So i read that a GS is really fuel efficient.
Thing is i get around 180km (111 mileage) on a tank and 240km (149 miles) if i use reserve. Is this normal or is there something wrong?

Well that depends...we normally go by "miles per gallon" not miles per tank.

trying to determine fuel economy over one tank full is meaningless...you must track it over many tankfuls...

You also need to determine a way to fill the tank exactly to the same level every time.  Small errors in filling result in big errors when computing fuel usage.

Fuel economy depends largely on driving style...smooth and steady will give you easily 60 Miles or better) per gallon on a GS500

Driving "like a maniac"  full throttle and full braking...will give you maybe 25 Miles per gallon....you choose.

There is a website called "fuelly" where you can look at other people who have tracked their GS500 mileage carefully over many tank fulls and over varying conditions.

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Quote from: bollepoes on February 23, 2019, 02:08:13 PM
So i read that a GS is really fuel efficient.
Thing is i get around 180km (111 mileage) on a tank and 240km (149 miles) if i use reserve. Is this normal or is there something wrong?

Thanks for the reply,

Im from NL so im not used tot miles per gallon but i tried to convert it and got 35 mpg if i include reserve.
I tend to drive more sportier tho and im tracking this for a period now and always get 180km and than hit reserve.

Also drove to Luxemburg last week (about 339km/210miles) and got 124 miles before hitting reserve and also drove it very calm the whole period.

I don't really pay any attention to my gas mileage. Whats the point? I did when I was trying to justify why it was a good idea to buy a new bike to my wife. But that was a long time ago. I just check the fuel level often and put gas in when it looks low. If I'm on a long ride my azz usually tells me when to fill up (when it starts to hurt, it's time to stop).

What's the point of concern about fuel mileage?

Well it is true that many of us just don't care about mileage.  We break out the credit card, and fill up, and we're happy.  Motorcycling as a recreational activity is about the cheapest one, when you figure "fun for the dollar"...Way cheaper than say, Golf, Boating, skiing, custom cars, drinking in the bar, etc...

But...OTOH....poor fuel mileage can be a symptom of a bigger problem....such as fuel leak, messed up carburetors, low tire inflation, poor chain alignment, worn bearings, etc.  So a diligent motorcyclist should keep track and be concerned. (As I said earlier, poor mileage is most often a symptom of heavy throttle driving technique...nothing wrong with that)

Additionally....some of us don't use the motorcycle as recreation, but rather as a commuter tool.  Usually for financial reasons.  So if the fuel economy is much lower than expected, it could easily blow the monthly commuting budget.

I purchased my first motorcycle purely for commuting purposes...My weekly commute was 520 miles. Plus some running around town, say 700 miles per week.  Fuel at that time was over $4.00 (US) per gallon.  30 MPG vs 60 mpg would represent a huge difference in a tight  budget.


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Quote from: pliskin on February 23, 2019, 10:19:05 PM
I don't really pay any attention to my gas mileage. Whats the point?

Hell of a drive form New Zealand to Luxembourg?   

In "metric" countries I think the typical way to judge fuel mileage is "liters per 100 kilometers"...

So in the USA we figure how far we can go with a set amount of fuel, while in most other countries, they figure how much fuel it takes to go a set distance....the ratio is simply flipped.  distance/quantity.....or ...quantity/distance.

Using the term 'tankful' is not so good, as motorcycles all have different sized tanks...even different year GS500 had different sized tanks.  Gallons, liters, miles, kilometers are all standard measures..."tankful" is not...

Sorry for being so pedantic....just the engineer in me...


Cookie

Quote from: bollepoes on February 23, 2019, 05:21:24 PM
Thanks for the reply,

Im from NL so im not used tot miles per gallon but i tried to convert it and got 35 mpg if i include reserve.
I tend to drive more sportier tho and im tracking this for a period now and always get 180km and than hit reserve.

Also drove to Luxemburg last week (about 339km/210miles) and got 124 miles before hitting reserve and also drove it very calm the whole period.

I think "NL" is the Netherlands not New Zealand   Not that far to drive to Luxembourg, at least not from a Texan's point of view.

Anyway, I was getting mid-upper 30s on my GS and it was indeed indicative of a carb problem. Actually it was mostly aftermarket needles causing it on my bike, and they also were causing a stumble at low throttle/revs that was a bit of a chore to sort out. With the stock front sprocket, after the carb fix, I was getting low-mid 50mpg range which is a huge difference from the 30s considering the same routes, riding style, etc.

And BTW on my GS with the bigger late-model tank, I routinely go 150+ miles before reserve. Actually I have only ridden it to reserve once or twice. I use the trip odo as a fuel gauge and fill up when it's over 150 and usually put in very close to 3 gal. Oh and these are the US gallons, which are smaller than Imperial gallons by about 20%.

