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Touring bike with best miles per tank?

K1200lt

Like Saddleman, I generally get 50 mpg on my 05 KLT, riding two up. Best was 52, worst 47. Generally count on stopping at around 270 miles, sometimes the light has just come on, sometimes no light.
 
Polarbear:

Much of your problem with gas mileage has a lot to do with the simple fact that the GS and the GSA have horrible aerodynamics. The resulting air drag (parasitic drag in aircraft terms) causes you to use a lot of gas to push it through the air. Even the position and design of the windscreen will effect mileage. My RT computer shows about a 2-3mpg loss if I run the windscreen fully up as compared to fully down. The large top case is worth about 3-5 mph unless there is something sitting in the passenger seat to fill in the gap behind me.

The other problem is that as a general rule, to double speed uses about four times the energy: you need a bunch of HP to push the beast faster and faster resulting in much more fuel consumption and way less gas mileage.

Running fast on a big fat heavy bike with square bags uses a lot more gas compared with something like the RT which is very clean aerodynamically. At 80-85 MPH the computer on my Camhead RT is mostly showing 50mpg depending on load. A friend with the Camhead GSA usually is showing 35-40-ish running with me at those speeds. A friend who rides a K1600GTL gets 45-50 mpg running similar speeds.
 
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The other problem is that as a general rule, to double speed uses about four times the energy: you need a bunch of HP to push the beast faster and faster resulting in much more fuel consumption and way less gas mileage.

:nod The force required to overcome aerodynamic drag varies with the square of the velocity. The power varies with the cube of the velocity. It takes 8 times the horsepower to double the speed.
 
:nod The force required to overcome aerodynamic drag varies with the square of the velocity. The power varies with the cube of the velocity. It takes 8 times the horsepower to double the speed.

Thanks for correcting that.... had a brain fart from lack of coffee :eat
 
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