Fuel Mileage

[max03]

Im in the break in process and the best i have gotten on a road trip of mostly open road was 94 miles before the fuel light came on. Driving fair gingerly i was hoping for better than that. I guess im asking if this is what to expect out of the second gens?

 

[Itgoes]

Im in the break in process and the best i have gotten on a road trip of mostly open road was 94 miles before the fuel light came on. Driving fair gingerly i was hoping for better than that. I guess im asking if this is what to expect out of the second gens?

The light comes on with about a gallon left in the tank. So you're getting approximately 31 mpg.

That's about as good as it gets.

Riding the same way after the engine is broken in might show a slight improvement.....but if you ride it gingerly for the rest of your ownership, frankly IMO, you bought the wrong bike.

So assuming you're doing the right thing and just going easy until it's broken in, you can expect 5 miles per gallon less when you start having some fun.

 

[max03]

I have ripped on it a few times during break in. The mechanic told not to cruise one speed and one rpm. He said that i could run the bike alittle hard that i needed to run a variety with rpm, not to be afraid to rev it but to not just cruise one rpm. I love this bike! I do wish to get alittle bit better milage but its ok. The problem i have with the milage is i have to try and map out where the gas stations are with non ethanol gas. Not a fan of ethanol gas and would rather not have it in the bike if i don't have to.

 

[rebeltaz83]

Best I got was 100 till light, riding with my dad, he has a Vstar 650. Worst was 68 till light. I found 1 gas station near me that has non ethanol 93 octane about $4 a gallon, seems to do pretty good with the ethanol, but I also give it a dose of sea foam every couple tanks.

 

[Itgoes]

I have ripped on it a few times during break in. The mechanic told not to cruise one speed and one rpm. He said that i could run the bike alittle hard that i needed to run a variety with rpm, not to be afraid to rev it but to not just cruise one rpm. I love this bike! I do wish to get alittle bit better milage but its ok. The problem i have with the milage is i have to try and map out where the gas stations are with non ethanol gas. Not a fan of ethanol gas and would rather not have it in the bike if i don't have to.

Yes, great advice from the mechanic. It's fine to get on it , the only no no's are taking it up near red line or lugging it. Accelerating steady up long grades is real good for building cylinder pressure too which is what you want during break-in.

Glad you're loving the bike. It's a great bike and you have a lot of fun coming your way in your future.

Congrats and enjoy!

 

[max03]

Trying to get enough mileage on it for its first service. They say 600 to 1000 for the first service. As for the ethanol gas, its probably fine to run but i know what it does to the smaller engines, eats the fuel lines and primer balls. So i try not to run that stuff unless im in a pinch. All my small engines mowers, trimmers, blowers, generators get non ethanol to avoid any issues.

 

[SpecOps13]

Stay away from Ethanol . It's crap the Government forced on us. Mileage and engine will suffer from it's use, Most of the break in took place in the first 20 miles. Sounds like you are doing perfect, the rest of the break in is to seat everything in gradually. I wanted a gen 2 but it felt like riding an Elephant to this old body and couldn't justify the price tag for myself.. It's a great bike. Don't expect your back tires to last too long. lol It's like my race cars gas doesn't last long... Have fun and be happy... Dave

 

[Lars-Erik Andersson]

Hi I have getting round 36 mpg when running moderate on normal roads (45-75 mph ) and acceleration very fair on trips( not chasing AMG Mercedes on motorway...)
My 2009 Max has 15000 km just now on Meter.
My bad value is round 26- 28 mph when running a lot harder so its not so Bad !
So tank filling tank is a major problem and thats a bigger problem here in Sweden where we dont have so many tank stations. You have to plan.
My Honda CB 1100 EX-2013 normally runs 55 mpg with about same running speeds.. ( no other comparison please)
// Lars

 

[rebeltaz83]

Trying to get enough mileage on it for its first service. They say 600 to 1000 for the first service. As for the ethanol gas, its probably fine to run but i know what it does to the smaller engines, eats the fuel lines and primer balls. So i try not to run that stuff unless im in a pinch. All my small engines mowers, trimmers, blowers, generators get non ethanol to avoid any issues.

