Surprise jump in MPG

[scarface]

Thanks, we are having fun.

 

[scarface]

I don't want to belabor the issue but anyone who has V&H plus the air and download mod - how did it effect your mileage?

Les :innocent:

 

[gus3836]

Mpg

2011 trike with 2200 miles on it. This past saturday I went to a shooting competition on the trike set the cruise at 80 there and back got 24mpg. the little light came on put a hair over 5 gallons in it. Stopped at the dealer being a little upset at such poor gas mileage the service manager asked how fast I said 80 he said there you go it runs best at under 3000 rpm. So Sunday with my bride on the back some back roads along the river nice ride and some twistys not alot in NW Ohio then back on Rt 2 no more than 62 using 6th I filled up again got 34mpg. Have H&V pipes and a AN big sucker waiting on the Revolution self tuner and changing the head pipes to get rid of the Cat. Took off the lower fairings and it seems to get a lot more air on your legs so I think my bride will be a little happier with less heat on her legs. Anyone else removed the lowers for less heat. Gus

 

[Bikerbozo]

First the serious comment. don't even THINK of using 6th gear at that slow. I've tested 5th & 6th gear at 70mph and found it does better in 5th at that speed. I'm on a 2010 and I hear tell of some gearing changes in the 2011. Doesn't look like it helped much.
That said, my theory is that H-D tested the mileage with a midget riding a stripped down Tri-Glide at 45 mph, drafting behind a truck....with the wings of angels propelling it.

 

[gus3836]

At 62mph I was running about 2600 rpm it seemed to be okay what do I look for that is bad. It had power to speed up and pass did not run to hot. Tell me more about this 6th gear.Gus

 

[eagle1]

just a thought.. ceramic pipes might help your hear issues. yes expensive.

 

[wiltat2]

Bikerbozo, HD doesn't test things like they did in the old days they use computer data and the problem with computer data is that when you put garbage in you get garbage out. I think they need to do a lot more of the old school testing like they use to, to get the quality back up where it use to be.

 

[Dwight]

Gus,<br />
Finally (IMHO) a post about real world mileage. Thanks. These trikes push a lot of air and speed and wind have a great effect on mileage. I see your trike is an 11, 62mph in 6th will probably be ok since you have the 30t X 70t gearing. The 09 and 10 models were equipped with 32t X 70t gearing and 6th wasn't much good under 70mph. I almost always got better mileage by using 5th gear up to 70 on my 09 TriGlide. I think Bikerbozo was right about HD's mileage testing!<br />
<br />
Dwight

 

[427dave]

Yesterday I took a 125 mile road trip on my 2011 Triglide. I was able to fill up with 93 that had NO ethanol added. I ran 60 mph, 6th gear, 2500 rpm and not too much stop and go but some in small towns. I got back filled up again and checked my mileage and it was 37.9 mpg. <br />
<br />
I have removed the Catalytic converter from the stock header, V&H slip on Mufflers, Arlen Ness big sucker A/C, and retuned with a TTS interface. It also runs cooler. <br />
<br />
I have found though if I can find fuel without ethanol I will get about 10-12% better mileage. So much for our great government wanting ethanol used and now talk about increasing it from 10% to 15%.

 

[donjack]

On my '10 I have actually found the gas gauge to be pretty good. I especially like where it says how many estimated miles left. in July I was pushing it a litte close and it said 4 miles left as I pulled into a station where I filled up with 5.96 gallons.
The wife hates when I play gas roulette! (Oops, she caught me smiling as I typed that and asked why).

You think maybe she doesn't plan on pushing ? lol

 

[Oldmsocko]

First the serious comment. don't even THINK of using 6th gear at that slow. I've tested 5th & 6th gear at 70mph and found it does better in 5th at that speed. I'm on a 2010 and I hear tell of some gearing changes in the 2011. Doesn't look like it helped much.
That said, my theory is that H-D tested the mileage with a midget riding a stripped down Tri-Glide at 45 mph, drafting behind a truck....with the wings of angels propelling it.

I have an 09 TG and rode it for 2 years with the 32 tooth pulley. It was gutless in 6th gear and I never shifted into 6th gear until I was 70+ mph. In 2011 HD came out with a 30 tooth in the TG. Over the winter I installed the 30 tooth pully and it made a big difference. Along with the pulley the Woods 555 cams were installed and I had it dynoed. I am very pleased with the change.

 

[Bones]

I have a 2011 TG and for the first 1000 miles averaged 20 MPG. It's weird because now I average about 30 with 2600 miles

 

[Frang]

My 2011 Tri-glide was getting almost 30 mpg.I just had the 1000 mi sevice done last friday.I chked the mileage today and it has improved to around 35 mpg so i guess there is hope.

 

[ejjr]

Sorry guys but I need to brag a bit. My 05 Ultra with a new Hannigan kit has gotten 39 mpgs on last three tank fulls. and today I got 44 mpg on a trip where the majority of the riding was on county highways doing 55 to 65 mph. I'm lovin this Hannigan set up.

I'm not too familiar with the TriGlides but this Hannigans fenders are very aerodynamic and maybe that has a bearing on my gas mileage vs. the Triglides which look to have almost a flat fender???

 

[Hawk05]

2011 TG. All stock. Last tank 40 MPG

 

[JohnP]

Re gauge accuracy - I went for a solo ride last weekend and lost track of how much was in the tank. It was definitely on "E" when I pulled in to a station, but only took 4.6 gallons. I'm not impressed.

 

[Ironhorsepilot]

John, when you are on E, I believe you still have a gallon left on Reserve. My gas empty light will come on with 37 miles left in Reserve. I have never gotten more that 4.8 gallons into the tank, because I get fuel when the light comes on.

 

[JohnP]

Thanks Ironhorse! I thought the reserve was included in the reading (not like the bad old days when you could flip the tank valve on the bottom from "normal" to "reserve".)
Guess i need to read the manual!
Incidentally my mileage so far also seems to be around 36.

 

[screwball]

Harley fuel gages are notoriously inaccurate! Notice they go form 1/2 to E a lot faster than full to 1/2?? We get between 35 and 40 mpg on our '09 and '11 trikes, depending on weather, up or down hill, wind.... really don't care what the mileage is, the trikes are FUN!

 

[fordman55]

I have a 2011 tri glide and my fuel milage is about 37-38 mpg. I went from a 2009 Streetglide that was about 850 lbs. to a trike that is about 1200lbs. Same motor, same gearing up to 6th. My problem is that I can't figure out the low fuel light. The amount left in the tank seems to change all the time. I did a little test. I emptyed that tank fully each time. I filled the tank with 6 gals. rode until the low fuel light came on, I then went to the reserve, counted down to "0" and then rode to empty, The bike quit running. The first time I got 16 miles before the bike quit.<br />
<br />
The second time 13 miles.

The third time 38 miles. I can't explain that. I traveled the same route, same speed. shifted at the same rpm's. Why the difference, I don't know.