My BDU and MPG

[tempalte]

I just took my 2006 Blur out for a ride with my GPS. Here is my BDU.

30 BDU = 26 MPH. 1.15 times actual
40 BDU = 35 MPH. 1.14 times actual
50 BDU = 44 MPH. 1.13 times actual
60 BDU = 53 MPH. 1.13 times actual

So it looks like my speedometer is 1.14 times faster than the real speed (or 1 BDU = .877 miles). That sounds about what everyone else gets with the 2006 Blurs.

I have written down my mileage when I fuel up.

1277 miles t o 1418 miles. used 1.167 gallons = 120MPG
1418 to 1574 miles, used 1.242 gallons = 125 MPG
1574 to 1715, used 1.265 gallons = 111 MPG
1715 to 1883, used 1.388 gallons = 121 MPG

Converting from BDUs to miles, I show to be getting about 106 real miles per gallon. So either I am off on my calculations, my odometer is off, or I am getting some crazy gas mileage.

I weigh about 180 and drive city streets to work at about 40MPH. Is it possible that my gas mileage is that good?

chad

[illnoise]

Is it possible that my gas mileage is that good?

Nope!

Your math is mixed-up, a BDU is a unit of distance, not speed. the speedometer reading isn't necessarily BDU/hr, it's not calibrated to the odometer. You calculated a new variable (!), the BSU (blur speed unit).

To find your accurate mileage, you need to test and find the difference between your ODOMETER reading and the real distance reading on your GPS. I'd try to do that by taking a ten-mile-plus trip in a fairly straight line and comparing your ddometer reading to the GPS "distance travelled" reading.

Luckily, you have good gas/odometer readings, so you just need to find that multiplier and recalculate the mileages in REAL miles, not BDU. THEN divide that number by gallons to find your MPG.

I think the 06 Blur odometer reads closer to km than miles, so you're going to find that 1 BDU is somewhere between 1/2 mile and 3/4 mile. That still works out to pretty good mileage, but there's no way you're getting 120mpg.

Bryan

[jrsjr]

Is it possible that my gas mileage is that good?

Wish it were true. The truth is, the 2006 Blur odometer calibration is all over the map depending on the scooter. I suggest you ride a road which is marked off with mile markers. You'll need to go a ways to average out potential sources of error, maybe 15 or 20 Blur units, then compare that to what your odometer shows and you can figure out your correction factor. When you're done, multiply that number (from eperience, it'll probably be between .55 and . times your miles per gallon number to get the actual number.

BTW, welcome to Modern Buddy. Enjoy your Blur!

[NathanielSalzman]

Yeah, I need to calibrate my Blur as well. I went with Illinoise's conversion factor of 1.4 BDUs/mile when I got my last tank of gas and got 89 mpg, which is about what Dave Harrington got on his Blur review. I need to confirm what my actual odometer conversion factor is though. Time to snag the wife's GPS.

[illnoise]

Yeah, I need to calibrate my Blur as well. I went with Illinoise's conversion factor of 1.4 BDUs/mile when I got my last tank of gas and got 89 mpg, which is about what Dave Harrington got on his Blur review. I need to confirm what my actual odometer conversion factor is though. Time to snag the wife's GPS.

1.4 came into my head when I wrote that, but a km is 1.6 and I think it might be closer to that. Ddoing the math in my head last summer, I was getting a little over 70, but I'm a heavy guy. Then again, I think Harrington's a big guy too, I dunno, math makes my head 'splode.

Bb.

[tempalte]

Wouldn't it make sense that the odometer is off by the same factor as the speedometer?

If the speedometer shows 1.14 times actual speed, you would think the odometer would show 1.14 times actual mileage.

My ride to work this morning showed 12 miles on the odometer. Google maps puts the same route at 7.1 miles. That would mean 1 BDU equals .59 miles and give me an actual MPG of 74 miles per gallon.

My guess is the speedometer is calibrated for miles, but with an 11% error, while the odometer is calibrated for kilometers but with the same 11% error?

[illnoise]

Wouldn't it make sense that the odometer is off by the same factor as the speedometer?

Not necessarily, it's sometimes two different mechanisms driven by the same gear.

My ride to work this morning showed 12 miles on the odometer. Google maps puts the same route at 7.1 miles. That would mean 1 BDU equals .59 miles and give me an actual MPG of 74 miles per gallon.

That sounds pretty reasonable, and close to what I've figured unscientifically

My guess is the speedometer is calibrated for miles, but with an 11% error, while the odometer is calibrated for kilometers but with the same 11% error?

If that was the case, wouldn't a BDU equal 1.11km? your math shows a BDU is .95km, right? I guess maybe if a km was low, the speedo would think you were doing more of them, so that makes sense. Maybe. My head hurts.