It took me a month to get 600 miles for the first service. Working 6 days a week and putting in 70+ hours a week, I had to make time to ride. I would love to use non ethanol, but with only 1 gas station that sells premium non ethanol lol, I won't be able to ride anywhere. A 5 gallon tank would have complimented the Vmax very well. But still, I have no complaints, because the 100 mile fill ups are nice for a break. Make sure the final drive fluid gets changed also with the right type. Make sure the dealer or who ever does it gets the same part number that's in the owners manual.

 

[jvs1670]

We have non-ethanol gas here in Colorado but the octane is only 88 I think. Would it still be better than using the higher octane unleaded with ethanol?

 

[Itgoes]

We have non-ethanol gas here in Colorado but the octane is only 88 I think. Would it still be better than using the higher octane unleaded with ethanol?

The Gen 2 will have no issues with fuel containing ethanol. Like all modern engines it's designed for it. You will get slightly better fuel mileage with non-ethanol fuel but most likely pay more for it And as you're seeing ethanol will increase the octane rating. You don't want to use anything less than 91 octane or the engine may ping.

 

[Larry Ackerlund]

Curious how many miles are recommended before changing the Final Drive Oil ?

 

[Miroslaw]

24.000km = 14.900 miles

 

[Lars-Erik Andersson]

Why talk so much of not using ethanol in fuel ?
Vmax 1700 is designed for that as all new Engines after 1980 …. why discuss that all the time ? No probleme with 10% or less but good for next generation......
Its generally a matter of right sealing material in distribution system …. the ethanol gives generally less problems and higher octane rate which is nice for high performance Engines....
BUT::: The Vmax 1700 needs a bigger tank but to expensive to rebuilt with custom 5 gallon so std for me!
regards
Lars

 

[GuruedVMax]

I've got 5,214 miles on my 18' Max. Per Tim Nash it's okay to run ethenol gas in the Vmax, even after his 'flash', but you do NOT want to keep the same fuel in the tank for more than a month without adding something like Sta-Bil gas treatment to it, and then it's still not the perfect scenario. If you store your bike for the winter, you definitely want to have your tank as full as possible of NON-Ethenol fuel. Luckily, there are plenty of stations around here that carry Non-Ethenol including the holy grail: 93 Octane. That's all I run in my bike. Gas mileage.... hahahahaha.... good one.... One has to remember that my bike is built up pretty well, and under normal riding conditons I get 22/23 mpg. On an out of town cruise with no 'stop and go', I might get 24/25. If I'm riding 'sportingly' or aggressive it has dropped down to as low as 17 mpg. Gen2 VMaxes and fuel economy are an oxymoron. Ethenol has water in it. Get a clear mason's jar or something with a lid that tightens, clear so you can see through to the liquid, and fill it 3/4s full with gas that contains ethanol. Give it 2 or 3 weeks and check it. You will CLEARLY see where the water has separated itself from the gas.... that will freeze on it's own with no additive added... but still I don't like the idea of water in my gas. Tim also said that ethanol will make it run a bit leaner which can be both good and bad. Good: might gain an extra horsepower or two. Bad: If your bike is already running a bit on the lean side for power, it is possible you might burn an exhaust valve... happened to a friend of mine who moved away and could only purchase ethanol gas. NEVER run anything more than 10% ethanol for any reason. Remember, just because these newer engines were built to run on ethanol fuel, does NOT mean it's a good idea. They only did that to pass Govt. Regulations....

 

[Lars-Erik Andersson]

