My first long(ish) ride

[Rexsname]

I went on my first sorta long ride over the holiday weekend. I rode from Prescott to Lake Havasu City by way of Aguila and Parker. My little motorcycle (1980 Honda CM400T) did just fine but I sure missed the wind screen that it used to have before my low side. Size wise, I felt a little cramped, I had a Pelican Case bungee'd on the back seat and it forced me to scoot forward a couple of inches. The bike fits me OK when I am not carrying luggage but I can tell that this is a first bike and not the bike I want "when I grow up".

My gas mileage was dissapointing and I'd like your opinions please.
From low to high I got 39.42mpg, 42.31, 42.51, 44, 49.26 and 56.35. I didn't have too bad of a head wind although there was a cross wind for most of the trip. I had to switch to the reserve at 65 miles indicated and I really wish I had a bigger fuel tank. My father-in-law has a big Harley and routinely gets better than 50 mpg. The air filter looks good, air pressure is good, what else should I look at?

Haveing such a limited fuel range make trip planning more difficult. The one time I went to reserve it was because the gas station I had planed on had gone out of business.

REX

 

[ntsqd]

How is it running, maybe it's a bit rich and could stand being jetted down a little?

 

[Rexsname]

It seems to run OK for the most part....It's vey cold blooded in the morning and it has a bit of a stumble when running less than 3500 rpm. I've always been told that carburator is a french word for "leave it alone!"

REX

 

[scarysharkface]

I would also guess that it's running rich.

Wind resistance on a motorcycle is the difference between 60 mpg and 35 mpg when I travel. There is a huge difference in economy between 50 and 65 mph when I travel on the KLR.

Good on ya' for the first trip. Travelling on the bike will let you know in a hurry just what you like and don't like about a bike. :bike_rider:

John

 

[Wonderland]

I'll probably get flamed for this "THOSE AREN'T FOR FUEL!"

But who cares, we use these in Baja. (Heck I remember the days of old bleach bottles) When empty simply roll them up. We dump them in when the main tank is about half, don't use them for a reserve, if that makes any sense.

I never had one leak. Just don't store fuel in them for too long it will eat the liner. Oh yeah, write GAS ONLY in magic marker so some poor fool doesn't mistake it for a H2O bag.

 

[Oni]

Just a few thoughts...

Was the chain lubed? A stiff and dry chain can rob a lot of power. Were you riding wide open much of the time? 400cc twin doesn't make a whole lot of power...running full throttle on the interstate can contribute to poor mileage.

I think your bike is running lean...at least on the low end. If it's really cold blooded and stumbles down low, you may want to richen up the pilot circuit or tweak the fuel screw...or possible clean the carb. It could be running rich on the main jet...but I think running full throttle will contribute quite a bit for poor mileage even if jetted properly.

I use MSR 1 liter fuel bottles on my dual sport. Made for white gas for camping, been working fine so far for gasoline. For longer rides I throw a few into my pack or tailbag.

 

[Scott Brady]

I'll probably get flamed for this "THOSE AREN'T FOR FUEL!"

But who cares, we use these in Baja. (Heck I remember the days of old bleach bottles) When empty simply roll them up. We dump them in when the main tank is about half, don't use them for a reserve, if that makes any sense.

I never had one leak. Just don't store fuel in them for too long it will eat the liner. Oh yeah, write GAS ONLY in magic marker so some poor fool doesn't mistake it for a H2O bag.

Cool idea.

I use the MSR fuel bottles, and needed them on the TAT.

 

[grahamfitter]

Great job on the longish ride, Rex.

For what its worth, the chap who started the toolkit thread on advrider carries extra fuel in a Starbucks coffee traveller! See post #20. :coffeedrink:

Cheers,
Graham

 

[Rexsname]

I would guess that I was at half throttle or more for most of the trip. I did hold it wide open for a while but chickened out at about 75mph. The bike was still accelerating but it felt squirilly to this newbie and I was not in much of a hurry. The chain is new as of the 13th of November so I would doubt that is the culprit. Unfortunately, December is going to be just as tight financially as November was so I doubt I'll be able to get anything looked into for a while.

I have forks to buy, fork seals, a wind shield and carb work to be done. I guess it's all part of getting any vehicle base-lined and ready to provide reliable service.

Oh, and the guy at the "Vintage" motorcycle store says he has a larger gas tank that will fit:wings:

REX

 

[Wonderland]

Cool idea.

