Boring MPG Question

So, after a few weeks with the Z1000, I find that during the week,

Aerodynamic drag. Try wearing leathers.

Heh. FOYRB

droning to work from London outskirts to London, erm, inskirts, the Z
is quite a lot less fuel efficient than I expected. OK, now I've used
a DR-Z for the commute for the last couple of years which will do
about 90 miles on a tank that costs about 6 quid to fill up.

The Z takes about 16 quids worth to fill from dry (go on, ask me how I
know) on which it'll do just a shade under 120 miles of inner city
stuff. 32mpg. :-( I didn't expect it to be great on fuel, but
that's worse than I expected. Any thoughts?

They all do that, sir - big bikes in London is a good way to empty your
wallet.

Well, yeah. I didn't *need* a litre bike for the work run. I just
don't recall my other bikes of this size being quite so hefty on the
MPG and thought a modern lean burn engine would be a bit better...

Doesn't help that I'm not exactly trying to minimise throttle
movements either!

My 9R was never great on fuel (Z uses the same lump, but bored another
100 cc, which can't help), and after the 144 bhp full titanium Akrapovic

Not that much of a bore out - it's a Z953 to be exact.

exhaust went on, and was set up on a dyno, the fuel consumption got
highly amusing; on the french run Champ worked it out to something like
26-28 mpg, IIRC, and got quite smirky about things.

OTOH the Z1000 is a fast, powerful bike, so stop whinging you pikey.

Ooooh look a post by the hippy that almost had no insults in....

Well, yes. Like I say, didn't expect it to be very green... Mate

No-one expects a Kawasaki to be green...

Err...hang on...that's not right, is it?

reckons he gets about 170 miles out of his Fazer Thou - best I've got
some far on non-urban use was 145.

Give it less twist on the throttle when you accelerate. It makes a world
of difference. IIRC mine and Champs old ZX9's beat the tourers on fuel
consumption on the slow run [1] up from the Bol in 99.

True, but the Z1000 is known for being a bit flat below 3K so tends to
need a good thrapping to get it shifting. But I've tried being
Captain Slow and it didn't make a lot of difference.

You don't' have to be slow at all. Just don't slow down, you won't have
to use so much petrol to get back up to speed.

Yeah, don't slow down. Like that's an option in central London rush
hour!

I'm contemplating a Power Commander for mine along with doing something with
the exhausts. Don't know for sure exactly *what* yet, but an angle grinder
could well be included in the job.

[1] Trying to get as much from a tank of fuel after leaving the site so
we didn't have to queue with 1000 other bikes at the first petrol stop.

I'd suggested a diet, but I've no room to talk. At slow speeds you
could use your legs or just get off and push.

On a trip to Penrith and back a few years ago, my GSX1100F got about
23MPG, mostly motorway. I was running late ;o)

I get about 140 from a tank on my Z1000 and I don't ride much in heavy
traffic, I would have thought that considering the nature of riding in the
kind of traffic you get in London your consumption is about right.

If you want to play, you have to pay !!

Oddly I reckon to get about 45-50 from the Z750, and I'm not entirely
easy on the throttle (as my tyre consumption can attest)

Trade it in for a Trophy 1200.

Heh. That was my ballpark for "bad MPG"

Christ.

On the GSXR750 I get 47 mpg cruising at 90-106mph, 42mpg commuting,
30mpg on a track day.

It's either very thirsty, or you don't ride very smoothly - I gained
about 10mpg after my Dave Cordon day.

Christ yes, do you remember how amazed we both were at how little fuel
we could get in the tanks at one of the refuelling stops?

Yeah - because the tuned 7R was a pig when running onto reserve, I used
to switch to it a few miles before it needed to, and was a little
surprised that after 20 miles on reserve, I couldn't fit 3 gallons in
it.

I'd be interested to know what your GTR does MPG-wise.....

Y'see, I usually get excellent mpg :-)

It's all relative. You, on your gixxer, always needed to stop for fuel
before me on mine. Remember looking for a petrol station in that town
on the Luxembourg border. Which also seems to suggest that you were
using more than Mike, which is even more surprising, given the size of
his... luggage.

Except during endurance races, IIRC.

I'm pretty smooth, I think. City riding is all stop and start of
course and I do tend to wind it on when I can. But I pulled up next
to a bloke on another Z the other day & asked what he got and he said
about 35, so it seems that's the way it is :-(

While tank range is an issue I don't really GAF what MPG my bikes return.
When fuel economy becomes an issue I'll buy a small non-turbo diesel car.

If it was an issue, I'd sell the bike. It's a minor disapointment
nothing more.