If you're getting mid-30s I would suggest you have a carb issue. All depends on state of mods and tune. Mid 30s on a clapped out bike with low compression and worn out carbs is probably as good as you can expect. Mid 30s with pods and big jets is probably about right too. Mid 30s on a well maintained lower-mileage stock bike that's not leaking fuel or vacuum from the carbs means something's wrong unless you're intentionally riding like a hoon 100% of the time.

Oooops!  NL = Netherlands...Ok not so impressive of a ride...


you gave some good examples of why you might want to monitor your fuel mileage...

The fuelly website shows the mileage for GS 500E and GS500F averaging in the low 50's MPG....

But really a wide spread in actual mileage, with some in the 30's and others in the high 70's.

On my long commute, with almost no stops...steady 50 mph...I often got in the mid to high 70's.

Now I do more local, stop and go, heavier on the throttle...I get high 50's


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Quote from: mr72 on February 24, 2019, 06:43:32 AM
I think "NL" is the Netherlands not New Zealand   Not that far to drive to Luxembourg, at least not from a Texan's point of view.

Anyway, I was getting mid-upper 30s on my GS and it was indeed indicative of a carb problem. Actually it was mostly aftermarket needles causing it on my bike, and they also were causing a stumble at low throttle/revs that was a bit of a chore to sort out. With the stock front sprocket, after the carb fix, I was getting low-mid 50mpg range which is a huge difference from the 30s considering the same routes, riding style, etc.

And BTW on my GS with the bigger late-model tank, I routinely go 150+ miles before reserve. Actually I have only ridden it to reserve once or twice. I use the trip odo as a fuel gauge and fill up when it's over 150 and usually put in very close to 3 gal. Oh and these are the US gallons, which are smaller than Imperial gallons by about 20%.

If you're getting mid-30s I would suggest you have a carb issue. All depends on state of mods and tune. Mid 30s on a clapped out bike with low compression and worn out carbs is probably as good as you can expect. Mid 30s with pods and big jets is probably about right too. Mid 30s on a well maintained lower-mileage stock bike that's not leaking fuel or vacuum from the carbs means something's wrong unless you're intentionally riding like a hoon 100% of the time.

i drive about 25km each way to work and have 2 jobs, so about 100kms total per day if its nice. 17 tooth front sprocket and driving civilized i get around 400 km before i hit reserve and fill with about 16 liters. this works out to close to 80 mpg. 

Once again showing that driving style is the biggest factor in fuel economy!

But.... the math....

16 liters for 400 kilometers= 4 liters per 100 kilometers= 59 miles per gallon....still pretty good...but closer to the average for a GS500


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Quote from: grader on February 24, 2019, 09:45:35 AM
i drive about 25km each way to work and have 2 jobs, so about 100kms total per day if its nice. 17 tooth front sprocket and driving civilized i get around 400 km before i hit reserve and fill with about 16 liters. this works out to close to 80 mpg. 

Haha yes its not that big of a ride about 3,5 hours but that's what makes it fun seeing so much difference in countries/culture within a few 100 kilometers.

And i use it for Both commuting and recreation driving.

But as you guys say dont Worry too much about it. I wont Just was curious it was like this when i bought it

the numbers are imperial gallons 4.54 liters per gallon. so 400km is 250 miles and 16 liters is 3.52 gallons for 71mpg. i have seen it as high as 80mpg, but i drive easy now at age 56 and enjoy the scenery. my days of yamaha r5's seca turbos, and v-maxes are over, and the bikes and i survived to ride on.

OK imperial gallons.....the units don't matter......you are getting just about the average for the GS 500....

The Fully website, which I enjoy looking at the various fuel economy of certain bikes...uses USA gallons

so miles per Gallon
miles per Imperial gallon
liters per 100 kilometers...take your choice!

I'm a few years older than you...also I ride at a relaxing pace...nothing to prove....

I have friends who ride and race on tracks...they are really fast!  The yahoos I see speeding on the public roads, would look like real buffoons on a track compared to real racers...IMHO

There are many aspects of motorcycle riding that offer great pleasure...driving like a maniac doesn't appeal to me.

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Quote from: grader on February 24, 2019, 02:58:10 PM
the numbers are imperial gallons 4.54 liters per gallon. so 400km is 250 miles and 16 liters is 3.52 gallons for 71mpg. i have seen it as high as 80mpg, but i drive easy now at age 56 and enjoy the scenery. my days of yamaha r5's seca turbos, and v-maxes are over, and the bikes and i survived to ride on.

You're right it has no purpose driving fast but the dikes make it fun.
Also driving on race track feels different.
And Just for information i dont say that i drive 150 in a 50