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Hi All,

Am still trying to work out how to get the best fuel consumption, or should I say the most economical fuel usage, from one's scooter/bike.  I know that when I first started riding my Scarabeo 500ie, I loved the sound of the motor so much I was a little heavy on the throttle and getting around 24.5km/ltr or 4.1ltr/100km.  With  smoother riding I started to get around 25.1km/ltr or just under 4ltr/100km.  I know that with stop start riding in "rush hour" traffic I get as low as 19.8km/ltr or 5.1ltr/100km.  Last weekend I filled up before heading off for a country ride and filled up afterwards.  On the trip I did open up the throttle for a little while both going and returning, but sat either around 90kph or 100kph with a couple of bursts to overtake.  For just over 200km I got 28.6km/ltr or 3.5ltr/100km.  Am pretty happy with these figures and look forward to seeing what I get on a long, sustained trip, say around 400km.  The best I got with my Scarabeo 200 (carby version) was 35.1km/ltr or just 2.9ltr/100km.

Can I get some feedback on what sort of figures I should expect from a fuel injected 460cc and how I should use the throttle to obtain these?  I know with outboard motors, whether two or four stroke, there is an optimum rev range for fuel efficiency and going too slow is as bad as going too fast due partly to the planing ride of the boat, as opposed to pushing through the water.  Is there a similar optimum rev range for two wheelers?  I know a lot of bikes have tachos but I think they are very rare on scooters, even though specs are quoted at set revs.

I guess what has prompted me to be fuel usage conscious, apart from the "being green" aspect, is the ever increasing cost of premium (one draw back of fuel injected engines is that they like premium RON 95).  Whereas I topped up the 200 for around $6/$7 the Scarabeo 500 costs around $12/13.

Thanks,  Mike

 Doesn't the Scarabeo 500ie share the Nexus engine?? I thought the latest versions did but have their better versions (495cc/twin spark??) My Nexus returns similar results as your S, I don't recall the exact L/100 but my range on a country ride is about 390+ from a fill of about 13L. they provide good economy plus quite a spirited performance... Your 200 would be giving better figures if ridden within it's limits?

When you get to the bigger motorbikes it's so different, the GTR1400 can get as low as 6.7L/100 and its best is around 4.8, Duc so far has delivered around 3.9 but I'm still staying under 4G rpm (occasionally)... the bigger sports bikes can only have a range of around 160-200km due to their little tanks, there's not many with larger tanks (GTR, about 350km), whereas touring on the Nexus I often see on the gauge 450-500km when cruising, but don't often trust that reading... I don't tend to worry about economy beside testing it to see if the engine is working within it's limits (bad/unusual econ would indicate something's off)

 

 i have being keeping an eye on my fuel consumption.

493cc/ twin spark engine, heavier weight 213kg, but a better aerodynamic bodywork.

for a country run 3.44 l/100km or 82mpg. still being run in.

after being run in 3.37 l/100km or 83mpg or 29.66 km/l

for a city ride 4.2 l/100km or 67mpg

 

Opascoot:

My Nexus returns similar results as your S, I don't recall the exact L/100 but my range on a country ride is about 390+ from a fill of about 13L. they provide good economy plus quite a spirited performance...

 

Thanks for sharing these figures, Opascoot.  They are certainly very close to the ones I got.  Seems as though scooters are a little more miserly on fuel than bikes.  Perhaps the CVT "gear box" ?

Mike

silverflyer:

i have being keeping an eye on my fuel consumption.493cc/ twin spark engine, heavier weight 213kg, but a better aerodynamic bodywork.for a country run 3.44 l/100km or 82mpg. still being run in. after being run in 3.37 l/100km or 83mpg or 29.66 km/l for a city ride 4.2 l/100km or 67mpg

 

Pretty impressive, Silverflyer, considering the heavier weight and larger engine.  Thanks for sharing.

Mike

 i have aerodymanic on my side with the bigger frontal area and screen

 Hey,my scarab gives me at best about  3.5L/100,and at worst 4.0L per 100. This seems to be fairly similar to what you are saying.

I usually fill up with 10L (i know, i could let it run down further), and get maybe 260km around the city. Cruising at 110 seems best, I did a long trip with some friends, one on a slow 125cc, and had to sit on about 85, and found my economy was not much better than riding in the city. On the way back doing 110 I got over 300km for a little over 10 litres, and my best econ so far.

I seem to be getting better economy with the new exhaust and filter, but it is too early to be really confident. I will monitor it and see. I have a long trip in the next few weeks.

 

adamtassell:

Cruising at 110 seems best, I did a long trip with some friends, one on a slow 125cc, and had to sit on about 85, and found my economy was not much better than riding in the city. On the way back doing 110 I got over 300km for a little over 10 litres, and my best econ so far.

 

This is the elusive "sweet spot" I'm trying to find, Adamtassell.  Have been doing a lot of sitting on 100kph and the figures are as above.  Will now look for a few excuses to go for a long run at 110kph.  Thanks for sharing your findings.

Mike

That seemed true for the LG as well. The run to Pinjarra & back earlier this year took all of a tank. It was 110 along the southwest hwy & 100 along the freeway. I still get the giggles thinking about it doing that trip loaded up with camping gear.

 I have a trip down south in a few weeks, should be about 800km or so, so I will check the consumption carefully and post.

 

I get 62.5 MPG (cant think in ltrs /100km its not natural ) on a 498cc FI single doing 60 miles per day mainly freeway riding at 100-110kph..scoot has only done 4000k so may improve

whizzkid:

I get 62.5 MPG (cant think in ltrs /100km its not natural ) on a 498cc FI single doing 60 miles per day mainly freeway riding at 100-110kph..scoot has only done 4000k so may improve

 

If my math is correct, Whizzkid, 62.5 miles is 100.58km and using 1 gal = 4.54609 ltr your figures are around 22.1km/ltr or 4.5ltr per 100km  As you say, it's early days yet, so you should get even better figures as the motor beds in.  Still, 4.5 ltr/100km for a 498cc engine is pretty good.

Internet Magic Trick: type "62.5 miles per gallon in kilometres per litre" into Google. ("62.5 miles per gallon in litres per 100 kilometres" works as well.)

At my 10,000km service the rollers and belt were replaced. I now get 30km less to a tank of fuel. Ideas anyone?

c.j.b:

Internet Magic Trick: type "62.5 miles per gallon in kilometres per litre" into Google. ("62.5 miles per gallon in litres per 100 kilometres" works as well.)

 

Thanks c.j.b.  One of the problems of using miles per gallon is that there are two different measures for a gallon due to the ongoing friction between England and the US.  Pre 1966 when Australia used imperial units, we were alinged with England i.e. 1 gallon = 4.54609litres.  Over in the land of Uncle Sam they used the gallon as equalling 3.78541litres  aaaargh!

When you type the conversion into google it gives the US based answer: 26.57km/ltr or 3.76 litres/100km rather than the imperial figures of 22.13km/ltre or 4.5 ltres/100km.  To see which figures are the correct ones for your calculations, you have to look at how you initially measured a gallon.