Coasting downhill to save petrol - opinions?
 

Hi all,

Have a few long, remote passes to cross over the next few weeks and was wondering what your opinions would be on coasting downhill, i.e. engine OFF, to save petrol? Aside from the loss of traction, are there any other problems for the bike itself? In my instruction manual it tells me (Honda XR250 Tornado) that coasting over long distances can cause damage to the transmission. Do you coast or think it´s not worth it?

Cheers,
Rtw

The manual is correct. The gearbox is lubricated by the engine mounted oil pump and is designed to receive warm oil, so coasting it gets less lubrication. Can the gearbox stand 100 miles of this? If it is fine now it probably can but will have some factor of 100 miles taken off its life. Lets call it 25 times faster wear, so catastrophic gearbox failure 2500 miles sooner. Many Honda gearboxes last to 100000 miles, so unless yours is over 90000 now or you want to keep it for years not a huge issue. If you have any small issue now though it will become big many times faster.


For those 100 miles you are going to save maybe 1 gallon of petrol. The cost won't pay a mechanic to even think about a broken gearbox.


I think I'd buy a gallon petrol can and save the coasting downhill for when the petrol situation is critical.


Andy

you are also relying on your brakes to stop you - not sure how steep this hill is but i wouldnt want to do it in the mountains :scared:
Having boiled the brakes on my old Capri Ghia in the Pyrenees when i first learnt to drive its not an experience i would wish to repeat .....................Thats a car by the way for those too young to remember :innocent: