V17MPG's

[EVAHank]

Hi, All;
Got my owners manual the other day, and learned how to operate the trip computer. Went out and reset the MPG's and Trip 1 to 0.00, then filled her up. I just went and filled up today, she took 3.6 gallons for 118 miles. The trip computer read 40.2MPG. My calculator shows 32.7. It looks like the trip comp on the V17 is living in the same 'fantasyland' that the trip comp. on my V13 was!! Is there any way to adjust this thing so it's more accurate? All my riding on this tank was in-town.
Your thoughts?

Ride Safe & Sane;
Hank & 'the Grey Ladies'

[Mr Jensee]

It's fine. It uses Japanese math....

[Me Again]

Riding around town has never been known to increase gas mileage.The trip computer goes by miles and forgets about the stops.Your real mileage is probably in between someplace ,just like on the 1300 Voyager.When I had the 87 1300 I drove across town with the cruise set at 28mph and showed 47 mpg .

[David (N. Alabama)]

Hey hank. The trip computer gets more accurate the more miles you let it see.
In other words: If you reset the average mileage while cruising on a back road at 45 mph the first reading it will give you will be possibly 50 MPG. This is because if you could maintain that exact same throttle setting and speed for the full tank you would probably be close to that.

If you reset it while stopped and take off you will probably see something like 20 MPG, so if all your riding was back and forth drag racing that is all you will see.

As the average mileage calculator gets more and more data points the reading becomes more accurate. If you let it go for say 10 tanks of fuel you should see a pretty accurate indicator of your actual average MPG.

Same thing with the miles till empty display. It is basically giving you an instantaneous reading letting you know that if you maintained this exact throttle setting until you run out of fuel you can go this many miles. As soon as you input more or less throttle the numbers will change.

For me both of those items are just little distractions and I have never seen them as accurate even in the various rental cars I have had with average MPG and miles to empty.

Here is a tip for you. If you are on a trip, you can squeeze in some extra fuel by filling to the very top will holding the bike upright. But if you do that you need to immediately start riding and commit to riding 20 miles before stopping or you will have fuel come back out of the tank.

[hank43]

Hi, All;
Got my owners manual the other day, and learned how to operate the trip computer. Went out and reset the MPG's and Trip 1 to 0.00, then filled her up. I just went and filled up today, she took 3.6 gallons for 118 miles. The trip computer read 40.2MPG. My calculator shows 32.7. It looks like the trip comp on the V17 is living in the same 'fantasyland' that the trip comp. on my V13 was!! Is there any way to adjust this thing so it's more accurate? All my riding on this tank was in-town.
Your thoughts?

Ride Safe & Sane;
Hank & 'the Grey Ladies'

Hello Hank;
Hank here (Norcal Voyagers) and my 2009 Voyager with the Champion trike kit on it shows 32.5 MPG, and that never changes. City, freeway, mountains, whatever. 32.5, I watch the gas gauge, but don't really trust that either. I can't imagine pushing this 1300 pound beast to a gas station, so on trips, (like the AVA rally) I will tote a 2 gallon gas can on the trailer tongue. At least that way, I can go maybe another 50 miles....
BTW, is there anyway to reset the (32.5)supposed MPG? I can do this in both my Dodge Caliber, and my Dodge ram truck.

Hank43

[David (N. Alabama)]

Hello Hank;
Hank here (Norcal Voyagers) and my 2009 Voyager with the Champion trike kit on it shows 32.5 MPG, and that never changes. City, freeway, mountains, whatever. 32.5, I watch the gas gauge, but don't really trust that either. I can't imagine pushing this 1300 pound beast to a gas station, so on trips, (like the AVA rally) I will tote a 2 gallon gas can on the trailer tongue. At least that way, I can go maybe another 50 miles....
BTW, is there anyway to reset the (32.5)supposed MPG? I can do this in both my Dodge Caliber, and my Dodge ram truck.

Hank43

Yes you can reset the average mpg. When you move the switch on the right handlebar in the direction that toggles between average MPG and range till empty, hold the switch in that direction while looking at the Average MPG and it will reset.

[hank43]

Thanks David, that worked just great!

Hank

[hank43]

After learning how to reset the MPG gauge, I have checked several times (and reset) to account for different conditions, 'Fer instance, this past weekend I made a 398 mile trip, half of that trip was heading south, where I got 34+mpg. Coming back north, after resetting the gauge at the start of the return trip, I got only 28+ MPG. This was using the cruise control both ways set at 62 MPH. There was a 40 MPH constant headwind, and this is a trike, so the poor mileage coming north didn't surprise me. Still, the overall average was 31.x MPG with two up, on a trike.

Try resetting the meter, drive 100 miles without stopping (like on a freeway), note your mileage. Now, do the same with everyday riding in town, on freeways, etc. and note the mileage. Accumulated mileage seems to be more accurate as stated above. Oh yeah, and when you are stuck in dead stopped traffic, watch your mileage fly right out the window. I have noted this on both my car and truck, idling in traffic is bad for mileage.


hank43

[HMB Don]

Just got back from my trip to Denver and back 2,931 miles. My speed was 65 mph almost all of the trip, using Shell gas 91 Octane. Most all of my mileage was in the 50 mpg. On the return trip I even got better mileage with one 180 mile tank of gas, mpg was 56 mpg, that was from Dillon, CO to Grand Junction, CO. The tank before was 49.5 mpg and the tank after was 50.? mpg. After 52k my Voyager is getting to where it's performing a lot like my old 1200.

