Gas Mileage- Is your a Sipper or iz it Sooopazz, yo!!

[M-Oorb]

Snorkel removel,full area p with needles shimed with 3 washers each,extra tooth on front sproket...on my ride from fl to jersey(about 85 percent highway) averaged about 63 mpg which I think is pretty good since I also averaged 60 mph
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[chess]

I'm just over 50 mpg, and I'm pretty disappointed. I knew it wouldn't be as good as my Virago, which was right around 80, but this is far enough from advertised that I'm thinking something might be wrong.

I use it almost solely for commuting, most of the trip right at 60 mph with just a bit of stop and go at each end. I just went over 1100 miles and will be switching to synthetic at the next oil change, but I doubt that will buy me more than 1-2 MPG.

[Rayme]

I keep track of my gas mileage the best I can, here is my chart for my ninjette :

I get high 50s, 60s on the highway.. I'm actually suprised I get the best mileage going about 100 KMH, the engine revs so high!



and some more info:
http://www.gassavers.org/garage/viewgaslog/2531?

[ScorpionNinja]

I just filled up yesterday, after leaving my Dad for a visit!

I got 64.89 MPG
4-5k short shifts 50% ,
5-6k shifts 40%,
city riding 55 MPH,
5% Highway riding,
5% RED LINE Hard-Take offs too suprize ppl trying to get ahead of me!
(Fun Fun)

[cwb48]

The '08 is averaging 62 mpg or so, no mods. I am a little disappointed, since the '01 was consistantly over 70 mpg, also stock. Always use Exxon 87 gas, 10w40 Spectro 4 dino oil.

And by the way, it doesn't hurt to wind it out- do it early and often.

Chris

[cwb48]

Kelly, I wonder if these variations in fuel economy are reflections of the factory jetting- as you have pointed out, some bikes are running way to lean stock, and some seem to be alright. Mine is prone to hesitation when cold, but never after it's throughly warmed up.

Chris

[TonyKZ1]

Originally Posted by cwb48

Kelly, I wonder if these variations in fuel economy are reflections of the factory jetting- as you have pointed out, some bikes are running way to lean stock, and some seem to be alright. Mine is prone to hesitation when cold, but never after it's throughly warmed up.
Chris

Well, on mine with the stock jetting, I've got one washer under each needle (takes care of the around 6k rpm hesitation) and the idle mixture screw out 2.5 turns (helps the lean idle). With this setup I'm getting 60-low 60s mpg during the winter time and mid - upper 60s mpg during the summer time.
Tony

[Nemy]

Originally Posted by cwb48

Kelly, I wonder if these variations in fuel economy are reflections of the factory jetting- as you have pointed out, some bikes are running way to lean stock, and some seem to be alright. Mine is prone to hesitation when cold, but never after it's throughly warmed up.

Chris

ya I'm not a fan of my fuel economy though I would say 80% of my shifts are 10k+. I switched from 2 to 1 washer to see if it would improve my economy. I seem to be saving about 10% but I also sometimes feel a little hesitation under 6k rpm

[kkim]

I'm sure any mod you make to the jetting that makes it richer will result in lower MPG. To get the best MPG, I would think, is to leave the jetting stock, if you can live with it.

On the other hand, I know Alex's bike (or more correctly, Annie's bike ) has not had the jetting touched and I think he's getting about 40MPG.

A LOT will depend on the rider and what type of traffic you encounter.

[noche_caliente]

[Ramen]

When I first adjusted my chain, I n00bed it and aligned my rear wheel alignment by the hash marks on either side. I finally got around to measuring it from the center of the axle bolt to swingarm pivot with measuring tape. Turns out one side was 1/2 inch longer than the other!

I realigned properly and all of a sudden I'm now gaining around 5 mpg in fuel efficiency.

So put me down around 60mpg.

[newgirlrider]

Three gallons used in the first 180 miles, not to bad I suppose.
The chain alignment marks seem to off on my bike too. I lined it up by eye looking at it from behind.

[ScorpionNinja]

Originally Posted by Nemy

ya I'm not a fan of my fuel economy though I would say 80% of my shifts are 10k+. I switched from 2 to 1 washer to see if it would improve my economy. I seem to be saving about 10% but I also sometimes feel a little hesitation under 6k rpm

Meh, im leaving my Engine stock, no Jetting and that crap. The way i see it, if i want more HP and better throddle response.... ill get all that on my Next Bike (2nd bike - as ill be Keeping 250R Nate for a longtime) , a ZX-6R... or a CBR600... at some point later on! 600cc is meant for FUN IMO, 250R is fun also... but once i have 2 bikes... its pick your Mood day!

