65 MPG on a DRZ400

[speedtoad]

Well, I was cruising the Suzuki websited, and I see they are claiming the DRZ gets 65 MPG. I never saw this, even when my bike was stock and I rode it 50 mph on the freeway. I often got 66 MPG, but when I figured in the 10% error my speedo has, it is still less then 60 MPG. Kind of make me angry that they can make such a claim.

http://www.suzukicycles.com/Product%20Lines/Cycles/Products/DR-Z400/2012/DRZ400S.aspx#Features

[timbanditos]

If you lived in Texas where its flat and drive under perfect conditions maybe, but relying on those claims is a waste of time. Those claims are always "best case" scenarios and never like real life. Everyone has a slightly different throttle hand!

[the bartender]

67 mpg on my last tank?

[buddoggin]

67 mpg on my last tank?

Must be that new math...

[29394958]

Same...

A quick note though: Speedo error is not reflected in the odometer which you can trust. So that 66mpg was close to 66mpg.

Cheers

[speedtoad]

67 mpg on my last tank?

Did you consider speedo and odometer error?

[Joester]

on my car, the speedo reads about 3mph to high, yet the odometer and trip meters are dead on. I dont see why the DRZ would be any different, in fact, that would make a bike with 10,000 miles on it appear to have 11,000. If suzuki did it this way I have lost a significant amount of faith in their engineering.

that being said, I have gotten a 65MPG tank, calculated with what the gas pump told me i pumped, and using my trip meter. It was all highways and 50mph back roads on a group ride.

[speedtoad]

Same...

A quick note though: Speedo error is not reflected in the odometer which you can trust. So that 66mpg was close to 66mpg.

Cheers

You will have to figure this out for yourself. Next time your on the freeway check you odometer against the mile markers (those little green signs on post that show up every mile). I've done this many times and also with two different GPS units. The odometer and the speedometer error are exactly the same. Every mile I go my odometer adds 1.1 miles.

If you use roll charts this is important stuff.

[707drz]

If you guys are getting anything over 60mpg....you guys are not having enough fun

[speedtoad]

If you guys are getting anything over 60mpg....you guys are not having enough fun

On a stock DRZ the most fun you can have is accomplishing great MPG's

[shuswap1]

Are they just repeating what the EPA says....as most manufactures of vehicles do?

BTW....52-54 miles per US gallon, mostly off-road with 3x3 & JD needle & full Jardine exhaust

[Jeff_K]

I live in flat Texas, have lots of fun on the SM, and get 44 mpg. Nowhere close to stock but 20 mpg under others? Am I that ham-fisted? Okay, yeah, I like to do zero-to-speed limit as fast as possible. I'd say it's worth the 20. Funny, though...speed limit is usually in 3rd or 4th on the SM and basically 1st on my VFR--yet the SM is way more fun to ride. The VFR, twice the displacement, gets better mileage.

[alexgauthier]

54 on the low and 67 on the high end. Average ~62.

[speedtoad]

Are they just repeating what the EPA says....as most manufactures of vehicles do?

BTW....52-54 miles per US gallon, mostly off-road with 3x3 & JD needle & full Jardine exhaust

The EPA does not tell companies what to state for MPG. They only define the process and occasionally double check claims on automobiles. I doubt the EPA ever checks MPG on motorcycles sinse the manufacturer doesn't have to state it on the window sticker.

[Radtech]

When I first got my bike the speedo / odometer was reading 13 - 14% too high... My daily round trip is 99.5 miles so (after reading all of the instructions for the speedo adjustment) over a few days I managed to get the odometer adjusted to read the ACTUAL mileage.

I stop at the same gas station every day and it's usually 1.9 - 2.0 gal. 50 - 52.5 mpg

The odometer turned over 38,500 miles on the ride home tonight, so I've done this a few times...

(Weekend runs in the mountains never see anything over 45mpg...)

[707drz]

On a stock DRZ the most fun you can have is accomplishing great MPG's

but its so fun riding a slow bike fast:busted:

[SupermotoHooligans]

If you guys are getting anything over 60mpg....you guys are not having enough fun

so true?

[MikeWalking]

I've met a couple guys doing 70-74mpg on theirs, stock. On my last trip I gassed up at the marked start of a 56 mile Mountain Loop with about 2300 feet of elevation gain on a paved road, coming back down on a tight rolling one lane dirt road. Also, a few miles into it I took a 7-8 mile (round trip) side trip up to an abandoned Ski area climbing from 400-500 feet above sea level to 3100. At my first gas stop at the end of the loop I got in 1.14 gallons. Good enough for me.

[Craigo]

I you want amazing fuel economy , buy a scooter....performance costs....?

[the bartender]

Must be that new math...

highway commute with drafting.? I'm pretty confident i could hit 70+ mpg on a regular basis, but every day has some wot fun.