. converter. P/T rear end.
All these goodies were installed last summer and my mileage was good. Around Aug/Sept my mileage dropped and hasn't returned. If there is a problem with winter blend fuel, why doesn't the other Trikes I ride with have the same problem?

I haven't experienced a similar problem with a motorcycle but did with my Ram Pickup. Faulty oxygen sensor was costing me about three miles per gallon. Don't know if lower mileage would be the only symptom of a bad sensor on a bike. I would think there would also be performance issues if that was the problem.

[Bikerbozo]

I tried an Ethanol cure additive with no different results on my Tri-Glide. I have noticed that wind makes a big difference on mileage. I've gotten 23 mpg in heavy wind all the way up to 41 mpg when behaving on throttle (doesn't happen often). I do notice more power and less mileage during winter (compressed cold air and all that).

[Stephen]

Problem as I understand it is all Goldwings are set up to California emission standards and that's a lousy standard to go by.