Average miles and MPG

[Legend]

What sort of MPG are you getting and how many miles a day do you drive....?

I have been averaging 42.87 miles per day on my new Stella and getting a whopping 74.264 MPG. All in a week.

Should I expect the fuel economy to increase as she breaks in more?

[jfrost2]

You should get better mpg as you break her in, but not much, just a few more mpg.

My buddy has been getting 80-90mpg and only 50 with speedway gas.

I guess the rumors of speedway gas are true, I've heard on TV, and from people that speedway heats their gas tank to expand the gas, as it cools it shrinks and of course, you end up with less.

I rode 10 miles in one day and noticed my tank down almost 1/4th of the way just after buying gas! Now I buy gas at meijers/krogers, seems I get normal MPG with them.

[jmazza]

I get a pretty consistent 85 MPG on my Buddy. I've got 1200 miles on her and there's been no change during break in.

[Dan Buddy]

I averaged 92mpg last year and was putting on about 150 miles a week.

[Legend]

I averaged 92mpg last year and was putting on about 150 miles a week.

how did you average so many mpg? any upgrades of changes to the engine/exhaust? What were you getting during breakin?

I do notice that I am not getting the top end expected. i understand it is still breakin period but I have opened it up a couple times and barely hit the 50mph mark.

[KRUSTYburger]

I am averaging 100 miles per tank... It's almost clockwork. Every hundred miles I'm on 'E'. Thats about 83 mpg I think. I don't ride for very long distances, but it's fast with lots of stopping & accelerating... I imagine on slower streets with fewer lights I could get about 90.

[poop colored buddy]

100-105 on the buddy 50, 75-80 on the (broken in) Stella.

[Legend]

100-105 on the buddy 50, 75-80 on the (broken in) Stella.

thats closer to what I was thinking I will get. when we going to go for a scoot around town? The weather is calling my name.......come ride, come ride.

[rablack]

I get around 75 mpg on my Buddy 50. 1,600 total miles (indicated) Half the year I drive about 12 miles a day on city streets. Mostly wide open throttle.

[Wiggins]

I am half way through the break in with three fill ups. First tank I got 79 MPG, second tank yielded 81 MPG. The third fill up brought 85 MPG, but I am not sure if this was due to improved performance from the break in or the addition of a windshield half way through the tank.

Kyle

[BuddyRaton]

I havent checked in a while but it is usually 85 - 90 mpg

[Alix B]

When fully packed I was still getting 80-90mpg. After 10,000 miles it was the same.

Perhaps traveling at just one speed (60 mph) maintained fuel efficiency???????

[Syd]

I know it's not a Buddy, but since the thread started with a Stella, I hope everyone will forgive me.

In 7000Kms, my SYM is averaging about 67.72mpg, but I haven't figured in my last tank, so that figure isn't very accurate .

[redcass]

I get 90-95 mpg with mostly in-town driving. I use 89 octane (yes, I understand some advise against it, but it's what I do).

RedCass

[aircooled]

I'm on my second 100 miles on a brand spankin' new 150 Italia and it appears to be averaging 74 mpg. This is with a lot of city driving, starts and stops, big hills and no windscreen.

I think a big factor would include the rider's weight. I weigh a little over 190. Less naked, but I'm not riding naked. With gear and pack, call it 200. And I'm tall, so more wind resistance. I'd bet a shorter rider who weighs, say, 120 is going to do better.

[babblefish]

I think a big factor would include the rider's weight. I weigh a little over 190. Less naked, but I'm not riding naked. With gear and pack, call it 200. And I'm tall, so more wind resistance. I'd bet a shorter rider who weighs, say, 120 is going to do better.

I'll bet a short, naked rider would get even better milage....

[mandyscoots]

I drive to work round trip probably about 40 miles. Four times weekly (I work 12 hours shifts ok!)

My Buddy has been getting around 85-90mpg.

[toddrw2251]

92.5 mpg on my last tank with shell 89 octane. My daily mileage varies a lot since I usually work at home.

[Eddy Merckx]

About 70 miles a week and get 80 + mpg, if I actually go the speed limit I get very close to 90 mpg, but thats only when I'm a law abider....

[Apiarist]

i am hugely jealous of most of you. i get around 75 mpg, sometimes less. maybe my riding style? i have a tendency to open her up from a stop. i use 89 octane too, but might switch. this morning when i use the kill switch, she backfired. i thought it was cool sounding. heck, i have no idea if higher octane will prevent it, but hey, i guess it's worth a shot.
also i ride 20 miles a day back and forth to work.
someone here mentioned top speed. after my first tune up i had her up to 75 mph, buddy speed. i guess that's 68 or so? one of these days i will have a friend tail me in a car to get a better idea if the speedo on the new Bud's are more accurate than previous years.

