Things That Affect Your Fuel Economy and How to Improve Them

One of the main reasons people choose a motorcycle over a car or truck is its fuel economy. On average, compact cars get around 23 miles per gallon, SUVs get around 20 miles, and regular pick-ups get about 19 miles. Meanwhile, motorcycles get between 35 to 40 miles per gallon, depending on whether it’s an off-road motorbike, a chopper, or a scooter.

In spite of bikes’ better fuel efficiency, though, there’s still much that can be done to increase it. Below, we list down what affects a motorcycle’s fuel efficiency and what you can do to improve it further.

1. Table of Contents

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   Aerodynamics

Aerodynamics is the study of how air moves around things. This affects you as a motorcycle rider because you are either going against or with the wind. Nevertheless, when you travel using a motorcycle, you’ll meet a level of resistance because of the air. The greater the speed, the greater the resistance. This makes your engine work harder, which can be a real drag to your bike’s MPG (miles per gallon).

What you can do: Apart from driving a motorbike that’s engineered to be aerodynamic, wearing a full-face helmet helps. This is more aerodynamic than wearing a half or open-face one because a full-face helmet allows the air to move around your face more smoothly. You should also remove unnecessary after-market accessories from your bike because they may just be adding resistance to the air.

2. Gear Changes

The more you change gears during a ride, the more your bike will consume fuel. Similarly, if you keep riding in higher gears, so much so that your motorcycle starts gasping, your MPG will go down, which is not fuel-efficient.

What you can do: As much as possible, try to ride smoothly. Fast braking and fast acceleration negatively affect your ride’s fuel economy and the performance of its engine, so it’s better to keep your RPM steady.

3. Weight

Motorcycles are made for two people at most. They are also engineered and designed to have everything you need to drive it smoothly without requiring additional accessories. Putting unnecessary weight onto your motorbike will cause its engine to work harder, reducing fuel efficiency.

What you can do: Ensure that only one other passenger rides with you and that you don’t load your bike with heavy items. Also, avoid installing unnecessary accessories, like heavy crash guards.

4. Tires

Driving on under-inflated tires forces your motorcycle engine to work harder. This is because when the air pressure inside the tires isn’t sufficient, they have larger footprints, making them drag. This results in poorer fuel economy.

What you can do: The secret of best off-road vehicles is ensuring the tires are filled with the correct PSI pressure. Keeping your bike’s tires properly inflated not only improves its performance and fuel efficiency but it also makes for easier handling of the motorcycle, helping keep you safe.

Driving a motorcycle with great fuel efficiency helps you drive farther but also helps protect the environment. When you use less gas, you burn less oil; when you burn less oil, you reduce the pollution you produce.