55+ MPG

[F3W]

3verse was nice enough to add the high mileage and electric RT section to his Forum...I believe it will become an important spot to those who want to make a difference...I am sure we would all like to here about your RT getting over 55mpg...so I would like to hope we can get this as a sticky for all to view...it is not everyday that you hear about a guy who hand built a vehicle that can get extremely high mileage...since the big three can't do it and the government doesn't want these fuel sippers on our home land, we need to take matters into our own hands and show America what an average Joe can accomplish with a few hand tools and a little elbow grease...so if your RT is capable of this feat, please feel free to give full specs of your power train and share your high mileage story with the rest of us...or share some thoughts and ideals on what can be done with aerodynamics to improve air flow around your RT...I will start with the design of what I am planing to do this Summer on my own car.

I am starting with a '95 Ford Aspire and will give it an RT conversion...I will narrow the rear of the car for improved aerodynamics (AD)...I hope to remove close to 400lbs from this already light little car...freeway mileage is factory rated at 42mpg, though I have heard of other owners getting 52mpg...my goal is to achieve 60+ after doing the RT conversion...with less tire friction in contact with the ground and reducing vehicle weight, I believe this goal should be easily reached...the power train is a 63hp 1.3L 5spd car and am using stock 13" tires...the fuel system is a OBD II FI...I will be back later this summer when I hope to have it all finished...and yes a lot of picture too.

Dave

Sooo...what are you getting in mileage these days?

[1983JZR3W]

Currently, I am getting between 50-55 mpg around town in my Honda powered JZR. It is a CX650 engine with 65 horsepower and a five speed tranny. It weighs just under 800 pounds without me in it.

[F3W]

how about a picture of that trike z06lite.

[1983JZR3W]

Here you go.....

[1983JZR3W]

Front view......

[F3W]

WOW!!...that thing is really cool looking...I can see why people think it's an original...and that black paint looks like a mirror ;D

Very nice job...excellent craftsmanship!!!

Dave

[glassman]

What a peach. That is a beautiful RT, you should be proud.

Glassman

[worewren]

This is the trike I am starting with 60-70 mpg and top end of 53 mph. But I will probably need to change the engine since my commute takes me through mountains. The cx-650 sound like a possibility but I am still looking for something more efficient, any ideas?
/Users/worewren/Desktop/car1.jpg

[scooterrebel]

I've seen that trike offered with a Harley motor installed. The 883 Harley in a sportster at one time was rated for 70-80 mpg, you might look into that.

[Liteway]

Jan 8, 2009 22:57:28 GMT -5 1983JZR3W said:

Currently, I am getting between 50-55 mpg around town in my Honda powered JZR. It is a CX650 engine with 65 horsepower and a five speed tranny. It weighs just under 800 pounds without me in it.

What's the highway Mileage? Do you get it out on the open road much? Looks like a show car. Hope a fear of gravel chips doesn't keep you off the road too much.

[1983JZR3W]

My mpg is both around town and local interstates. I have never taken it on a long road trip, but I do drive it a quite a bit. It has only been in my trailer once and that was to pick it up at the port several years ago. I do try to keep it well detailed.

[Liteway]

Glad to hear its no trailer queen even though its pretty enough to be. Congrats on being able to use it regularly while keeping it pristine.

[Liteway]

The following is an old post I put in an inappropriate spot, relevant to the rest of this one.


Post by triplethreat on Mar 31, 2013 at 2:57pm
Got out today to take advantage of the beautiful Easter Sunday weather. Wanted to see what kind of Mileage the trike was capable of if driven gently. Never did that before.

By observing a 5000 rpm max (59mph) and accelerating slowly, I burned 1.074 gals in 64.5 miles for 60.28 mpg. Not quite as good as my old SV 650 that would get about 65 if ridden in a similar fashion. The trike does provide 29 more horsepower, so that's a fair compensation for slightly worse mileage than a bike that had a good rep for low fuel consumption.

Not interested in driving that slow for that far again, however.

10/4/14
Well, I did drive that far that slow again, today. Drove the same circular route to cancel out wind effects. Wanted to see if there was any drag advantage with small covered lights, fuller body panels and remote shocks. Got 61.5. Not exactly an earth shattering difference, but a move in the right direction.

Mileage in real world with old body configuration, 50-55 on extended trips running 65-75. Ran 53-58 before gearing shortened.
Running locally, 46-50. Will report on new configuration when experience is gained.