[MFrost]

Hi,
Just curious why some folks advise against using 89 octane in the buddy.
What is reccomended.
Mike

[toddrw2251]

Hi,
Just curious why some folks advise against using 89 octane in the buddy.
What is reccomended.
Mike

You just opened up a can of worms here. Everyone had different opinions on what octane is best for their buddy. Octane actually varies from one part of the country to another depending on altitude of the location. Basically it comes down to what you feel runs best in your buddy. I have run 87, 89 and 92 octane in my buddy and it doesn't really seem to make much of a difference. I usually go mid grade because I can afford an extra 12 cents when I am only putting in 1.2 gallons of gas.

[EP_scoot]

MFrost, go here: www.modernbuddy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1015

Everything you ever wanted to know, but where afraid to ask about gasoline octane vs. the Buddy.

I just did 150 BDU's on $4.87. At #3.50/gal that came to about 107mpBDU

Considering that BDU's are neither mph not kmph and taking into account that their accuracy can be affected by model year, earth rotation, phase of the moon and what my neighbour's dog is sniffing on any given day, I figure I am getting between 50 and 100 mpg . . . good enough for me

[MarsR]

I've been tracking mine since I got it a year ago. I haven't put that many miles on it as mostly I just ride it to work--about 10 miles round trip--with an occasional ride just for fun. I've got about 1900 miles on my scooter.

Overall, my average is 83.59 mpg, with 89.69 mpg being my highest (summer) and 74.72 mpg being my lowest (winter). It's nice to see it on the rise again with the warmer weather. I don't know why, it just runs better when it's warmer.

I use 85 octane (regular at 5000' where I live.)

[jfrost2]

The engine cant work at peak performance when it's cold during the winter, but in the summer, the engine is warmer already, so it will burn gasoline much easier, thus giving you better fuel economy.

[tempalte]

I am getting about 73mpg on my Blur 150. That is will converting blur distance units to real miles (to the best I can at least).

My daily ride is 16 miles round trip on city streets @ 40mph.

[pugbuddy]

Ok, I'll ask a stupid question: what's the best way to measure your mileage? I ask because the Buddy's speedometer (Buddy Speed may safely be abbreviated as BS) and Odometer have been mentioned as somewhat inaccurate.... So how do you figure it out without buying a new accessory?

[StL_Stadtroller]

just use your odometer as-is I say. Usually odometers are close enough so as not to make a real difference.

The odometer is gear-driven with a physical connection to the wheel, whereas the speedo is controlled by a spinning magnet and a clockworks like spring, which is subject to great varience. Hence the innacuracy.

mark mileage, ride, fill up, calculate mileage and divide by the volume you just put in. Do this over several fill-ups and get an avrage for a better reading.

[DarbyWalters]

Lambretta 150cc...I weight 230#s...usually pretty aggressive driving...72mpg.

[Howardr]

I've got a Buddy 150 and I'm driving about 100miles/week. I've got a total of 750 miles on her. The first tank I got 71mpg, however the mileage has increased with each tank. I'm also changing my riding style to improve my mileage as well. Subsequently, my last tank yielded 90.9mpg! I think my average so far is around 85mpg.

[riancurtis]

i am getting 90-95 depending on how slow i feel like going
for the first week, i got about 60 cause i was breaking it in AND for some manly reason i always went full throttle to accelerate. like i said....manly reasons. maybe it was to smoke the Dodge Intrepid next to me full of high school kids calling me "faggot"
anyways, you can achieve the same speed half throttle in about 4 extra seconds so who cares. took me a week to figure it out and suddenly i am at 90-95. that coupled with it being pretty broken in at 600 miles.

[nissanman]

1/2 throttle? What the hell is that?! I thought it was on/off

[golfinguy]

1/2 throttle? What the hell is that?! I thought it was on/off

1/2 throttle is a result of carpal tunnel syndrome. Same thing really, but just a handicapped rider, IMO

[MikieTaps]

I drive to work round trip probably about 40 miles.

My Buddy has been getting around 85-90mpg.

I am really starting to get jealous of you people with longer commutes. I only have a 2 mile commute each way... So every morning I talk my girlfriend into letting me take her to work. But even with going to the other side of town first I only get up to around 3-4 miles each way

[ericalm]

I drive to work round trip probably about 40 miles.

My Buddy has been getting around 85-90mpg.

I am really starting to get jealous of you people with longer commutes. I only have a 2 mile commute each way... So every morning I talk my girlfriend into letting me take her to work. But even with going to the other side of town first I only get up to around 3-4 miles each way

Well, the Scooter Code requires that you either move or get a new job.

[twoscoots]

Well, the Scooter Code requires that you either move or get a new job.

I only live four blocks from work. I'm taking my scoot in tomorrow, but only to show it off! Even I can't justify riding most of the time (sometimes I'll get sent elsewhere, and then I *will* scoot, durnit).

I just did my first metered fillup and got 95mpg. I bought a little notebook at the drugstore and record date, mileage and the cost per gallon. When I take it in for service or do my own, I'll record that too. I've done it for every vehicle I've owned.

[kilted texan]

We filled up after the first used tank on both of the scoots.

