Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: katata1100 on July 09, 2018, 09:49:10 AM
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Just got back from a trip. Going from Sacramento to Reno , starting altitude a few hundred feet, saw a peak of around 7,000’, speed ranged from 65-80, mostly 70-75, fuel saving mode on, 91 oct e10 gas, mccruise used a lot, bike said I got 48.8 mpg.
Oh, an I-80 is a pretty beat up highway.
I think I get 2-3 mpg more with mccruise when slabbing it.
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That is not uncommon with cruise control, in general. Maintaining a constant speed, without the over-twisting the throttle and adjustments, will save gas. And in cruise control mode, you are nearly 100% passive with fuel use because you are (by definition) not doing anything "fun" :)
Interestingly, even though I don't have cruise, I do use the FEA mode when on "the slab" and that, too, puts one into a semi-passive mode, because it smooths out any interesting throttle input (in addition to leaning out the mix). It seems I will gain around 5MPG using FEAM than without it, verified over several tests. Makes my overall average of 42MPG to up to 47MPG with mixed usage including about 70% slab.
When I check mileage in regular mode (reflashed ECU), in full "fun" mindset (unnecessary powerful acceleration, non-linear routes, etc), it can plummet into the mid 30's!
(These checks are actual- based on gas put in and total mileage... not the computer-display estimates).
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Another cool thing about mccruise is that it keeps speed so stable that it makes instant mpg mode readable . Usually, it’s random numbers going up and down ,but with dead on speed control, the numbers are stable . Then you can do the next trick- flick between feam ( I’ll just call it eco) and regular ( which for me is shoodaben mountain tuning).
I traveled a total of 300 miles yesterday . First 30 miles very very twisty, did about 45 through redwoods, stopped once for gas, made it home with two bars left on gas gauge , 7 hour ride.
Here’s something I did to make it home faster- I have a spare key in gas tank cap, left it there, left a credit card in glove box. When I stop for fuel, just grab cc out of box, open the tank and I fill up. No more searching for my key fob, pressing that little release to get the key out, then looking for my wallet ( my joe rocket coat has lots of pockets ).
Saves time!9
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I would need to tow my bike at least 60 miles to get 300 miles out of one tank of gas. :rotflmao:
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I would need to tow my bike at least 60 miles to get 300 miles out of one tank of gas. :rotflmao:
I probably would need to, also. Even at some of my best MPG, which requires using FEAM and almost all highway, I doubt I could get 300miles. MAYBE if there was a tailwind most of the way? :)
300 miles = 50 MPG, assuming you could actually consume 6 entire gallons... quite an accomplishment on a powerful, large bike like the Concours 1400.
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It really is impressive . My jetted ‘91 katana 1100 couldn’t do much more than 42mpg on long trips.
If I have to drive a steady 55mph on level ground, I can see 51-53 mpg easy.
Windshield up or down for better mpg? With it down, less sail but more turbulence.
Again, cruise control helps- I have ridden with cc engaged, instant mpg on and moved the windshield up and down while watching the numbers.
So far, no clear winner.
Fwiw, I have a tall calsci screen.
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You guys sound like a bunch of old men. Cruise control is so boring and mindless. And who gives a flying crap about gas mileage. Was the Connie your choice because the Wings are too pricey? My Connie gets crossed up under power, and drags the ground around corners. It sounds like yours has floorboards installed.
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who gives a flying crap about gas mileage. Was the Connie your choice because the Wings are too pricey? My Connie gets crossed up under power, and drags the ground around corners.
Honestly, I don't really give a crap about gas mileage, either. Almost all my driving is for fun, and slow/steady isn't fun. Except on the rare cases I am trying to extend what is left in the tank to make it to the next convenient stop. To me, the best use of gas mileage is just as an occasional check on the health of the engine.
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Windshield up or down for better mpg? With it down, less sail but more turbulence.
