I have my New gs 500 F for a week now...........almost 1000 miles on it.  Checked fuel economy three times....
70 MPG.........66 MPG........68 MPG..........

Specs say should be 58.........

I'm really happy with the good mileage..........I do longer rides, no city driving, all on 45 to 55 mph roads


What does every body else get?


Cookie

I've got a 2008 GS500f  and get mid top 60's too on high octane fuel.

I have a 2007 and hit 64mpg running highway. However, most of all my driving is city and it hovers at 40+ (I use fuelly.com to keep track as you can see in my sig).

I get 48-52mpg depending on how hard I ride that week.

Check here to get a good idea of what to expect:
http://www.fuelly.com/motorcycle/suzuki/gs500f

My average is 52.8:
http://www.fuelly.com/driver/discourteous/gs500f-2

As per my sig file Fuelly, 58-ish average. But higher on standard/premium BP gas than anything from Shell or any E10. 90-95% of my riding is highway. My bike is a naked.

Michael

I get about 13 miles per gallon.

About 40mpg, sometimes 35. Running too rich.

I am convinced that driving style has the largest effect on fuel economy...........Stop and go city driving is terrible for economy........driving at one steady speed for long periods is great for economy.......

Heavy throttle on acceleration will also use the fuel........

I don't beleive that fuel grad has any effect on economy for a machine which is desigened for regular......that is high test will not give any better mileage............I am also suspecious of those who say one brand of fuel is better than another........I think many different brands get their gas from the same refinery!

Just MHO...........


Cookie

the gs motor is build to run at its best (in stock form) on pump 87 octane gas. running anything else is just costing you more to fill up.  with all my mods including my 14/45 sprockets along with my 160 rear wheel im getting over 50 mpg every tank and i dont go easy on the throttle and thats on 87 or 89 octane depending on the station

See my sig for current average.  Max I think was 55mpg @ 80mph.  I think I could get close to 60mpg if I rode a long way at 55mph.

Quote from: Paulcet on June 28, 2010, 05:47:55 PM
See my sig for current average.  Max I think was 55mpg @ 80mph.  I think I could get close to 60mpg if I rode a long way at 55mph.

I think closer to 70 mpg at a steady 55 for long periods.........

Not bad for that speed.........aerodynamic drag goes up as the square of the speed, so lots of drag at 80 compared to 55.........(just about 2x the drag).......plus a lot a gas burned in the acceleration to 80..

Does the fairing on the F model actually reduce drag?  Or is it just for "looks".....seems to me it may actually INCREASE drag..........it is kind of a big air scoop.........

Cookie


Cookie

i took a ride a few months ago and got like 68 mpg doing about 70 mph a good part of the way.    06 gs500f no mods.

into vs with the wind makes a big difference too. 

My '99 usually gets 39 - 42, hard city driving.

Quote from: twocool on June 28, 2010, 04:47:13 PM
I am also suspecious of those who say one brand of fuel is better than another........I think many different brands get their gas from the same refinery!

Well, seeing as *I* am the one who mentioned Brand, I must be one of your "Those".

Shell is owned by the Dutch Queen. BP is short for British Petroleum.

In my city we have three refineries... BP, Caltex and Shell. They most certainly do not run them just for show and only get their gas from one of them. Because, it is Not only gasoline they get from their refineries. They get gases which are subsequently used to make other products - such as fertilizes, UREA.

Shell is the provider of gasoline to 7/11 in my city.

Here's a snap of my fuelly...


Every fill up on what you see above is from BP - except two of them. Can you guess which two? The first drop off is Standard Shell, the second drop off is Freedom Fuels E10 (they put ethanol in All their stuff and reckon they refine their own fuel - which means adding their own range of additives).

So you can be as suspicious as you like. I'll go with what my wallet tells me and how my bike performs on the different fuels. (things might be different in the USA regarding brands) I say, do your own testing and see if you get different results depending on brand and octane.

Michael.

Quote from: mister on June 28, 2010, 08:57:58 PM

Quote from: twocool on June 28, 2010, 04:47:13 PM
I am also suspecious of those who say one brand of fuel is better than another........I think many different brands get their gas from the same refinery!

Well, seeing as *I* am the one who mentioned Brand, I must be one of your "Those".

Shell is owned by the Dutch Queen. BP is short for British Petroleum.