I've got 5,214 miles on my 18' Max. Per Tim Nash it's okay to run ethenol gas in the Vmax, even after his 'flash', but you do NOT want to keep the same fuel in the tank for more than a month without adding something like Sta-Bil gas treatment to it, and then it's still not the perfect scenario. If you store your bike for the winter, you definitely want to have your tank as full as possible of NON-Ethenol fuel. Luckily, there are plenty of stations around here that carry Non-Ethenol including the holy grail: 93 Octane. That's all I run in my bike. Gas mileage.... hahahahaha.... good one.... One has to remember that my bike is built up pretty well, and under normal riding conditons I get 22/23 mpg. On an out of town cruise with no 'stop and go', I might get 24/25. If I'm riding 'sportingly' or aggressive it has dropped down to as low as 17 mpg. Gen2 VMaxes and fuel economy are an oxymoron. Ethenol has water in it. Get a clear mason's jar or something with a lid that tightens, clear so you can see through to the liquid, and fill it 3/4s full with gas that contains ethanol. Give it 2 or 3 weeks and check it. You will CLEARLY see where the water has separated itself from the gas.... that will freeze on it's own with no additive added... but still I don't like the idea of water in my gas. Tim also said that ethanol will make it run a bit leaner which can be both good and bad. Good: might gain an extra horsepower or two. Bad: If your bike is already running a bit on the lean side for power, it is possible you might burn an exhaust valve... happened to a friend of mine who moved away and could only purchase ethanol gas. NEVER run anything more than 10% ethanol for any reason. Remember, just because these newer engines were built to run on ethanol fuel, does NOT mean it's a good idea. They only did that to pass Govt. Regulations....

Hi agree that todays fuels seems more unstable perhaps due to the mix with 5-10% ethanol....and perhaps need an extra "stabilisator" with different names.... (Kerosene ? in hurtfull costly bottles ) still its not a big question with ethanol on normal driving conditions, the tank gets empty directly no storage time ..... and the octane gets sligthly higher so generally good for tuning but a little bit leaner due to not so much energy/kg so be careful to finetune.
I bought very expensive fuel with no ethanol and 98 octane for my different bikes some Years ago; no driving difference on my old and new Japanese Bikes (from 1978-2013) but on my BMW GS 1200 2005 it behaved better with that expensive fuel mainly to less knocking the BMW twin is a sensible bike mix with high tech and low....... otherwise have seen no problem with up to 10% ethanol (max here in Sweden) Dont think so much of petrol just run that fine machine .... It handles it!
Regulations sometimes are good..... for a good human life after Our time !
Question: Have You made the test with stabilisator in bottle mixed with fuel ? Very interesting to here result if getting different result compared to without !
A motorcycle tank is not closed for air so I doubt that "stabilisator" (kerosene) gives a closed surface... ?? Or just bangs Us on money...

 

[GuruedVMax]

Hi agree that todays fuels seems more unstable perhaps due to the mix with 5-10% ethanol....and perhaps need an extra "stabilisator" with different names.... (Kerosene ? in hurtfull costly bottles ) still its not a big question with ethanol on normal driving conditions, the tank gets empty directly no storage time ..... and the octane gets sligthly higher so generally good for tuning but a little bit leaner due to not so much energy/kg so be careful to finetune.
I bought very expensive fuel with no ethanol and 98 octane for my different bikes some Years ago; no driving difference on my old and new Japanese Bikes (from 1978-2013) but on my BMW GS 1200 2005 it behaved better with that expensive fuel mainly to less knocking the BMW twin is a sensible bike mix with high tech and low....... otherwise have seen no problem with up to 10% ethanol (max here in Sweden) Dont think so much of petrol just run that fine machine .... It handles it!
Regulations sometimes are good..... for a good human life after Our time !
Question: Have You made the test with stabilisator in bottle mixed with fuel ? Very interesting to here result if getting different result compared to without !
A motorcycle tank is not closed for air so I doubt that "stabilisator" (kerosene) gives a closed surface... ?? Or just bangs Us on money...

I don't run StaBil until temps drop below freezing level, then I run it constantly just to be safe. I do NOT run StaBil or anything else for 'performance' merely for protection. A few times I have been forced to run 93 '10% Ethanol gas' while on a long ride and I don't feel any difference in the way the bike performs, but I definitely lose 2 mpg fuel economy.... If I win the lottery, I'll buy a fuel truck to follow me around...lol I filll the tank absolutely as full as possible, keeping as little air from being able to enter the tank due to the gas already occupying the space. The lower the level of gas in the tank (for winter storage) the more air will eventually work it's way into the tank, combine that with water in Ethanol, and you have the strong potential for rust forming.... Before they started switching to 'summer and then winter blends' for gas, the storage and time wasn't so much of an issue, but now it's something we have to consider. I've stored gas in a can, proper amount of StaBil added, which sat for almost 3 years and it ran as good as the day I put the gas in the can. Now some may disagree with me on this and that's fine, I can only say I've been doing this for 35 years now and NEVER had a problem.

