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27 Jul 2010
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DL650: realistic fuel consumption: experiences
I am pretty disappointed with fuel consumption values for modern bikes. Many barely perform better than a family car and that seems at odds with the smaller weight and engine sizes.
My recent trip to France showed my 1993 Transalp 600 would return about 57 mpg. Pretty good, but not exceptional. My Dad's Transalp 700 has managed a more impressive 75mpg on several occassions: it has a bigger engine, a heavier frame, but has FI.
This made me wonder about the other lower revving twins such as as the DL650 V-strom. If has a smaller engine than my Dad's bike, is lighter, and also has FI. Sounds like a good combination.
However, the few figures I've found suggest about the same consumtion as mine, but being submitted by American owners it might be the 3.5 litre US gallon, not the UK 4.5 litre gallon.
So, what have DL owners on here typically got from their bikes?
Please also make it clear what units you are using (US mpg, UK mpg, KM/lt, or lts/100km)
Cheers in advance for the info.
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27 Jul 2010
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hi
I have done 4.7 L/100km on a K7 dl650 in 10500km from Turkey to Morocco and back. Average speed in Europa motorways was 110-130km/h and in Morocco 60-90km/h.
tips: (app.)
km/L = 0.425 x USmpg
km/L = 0.354 x UKmpg
km/L = 100/(L/100km)
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Last edited by ozhanu; 29 Jul 2010 at 14:01.
Reason: conversions added
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27 Jul 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ozhanu
hi
I have done 4.7 lt/100km on a K7 dl650 in 10500km from Turkey to Morocco and back. Average speed in Europa motorways was 110-130km and in Morocco 60-90 km.
fyi: (app.)
km/l = 0.425 x USmpg
km/l = 0.354 x UKmpg
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That works out at about 58-59 mpg (UK). Perhaps the earlier quotes were not far off, after all....
Karlsruhe:
I was riding past there last Thursday in hooooorrible weather on my way from Besancon to Rostock.
Thursday sucked...
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27 Jul 2010
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I have always pretty much averaged around the 4.5l/100km over a number of bikes, 2006,7,9 and have clocked up around the 200,000km thoughout Australia, north cental and south america, a complete mixture of roads, tracks, superhighways and deserts
They are very economical, the 650 that is, the 1000 is not as good.
Cheers
TS
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27 Jul 2010
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I´d say my K9 uses just about 4,0 - 4,5 liters per 100 kms. A bit more in countries, where higher speeds are allowed, especially if very heavily loaded. But even then it probably starts with a 5, and not a 6 (I dont usually ride throttle wide open all day). A nice range with a 22L tank.
Do note that from 2007 onwards there are twinspark heads, and also the consumption is a little bit less than the 2004-2006 models.
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27 Jul 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pecha72
Do note that from 2007 onwards there are twinspark heads, and also the consumption is a little bit less than the 2004-2006 models.
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Good to know.
And the tank size is better than the TA700. MPG not quite as good but it all depends on whether I'd be able to reproduce my Dad's light touch on the throttle... 
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27 Jul 2010
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I generally get 210 miles per tank(to the reserve bar flashing at me) on my K7,even two up with luggage,only time it drops to the 180 mile mark is if I have been going hard on the throttle on the back roads.
Andy
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27 Jul 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by holodragon
I generally get 210 miles per tank(to the reserve bar flashing at me) on my K7,even two up with luggage,only time it drops to the 180 mile mark is if I have been going hard on the throttle on the back roads.
Andy
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Can you tell me what that translates to as in either mpg or litres / 100km?
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27 Jul 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Warthog
Good to know.
And the tank size is better than the TA700. MPG not quite as good but it all depends on whether I'd be able to reproduce my Dad's light touch on the throttle... |
I had the XL700V for a few days (got good friends at a dealership here!) and I rode a bit less than 1000 kms in all sorts of roads, and to me, it actually seemed a tiny bit more thirsty than my DL650, with the smaller tank it meant a considerably shorter fuel range.
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28 Jul 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Warthog
I am pretty disappointed with fuel consumption values for modern bikes. Many barely perform better than a family car and that seems at odds with the smaller weight and engine sizes.