Vespa GT200 = 75 mpg @ 5050 miles
Genuine Buddy 125 = 105 mpg @ 1843 miles

[Artisan]

The engine cant work at peak performance when it's cold during the winter, but in the summer, the engine is warmer already, so it will burn gasoline much easier, thus giving you better fuel economy.

So does that mean that when the temp hits 120 this summer I'll be getting 200mpg

[KRUSTYburger]

I am averaging 100 miles per tank... It's almost clockwork. Every hundred miles I'm on 'E'. Thats about 83 mpg I think.

I've been keeping track a little better now that engine is broken in and on the last 4 gallons of gas I've put in, I'm averaging 98.6 bmpg!

[NathanielSalzman]

I've been keeping track of my mileage by just shooting phone photos to my Flickr and then doing the math. My lowest is ~63 mpg and my highest is ~74 mpg. I think the biggest factor is whether or not there's alcohol in the gas. I'm going to start keeping track of where I bought gas so I can compare that as well. Need to find a place that sells de-ox gas along my 8 mile commute. Takes right at 25 minutes and is simply perfect. Lots of windy surface streets.

My spread over the last dozen fill-ups:

70.6
69.0
66.9
66.6
63.8
73.2
68.6
66.35
67.3
73.2
64.0
68.6

[DennisD]

I get 90-100mpg, still breaking in. I use the cheapest gas I can find where ever I happen to be at the time. It runs great on cheap no name gas. Did I mention that I don't care where it comes from? Oh, well, I don't.

Dennis

[bwilms]

I've been keeping track of every fill-up since I bought Buddy Lightning. Here are my gas stats over 94 fill-ups.

Min / Max / Avg
Gallon(s) - 0.33 / 1.396 / 0.947468085
Trip - 33.6 / 147.5 / 87.60106383
MPG - 56.05536332 / 133.33 / 93.2410939
$/Gal - 2.079 / 3.939 / 2.722648936
Total $ - 0.89067 / 4.198311 / 2.576007074

[toddrw2251]

94 fill ups? How many miles do you have on that beast?

[Othergods]

I just topped my new Buddy off for the 2nd time so I did my first calculation, I had 180.2 miles total at fill up, and I got 95.6 miles per gallon on gas with 10% ethanol. I need to find a station that does not add that stuff.

[bwilms]

94 fill ups? How many miles do you have on that beast?

As of the last fill-up I have 8234.5 miles. I commuted 50 miles round trip most of last year, which really put on the miles. This year I haven't been able to ride as much due to time constraints (scooter route takes about 20 minutes longer than car route each way). That should change soon though.

[OScoot!]

Well, on my tank before last I got 98 mpg and on this last tank I got a whopping 108 mpg. I was pretty surprised. But then, a whole lot of my riding the last two tanks has been from Ashland to downtown Richmond to work and back. 35 miles round trip ..... and I didn't catch too many traffic signals on the way.

I also keep a little notebook in the helmet hole and write down my mileage and fuel. And I've got just over 1,600 miles on it.

[sotied]

If it can cause vapor lock if you fill the tank too high, how can you consistently tell where to stop filling?

As I understand it, that's the only way you can do the math to figure out MPG.

Especially with a tiny tank like this, I'm not sure eyeballing it is accurate enough.

Maybe I'll drive a bunch and then use a magic marker to put a mark inside the tank on the wall so I have an accurate way to tell when to stop.

[twoscoots]

If it can cause vapor lock if you fill the tank too high, how can you consistently tell where to stop filling?

As I understand it, that's the only way you can do the math to figure out MPG.

If my scooter hasn't vaporlocked over the last couple of days, I dunno what you have to do to cause it.

As for determining mileage, all you have to do is write down your odometer reading and the amount of gas you get every time you fill up, i suppose you might not be filling it to precisely the same spot every time, but I doubt an ounce or two of gas is going to make that much difference.

[Davek]

Is that on your Blur or the Buddy? I haven't kept track of the first few tanks on my Blur.. just the last one, and it was pretty pitiful. I did 50 BDU per gallon, which is probably something horrible like 30-35 mpg, pretty much the same as my Civic. I usually ride it with full or no throttle though, so on the next few tanks I'll try to restrain myself.

I've been keeping track of my mileage by just shooting phone photos to my Flickr and then doing the math. My lowest is ~63 mpg and my highest is ~74 mpg.

[andgosun]

I commute 6.5 miles to work and the same on the return trip 5 days a week on my Buddy weather permitting plus other errends. The commute is thru town @ 40 mph for 1.5 miles with 6 stop signs or lights, then the speed limit increases to 50 mph for the balance of 5 miles with 1 more stop sign. I have been averaging 91 mpg. This week is my first week with a newly installed Prima Pipe. I just filled up with 109 miles driven and it took 1.09 Gallons, for 100 MPG. We have had windy days of 25 to 35 MPH, so I am very pleased, and I expect that will improve with further break in.