RPM to run for best mileage performance (mpg) and engine health?

[Lone-Rider]

So I have just shy of 3000 miles on my '11 C14 and have a question about fuel economy. I usually run in "ECO" mode and have been pretty consistently averaging about 40-41mpg with "regular" riding. I have an 80 mile round trip commute that is about 4 miles of residential street, 30 miles of state route (55mph but with a few lights and slow downs) and the remainder on the interstate. When out fun riding, I am usually on state routes and run 50-70mph with some occasional slab time.

As with the C10, the C14 seems to run fine at anything over 2500 rpm  and I find myself usually getting into overdrive even when only going 50mph or so. With the LCD display though, I seem to notice that on a level roadway, the instant MPG reading seems to be higher in 4th or 5th with the RPM's around 4000-4500 then it is is at the same speed but in a higher gear and RPM's around 3000-3500 or so.

I have always thought lower engine speed, better MPG but with different AFM in different gears at different speeds, different engine loading, I got to thinking that might not be the case. Anyone else look into this? I would like to get the best fuel economy possible and if there is a RPM range where it is better does anyone kow what that would be?

Along the same lines, is there an RPM range that is "better" for the engine in regards to longevity and wear? Is it better to use the higher gears and run consistently under 4000-4500 rpm or keep the revs higher 4500-5500 and only use the higher gears for silly grin speeds?


Thoughts?

[MAN OF BLUES]

cannot comment on the eco-mode as I own an 08, but my milage is consistantly better when I keep the rpm range above the 4000 zone for commuting, letting it lag down below 3 grand in a higher gear consistantly rings up horrible fuel waste on my bike.
I find it's even more critical when running 2 up, and fully loaded for a trip.

[Awaz]

Interesting....when crusing at around 70 mph @ 6th gear, I think my rpm stays around 3.5k mark. Are you saying I am wasting gas?

[fmwhit]

I try not to let the engine fall to much below 3000 RPM as it seems to me that the you begin to lug the engine at less than that.  Yes, this means that I don't put her into 6th gear unless I am doing above approx. 60 mph.  I am sure that there are alot of opinions on your question but I have had several bikes that I would run up toward red line every time I shifted and those engines just loved it.  Of course with this bike if you do that you risk alot of tickets-lol. 

Fred

[maxtog]

I try not to let the engine fall to much below 3000 RPM as it seems to me that the you begin to lug the engine at less than that.  Yes, this means that I don't put her into 6th gear unless I am doing above approx. 60 mph.  I am sure that there are alot of opinions on your question but I have had several bikes that I would run up toward red line every time I shifted and those engines just loved it.  Of course with this bike if you do that you risk alot of tickets-lol. 

Good answer.

Generally, I find that like most sporty-engines, the C14 does not like being forced to produce power at low RPM's.  I also believe that forcing low-speed torque on the engine and transmission is not a good practice for longevity of the equipment.  So cruising without power demands at below 3000RPM is fine, but one should be above 3K when less-than-gradually-accelerating or banging on the engine.  I think cruising at 35MPH in 5th or 6th gear on the Concours is crazy; and also unpleasant.  I am never in 6th unless I am going over 60 MPH.  (Of course, screaming the engine up to really high-RPM's all the time is also probably not nice to the engine's long-term health, but that is a different topic entirely).

As with most engines, the best fuel economy will be obtained by cruising in the lowest possible RPM that does not place undue stress on the engine.  Faster speeds will also ruin mileage because the #1 enemy is wind resistance, and that goes up to the square of the speed.   That said, fuel economy is usually furthest from my mind when riding the Concours

[gPink]

I usually get crappy mileage too.

[VirginiaJim]

4261.6

[stevewfl]

4261.6

^^^that!

[jjsC6]

I almost never get below 46-48 on mine, and over 50 is not unusual for freeway cruising.  I believe in getting into the highest gear I can without lugging the engine.  Lugging is like porn, you know it when you see it (but not nearly as much fun).  BTW, I also make several trips over 100mph every time I ride, and the last two times I've ridden I've seen 140+ (actual on GPS) and still getting about 46 for the tankful.  I downshift for passing on back roads and for accelerating out of curves.  I do ride in mostly flat terrain, but my experience in the mountains is actually pretty similar.

