new bike is getting worse gas mileage
 

I bought my 2003 Honda CBR 600 F4i in July and every time i fill up the tank
I am getting worse gas mileage. It had 9322 miles on it when i got it and
the fuel light would come on around 165 miles. I filled up my tank and added a complete fuel system cleaner it didn't seem to help much cause my mileage was the same so i filled up my tank again and changed the oil and filter and got a new air filter. Then my fuel light came on at 135 miles and i have only rode it 1653 miles. The guys at the dealership where i got my bike said i need to adjust my chain and get all new spark plugs and wires also my cam chain tensioner needs to be replaced. Anything else i should consider i am going to be working on it for a couple of months this winter. I also intend on getting new tires.

I wouldnt let the dealership sort your bike or fuel costs will be the least of your worries.

I only get 127 mile from a full tank on my F2, around 55-57mpg.

For an '03, 165 mi when the fuel light comes on - sounds pretty good to me. Remember, when that light comes on, you've probably got another .5 gal left in the tank, maybe more.

Really, we need more data that what you've given us. You haven't mentioned the bike running bad...so, we're to assume its running ok. IF its running ok...& the mileage just seems to be getting lower, check those tires. Very low tire pressures *will* cause poor gas mileage. Too, remember that different types of riding will result in very different fuel mileage...ie, city vs hwy vs twisties, many starts & stops vs longer hwy stretches, etc.

Example: for me, commuting to/fro on hwy, I can get 170+. However, if I'm aggressively riding twisties/canyons on the wknds, I get far less. At the track, w/ lower tire pressures, I get way less.

Good luck.

That's what I always got on my, ~135. I have new air filter and new spark plugs installed and didn't help at all. That's still good IMHO

My reserve light comes on at about 120 miles. I also have a -1 front sprocket so at cruising speeds the rpm is higher than that of a OEM geared bike and I get worse MPG. Also I like to get on it a lot. If your getting 135 miles before your light comes on I say that is good. Also the manual says when the reserve light comes you should still have .9 gallons left in the tank.

I'd say its just the fact that you are getting use to the bike. The more accustomed you become with the bike, the more aggressively you will drive it. It doesnt take much difference in driving styles to make it have 30 miles less per tank. Even keeping the bike in a lower gear longer can make a huge difference.

If you want to make sure there is nothing wrong, drive it like you did when you first got the bike and Im sure you will see the mpg come back.

My bike, a 1000, gets around 120 before the light comes on. when riding with my wife on the back, I would get around 140 or so, depending on how many miles she was on the back. The only difference was the added 105lbs of her weight, (which should actually make the mpg worse) and the fact I ride much less aggressive when I have a passenger.

+1...

The other thing to keep in mind is that the low fuel light is notoriously inaccurate. The light isn't a gauge, it just reads when the fuel, which is sloshing around in your tank manages to get low enough that one of the sloshes triggers the sensor, it the "guestimates" your remaining distance you can drive, always erring on the very low side it seems. Ie: once it's toggled and those bars come up, thats not REALLY your fuel level, it's an approximation of how far your bikes ecu thinks you should be able to travel based on rpm and fuel usage calculated from a guesstimated amount of remaining fuel fromwhen it was triggered and displayed as a few bars on a screen which then count down according the the bikes estimated fuel usage. It's pretty much useless as an actual fuel gauge. And really can't be used to determine mpg.

If you want actual mileage numbers, fill the tank to the lip of the fill spout, mark down your exact mileage, drive it till you need gas again. Fill the tank to the exact same spot, check your new exact mileage and the exact amout of gallons of fuel you put in it, take the amount of miles you've travelled and divide it by the gallons of gas and you come up with an accurate mpg.

Also, like squid mentioned, how you ride the bike has an extreme effect on mileage, and getting more confident on the throttle will significantly lower it.


p.s. At least that's my understanding of it, never really dug into the f4i's fuel gauge system, but that's how it works with most the ones I've messed with.

Yeah the fuel light on these bikes do seem to be way off. I was riding mine around this weekend and all the bars were flashing. I filled it up and it only took 3.6 gal which means I had well over a gal left and per the manual it should not have come on for another .5 gal. Use the light as an estimate, not an exact figure

I get about 118-140 miles per tank.

Seems normal to me. I do mixed city/hwy. I average about 40 mpg.

I got a Yoshi pipe and a K&N. Also installed a new fuel filter and regulator.

Didnt really help. Plus a usually ride at 80-90 on the fwy. LOL