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I don't think its at odds at all. The primary reason cars have so much better fuel consumption, despite their increased weight and engine capacity, comes down to aerodynamics.
Even a fully faired bike has a much higher cd than even the least aerodynamic car. Combined with the generally higher state of tune of bike engines we will never be able to achieve comparable consumption per load figures.
After reviewing a broad range of offroaders and test riding a DL650 last weekend I now believe it will be my next bike. If it can manage 60mpg on the open highway then I will be very happy.
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28 Jul 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by farqhuar
If it can manage 60mpg on the open highway then I will be very happy.
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I can't see that happening.
I got all confused with the different countries specs for a gallon.
I found while in the US, it was easier to use their weird measuring system, because it made it easier to work out what the tank could do,
Basically, 5 gallon tank(US) and at a normal speed of around 55-60mph, I managed to get 250 miles. So, basic maths says that is 50mpg.
I could never get my head around the new metric system of how many liters per 100kmh and just do my maths the other way around and get a number of how many KM's per liter.
So, on a good day, 20+km/lt and a fast day with a headwind, 14km/lt.
This was more useful to me in a days travel as I could relate it to the distance I needed to travel a lot easier than the other way. And it gave a me a distance I would need to walk to the closest servo when I ran out 
I hope that has not confused you 
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28 Jul 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TravellingStrom
I can't see that happening.
I got all confused with the different countries specs for a gallon.
I found while in the US, it was easier to use their weird measuring system, because it made it easier to work out what the tank could do,
Basically, 5 gallon tank(US) and at a normal speed of around 55-60mph, I managed to get 250 miles. So, basic maths says that is 50mpg.
I could never get my head around the new metric system of how many liters per 100kmh and just do my maths the other way around and get a number of how many KM's per liter.
So, on a good day, 20+km/lt and a fast day with a headwind, 14km/lt.
This was more useful to me in a days travel as I could relate it to the distance I needed to travel a lot easier than the other way. And it gave a me a distance I would need to walk to the closest servo when I ran out
I hope that has not confused you |
No worries, I think the confusion is because I didn't state whether I meant imperial or US gallons. I meant imperial gallons, and 60mpg = 21km/l so that sounds pretty consistent with your good day numbers on a DL1000. Given I'm looking at the DL650 I'm pretty confident fuel consumption should be a little better.
I believe the tanks size is identical on both DLs so fuel range should also be
at least 400km (250 miles).
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28 Jul 2010
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I normally fill up at about 360-380 kms, but unless I´ve been on the motorway all the time, there´s no rush to the petrol station even then. 430-440 has been my maximum fuel interval I think.
Some claim they´ve ridden 500 kms between fill-ups, that must be real slow & steady going...
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28 Jul 2010
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I went for a trip last year with my friend both of us on dl650's, mine an K7 and his a K5, riding at a steady pace (50mph) through the alps we were getting 65MPG, (my K7 was a little worse but I put that down to me being heavier on the throttle.)
BUT... when riding fast, say around 110mph for long distances (full tank fulls) the economy was down to 38-40 MPG.
this was loaded up with alloy panniers, camping gear etc and tall touring screen.
Chris
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29 Jul 2010
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The previous post matches my experience. It's all about how fast you ride, with significant input from how heavily (i.e., non-aerodynamically) you're loaded.
My dl650 gets 5 miles per (US) gallon better than my KLR650: that's the advantage of fuel injection and an extra gear. The difference remains constant for changing loads, headwinds, speeds. In normal use, that translates to 55 mpg on the DL, which is actually quite similar to what Traveling Strom writes above, since (I happen to know) he rides faster than I do.
Recently--for the past 6 or 7000 miles--I've been toodling along at a steady 50 miles per hour on my KLR; I'm trying to coax it home from South America, and it seems to appreciate a leisurely pace. I'm getting 65 miles per gallon at that speed, fully (over) loaded, compared to 50 mpg at higher speeds. I don't know if I'll ever go so slowly for so long on my DL, but I'd expect it to get even better mileage if I do.
Mark
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DL650: realistic fuel consumption: experiences
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