Gas Mileage

[suzukiwookie]

Just got my 1990 Katana 600 plated and insured yesterday and have been riding it all weekend so far!!

However, I noticed that it's consuming gas like it's going out of style, I am wondering if this is normal. I've not done about 100 kilometres and already 3/4 of my tank is done. I've been cruising between 5 and 7 thousand RPM's. Is this normal?

How far can you guys travel per tank? Is there anything I can do to improve fuel consumption?

[zleviticus]

a full tank? i don;t know i never have hit reserves yet.. but on about 3.5 galln i can get around 140 miles or 255 KM

[Zukiman]

a full tank? i don;t know i never have hit reserves yet.. but on about 3.5 galln i can get around 140 miles or 255 KM

Same here.

[Froggy]

I have a 2002 750 Kat and before I did any mods to the bike I had an average of 4.8 liters/100 km, meaning that I easily went 260 km before I felt the need to fill up. Usually about 12-13 liters. The bike could go 300 km before needing reserve and another 100 km while on reserve. Since the jet kit was installed I am averaging about 6 liters/100 km. So I will get about 200 km where I used to get 260 km.

[The CyberPoet]

You could have a couple different issues -- one is that the fuel sender may simply be wrong. Fill up the tank and make sure that it will actually take the amount of fuel you are expecting it to...

If that doesn't do it, then you are probably leaking fuel somewhere, either around the petcock/fuel lines (externally) or into the cylinders (via a bad carb float). Track it down...

You should never go through 3/4 of a tank in 100km no matter how much the engine is modded with a 600cc displacement engine -- that much fuel wouldn't even ignite (too rich a fuel-air mix by far).

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[zleviticus]

I would do a more accurate assestment as well.

Reset your trip odometer to zero fill up your tank to the bottom of the filler tube and run the cycle normally. Then when you fill up next time try to fill it where it was before and get the liters it took .. now you have the odometer reading and the amount it took to fill up now you can get your KM/L. this will tell you if your gauge is correct or not.

[WildKat]

i keep a close eye on my mileage..everytime I fuel up, i reset the trip, and see how well it coincides w/ the gas gauge.

[furitive_revolution]

i never realized the reserve was that big. i figured it out that i'll get around 100km after i start on reserve. nothin is worse then your bike slowin down and not really knowin why. luckily i quickly remembered the reserve and boom away i went to the local money stealer

[Yellow]

You'll get used to the gas gauge soon, it's definately not linear... but gives you a hint.

I get to about 240 km before switching to reserve, and have yet to run it dry to know how far the reserve would take me (at least 60 km though).

Check for leaks anyway, and never leave it on prime...

[furitive_revolution]

i just used calculations from the amount of gas the reserve has and my gas mileage to figure out i had around 100-120km on reserve

[Aramis]

My 1995 750 is playing tricks on me as far as the sender is concerned...

On a full tank, the needle is at full, but when it hits the beginning of the red area, i usually start feeling nervous, and stop for gas, but only to find that its still about half full (or half empty, you choose)

So, I've come to understand that the red portion is not the reserve, it's part of the regular tank.

Maybe you're doing that too...

Aramis

[zleviticus]

My 1995 750 is playing tricks on me as far as the sender is concerned...

On a full tank, the needle is at full, but when it hits the beginning of the red area, i usually start feeling nervous, and stop for gas, but only to find that its still about half full (or half empty, you choose)

So, I've come to understand that the red portion is not the reserve, it's part of the regular tank.

Maybe you're doing that too...

Aramis

I have found this to be the case on my 04 but i have heard differently from other people.

[furitive_revolution]

same here..once it hits the E, it' time to switch to reserve shortly after

[duff daddy]

man my old 89 motor would get just bout 100 miles to a tank...damn

[bonstrosity]

I realized that that gauge isn't too accurate as well. I ran into my reserves this weekend. It was only 3.5 gallons down too. I figured I'm getting about 35 mpg which is a lot better than my truck at 13.