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is 40-45 mpg on gs450 right?

  • Thread starter Thread starter sicnarf442
  • Start date Start date
tkent02 said:
The lower ratios are not likely to get you any better mileage, it usually doesn't on the chain drive bikes. The engine needs to spin to be efficient, it's just designed that way.
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The engine can spin just fine at 5,000 rpm.....

......just have the speedometer be reading 80 mph! ;)
 
Go for it.
Let me know how that works out for you.
5,000 is lugging.
 
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A rough calculation of my mileage with a the 82 GS450TX gave me around 50 mpg. That's with a big 275 lb 6'2" very wind resistanty rider.
 
I don't see how a 450 street bike can be so much worse than a high performance thumper on knobbies with an upright seating position and dirt gearing, or worse than a liter bike.

Something isn't right.
 
joejeweler said:
LOL,....i feel the same way. My '82 GS850GL gets 50 mpg if i do my part, and don't spend too much time stuck in traffic. Mixed city/highway gets me 42-44 mpg.
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Man I wish I could get near that kind of mileage out of my 850; The only time I ever saw over 40 was on the way home with it 6+ years ago. Now it averages about 35, and over 65mph riding hurts that.

Are you guys actually figuring your mileage, or guessing :lol:?

On the gearing thing, I can use top gear at 35mph (though I don't do it much), and occasionally when I'm piddling along and not paying attention (to what gear I'm in), I accidentally shift to 5th at 30mph - and the old 850 will do that without really complaining. So yeah, a 6th speed/overdrive or what have you would be nice (but I have NO intention of changing anything).

Nice looking 850 there.
 
Just topped it up after 124 miles, 2.7 gallons of 85 octane. This on an 1100G, mixed freeways at 70 - 90, a few blasts to 100 or so, mountain highways at various high speeds, some slow dirt roads, some twisty canyons. A little bit of down to Home Depot or wherever. Yes, the odometer is dead nuts accurate.

You can't get good mileage by lugging these things.
 
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JMHJ said:
Man I wish I could get near that kind of mileage out of my 850; The only time I ever saw over 40 was on the way home with it 6+ years ago. Now it averages about 35, and over 65mph riding hurts that.

Are you guys actually figuring your mileage, or guessing :lol:?

On the gearing thing, I can use top gear at 35mph (though I don't do it much), and occasionally when I'm piddling along and not paying attention (to what gear I'm in), I accidentally shift to 5th at 30mph - and the old 850 will do that without really complaining. So yeah, a 6th speed/overdrive or what have you would be nice (but I have NO intention of changing anything).

Nice looking 850 there.
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5th gear at 35mph??? I'm a very conservative rider but often times at 55mph I'm still in 4th (on my 850).
 
I'm not expert, but seeing as how the powerband doesn't really kick in until at least 5k, I would assume that's where it starts being most efficient. That doesn't mean I'm thinking that it is efficient all the way up to redline since it pulls like a whipped ox all the way up, but I say let her stretch her legs some and see how your economy goes.
 
I'm still running stock jetting and running pods. But I'm getting 52 MPG riding a mix of surface and highway 40 to and from work.:D
 
all stock mt 83 450L always gets 45-48 mpg no matter what i do.. and plugs are pefect color...I know it seems low but you can't do much
 
tkent02 said:
Chug chug chug chug chug there goes a gallon.
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I use to think if I was just meandering around, I would slip into the highest gear and let it chug like a diesel, but my mileage was actually worse, I get my 44+ mileage with the 1100 when it's residing around 5k regularly.
Find the sweet spot where the engine sings and runs effortlessly, if all else is right with the bike, mileage should increase....or you got a weird one, push it in the river and get it's bigger brother:D If your only going to get in the 40's, might as well have an 1100 doing it.
 
Sweet spot on a stock 450 should be 5 - 7K RPM, that dropped a bit with my 2 to 1 to maybe 4.5K...

The good thing with my 450 is I can have a ball ringing it's neck and maintain my license ;)
 
pete said:
Sweet spot on a stock 450 should be 5 - 7K RPM, that dropped a bit with my 2 to 1 to maybe 4.5K...

The good thing with my 450 is I can have a ball ringing it's neck and maintain my license ;)
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I like the way you think, kind of like have a dirt bike, atv, or other off road vehicle, but on the street, hammer it, sounds like your going somewhere in a hurry, but basically just whipping a goat into doing a horses job.:D
 
old_skool said:
I like the way you think, kind of like have a dirt bike, atv, or other off road vehicle, but on the street, hammer it, sounds like your going somewhere in a hurry, but basically just whipping a goat into doing a horses job.:D
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Hahaha yes indeed! I like to twisty da wrist (as you say) so I'd have to constantly restrain myself on a bigger bike to avoid trouble... I prefer to let loose and enjoy it and hear the little twin roar... well roar as much as a little twin with a very nice pipe can roar anyway ;)

Oh, and in case you haven't worked it out from all my posts I haven't exactly gone out of my way to make my 450 an economical commuter...
 
pete said:
Hahaha yes indeed! I like to twisty da wrist (as you say) so I'd have to constantly restrain myself on a bigger bike to avoid trouble... I prefer to let loose and enjoy it and hear the little twin roar... well roar as much as a little twin with a very nice pipe can roar anyway ;)

Oh, and in case you haven't worked it out from all my posts I haven't exactly gone out of my way to make my 450 an economical commuter...
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Stop it...I already want to build a scrambler so bad I can taste it.
I've got the handle bars I plan on using, I just need the rest of the bike, right now all I can do is hold onto the handle bars and run around the yard like an idiot going vroom vroom:D
 
tkent02 said:
That makes us idiots?
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Hey I resemble that comment! Hahaha

For a while there that's all I had 'til the 450 was on the road again...

tkent02 said:
All very true, I don't know how you guys get by with only one bike, or worse a fleet of only big bikes.
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At the moment, practicalities... no room for any more than one in the garage... I still hope to change that ;)
 
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