Do i wanna go upnorth next year Camping... with MPG in mind... or SPEED HP in mind?

thats my 2 pennies

[ScorpionNinja]

Originally Posted by TonyKZ1

Well, on mine with the stock jetting, I've got one washer under each needle (takes care of the around 6k rpm hesitation) and the idle mixture screw out 2.5 turns (helps the lean idle). With this setup I'm getting 60-low 60s mpg during the winter time and mid - upper 60s mpg during the summer time.
Tony

Is that a 08-09'? Do you have that old school 89' AND a 08-09, or just your pre-gen? If your set up stats, will give those stats on my 09, then thats sumin' for me to think about... as i get that MPG on avg. stock! (so in short... looks like shimmin' carbs 1 washer n crap Wont hurt MPG)

I dont seem to notice a 6k RPM problem with my bike, thou...

[kkim]

Originally Posted by ScorpionNinja

Meh, im leaving my Engine stock, no Jetting and that crap. The way i see it, if i want more HP and better throddle response....

you may think differently if/when your bike stalls at an intersection from a stop from being too lean.

[noche_caliente]

In the case of my bike, it was a safety issue for me, and thus the shims

[Alex]

Originally Posted by kkim

you may think differently if/when your bike stalls at an intersection from a stop from being too lean.

Originally Posted by noche_caliente

In the case of my bike, it was a safety issue for me, and thus the shims

If you want to mod your bike, by all means have at it. But claiming that the jetting from the factory is a safety issue is just not accurate. If the bike doesn't stall in neutral, it doesn't stall when you're taking off from a stop unless somebody has poor clutch control.

[kkim]

Originally Posted by Alex

If you want to mod your bike, by all means have at it. But claiming that the jetting from the factory is a safety issue is just not accurate. If the bike doesn't stall in neutral, it doesn't stall when you're taking off from a stop unless somebody has poor clutch control.

not true. mine was horrible from the factory and I'm no novice to a clutch. just because your bike doesn't exhibit lean idle circuit problems doesn't mean they all don't.

[noche_caliente]

Mine would stall in gear with the clutch pulled in completely - even when it had been warmed for quite a while (10-15 mins). I'm not going to claim that I have perfect clutch control by a long shot, but my bike was not right.

[kkim]

Originally Posted by noche_caliente

Mine would stall in gear with the clutch pulled in completely - even when it had been warmed for quite a while (10-15 mins).

that sounds like a clutch cable adjustment problem.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by kkim

not true. mine was horrible from the factory and I'm no novice to a clutch. just because your bike doesn't exhibit lean idle circuit problems doesn't mean they all don't.

How many times did you stall the bike leaving a stop because throttle response could be better? There's a pretty wide chasm between "could be better" and "safety issue" with it stalling at a light through no fault of the rider.

Originally Posted by noche_caliente

Mine would stall in gear with the clutch pulled in completely - even when it had been warmed for quite a while (10-15 mins). I'm not going to claim that I have perfect clutch control by a long shot, but my bike was not right.

If my bike did that, it would annoy the heck out of me too. I'd first try and figure out why the clutch was dragging so much that it could stall a running engine even with it pulled in completely. Adding fuel at idle via shims in that case seems to be a bandaid over an actual problem with the bike, don't you think?

[ScorpionNinja]

Originally Posted by Alex

How many times did you stall the bike leaving a stop because throttle response could be better? There's a pretty wide chasm between "could be better" and "safety issue" with it stalling at a light through no fault of the rider.



If my bike did that, it would annoy the heck out of me too. I'd first try and figure out why the clutch was dragging so much that it could stall a running engine even with it pulled in completely. Adding fuel at idle via shims in that case seems to be a bandaid over an actual problem with the bike, don't you think?

My bike would stahl out often also.... BUT that was ONLY this April here in Mi. when the morning Temps were like 37-45 degrees, that and the Bike was only warming up for 5 mins or so. Also it sat outside under a Ultraguard RED/BLK cover over night! out in the open at a Condo i lived at. (with a co-worker)

now since the weather morning temps are up 55+... NPs with sthalling the bike!

[ScorpionNinja]

Originally Posted by kkim

you may think differently if/when your bike stalls at an intersection from a stop from being too lean.

