Top Tips For Saving Fuel On A Motorcycle

With petrol prices forever on the up, having a little know-how when it comes to saving fuel on your motorcycle is a good idea. Bike trader, We Buy Any Bike has created this guide to help you spend less at the station:

Maintain Speed

Riding at a steady consistent speed is a tried, tested and proven way to save on fuel. When you are increasing and decreasing speed it puts pressure on the engine and therefore it starts to up your fuel consumption. So riding through towns can be pricier then rolling on a motorway, sitting at a steady 60mph will give a decent increase in MPG and in a medium journey it's often noticeable.

Put The Pressure On

A quick and easy way to effectively boost your MPGs is to check your tire pressure, simple as that. Check out the pressure rating on the sidewall of your tire or owner’s manual, make sure you’re running the correct PSI. The correct pressure can not only improve your fuel economy but handle as well.

Adjustment it

There are loads of knock-on effects when your chain is at the wrong tension. A slack chain can result in premature wear to the sprocket and gear. On the other hand, a chain that’s too tight can cause strain on the wheel and also drive shaft bearings. The increased drag will definitely affect your MPG negatively; check the owner’s manual when adjusting the chain tension. Another one to remember regarding the chain, keep it properly lubricated. Running a dry chain can mean snapping and drag; therefore you’ll have more fuel consumption.

Breathe easy

This is one that people often forget but again does affect the MPG. If your motorcycle can’t breathe properly, you’re already making it harder for the engine to work sufficiently. The filters job is to block all the smog and grime from getting into the engine, therefore its frontline and collector of the dirt. So if you haven’t checked it lately, have a look and see what state the filter is in.

Gearing

Revving a motorcycle is tempting, and we’ll all do it from time to time. However, if you are consciously trying to save money on fuel this is the first thing to cut out! Revs mean mass friction is being created to increased the speed of the engine, everything jumps into overdrive which is fine and the engine can handle, but it's expensive. The more you rev, the more petrol is being used to move the pistons up and down, turn the camshafts and so on. So revving is pricey, although we aren’t suggesting revving too low either..low revs are not efficient as the engine is having to pull the air through a nearly closed throttle valve. Riding in the midrange is the best possible way to save fuel!

Acceleration

Sudden, hard use of the throttle uses a lot of fuel. The petrol sprays into the intake tracts and the motorcycle will gulp it up! If you accelerate smoothly you can still be way ahead of the cars but be spending less money, so this takes a little more ‘thinking ahead’ rather than just wrapping the throttle. It might not be as fun, but your bank will thank you!

Below are our top DONT’S when it comes to saving fuel:

✓ Don’t’ keep in low gears for a prolonged time ✓ Don’t park up directly in the sun, as fuel will evaporate ✓ Don’t rest your foot on the brake pedal ✓ Don’t let your air filter become blocked We hope this helps saves you some money, if you have any tips to add please do in the comments below!