| Author | Message | ||
     Super55 |
Bought an 08 Ulysses about 4 months ago and I'm averaging about 45 mpg with 93 octane premium fuel. Is this about as good as I can expect? That doesn't quite get me to 200 miles a tank. Haven't tried pushing it to see. Just curious to hear anybody's input. Thanks. | ||
| Froggy |
45Mpg is low for an 08, they will do 50mpg on a bad day (which gives around 200 miles range). The 06/07 do slightly better on average. Fueling is important, is it the stock ECM or Race ECM? The Race ECM will improve fuel economy by around 10%. | ||
| Super55 |
I believe it is the race ECM. Some of my riding has been two up, so that could be part of it. | ||
| Super55 |
I was wrong, I have the stock ECM, but the previous owner included a race ECM. What does the race ECM do? I noticed it says "For Race Use Only" on the side. Is it legal to have on a street bike? | ||
| Bdub_uly |
That's slightly better than my '08 w EBR ECM. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Froggy's perception of "normal" gas mileage is somewhat more optimistic than most of us. My 07 consistently got ~50 MPG. I swapped the engine for an 09 unit a couple of years ago (crank issues) and I now get about 45 MPG. 45 MPG is pretty typical of the 08-up Ulys from what I've seen posted here. (Message edited by Hughlysses on April 22, 2013) | ||
| General_ulysses |
I just measured my '06 at 40 mpg, which seems low. Also, the bike seems to run a little rich. I replaced the air filter with a K&N so I don't think that's it. The bike stumbles, spits and pops from time to time. Any ideas on where to start looking? The bike has about 5800 miles and runs good otherwise. I have the EcmSpy and hooked it up once. Didn't see anything untoward, although the bike seemed to run rougher with it hooked up. Any suggestions appreciated. | ||
| Motorbike |
Super55, I don't personally know Froggy but I've heard that he is not real heavy, so you need to take that into account as well. The rest of his advice is very good and well respected though. I am 6'0" and 230 lbs on a good day and I get around 42-43 average on my 08 XT. Funny thing is, I went for a church group ride once last summer with my wife as a passenger and we got close to 50 mpg on that ride. We were riding with people who were scared to be on a bike and I rarely shifted into 5th gear. Probably won't go with them again.... | ||
| Super55 |
OK, so from what you guys are telling me that's not all that atypical. I'm 6'4" and 200lbs, so I'm a little bigger than your average bear, but I wasn't sure how much difference that would make. Don't give up on the Church group, mine rarely keeps it below 80mph! Can anybody tell me what the race ECM actually does? Is it worth installing if you have a stock exhaust? Been trying to figure out from various threads what it does and somebody said you shouldn't bother with one if you don't upgrade the exhaust. Thanks again. | ||
| Tootal |
It depends on how the race ecm was programmed. For a while, and maybe still, EBR would program them for certain exhaust including stock. Ratbuell has one like that. I put one on my bike and it pinged so bad I had to back off on the timing. I rode to Homecoming one year and got some real, non ethanol, fuel and it ran like a top and got 50 mpg. As soon as I filled up in Illinois I dropped to 45 mpg and it started pinging again. I talked to EBR and they said they never considered ethanol fuel with their maps. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I'm a big guy and leave the side bags on all the time. I average about 42 mpg riding hard. I've seen 50 occasionally if I'm doing a lot of highway. North Carolina gas seems to add 3 to 5 MPG, don't know if its the roads or the gas or the way I ride there or all three. | ||
| Thumpthump |
45 to 48 is my norm on my 09. | ||
| Yo_barry |
I'm getting about 41 on my 09 XB12X. It's only got about 4500 miles, I expect it to improve. Barry Hollister, CA | ||
| Argentcorvid |
My 09 gets 40 MPG combined city/highway. 45 highway only. I have got up to 50 a couple times when the conditions are right. I have a big windshield and the stock ECM. I try to put 92+, but most little towns around only have 89 octane with ethanol, so that's mainly what is going in the tank. | ||
| Nillaice |
Got 50 mpg last week. It was all highway riding I usually expect my mpg to be in the 40's | ||
| Hoover_uly |