I use the MSR fuel bottles, and needed them on the TAT.

The other MSR (Malcolm Smith Racing) used to make them, I can't seem to find them anymore.

Had a friend recommend those MSR bladders its' place. So far so good. I have used the MSR bottles, they sure do take up a lot of room when empty. As you know, space is at a premium on a bike.

The one thing I have changed was the drinking spout cap, replaced it with a plain one. For two reasons, first so it doesn't accidently pop open, the other, no one can easily pop it open to take a swig.
A Nalgene cap fits perfect.

 

[scarysharkface]

Maybe it's time to pick up an older dual-sport and start building it to your liking.. Something like a Yamaha XT600 or an older KLR...

 

[Martinjmpr]

Sounds like a fun ride. As for your MPG it's a bit low but not out of the normal range for a bike that old. Just curious, but when you replaced the chain did you also replace the rear and countershaft sprockets? They should be replaced at the same time or else your chain will wear prematurely.

You can get an inexpensive, handlebar mounted windshield for under $100. Mine is a Slipstreamer Spitfire. Works great and keeps the wind off my chest - it's amazing how even a small shield can make a huge difference in comfort on a long ride.

Luggage: Since your bike is not a dual sport, you could use a set of inexpensive throw-over saddlebags. I used to use the "Willie and Max" imitation leather bags. They're cheap but they work. Keep them away from the pipes, though, they will melt if they get too close. Saddlebags will give you a little more room on the seat to stretch out.

You're probably finding out that while a 400cc twin is capable of doing freeway speeds, it's not that much fun. The good news is it gives you an incentive to find some great 2 lane roads, which Arizona has a lot of.

As for your fuel range, how big is your tank? 65 miles to reserve sounds awful, if my range was that short there would be some roads I simply couldn't ride. An MSR bottle is probably safer than a bladder for carrying fuel (less messy, too) and while they do take up space even when empty, it's not like you're touring around the world where every cubic inch of storage is critical.

Have fun on the bike! After you've mastered that one, you can sell it to another new rider or keep it for a commuter while you get something closer to your 'dream bike.'

 

[Rexsname]

I have gone 92 miles without going to reserve once before but I usually switch at about 78 miles. I am enjoying this motorcycle but I know that it's not THE ONE for me. I would like 200-250 mile range on the highway, some wind protection and a less cramped riding position. I told myself that I would learn and ride and keep this one for a full year to find out what I really want, and for now I'm fine with that. I have seen quite a few nice bikes here locally in the 5K range. I'll just have to keep my eyes open and be patient once I get some money saved up.

Carrie is still very concerned about my riding but now she says she wants to have one of her own!:wings::bike_rider:


REX

 

[Martinjmpr]

FWIW I've never owned a bike that had more than about a 160 mile range to reserve and it's worked out fine for me. Honestly, I'm ready for a break by then anyway - 160 miles is anywhere between 3 - 4 hours of riding. Also, I've yet to find a place (even in Wyoming) where the gas stations are more than 100 miles away. About 125 miles would be my "safe minimum" for any bike other than an urban commuter bike.

200+ miles and wind protection - sounds like you may be leaning towards a sport-touring or adventure-touring type bike. A good buddy of mine owns a V-Strom and really likes it (I think they're a bit fugly myself but it's a matter of taste )

Depending on what the market's like you should be able to find any number of decent bikes in the 5k range, lightly used and often with some nice accessories added on. I love my Triumph but I'll be the first to admit it's something of a "boutique bike." I could certainly live with an older Japanese bike if that was all I could afford, after all, riding is riding.

I think if I lived in Southern AZ I'd ride my bike in the winter months and then drive my truck in the summer so I could use the AC!

 

[scarysharkface]

My KLR650 will go 275 miles before hitting reserve if I'm travelling light and keep my speed down. There are larger aftermarket tanks for many of the thumper dual-sports that give similar range.

I think there's a stretch along I-70 in Utah that's something on the order of 135 miles between services, but that's the longest I've seen in the lower 48. At night it can be a different story.

Martinjmpr is spot-on about needing to get off the bike to stretch often, which is when I top off the tank.

You might check your local farm/ranch store for cheap canvas or nylon saddlebags as well.

On my last trip I simply strapped a 2 gallon plastic can on the back as insurance against my 100-miles-to-reserve on the DR350. I didn't need it. The superfluous bungie net conceals a strong strap in this picture, in case you're wondering.

John