My son rode back from CO with me on my old 1200 Voyager. When I got the 56 mpg, the 1200 got a get this, 60 mpg. The ODO on the 1200 is reading 194,000 miles.

So if you're on the fence about the 1700, jump in and ride it. It's just keeps getting better.

[David (N. Alabama)]

That's amazing Don! I am getting around 40. Used to get more before the recall on the ECU.

[kjsett]

Just got back from my trip to Denver and back 2,931 miles. My speed was 65 mph almost all of the trip, using Shell gas 91 Octane. Most all of my mileage was in the 50 mpg. On the return trip I even got better mileage with one 180 mile tank of gas, mpg was 56 mpg, that was from Dillon, CO to Grand Junction, CO. The tank before was 49.5 mpg and the tank after was 50.? mpg. After 52k my Voyager is getting to where it's performing a lot like my old 1200.

My son rode back from CO with me on my old 1200 Voyager. When I got the 56 mpg, the 1200 got a get this, 60 mpg. The ODO on the 1200 is reading 194,000 miles.

So if you're on the fence about the 1700, jump in and ride it. It's just keeps getting better.

Don, must be something about that part of Denver west on I70. I clocked over 55mpg on that 1st leg on my 1200. After that it was between 42 and 48mpg (loaded with a cooler rack in the receiver hitch). Wish I had stopped to take pictures.

Ken

[Kevin B in Illinois]

Wow on the MPG's for Don. I have seen a low of 31 MPG on the trip computer and also figuring it with a calculator and also averaged around 40 MPG's on the 1700. Wow is all I have to say.

Kevin Braddy
IPVMC
President

[HMB Don]

Today I filled the tank after riding around town and in the mountains. Using lots of RPM and just having fun, MPG is back to the 30's and 40's so that great mileage is only out in the open road or just for putting along.

[debron]

. . . so that great mileage is only out in the open road or just for putting along.

I can attest to Don's mileage as I was on the trip with him to and from Logan. I was averaging 50-53 mpg on my XII with a high of 58 mpg, second high of 57 mpg. Those were cruising at 60-63 true (per GPS.) A tail wind doesn't hurt (the 58 & 57!)

[hank43]

One tank on our recent 6000 plus mile trip I did get almost 36 pulling my giant trailer and with a passenger.
I almost got 58 when I tried to attach a bungie cord to Ron's bike, but I got caught.....
Back in the city, I get 32.5 again.


hank

[Turbo4x4]

Since I don't know which year 1700 you have, let me toss this possibility out...... if you've replaced your rear tire with something wider and having a lower profile, not only will it distort your mileage numbers, but you'll also be racking up miles on the ODO that you're not really putting on. Those of us who have gone to the dark side have experienced this frequently. A speedo corrector will solve this problem, if in fact that is the cause.

[hank43]

Well, it's official. I dug up all the gas receipts for the AVA Rally trip,(Well, 99 % of the receipts, there are two that I can't read because the print faded from being carried in my pants pocket) and here is the MPG results:

2009 VV1700 Voyager with Champion IRS trike kit: 1150 pounds (This is Champions published weight)
Hannigan trailer grossly overloaded: Didn't weigh, but suspect about 400-500 pounds
Wife: not allowed to say
Me: 210 pounds
Approx. weight: 1990 pounds
Average speed: I can only guess, but as I recall, I think Don tried to keep it at about 60-62 MPH. except for Rte 129, (The Dragon) where I met him at the bottom..... I was on a trike...

6057 miles total with all the side trips.
175.67 gallons of dead dinosaur stuff.
34.47942164 MPG

Funny, but this is computed average, (Miles driven divided by gallons purchased) the trip meter on the bike showed a low of 32, and a high of 35 MPG, so, it appears to be pretty accurate, at least on the long trips.


Hank43

[hank43]

Since I don't know which year 1700 you have, let me toss this possibility out...... if you've replaced your rear tire with something wider and having a lower profile, not only will it distort your mileage numbers, but you'll also be racking up miles on the ODO that you're not really putting on. Those of us who have gone to the dark side have experienced this frequently. A speedo corrector will solve this problem, if in fact that is the cause.

Well, there's a thought - I have a Trike, so two rear wheels, how does that figure in? BTW, on our long trip, several times I compared my speed with the other riders, and think it was within 5% or so.

Wonder about going to dark side for the remaining (front) wheel?

hank43

[biggersm]

Since I don't know which year 1700 you have, let me toss this possibility out...... if you've replaced your rear tire with something wider and having a lower profile, not only will it distort your mileage numbers, but you'll also be racking up miles on the ODO that you're not really putting on. Those of us who have gone to the dark side have experienced this frequently. A speedo corrector will solve this problem, if in fact that is the cause.

Well, there's a thought - I have a Trike, so two rear wheels, how does that figure in? BTW, on our long trip, several times I compared my speed with the other riders, and think it was within 5% or so.

Wonder about going to dark side for the remaining (front) wheel?

hank43

There is a term in the darkside world of going "double darkside" but it does not mean putting a car tire on the front too. It means putting the original motorcycle rear tire on backwards on the front. Just want to make certain that is what you meant. There are some great Darkside fourms out there. I won't post the names of them in this forum.

I just reread before posting (for a change) and you are actually asking Trike questions. I don't know what is the best option for the front (between a MT spun backwards and mounted or a CT). Shoot me a PM and I can get you in touch with a great Trike board.