Fuel Efficiency Tips for the Long Run by Faizan

Again a recent hike in fuel rates! Perhaps some don’t bother, but majority of them are hitched by this. For the people who really are bothered to get the best mileage, this article is exclusively for you guys. Usually a bike’s mileage from various manufacturer in Indian market varies from 25km/ltr to 100km/ltr.

I own a Hero Honda Karizma R and its fuel consumption is not that justifiable or affordable although it should be acceptable when all the premium aspects of the bike are blended together. I have tried to experiment things so as to get extra miles per liter of petrol and it has worked somehow. So I have decided to share same here on Bikeadvice.in. These tips may seem simple and usual but believe me, it works charm!

At the outset, it is better to mention about engine maintenance. It is a poorly maintained motorcycle that consumes gallons of fuel than needed. Moreover, if the bike’s engine is not maintained well, the money one will need to recover it back will certainly be more than it could have required for regular upkeep costs. Following are the simple tips to maintain a steed properly;

  • Make sure the engine oil drain interval is between 2000-2500 kms of city riding or 2500-3000kms for regular highway cruising.
  • Invest in some good quality engine oil, you wont regret later.
  • Engine tuning in terms of carb adjustment, tappet settings, valve clearance should be done as per the bike’s  service manual.
  • Chain lubing has to be done on regular intervals
  • Clutch cable, pressure plates and brake cables in case of a drum brake set-up and disc pads and disc oil in terms of Disc brakes needs regular checks.
  • Further, clean up the spark plugs from carbon deposit and always remember to fill fuel from a a reputed petrol pump as adulterated fuel can damage your engine severely.

All the above said steps except some that needs technical assistance can be done by referring the service manual by ourselves by investing some time and patience.

Tyres: Tyres are always overlooked by people as a show piece and people would love to up-size their tyres for no reason. All that practices will result in loss of power and mileage rather gaining something out of that. Stock tyres are always the best and remember it has undergone severe testing and then implemented on production bikes. Tyre pressure (PSI) if maintained at optimum levels, according to the manual helps in achieving better fuel efficiency. Maintaining the air pressure in tyres that is recommended by the manufacturer ensures less rolling resistance of motorcycle that in turn enures less fuel consumption. On the other side, tyre pressure decreases due to change in climatic conditions. So if you reside at a place like mine, where temperatures fall and rise often, better visit the fuel pump regularly for air pressure checks.

Braking: One more common thing that affects fuel efficiency is brake engagement. This may seem funny to few but a lot of people keep their foot on rear brake pedal while riding. This can be detected by observing rear tail light while the bike is in motion. Thus feels absolutely impossible to observe it by yourself. Concentrating on that will definitely help u lose the habit of engaging the rear brake pedal in motion. If still continued, here’s what happens; Not only brake wears out soon but it affects the fuel efficiency also. That is by consuming more power from engine under braking conditions. Another way of getting rid of that habit is to increase the distance needed to apply brakes after pushing pedal down.

Effects on Throttle: One more thing that I have observed in my bike is that it plays tit for tat with me. I mean when I roll down the accelerator at a sudden on ride resulting in maximum power and speed, the mileage goes on affecting a lot. I experimented the same one day when I just filled my tank with a liter of petrol and went on a ride to boulevard road. I achieved 145km/hr speed. But the bad thing was I had to stop after riding just 18km of roads as petrol was all eaten up. Thanks to my dear friends who helped me out that day. The Same applies to rest of the bikes also. Aggressive biking is fun but extracts many good features from your machine including the fuel and also sudden acceleration and braking demands a lot of wear and tear.

Engine Idling: One more thing is the Engine  idling adjustment at stand still. It is the engine idling level adjusted for fuel supply to the engine when the bike is not in gear or simply in neutral. It is a small knob-like lever beneath fuel tank of every bike. The same from my bike is pointed by an arrow under.

This is also to be adjusted as per climatic conditions. Cold areas demand more richer tuning and this can be done by the AFR (Air Fuel Ratio) screw whereas hot areas needs a bit leaner mix. Always maintain the optimum idling at 1000rpm or as recommended by the manual. Also it’s always better keep engine off at signals when have to stay for more than 30 seconds. This application is easy for those who have an electronic starter equiped bikes. If these tips seem beneficial to you and have any doubts, please comment for a query and if are already known to you, then you can help me and other guys out here by writing some new tips under in the comment box.

–  Faizan