Not easy to make a generalized statement about that, because there are far too many factors that affect exact aerodynamics such as (but not limited to), sitting height, arm length, bar height, body position, exact windscreen model, speeds being driven, air density, humidity, temperature, wind speeds, tires, road condition, exact screen position, helmet design, any additions on the bike in the slip stream, what traffic is around, etc. If you could hold many of those (and other) variables constant, it might be something you could experiment with... but that doesn't mean it would hold for anyone else, or even for yourself, except in those same conditions.
Seat-of-pants is: If you feel less turbulence, you are likely more aerodynamic and thus more efficient. But just because you don't feel it, doesn't mean it isn't somewhere else on the bike you don't feel it :)
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You guys sound like a bunch of old men. Cruise control is so boring and mindless. And who gives a flying crap about gas mileage. Was the Connie your choice because the Wings are too pricey? My Connie gets crossed up under power, and drags the ground around corners. It sounds like yours has floorboards installed.
No, I actually use the machine for it’s intended purpose; sport touring . As that , I’ve put in multiple days of 14+ hours per day. I don’t know if you’re aware, but out here in the West , one can encounter highways where you won’t see a gas station for at 60+ miles and I’d rather than be walking in BFE looking for a gas station in 100 degree heat. I also like to keep gas station stops down to a minimum as again, I’d rather ride. If you bought this big heavy bike to run five minute rides to the doughnut store, hey, that’s your perogative.
With some of the long desolate stretches out here, I see no joy or bravado in keeping a right wrist constantly cranked on the right grip instead of using cc. My arthritic hand thanked me.
Also, being that my most of my ride was in CA and it was around the fourth, keeping the speed locked
5mph above the speed limit saved my bacon as i passed many a hidden CHP or had them pass on other side of road.
Better mpg, less fuel stops ( which helps me cover more ground), less hand discomfort, less tickets, these are real benefits but I’ll admit they are mostly appreciated if the bike is used for its intended purpose- continental cruiser.
I’ll admit that my bike has similarities with a gold wing- I have blue tooth to listen to my iPhone and use it’s gps, a large tail trunk too, but again these bolster its ability for long distance touring. If you don’t do this, you bought the wrong bike.
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You guys sound like a bunch of old men. Cruise control is so boring and mindless. And who gives a flying crap about gas mileage. Was the Connie your choice because the Wings are too pricey? My Connie gets crossed up under power, and drags the ground around corners. It sounds like yours has floorboards installed.
A bunch of us ARE old men. But I'm not interested in cruise control either.
My Connie does not drag in corners any more. Now that the feelers have ground away.
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You guys sound like a bunch of old men. Cruise control is so boring and mindless. And who gives a flying crap about gas mileage. Was the Connie your choice because the Wings are too pricey? My Connie gets crossed up under power, and drags the ground around corners. It sounds like yours has floorboards installed.
Good for you, mine does too here in Western PA and WV, but when I am on a long trip, where much of my riding is done, 800+mile days, good fuel mileage is a good thing. Lord, let people enjoy their bike the way they want to.
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You guys sound like a bunch of old men.
Most of us are.
Was the Connie your choice because the Wings are too pricey?
It was a factor for sure.
....who gives a flying crap about gas mileage.
I do, because when I'm making good time I hate to stop just because I'm low on gas.
Cruise control is so boring and mindless.
My cruise control has saved me from more tickets than my radar detector has.
My Connie gets crossed up under power, and drags the ground around corners.
We are all duly impressed and proud of you.
....let people enjoy their bike the way they want to.
:goodpost:
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Good for you, mine does too here in Western PA and WV, but when I am on a long trip, where much of my riding is done, 800+mile days, good fuel mileage is a good thing. Lord, let people enjoy their bike the way they want to.
Averaging 80 mph that's riding for 10+ hours each day. That's redonkulous.
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Averaging 80 mph that's riding for 10+ hours each day. That's redonkulous.
You can say THAT again!
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800 miles is a casual day for some of us. I'm looking forward to having cruise control, but certainly not for the fuel economy. I'm still working on an auxiliary fuel tank so I can do "in flight refueling". I want to be able to stop for fuel when I want to, not when I HAVE to.
