Gas Mileage Drop

[FJRocket]

Ok, I've been posting on how I was getting about 48 mpg running around sedately here in the flat lands. I might as well have been in the minivan, loping along, sightseeing.

Yesterday, with new stickies on the wheels, I went for a ride. Found some hoots and hollers that have a few upsies and downsies, with lefties and righties bunched together. A rare thing here in corn and beans country at the edge of the prairie.

I rode this trip a couple weeks ago behind one of those Kawi 1100 sport bike thingies. That guy was just gone all the time. I felt I just could not corner anywhere NEAR what he was doing. My OEM tires had 9k on them, and I did not realize how bad they were. My brain and throttle hand, did, however, and I stayed upright (as in off the hardpack).

I went back there to the hoots directly from the sickle shop. Hokey smokes! This bike can take some turns! JZEESH! It's like a whole new bike. Talk about sticky, gluey, tight and right!

Man, it was just too tempting. I had to get on it. Not like some you guyz, but for little ol' me, I was pushing it a bit. BIG GRIN. Then I got into traffic. Dangit. I couldn't go THAT slow. So I found myself passing at every sane opportunity. I even found most cars moving to the right to let me see and give me room to go around. A happy wave of thank you as I went by, and off I went. YES!

It was nice here. 75 -85 degrees depending. No humidity. I could feel the frame get hot when I pushed her up, then immediately cool back down in what seemed like seconds. MUCH nicer than during the 95+ heat and high humidity of a week or two ago.

Out in the open. Ignoring the 45 and 40 mph signs on BEAUTIFUL sweeping state highways. Looking for intruders. Waving to those who saw me and stopped from turing out in front of me. On that throttle. All by my lonesome for a while.

Round a bend. SHIT. Passed a tropper doing 25 over. SHIT. Just got a ticket in the Sube 3 weeks ago, fortunately in a different county. SHIT. SHIT. SHIT. Slowed down waited. Looked for a side street to sneak away. SHIT. I knew I was caught.

I waited, looking in the rearview. Nothing. Waited. Nothing.

BIG GRIN! UP, UP and AWAY! HOLEY COW, those sweepers are fun! And the tight little 25 mph curves that I used to creep around were just EASY. No brainers. Not insane no brainers, but easy. Glued. Clean roads, too. Hardly no sand or gravel.

What a day. New stickies. No tickies.

Regrettably, I have to report that my gas mileage dropped for the first time below 40 mpg. Guess I'm a little heavy handed.

 

[lawinter]

Thanks for the ride.

I have to work today so no riding for me but

You have captured the essense of a ride quite well.

Preciate it

Larry

 

[radman]

Cookin' on new meats has brought Jesus to many a rider. This assumes they were not broken in yet, as you didn't mention. But I agree, don't realize how bad the old ones are till they're replaced.

 

[zorkler]

well what brand of tires did you put on

 

[SilveradoSlick]

Sweet ride. No tickets. It just doesn't get any better.

 

[Windjammer]

Sounds like you had a great ride, and it's always nice when the LEO is sleeping off his last round of donuts!

And thanks for posting the MPG info, made one step in confirming my suspicion that those who are getting such lofty numbers are just limp wristed sonsabitches! :detect:

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

I had a great ride today... 2up. I had to fill up twice, although not much of the second tank was used.

So at the second fill, the mileage was 231.4 and it took 5.030 gallons. 46 mpg.

Add that to keeping up with 3 BMW's riding solo down Hwy 88 from Carson Pass (CA). One was the new K1200S, a R1100s and a r1150 boxster. fun to keep up with guys having a ball that are riding solo...they gave me a thumbs up as they peeled off to join the rest of their group. B)

still 46mpg. I love this bike

 

[FJRocket]

Yeah, I usually ride limp wristed. Cruise control on, carpal tunnel and bursitis off the throttle. Not that day though.

 

[teerex51]

New stickies. No tickies

What more can a man ask for? B) B) B)

Do tell us what brand of tires made a poet out of you!

Stef

 

[FJRocket]

The tires are...

Tomahawks.

Retreads?

Yep.

Cheap?

Oh yes. Inexpensive enough that I figured I'd try them and pitch them if they suck. We'll I'm certainly not a performance rider, and I couldn't probably tell you diddly about how much better or worse they are than PR's or Avon's (my original/next choice), or any other tire street/touring/track for that matter. And I'm certainly not going to test them to their limits. And no, I did not get colored tires. Ugh.

I fly a small plane and have been using Desser Tire's retreads for years. Always exceptional wear and extremely well made. I've always been happy with the product, the price and the service, so I thought that I'd give 'em a try.

Lots of debate out there on not using these retreads and condition of cores, and what not. I've read some of it, mostly through forums. Much uninformed, much good technical info (yawn). Doesn't matter. Felt like trying something "different". Aside from a production problem with the front tire, the things stick like glue... for me anyway. I just can't believe how much more confidence I have it my ability to corner. Maybe any new tire would do that since my Metz were so shot. But I'm pretty pleased with the tires so far.

I wasn't going to start a thread about Tomahawks ( I used to fly a piper Tomahawk, affectionately known as a TRAUMAhawk! ). I was going to work them for a while and see what they were going to do about the defective front tire. Still waiting to hear. I emailed them Friday. We'll see what happens. Then later on I'll report on wear, support, etc.. So far, though, these things are holding up well. Pretty big bang for the buck... maybe...

 

[radman]

What drivers call "Gators" on the road are large sections of tire tread that have come off of.... not new tires.

 

[FJRocket]

Yeah, you guys better not ride with me. You'll be gator bait. I could sick my gator on you and kill you at any second riding next to me. And they might kill me too.

Boy you sure to see a lot of those truck tread gators all over the place, don't you. Sounds like most major companies are getting away from using them at all. Some companies dictate that retreads on US trucks be used only on the right side of the truck, ASSuming that the treat separating would only kill on the right side if the truck was passing, or driving in the UK, or down under. :huh:

 

[penguin1300]

Yeah, I usually ride limp wristed.

Hrmmm.... 9k out of original tires...48mpg...limp wristed.

Geezus, are you GAY?