Update on this comment 10/6/14. The SV650 was a 400 lb. 69 horse simisport bike. The motorcycle and trike had virtually identical power to weight ratios, but the trike feels MUCH faster. Maybe due to shorter gearing, rider proximity to the ground or the more peaky high reving engine. Probably all three. Top speed for both around 130. No timed acceleration of either. Bike mags said mid twelves for the SV.

















s1291.photobucket.com/user/dufffus/slideshow/

[stretchmobileski]

Here is a link for Kurt's Blackjack Zero powered by a Moto Guzzi Face Book page. He had gone on a couple of long distance trips in his trike and averaged 37 mpg. He has chronicled it somewhere down the page. www.facebook.com/pages/Blackjack-Zero-Kit-Cars/162739830425180?fref=pb&hc_location=profile_browser

[Liteway]

After adding fenders and a couple of other minor aero tweaks, went on another mileage test today. 61.8 miles on .98gals US. 63.06 mpg or about a 5% improvement on the old body configuration. It didn't take any extraordinary driving techniques to get there. Was achieved on a combination of county roads and state highways with stops about every five miles and with speeds between stops 55 to 65mph. Not shabby for an old carbureted 4cyclinder (state of the art early 1990s) that potentially will get the trike through a sub 13 sec quarter mile. Ok yet to prove that. Hope to get to the strip this spring.




sight tube allows filling of gas tank to precise level to check consumption.

[DaveJ98092]

Triplethreat said: In researching fuel consumption figures on my donor bike, I found the most often reported figure as 44mpg. My trike generally gets around 50, even thought its heavier than the fully fairing'ed YZf600R , has considerably more rolling resistance and has 5%shorter gearing.

The point being that 3 wheelers seem to have an efficiency advantage over cars and bikes if some attention is paid to air flow in their design and construction.

Man oh man, if you think a factory Fairing'ed bike is aerodynamic, can I come and talk selling insurance to ya? My 2008 Burgman is a flying brick. The opening for that radiator is a huge parachute, the front fender is no help and it needs a better tail. I do get 50+ MPG@70MPH but I know I could put a newer Vetter fairing on and get 70 MPG or better. I get so much back buffeting it pulls me forward all the time.

I am betting a trike with one of my "PREP'ed" Burgman 650 engines I could knock on that 70+ MPG range too. I would incorporate most of what Craig Vetter is doing into a trike to include the long tail section. Cross-section is important but not as much as the frontal areas taper back to that cross-section. So both front wheels would be inclosed and tear drop shaped, the nose also would be shaped to flow back to the center c0ckpit then around the back and tapered to a simi pointed tail.

If you want a basic understanding of bike aerodynamics, go to this link below but hope ya all like reading. Go and set down with a nice beverage and read all the chapters of Craig's newest and last fairing here, I am starting you at Chapter 63 but there are many more with so much information it all needs to be read. craigvetter.com/pages/2013%20Streamliner/2013-vetter-streamliner-Hershner-p63.html

[Liteway]

Sorry Dave, I screwed up the post you were responding to and deleted it just before your reply.
Ill try to reconstruct it.

In researching fuel consumption figures on my donor bike, I found the most often reported figure as 44mpg. My trike generally gets around 50, even thought its heavier than the fully faired YZf600R , has considerably more rolling resistance and has 5%shorter gearing.

The point being that 3 wheelers seem to have an efficiency advantage over cars and bikes if some attention is paid to air flow in their design and construction.


Yeah, I believe 70 mpg is easily reachable in the configuration you describe and maybe quite a bit better.
No, I do not believe full faired sport bikes are slick except in comparison to unfaired ones.

[DaveJ98092]

I kind of fixed it for ya

One of the things I do not like on this forum is you can go back two years ago and delete what you said, and NOW every comment PAST THAT relating to what you deleted is pointless. In the case above, you deleted it and then everyone would be saying "What is that nutjob DaveJ talking about again?" Not that they don't think that most of the time.

[Liteway]

Guilty , But have since reformed my wicked ways. Still gonna back edit to provide relevant updates or corrections. I think that is ok if you clearly note what you're doing so people aren't confused or made to look foolish. You may be right. Might be best leave only a 24 hr window for corrections or deletions. And no deletions period to a post that has been responded to.

I'll make those last two a personal policy.