I enjoy new roads, not the same old stuff every time I ride. I want to see it all. The whole country. There are a lot of desolate miles between Phoenix and Telluride, why not set the cruise control and eat up those miles. There is some great riding in SoCal. Not much peg scraping on I-10 getting there. I want to ried The Tail of the Dragon, from here to there is a couple of thousand miles. I foresee 2 days of grinding it out on the interstates. Cruise will make that adventure much more enjoyable, but it sure as hell won't be at the posted speed limit. ;D
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I didn’t get cc for better mpg but since it gives me better mpg and allows me to go longer between fillups, I can’t help but praise it.
I went on a cruise with wife to Alaska last month, at the airport waiting to go to FL for another cruise.
Yet, my favorite vacations consist of long days on my bike, staying at crappy motels that are close walking distance to brew pubs- that’s just me.
I’m 54, but arthritis in my hands sucks and man, cc really helped a ton last week.
Eventually , I’ll have to move on to goldwing and when my body can’t take that, I’ll move on to a Buick.
And, for a lot of us, there are times when we don’t want ride aggressively like we are in a race. I’m talking about some of us that have ridden in 100+ temps for six hours and don’t want to wreck after some road fatigue. Or, traveling down the Oregon coast or old redwood 101 highway where you might actually ride a little under the speed limit because damn , it’s so beautiful and you want to soak it. I’m sure there are some leaf peeper c14 owners on the east coast guilty as charged of this.
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800 miles is a casual day for some of us.
Again, that's redonkulous.
For perspective, for a few years I used to drive a car from Gainesville FL to Jackson MS about once a a month: 600 miles door-to-door, and I always set my cruise at 78 mph. With gas and food stops, it took me 9 hours every time, +/- just a few minutes. So my actual average was 66.7 mph. At that pace your 800 miles would take 12 hours total. On one hand you could skip the quick Mickey D's meal stop (and either go hungry ... or eat while riding :o ), but on the other hand you're surely making more fuel stops than me in my car. So you're either spending ~12 nearly all consecutive hours on the bike, spending even more than 12 hours traveling by bike in a day, or you're traveling faster ... and I dunno how much faster than 78 you can consistently travel without getting tickets. (and tickets take time, too). Nothing about this seems casual. I didn't feel like my 600-mile 9-hr trip in a comfortable car was casual. But I suppose casual is in the eye of the beholder.
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Again, that's redonkulous.
For perspective, for a few years I used to drive a car from Gainesville FL to Jackson MS about once a a month: 600 miles door-to-door, and I always set my cruise at 78 mph. With gas and food stops, it took me 9 hours every time, +/- just a few minutes. So my actual average was 66.7 mph. At that pace your 800 miles would take 12 hours total. On one hand you could skip the quick Mickey D's meal stop (and either go hungry ... or eat while riding :o ), but on the other hand you're surely making more fuel stops than me in my car. So you're either spending ~12 nearly all consecutive hours on the bike, spending even more than 12 hours traveling by bike in a day, or you're traveling faster ... and I dunno how much faster than 78 you can consistently travel without getting tickets. (and tickets take time, too). Nothing about this seems casual. I didn't feel like my 600-mile 9-hr trip in a comfortable car was casual. But I suppose casual is in the eye of the beholder.
I do it because I enjoy it. I don't average 80, because if I did, I would spend more time stopped for tickets, and spend more on fines than fuel. Some people enjoy long distance riding, some don't.
I did several Branson, Mo to Pittsburgh rides in one day as well. Door to door was 900 miles, and rode straight through. I have also done Miami to Pittsburgh straight through, about 1200 miles.
Many people ride like this, and enjoy it. Perhaps you have never heard of the Iron Butt. I also rode my RC51 like that when I could. I rode it from Pittsburgh to Iowa nonstop as well.
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I find CC is a big benefit when riding a long time, otherwise I just cannot sleep as well without gaining or losing speed.
I like and use CC all the time on motorcycles and not limited to the slab either; I often use it when riding secondary roads in the southern part of the state during the summer (tourist / vacation times) because the LEOs get pretty thick and have a lot less tolerance, or so it seems.
