How to improve motorcycle MPG

We want to thank all those who read, post, and comment on our Facebook, Twitter, and Blog. As we build the Retro Motorcycle Blog community, your insights, and input is valuable to us. This video is in response to a question asked by one of our readers...."how did you get the Prototype 900 Seca-SST to improve its fuel economy from 52 MPG to 58 MPG?"  This video was created to respond to that question.  If you wonder over to Aptera's website you'll read how important aerodynamics and weight are to improving MPG. We believe by applying three aerodynamic fixtures to the Yamaha 900 we achieved the 6 MPG increase. They are:  1. fitting the 1982/83 Yamaha XJ650 Turbo Seca fairing to the 1983 Yamaha XJ900 Seca.  2. MRA flip screen.   3. Plexiglas shield to headlight recess area.

Also, for another post, is the system Yamaha engineered for this era of bike.....YCIS.  Few remember that in the late 1970s and early 80s we had the second fuel crisis and fuel economy was on every bodies mind.  Yamaha had a clever solution....stay tuned.

One of the all time wonder lusts of my motorcycle years is the 1989 to 1992 Ducati Paso 906. However my passions were tempered by the early models problems with carburettors.  The following is from Wikipedia.  "In 1989 the Paso 906 was introduced to replace the 750 (the 750 Paso was the first of this body style brought into the USA), with a six-speed gearbox, a 904cc engine which provided 88hp and a 220km/h top speed. the bike still had the same automotive carburettor and unreliable electrical system, but its greatest development was the incorporation of liquid cooling. 1,802 Paso 906's were built between 1988 and 1989.
After further development, the final version of the design came in 1990 with the 907IE(Iniezione Elettronica): now without the name "Paso".  the engine remained liquid-cooled and the carburetor was replaced by the most modern Weber-Marelli IAW 043 system that integrated ignition and electronic fuel injection, which transformed the ride ability of the bike.  Power increased to 90HP and top speed to 230km/h. The wheels were changed to 17 inches, giving the bike more stability.
Despite these advances sales of this model remained sluggish, and when production ceased in 1992 only 2303 907IE's had been built".

Trying to find a 907IE may be a difficult search, however the numbers of bikes coming into the US is about double the number of 1983 Yamaha XJ900 Seca's.  Ebay, Craigslist, or perhaps even at Retro Motorcycle Blog, may be your best source.  I am suprised at the number of requests we get from active readers of our blog, and Facebook, for parts.  Let's build the Retro community together.  JF

List of top 50 MPG motorcycles

Anyone who has purchased a car based on some "official" MPG figure and then found out that they are getting but a mere fraction of the economy they were promised will testify that fuel mileage figures are illusory at best. Fuel mileage is primarily determined by driving style and a driver who presses down on the accelerator as if he were trying to keep from cracking an egg under his foot can get as much as 50% better mileage than the green light drag jockey who believes that the accelerator is a toggle switch and it should be either ON or OFF.


Determining accurate motorcycle fuel mileage figures is even trickier than with automobiles. Not only is there no universal fuel mileage standard for two wheelers, but riding styles on motorcycles are only part of the equation. A couple of morbidly obese riders on their way back home from the Circus Circus Buffet are going to get far lower mileage on their 250 Rebel than a teenager on her way to ballet class. The passenger weight carried by a motorcycle is a far greater percentage of the total vehicle weight than in a car or truck.



How about a Yamaha Electric Monkey Bike for great MPG?

That is why this list of the 50 best fuel mileage motorcycles is approximate to the max and is most assuredly not definitive or all-encompassing. It is only a rough guide to some of the more fuel efficient motorcycles (not scooters) on the road today that get 50 MPG or more.

• Lifan 200 Sport : 84

• Yamaha TW200 : 75

• Honda 125 Varadero : 74

• Honda 200 Twinstar : 74

• Honda XL185 : 74

• Honda XL250S : 72

• Kawasaki Ninja EX250R : 72

• Yamaha Virago 250 : 71

• Honda Nighthawk 250 : 70

• Yamaha 125 Virago : 69

• Hyosung GV250 : 68

• Honda XL500 : 65

• BMW F650GS : 63

• Suzuki Intruder VL125 : 62

• Yamaha XV535 Virago : 62

• Buell Blast : 61

• Honda CMX 250 : 60

• Kawasaki Ninja 500R : 59

• Yamaha YZF600R : 59

• Yamaha XJ550 Seca : 58

• Honda Shadow VLX : 57

• Kawasaki KZ550 : 55

• Suzuki LS650 Savage : 55

• Suzuki GS425 : 54

• Suzuki S50 Boulevard : 54

• Suzuki V-Strom DL650 : 54

• Honda Shadow Aero : 53

• Suzuki Marauder 250 : 53

• Honda CB350 : 52

• Honda CX500 : 52

• Yamaha XJ900 Seca : 52

• Yamaha XS650 : 52

• Kawasaki GPX250 : 51

• Kawasaki Vulcan 800 Classic : 51

• Suzuki C90 Boulevard : 51

• Suzuki GS500 : 51

• BMW R850R : 50

• Honda CB400T Hawk : 50

• Honda CX500C : 50

• Honda V30 Magna : 50

• Kawasaki 125 Eliminator : 50

• Kawasaki 454 LTD : 50

• Kawasaki EN500 Vulcan : 50

• Kawasaki KLR650 : 50

• Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 : 50

• Suzuki C50 Boulevard : 50

• Suzuki Katana GSX 750 : 50

• Suzuki S83 Boulevard : 50

• Yamaha FJ600 : 50

• Yamaha FZ6 : 50

There seem to be some significant surprises in this list and not much should be made of them as the figures are anything but precise. However, we can look at the good showing put forth by the BMW F650GS, Buell Blast, Honda Shadow VLX, Suzuki LS650 Savage, and Suzuki V-Strom DL650 as indicators that there is some great mileage to be wrung out of the mid-range motorcycles. The Honda Shadow Aero as well as the Suzuki C90 Boulevard, Kawasaki Vulcan 800 Classic, BMW R850R and the super heavyweight Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 are the standouts in the big bike categories. You can only shake your head at why the Kawasaki 125 Eliminator gets the same mileage as its 1500 cc bigger brother! You know which one I'd rather ride!