I could agree, but for real, i havent had any problems with stahling the bike. aside from early April, when Morning temps were like 35-45 degress, and the bike ran 5-7 mins... sometimes 10mins b4 id leave for work. It would still bog for the first half mile, through the Condo complex i Lived at, by the time i hit the open road, i had NPs thou.

[bobaab]

I get a very consistent 65mpg since I got my bike 3 weeks ago. I do 65% highway and 35% city during my commute...which is what this bike is being used for mostly. I shift at a pretty relaxed 5-6000rpm when on normal streets, so maybe that helps.

I was hoping to go into the 70's...once I get my new tires and front sprocket, that may change I also want to lose some weight off of me...diet = biggest weight savings on a bike

[kkim]

Originally Posted by Alex

How many times did you stall the bike leaving a stop because throttle response could be better? There's a pretty wide chasm between "could be better" and "safety issue" with it stalling at a light through no fault of the rider.

At least 2 in the first few hundred miles before I shimmed the carbs. Before shimming, I would rev to 4-6K before gradually letting out the clutch being ever vigilant if it was going to stall or not. I could see this catching a complete novice by surprise and end up dropping the bike if there was a turn immediately after a stop sign.

[noche_caliente]

or running into a fence.... *cough*

[Alex]

Novices drop bikes. Novices run into fences. Sh*t happens, right? Some novices are also quick to blame the tools they use rather than their own skill level. If a bike isn't working right, by all means find a way to get it up to snuff. But I must take issue with the assumption by some on this board that every bike rolling off the showroom floor is by default not working correctly, and before it becomes usable every owner needs to tear into the carbs if they want a safe bike. That's several hours of work that would be better spent by those same novices gaining experience by putting 250 additional miles on their bike rather than staring at it in the garage.

[kkim]

all I know is that I have total confidence in my bike now with regards to it not stalling. I had zero confidence in my bike after those stall incidents. I'm no novice.

No one ever said every bike needs jetting work off the floor. You've read my post on shimming. But if it does, shimming is a way to combat the total lack of quality control that seems to plague the idle settings from the factory. you choose not to rejet your bike... but you're far from a novice, too. ride it like it is from the factory...no one is saying you need to change your wife's bike. if others choose to because they want to improve the throttle response from idle to midrange, why does that bother you so much?

on some bikes, the settings are so bad that it cause the bike to stall... why is that so hard to believe? your bike doesn't do it... be glad.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by kkim

if others choose to because they want to improve the throttle response from idle to midrange, why does that bother you so much?

I dunno, I'm afraid what I'm thinking may not be fully expressed in what I'm typing, and I'm afraid what you think is bothering me isn't actually bothering me much at all. Where I'm coming from is that this site has now, and will always have, people who are brand new to this sport and know very little about motorcycles. That's a good thing, and I'm very glad that folks like that found us. The ninjette is a spectacular bike to start out on, and anything we can do to encourage that is a good thing. (It also happens to be a pretty spectacular bike for experienced riders, but that takes some time to sink in for folks).

I'm also fully supportive of anyone who wants to mod their bike however they choose, it's the best way to learn more about them and get their hands dirty while they are playing with something they enjoy. It doesn't bother me in the least, and while our own ninjette has some pretty tame modifications compared to some others on this site, some of our other bikes over the years have had quite a bit of work done to tweak this, that, or the other to make the bike exactly what I wanted it to be at the time.

I guess it's just that I don't want those same newbies with a brand-new bike and zero experience as of yet, to see jumping into carb tuning as the first plan of attack when they are having problems balancing the clutch and the throttle. Of course it's important for a motorcycle to work properly, but to point a new rider in the direction of their motorcycle being the problem rather than simply more practice in using the controls, I think it gives them an out that is unwarranted. In some ways it downplays the importance of actually being good at this before you share the public roads with other traffic. It's a cliche, but as fun as motorcycling is, it's also a pretty serious commitment that really can't be dabbled in once someone leaves the parking lot.

The fact is if you searched out 10 used ninjettes on craigslist, you'll find that 8 of them have never had their carbs touched and somehow their owners put thousands of safe, happy miles on them. That takes nothing away from those owners who have tweaked them to better fit what they wanted out of the bike, it's only to illustrate that no, every bike does not have a problem out of the gate, that's all.

[kkim]

Alex, I agree with everything you just posted.

Some bikes are better/worse than others, though. For the bad ones, shimming is a godsend.