I don't believe I've ever gotten better than 44 to 45 on the highway with my 09 using 93 octane. The bike has about 6,000 miles on it now and while I have heard some here say the mileage will improve as the engine gets more miles, I am a little skeptical that it will improve. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I'm with Reep - 42 is most common on my 06 (30k, stock muffler, K&N, and as Tootal mentioned, an EBR computer programmed for the setup). The computer didn't help or hurt MPG, and it didn't help or hurt HP...but BOY did it make it a smoother, happier ride! If I lose the side bags, I usually net 2 mpg better. Airframe drag is a bitch! I've gotten 50-52 on trips - oddly enough, trips where I'm beating the crap out of the bike on back roads (BRP, Buelltoberfest, etc). It seems highway actually HURTS the mpg because of the airframe drag of the bags, and my lanky figure...at least, at my cruising speeds (we'll just say 4k on the tach, in case any local LEO's are reading...). I'm also 6'4" and a little over 200 now, so I'm a big ol' sail. | ||
| Mark_weiss |
Remember this? http://www.njdot.us/buell/ulydata.php Beside looking at the totals chart, take a look at the individual listings for your year. In some cases there are a few samples with such huge deviation from standard that the averages are skewed a bit. | ||
| Nobuell |
I routinely get 45 mpg, mostly with the side bags and some quantity of hot roding. I have a race ECM but I did not notice a big change. A couple years ago, I made an effort to ride the speed limit, ride smoothly and got about 50 mpg. I think the extra fun is worth 5 mpg any day. | ||
| Tempest766 |
my 08 XT has never gotten better than 42mpg and at worse 35mpg...average this season has been 39 (mostly highway miles) My best mileage was a fall weekend trip through the Monongahela National Forest in WV. The 42mpg was not typical for me. MPG generally sucks in western PA because it's hilly, not a lot of good 4lanes, and crummy gas mixtures. | ||
| Red450 |
I got about 46mpg on my trip to TN. Two-up, fully loaded with camping gear, using 5th rarely. A big improvement from my mpg during the winter! Not sure if it's the TPS replacement or just the temperature change. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I was trailering the Uly with the Saab (RIP) which has a "economy meter". I towed it first with the side bags on it, and then later with the side bags off the bike and thrown in the back of the Saab. I saw a 2 mpg increase at speed. FWIW. | ||
| Uly_dude |
I think the big variable is the ethanol. It's a fact that ethanol gets worse mileage than gasoline. I get a kick out of people who love that it costs less. But when you factor in the gas mileage degradation, it's a wash. Also, in MN during the winter months, there's actually more ethanol mixed with the gas for EPA reasons. And now they are pushing government to allow 15% ethanol. No way I say. If it ever gets to that point, they better make it mandatory to label the pumps as such. But they don't want that cause they know most of us will avoid the stuff, ruining this big subsidy plan. Oops, now I'm getting political. | ||
| Red450 |
I agree with Uly_dude, winter mix gas is terrible. I get about 30 fewer miles per tank with winter mix in my car. The Uly really liked the gas in TN, plus it was pretty cheap for 93. | ||
| Teeps |
My '06 consistently gets 50 mpg. Mixed riding 40% freeway @ 70/80 mph (indicated), 60% 35 to 55 mph speed limit canyon roads. | ||
| Uly_man |
I do not know if there is a min gas spec for this bike but what I do know is that the better the gas the better the mpg, the smoother it will idle and the better it will run. I proved this as a fact on the 06 bike but the 10 bike it seems like less of an issue for normal running. | ||
| Thejosh |
@5300 ft in elevation, 180 lb rider I get 48 mpg with Race ECM, K&N, and Drummer exhaust. I'd say give it some time, being a new owner you might be a little liberal on the throttle. | ||
| Bpt |
I average 41.5. I am 5' 10" and am 160lbs. I always ride with the bags and tour pack on. All stock, ECM, air cleaner and exhaust. I even check different stations and there is very little difference. http://www.fuelly.com/driver/bobino/xb12x-ulysses | ||
| 50w |
I know your talking about Uly's, but just for comparison I have an 05 Lightning (all stock) and I installed Uly bags on it and I get over 60 all the time. | ||
| Terrible1one3 |
There are so many things that contribute to mpg it is really hard to compare between different riders. Rider input, size, weight, and accessories (windshield, bags etc.) along with if you are solo or two up make all the differences. I've babied my Uly for a tank and have seen 65mpg numbers. I've also ridden fairly aggressively two up and seen low 40's. My average is someone around 50mpg. I am 5'11" 185lbs, ZG windscreen, full luggage. Race ECM, KN, Drummer w/ drilled quiet insert I can feel a big difference with the bags on or off on drag. I can get up over 100 no problem without the bags. With the bags it's much harder. All in all 45 seems to land within range. Race ECM is an improvement over stock. Just like most performance parts they must stamp "race use only" to sell it. Your bike will never be impounded or ticketed for having this ECM installed. |