Whichever motorcycle you decide to ride, you can always maximize your mileage by minimizing the weight it has to carry and the stress you put it under. Gentle acceleration and keeping just under the speed limit will work wonders for any motorcycle, from a Honda CB125 to a Triumph Rocket III 2300 cc.



As quoted by Hal Licino in his article -- Top 50 Best MPG motorcycles

Top 50 motorcycles for MPG

Recently on our Facebook page I noted a recent discovery in a Google search.....Top motorcycles for MPG. The results turned in the usual suspects, scooters, 90cc, 100cc, 125cc and so on. What really caught my attention was the lack of newer bikes making the list. The old Honda CX500 made the list for crying out loud. What's going on? While the Toyota Prius, Honda Insight, and a host of other car manufacturers are upping their game for more fuel efficient cars, the motorcycle builders are solving the high fuel prices with scooters?!  If the ole CX500 can get 52 mpg and keep up with freeway traffic, why would I buy a plastic encased bumblebee?  A recent ride on a slightly used Yamaha FJR 1300 was awesome, but the sales guy told me the best I might hope for on a long trip, was maybe 35 to 38 mpg. While I'd rather own the FJR, my 2006 Ford Taurus Station Wagon is year round climate controlled, weights close to 5,000lbs, seats up to seven and gets 30 mpg on long road trips. It's really tough to beat the hard numbers when your trying to make budget.  The wagon cost me $12,000 grand, had 60,000 miles on it, while the FJR was 3 years old at $9,000. In anybodies book, the wagon does more for ROI (return on investment.)  Yea, yea I know.....the bike is waaay more fun....but it's hard to have fun when I haven't been able to ride in two months due to icy roads, snow, and finger numbing cold. I still have to go to work, attend college classes, run the errands, pick up friends, blah, blah, blah.  So for a lot more folks than main stream media wants to tell ya, we motorcycle folks have to compromise.  Me, I chose five to six year old cars, money left over, and multiply older bikes.  Here's the kicker.....the Yamaha XJ900 Seca makes the top fifty list at number thirty, with a factory 52 MPG.  But wait there's more.....with the modifications we've done (Yamaha 650 Turbo Seca fairing engineered to fit the 900 Seca,) the MPG's have risen to 58 MPG.  More on why in another post.  Ciao for now.

Prep work prior to rear shock removal, 1983 Yamaha XJ900 Seca

In preparation for the rear shock removal on the 1983 Yamaha XJ900 Seca, the rear grab rail and passenger rail needs to be removed. Then remove the rear cowling. Loosen the bottom shock nut on drive side, and bolt on right side. However the nut and bolt will not clear exhaust at this point-loosen only. Remove top nut, right and left on shock mount. Place hydraulic lift under rear drive housing (place cloth or folded cardboard on jack cup-to protect drive housing and paint) and slowly jack up rear swing arm. This takes the weight off the shocks and allows the top of shocks to be removed from upper mounting studs. Loosely zip tie the upper shock eyelets to the frame and then slowly jack the swing arm up to allow the bottom shock nut and bolt to clear the exhaust pipes. Remove the bottom shock nut and bolt, slide shock off mounting studs and use same process to install new shocks.  Remember to wear the white cotton gloves for this work, thus avoiding scratches to new shocks, chrome surfaces, and frame powder coat or paint.
This all can be done in about an hour or less.  If you have ever replaced the rear single shock on newer bikes.....you'll love the old twin shock replacement much better. Less hassle, less time, less to remove.

How to prevent paint scatches

Are you trying to prevent scratches and nicks in your motorcycle paint job? Want to avoid unnecessary scratch marks? Here is a good tip on working around your bike when either your assembling after paint restoration, or down the road when parts need to be replaced. The white cotton work gloves can be purchased at most hardware stores, and their cheap. The gloves also offer good 'feel' through the cotton fabric.  Just a word of caution though....the cotton will absorb waxes, silicon spray, oils....which can lead to the gloves offering less grip.  Because the gloves are so cheap, either wash often or replace.

Old versus new

Today the new RaceTech rear shocks were mounted on the 1983 Yamaha XJ900 Seca. As you can see from the video, the tolerance I thought was going to be a problem when mounting the RT's reservoir forward turned out to be a non issue.  Can't wait to get this bike on the road and test out the new 'spenders.'  When track days open up again this spring, will get the bike out and do a complete shake down. Stay tuned for how the old bike becomes a new updated ride.

Replica 1965 Honda CB77 racebike

This replica racebike was on display at the 2010 Seattle International Motorcycle Show. Very nicely done. Have a great New Year everyone....bigger and better things coming your way with Retro Motorcycle blog.