 

[Lars-Erik Andersson]

I don't run StaBil until temps drop below freezing level, then I run it constantly just to be safe. I do NOT run StaBil or anything else for 'performance' merely for protection. A few times I have been forced to run 93 '10% Ethanol gas' while on a long ride and I don't feel any difference in the way the bike performs, but I definitely lose 2 mpg fuel economy.... If I win the lottery, I'll buy a fuel truck to follow me around...lol I filll the tank absolutely as full as possible, keeping as little air from being able to enter the tank due to the gas already occupying the space. The lower the level of gas in the tank (for winter storage) the more air will eventually work it's way into the tank, combine that with water in Ethanol, and you have the strong potential for rust forming.... Before they started switching to 'summer and then winter blends' for gas, the storage and time wasn't so much of an issue, but now it's something we have to consider. I've stored gas in a can, proper amount of StaBil added, which sat for almost 3 years and it ran as good as the day I put the gas in the can. Now some may disagree with me on this and that's fine, I can only say I've been doing this for 35 years now and NEVER had a problem.

Hi nice to hear about 3 years fuel storage and no problem with start up thats good to hear.....
My normal headache is my old Hondas ( 1978-79 ) with several carbs (6/4) they are not funny to start up after winter storage....(not even after 2 weeks they are awful)
Usual procedure is make inlet nearly free ( airfilter left but seat off) and spray a lot start-gas in inlet and fast starter on, thats gives hopefully a ignition and short start and stop of engine .... which helps sucking in new fuel from tank (old over winter fuel with ethanol 10% and stabilizer. Just go on with starter several times ,..not so long each time due to not getting wet....normally they start after that and can be run some minutes under controlled forms.
My newer fuel injected bikes ;
Vmax 1700 and Honda CB 1100Ex is just starting with no probleme ; the Vmax is a little slow starter compared to the Honda which seems to Honda had dimension the startup unit a little more much faster revving!
I dont think old bikes start Problem comes from 10% ethanol, more of their design of their fuel system with vaccum controlled valves after fuel tank which gives problem to get fuel to carbs when starting summary they needing much starter time.
My Honda CB 1100 starts in a second or two with 6 month winter storage ; fantastic !

 

[GuruedVMax]

Hi nice to hear about 3 years fuel storage and no problem with start up thats good to hear.....
My normal headache is my old Hondas ( 1978-79 ) with several carbs (6/4) they are not funny to start up after winter storage....(not even after 2 weeks they are awful)
Usual procedure is make inlet nearly free ( airfilter left but seat off) and spray a lot start-gas in inlet and fast starter on, thats gives hopefully a ignition and short start and stop of engine .... which helps sucking in new fuel from tank (old over winter fuel with ethanol 10% and stabilizer. Just go on with starter several times ,..not so long each time due to not getting wet....normally they start after that and can be run some minutes under controlled forms.
My newer fuel injected bikes ;
Vmax 1700 and Honda CB 1100Ex is just starting with no probleme ; the Vmax is a little slow starter compared to the Honda which seems to Honda had dimension the startup unit a little more much faster revving!
I dont think old bikes start Problem comes from 10% ethanol, more of their design of their fuel system with vaccum controlled valves after fuel tank which gives problem to get fuel to carbs when starting summary they needing much starter time.
My Honda CB 1100 starts in a second or two with 6 month winter storage ; fantastic !

One thing to keep in mind about the Gen2 VMax is it runs an 11.3 to 1 Compression Ratio which will make it a little more difficult to start from the get go.

 

[Lars-Erik Andersson]

One thing to keep in mind about the Gen2 VMax is it runs an 11.3 to 1 Compression Ratio which will make it a little more difficult to start from the get go.

Yes agree the battery is also very little on Max compared for example my old Harley with rather expensive battery and high crank values...but my Max starts always but just a bit lazy....