Brian
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I do it because I enjoy it. I don't average 80, because if I did, I would spend more time stopped for tickets, and spend more on fines than fuel. Some people enjoy long distance riding, some don't.
I did several Branson, Mo to Pittsburgh rides in one day as well. Door to door was 900 miles, and rode straight through. I have also done Miami to Pittsburgh straight through, about 1200 miles.
Many people ride like this, and enjoy it. Perhaps you have never heard of the Iron Butt. I also rode my RC51 like that when I could. I rode it from Pittsburgh to Iowa nonstop as well.
You and Deziner are coo coo loco then :thumbs:
I texted my riding buddy (~50 years old, thin and in apparent good shape) who rides an FJR as full time transport as to whether 800 mile days are casual. He said 500/day is comfortable/casual for him. And, "800/day would be pushing it for me unless it's all interstate, which is still a lot of boring miles, no fun and brutal on the body." Then settled on 600/day max for him.
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I am significantly older than 50, work out every day, and still work at least 70 hours per week. I work hard and play hard.
As a rule, I don't throw a leg over my motorcycle unless I'm going to cross a state line. I live outside of Phoenix and riding to LA or Vegas is just barely enough saddle time to clear my head. I generally don't start to unwind until I am well into my second tank of fuel.
I have always enjoyed knocking out miles. Fort Campbell to Pittsburgh was nothing when I was in my 20's. In my 30's I'd leave after work and ride 500 miles to Albuquerque on Friday and come back on Sunday. On a cast iron Sportster. (I was tough then.) I simply love being on the road. I still enjoy Phoenix to the East coast and back in 4 days in a pick up truck. Some of us are just that way.
However, it is true that very few want to ride me. But that's ok too, I prefer to go it alone. Solitude works for me. I would much rather be riding my motorcycle thinking about Good than be in church thinking about riding my motorcycle.
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I am significantly older than 50, work out every day, and still work at least 70 hours per week. I work hard and play hard.
As a rule, I don't throw a leg over my motorcycle unless I'm going to cross a state line. I live outside of Phoenix and riding to LA or Vegas is just barely enough saddle time to clear my head. I generally don't start to unwind until I am well into my second tank of fuel.
I have always enjoyed knocking out miles. Fort Campbell to Pittsburgh was nothing when I was in my 20's. In my 30's I'd leave after work and ride 500 miles to Albuquerque on Friday and come back on Sunday. On a cast iron Sportster. (I was tough then.) I simply love being on the road. I still enjoy Phoenix to the East coast and back in 4 days in a pick up truck. Some of us are just that way.
However, it is true that very few want to ride me. But that's ok too, I prefer to go it alone. Solitude works for me. I would much rather be riding my motorcycle thinking about Good than be in church thinking about riding my motorcycle.
Well I repeat, you are loco.
And I'm sorry noone wants to ride you.
:P
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I am significantly older than 50, work out every day, and still work at least 70 hours per week. I work hard and play hard.
As a rule, I don't throw a leg over my motorcycle unless I'm going to cross a state line. I live outside of Phoenix and riding to LA or Vegas is just barely enough saddle time to clear my head. I generally don't start to unwind until I am well into my second tank of fuel.
I have always enjoyed knocking out miles. Fort Campbell to Pittsburgh was nothing when I was in my 20's. In my 30's I'd leave after work and ride 500 miles to Albuquerque on Friday and come back on Sunday. On a cast iron Sportster. (I was tough then.) I simply love being on the road. I still enjoy Phoenix to the East coast and back in 4 days in a pick up truck. Some of us are just that way.
However, it is true that very few want to ride me. But that's ok too, I prefer to go it alone. Solitude works for me. I would much rather be riding my motorcycle thinking about Good than be in church thinking about riding my motorcycle.
Still got the iron sporty?
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Nope, it went away a long time ago. Now in addition to the C14, I have an '85 FXWG with a 4 speed and a kicker and a later model 74 inch Evo Sportster