R 80 G/S fuel consumption

**Giacomo** · #1 14 Feb 2005

I'm just curious to know what would be considered normal touring fuel consumption, for this bike...Mine was pretty bad until recently but after major carb service it's improved a little...anyway thanks to anyone who can help!

Saluti,
Antonio ,Italy.

**Frank Warner** · #2 14 Feb 2005

At 80 km/h you should get 20 l/km. On good sufaces. And that is with luggage.

**Giacomo** · #3 14 Feb 2005

Wow...20 km/l would be fantastic...I usually take it quite easy and hardly take the bike into the city, but I'm getting worried about the bike doing about 14-15 km/l, which is still better than the 12km/l it was doing before cleaning out the carbs and changing the air filter..! Any hints you could give me on what else it could be? thanks!

**Grant Johnson** · #4 14 Feb 2005

Did you replace the needles and needle jets? They wear, and should be replaced every 25,000 or so miles/ 40,000km.

Springs should be replaced every second or so needle set. Also check the float needles. ANY sign of wear - groove or ring around the tip - replace.

------------------
Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
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One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

**Steve Pickford** · #5 14 Feb 2005

On my old '94 airhead GS, I regularly used to get 57mpg or 20km/l as Frank mentioned. This was with full luggage cruising at 75mph on French N roads.

**John Ferris** · #6 15 Feb 2005

But you have bigger gallons, they could even be called "imperial"

**Frank Warner** · #7 15 Feb 2005

Litres are the same around the world. Including Italy where the enquiry comes from.

I won't mention US Statute Miles you as to needlessly confuse ewes.

**Steve Pickford** · #8 15 Feb 2005

Quote:

Originally posted by John Ferris:
But you have bigger gallons, they could even be called "imperial"

4.54 litres to a UK/Imperial Gallon.
3.8(?) litres to a US Gallon.

57mpg (imperial gallon) to km/l:

Divide 57 by 5 & multiply by 8 = 91.2km
Divide 91.2 by 4.54 = 20.09 = km/litre.

If working in US gallons, substitute 3.8 for 4.54.

mile to km: divide by 5 & multiply by 8
km to mile: divide by 8 & multiply by 5

With a bit of practice, you can convert mpg to km/l in your head whilst riding.

Point to note:
Most Europeans don't work with km/, instead they work on how many litres required to cover 100km: ??litres/100km.

**Frank Warner** · #9 16 Feb 2005

20 km/l = 5l/100km too easy.

'Ere we use km/l as a past practice of mpg holds on. But once you have gone metric km/l or l/100km is fairly easy to do a rough calculation in your head while riding.

**Giacomo** · #10 16 Feb 2005

Hi all....

just to give thanks for all the answers...looks like I'll have to take a look at the needle jets, since I doubt they've ever been changed...while I'm at it I guess I'll change the floats too..!

Thanks also for the metric measurements..I would have been at a complete loss comverting from US or Imperial gallons....actually here in Italy we tend to use both km/l and litres per 100 km indifferently ...personally I prefer km/l though.

Ciao.

Antonio.

**Bill Shockley** · #11 23 Mar 2005

Hola Amigos,
Am in Argentina, having ridden from the States to the Yukon and then south to Ushuasia and now north to Iguazu Falls. I am trying to figure out the fastest way to Manaus. I am riding an 1983 R80ST, same motor and gearing as the GS. I have never run out of gas. I can count on 280 miles with the 8 gallon GS tank, around 35 mpg. That is great, plus I can burn any octane gasoline. I have messed with jetting ,rebuilding carbs, airfilters, yada yada. Very little change. The mileage only gets better when I slow down. The better question is what is your total fuel range. This model bike, in reasonable tune will get what it gets depending on weight, windshield and driving habits. I think it is easier in the end to adjust to your bike`s range'and think before you pass the next gas station. It helps to have a liter of stove gas for dire emergencies, so buy a stove that uses gas. It also helps to understand you reserve system and use it properly. On a trip like this at 200 miles it is time for gas or planning. Most everyine along the road has 10 L of gas stashed.
Bill

**ChrisK** · #12 17 Apr 2005

My 86 R80G/S does around 42mpg ridden steady and the carbs have been rebuilt, it never seems to give more than 45 to the gallon and went as low as 25 to the gallon on sand in Sudan. Regards Chris

**Giacomo** · #13 1 May 2005

Hi all....Just to give some thanks..since I've found that the situation is considerably better. Now After replacing the needles and needle jets the bike does about 16.5 km /l , which compared to the average 14 that it was doing before is still an improvement.I use the bike mainly for commuting , about 40 km each day and part of this in urban traffic. I'm waiting for some holidays so I can try it out over a longer journey, since I'm sure it'll do even better.
The other things that seem to have helped (apart from cleaning out the carbs) were new floats and valves (engine ran much smoother), but the needles and jets (40 minutes of fiddling and 12 euros) were the best thing I could have done.

Saluti,

Antonio

[This message has been edited by Giacomo (edited 01 May 2005).]

[This message has been edited by Giacomo (edited 01 May 2005).]