Learning excellent rider skills is paramount, no doubt, especially for a beginner. The bike, as it is set up from the factory, is not the most confidence inspiring off the showroom floor. For those learning throttle/clutch control, the bike, in stock jetting form, is not very user friendly at all. I can see why Kawasaki did what they did, but that doesn't mean it's the best the bike could be for a beginner. They couldn't richen up the bike and pass the emissions standards is what I'm thinking, so they chose to pass the standards to sell the bike. Good move on their part.... not so good for the first time rider with a poorly setup bike from the factory.

My recommendation for shimming is to help those that most likely would benefit the most from the change... the new rider who is trying to master the stop and go mechanics. Modding the bike to be more user friendly is great for them and only costs pennies. (time in the garage, excluded)

yes, I see many 250s up for sale, but I wonder of the unmodded bikes that get sold, how many would still be in the hands of those owners if the bike had a little more power and responsiveness? It's an easy mistake to make that this is all this bike has to offer and move up several thousand dollars to a bigger bike to get the torque the 250 w/ stock jetting lacks. I'm not saying shimming improves the bike to bigger bike torque, but it does help.

And last, I can see where some new owners immediately jump to rejetting as a way to improve their bikes. I'm a firm believer that rejetting helps, but each has to make their own decision as if the benefits are worth the trade offs. Sorry, if I sounded like jetting is the only solution to all the bike's ills and that it will turn the 250R into a 600SS.

I think we're both after the same thing, but through different methods. We seem to be on the same page, but have arrived here from different directions in the book. Stop reading from the back of the book, forward.

[nate-bama]

i feel dumb for starting a thread in the tech section on mileage, but any way i most def notice mid range hesitation on mine has any on here used the factory pro kit on their pre gen? im finally back work and plan on jetting soon , my bike gets hot quick at idle down here. I used to have the stalling problem when stopping quick cause the local kawi shop gave me the hot plugs as oem , that and high heat + lean mixture

[kkim]

change back to the stock heat range plugs and add a couple of shims to the needles. we added 2 to komohana's bike and he loves it. no other changes but the shims. don't know how it affected his mpg, though.

[nate-bama]

Originally Posted by kkim

change back to the stock heat range plugs and add a couple of shims to the needles. we added 2 to komohana's bike and he loves it. no other changes but the shims. don't know how it affected his mpg, though.

yeah i changed them out pretty quick, btw i must say my local dealer was really rude whenever i went in, seemed they didnt like me asking for ex 250 parts, so the plugs are the last thing id ever buy from them. they didnt even stock oil filters. hello walmart and ebay

[bobaab]

Originally Posted by nate-bama

yeah i changed them out pretty quick, btw i must say my local dealer was really rude whenever i went in, seemed they didnt like me asking for ex 250 parts, so the plugs are the last thing id ever buy from them. they didnt even stock oil filters. hello walmart and ebay

Same experience here. A few guys greeted me then went straight back to work. The guy behind the counter got everything I wanted, and the price wasn't bad, but he had absolutely no charisma that it felt awkward being in there.

Go find a local bike shop. Thank god I found a place where the guys are nice, especially the mechanic I talked to. He knows his **** and has no hesitation to give me an advice or two on maintenance stuff. Definitely going back there to pick up plugs and oil filters whenever I need em.

[newgirlrider]

What are the names of these dealers you are talking about.

[bobaab]

Originally Posted by newgirlrider

What are the names of these dealers you are talking about.

Woodfield Kawasaki in Hoffman Estates, IL. If you are ever up here, don't go there

Purdue student by any chance? I'm going back for my last semester in August...unless I do grad school there

[Alex]

I know, I know, I'm partially responsible for the threadjack. But still, I think we're way off of a gas mileage discussion at this point.

[bobaab]

You're right, I forgot to explain why the dealership has anything to do with gas mileage.

If you go to Woodfield Kawasaki and support their establishment, you will get 30mpg on the ride home. Are we kinda back on track now?

[Alex]

[Bill N]

Personally I'm very satisfied with my uncorrected 62 MPG average. I mean uncorrected by knowing the speedo and odometer are about 10 % conservative. So add 10% to my 62 and I get 68 MPG. Also the el crapo 10% of ethanol that is everywhere provides less MPG than 100% gasoline . So at a solid 60 plus MPG I'm totally satisfied. My riding is mostly 50% commuting at 60 MPH and 50% city stop and go. I do not red line often and I short shift normally at about 6000 RPM. I had one ride with my sport bike buddies where my MPG dropped to 53 MPG. I shifted at higher RPM and had long segments at 80+ MPH. I can live with that. Love my 2008 and planto keep it a long long time.
Bill