In my city we have three refineries... BP, Caltex and Shell. They most certainly do not run them just for show and only get their gas from one of them. Because, it is Not only gasoline they get from their refineries. They get gases which are subsequently used to make other products - such as fertilizes, UREA.

Shell is the provider of gasoline to 7/11 in my city.

Here's a snap of my fuelly...


Every fill up on what you see above is from BP - except two of them. Can you guess which two? The first drop off is Standard Shell, the second drop off is Freedom Fuels E10 (they put ethanol in All their stuff and reckon they refine their own fuel - which means adding their own range of additives).

So you can be as suspicious as you like. I'll go with what my wallet tells me and how my bike performs on the different fuels. (things might be different in the USA regarding brands) I say, do your own testing and see if you get different results depending on brand and octane.

Michael.

Nice information!.........Alcohol in gas will ruin the mileage.........it takes almost 2x the alcohol to get the same power!

Your chart seems fairly conclusive...........providing your riding style is consistant, and the course you run is consistant, and the weather is consistant, etc........

Yes, cars and bikes can be "tuned" to run or 100% alcohol (drag racing, etc.   I had a Triumph Spitfire that could be run on alcohol)  but you have to mod the carbs.......vehicle will be faster than on gasoline, but the mileage is roughly 1/2. (different fuel / air ratio for alcohol.)

I would expect that 10% ethenol will lower mileage by 5%............

That's is all you can get around here....10% ethenol!

They used to put that mtbe crap in gas here too.........most got 10%-15% worse mileage on that!

You are not going to stop air pollution by using MORE fuel!  MTBE also began to pollute the water supply.....environmentalists can be real dopes sometimes!  Just MHO.........

I still stand by my statement the driving style has more to do with mileage than anything else, as I am getting mileage in the upper 60's while our GP racer is getting 15 or so, on a stock bike/engine!

Cookie

Quote from: twocool on June 28, 2010, 04:47:13 PM
I am convinced that driving style has the largest effect on fuel economy...........Stop and go city driving is terrible for economy........driving at one steady speed for long periods is great for economy.......

Heavy throttle on acceleration will also use the fuel........

Agreed ^^^

Quote from: twocool on June 28, 2010, 04:47:13 PMI don't beleive that fuel grad has any effect on economy for a machine which is desigened for regular......that is high test will not give any better mileage............I am also suspecious of those who say one brand of fuel is better than another........I think many different brands get their gas from the same refinery!

In the UK extensive tests have been done proving our higher grade pump fuels DO make a significant difference in fuel economy. As yet I have not run my bike on regular for this reason. My bike gets a 13mile run twice daily I still see 8k revs and cruise for around 5 miles of that @ 75mph.

In the UK extensive tests have been done proving our higher grade pump fuels DO make a significant difference in fuel economy. As yet I have not run my bike on regular for this reason. My bike gets a 13mile run twice daily I still see 8k revs and cruise for around 5 miles of that @ 75mph.

I would like to see these tests and data.  What is "significant"........?

What is the scientific basis of high grade gasoline giving better mileage?

Octane is merely a rating of anti knock....really the speed of
the burn.........no more power in there........

If the engine is tuned/ designed for "regular",  higher octane should not hurt, other than wasting money, but I see no way it can offer better mileage and / or power........

Now a computer controlled engine, that can sense knock, will probably run (slightly) better mileage on high test, as the engine will "tune" itself........also modifying an engine for use of high test will maybe give better mileage........in other words high test lets the engine be tuned to a more efficient operating range  (regular would knock with this tuning)

But now you have to figure COST per mile rather than miles per gallon to see if it is really worth it.

But I still say that if mileage is a major concern (and it is to me) that it is driving style that is the #1 factor, fuel grad if it has any effect will be relatively minor......

If you want speed rather than economy it is easy, just buy a bigger bike!


Cookie

Cookie and Andrew:

Most modern cars and a few modern bikes will see improved fuel economy on premium fuels - this is not specifically because the premium fuels produce more power, but instead because the vehicles are equipped with knock sensors, which will detune the engine somewhat when lower grade fuels are used. The knock sensor will retard ignition timing and change the fueling to protect the engine, and permit it to run the low test stuff safely (my BMW K1300GT is equipped with a Knock sensor. The manual states that '89 octane' ron+mon/2 fuel should be used, but that 87 octane may be used with reduced fuel economy and power.)

On a bike like the GS, running a grade of fuel higher than necessary will not result in more power or better fuel economy.