[tonedeaf]

Interesting. At legal speeds, riding one-up I get north of 55mpg in ECO mode (by the on-board computer). On level super-slab holding a steady 65mph I can see 60+ (this puts me a little below the rpm I would like so I usually do 70 when I am looking for max mph).

What I can't figure out is that at 8,600 miles I am putting on my third set of tires. Both the stock tires and the Angels I put on wore just about as evenly as any tires I have ever used. How do you guys get the kind of tire wear I see posted? I am getting ready to try a set of PR3s.

[stevewfl]

Interesting. At legal speeds, riding one-up I get north of 55mpg in ECO mode (by the on-board computer). On level super-slab holding a steady 65mph I can see 60+ (this puts me a little below the rpm I would like so I usually do 70 when I am looking for max mph).

What I can't figure out is that at 8,600 miles I am putting on my third set of tires. Both the stock tires and the Angels I put on wore just about as evenly as any tires I have ever used. How do you guys get the kind of tire wear I see posted? I am getting ready to try a set of PR3s.

Answered your own question

[feelergaugephil]

I have no idea what my 08 did or my 09 does, when it gets to 1 bar, its time to fill it, never worries me about MPG, enjoy riding the heck out of it,,,,

[Tahoe C14]

YEAH......what he said ^

[ZG]

I have no idea what my 08 did or my 09 does, when it gets to 1 bar, its time to fill it, never worries me about MPG, enjoy riding the heck out of it,,,,

     +1...

[Son of Pappy]

Am I the only one who, never mind, I thought this was a CT thread  

[lizardbait]

Have only had my 08 for a few months but I think I have the MPG figured out.  Ready?  If you coordinate the quick snap of the wrist with the double clutch action correctly applied to the smart flick of the large left toe at the appropriate time the amount of wasted gas can be held to a minimum.  Further research into the effort of high MPG revealed some faults with the above procedure.  I found that the problem with the MPG is the first part….. The snap of the wrist.
However I did get 42 2up full luggage at 100.

[rtarp1]

Engine RPM that low is lugging the engine. you will need to burn more fuel to make the engine work hard enough to maintain speed .   

[danl]

On the 2400 mile trip I just took I averaged over 47mpg. A lot of secondary state highway type roads, running 55-65 in 5th and 6th gear where I was topping 50mpg. 2 full days on the BRP going 55-67 in 4th-5th gear @ 46-48mpg, a day of "dragon" riding (my worst mpg on the trip, 39 on that day). Now that I'm back home in the flatlands, my mpg has dropped back to the 40ish I was getting before.

I run eco mode all the time and while I'm not easy on the throttle all the time, I do try to shift below 6k rpm and run the engine between 3500-4000 when cruising at a steady speed.

I have 8000 miles on my PR3's now and they are holding up just fine. A little worn on the rear in the middle but it looks like I still have some tread left. The front is looking great, which is the opposite of the stock tires, the front was just as worn as the rear at 5800 miles when I replaced them both. 

[chi-gpz1100]

When I had my 2008, most of my mileage (in the 35K miles I had the bike) was between 35 and 40 mpg.  Rarely if ever any higher.  I did have the secondary throttle plates removed, running a pc3 and areap exhaust.  The bike was set up more so for performance than mpg.

I too rarely made it to 6th gear unless I was doing 65-70.  At 90, 6th gear felt just fine.

Late 2007 or around 5K miles is when all the gadgets went on.  Even prior to that the mpg was crappy.  Perhaps it was the riding style.  The ambient temp did make a big difference.  Cooler weather resulted in poorer mileage.

City riding will hurt the numbers considerably; 4-6th gear is where it's at.

[jjsC6]

Engine RPM that low is lugging the engine. you will need to burn more fuel to make the engine work hard enough to maintain speed .

That statement by itself make no sense at all.  It all depends upon your road conditions.  Uphill that may be true.  On flat land or downhill not so true.  This has been discussed before.  In fact, you contradicted yourself.  Lugging an engine is making an engine work harder than not lugging it.