Estimating Fuel Usage For Long Trips | GTAMotorcycle.com

Estimating Fuel Usage For Long Trips

Fr33On2Wh33ls

Well-known member
Since this will be my first long trip I have come up with a common sense formula to estimate my fuel requirements and costs.
For those of you who have experience touring please don't hesitate to chime in!

My proposed forumula
(Total Distance of Trip in Kilometers) Divided by (Average MPG aka Kilometers per Litre) = Total Litres of Fuel

(Total Litres of Fuel) Multiplied by (Average Price Per Litre) = Total Fuel Cost


Toronto To Vancouver (One Way)

4400 km / 45MPG or 19 Km/L = 231 Litres

231 Litres X $1.10/L = $254 Total Fuel Cost



The Fz6 has a 20 litre fuel tank thus I can expect to fill up approximately 12 times on the trip, and get roughly 380km per tank.


Anything I might be missing?
 
Depending on where are you are riding, you may be filling up a heck of a lot more than twelve times, simply because gas stations may not be located where you are going to need them. The Cabot Trail is (or was) a good example.

Also depending on the bike and/or how it is tuned, you may experience dramatically different fuel consumption on different days. On the same trip on my ZX11, jetted very much on the rich side by the previous owner, I managed to get 440km out of one tank and a bit more than 200km out of another (the very generous reserve saved my bacon more than once). Probably not likely to be an issue with your FZ6 though
 
Thanks for the reply and heads up!

You are absolutely right! Only in a perfect world would it be only 12 full fill ups. It could more likely be closer to 24 half fill ups or whatever the variation will be.

In any case, I will be bringing spare fuel canister to add to my reserve capacity, which should help alleviate the need to stop unnesssarily.

I was planning to map out gas stations that are approximately 380 km apart along my chosen route but if I need to stop sooner then I will do so as it is always better to be safe than sorry!


As an example,

DayKMDestinationAddressFuel
10Home
1390Petro Canada, Sudbury1190 Barry Downe Road, Sudbury, ON
$ 25.00


1705Petro Canada, Sault St. Marie411 Great Northern Road, Sault Ste. Marie, ON
$ 25.00

11036Esso, White River
201 HWY 17 W, White River, ON
$ 25.00




 
Count on a lot less than that mileage heading west. Your tank is 19 litres.
If you are cruising at 120-130 into a head wind your range for practical purposes will be 250 km or less - you should take a break then anyways...so don't let it fall below a third left indicated ( usually less )

Most bikes these days have some sort of fuel usage computer onboard but don't know about the Yammie.
Most intermediate bikes the fuel usage goes way up above 120 indicated plus you'll have more drag with bits and pieces of luggage.

I'd suggest a PA run as it gives you a good mix of slab, secondary highway with towns and twists where you will want to get ham handed.
Fillup, set your odometer to 0 and ride as you like.
Keep track of your receipts and fill up when you get home. Should give you a good idea.

Rule in the boonies - see a station fill up if it's anywhere near half.....especially Sundays where many close early.
On the slab...never a concern.

If you get a tailwind then mileage goes way up and the tunes sound wonderful.

When are you leaving?? We're doing 24 days in the west but flying the bikes out then riding south - then east to home.

Here is some info

http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-general-discussion/11936-fz6-fuel-economy-2.html

Seems 40 mpg is safe bet but count on less into a headwind at speed.

1000km first day on an FZ-06???....whats the furthest you've ridden??
 
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I happen to remember from your previous posts that your FZ6 was recently acquired. Do you have prior experience touring? I ask because 1000km in one day is a lot of riding.
 
Even on touring rig let alone a bike on sports end of the spectrum.
Those kind of runs you need to watch dehydration which can leave you woozy and sun burn or worse.

Except on occasion 550-650 km per day seems practical tho long days in June starting 5.30 am can make a big difference.

Don't under estimate how tiring riding into the wind or a cross wind can be.
Average windspeeds in Sask are 20 kph.
http://forecast.predictwind.com

One reason starting early pays as wind is lower.

Also riding into the sun at the end of a long day can be totally debilitating no matter what sunglasses or shield you have.

Something to consider is the Bluewater Bridge at Sarnia and then up through Michigan to the Sault.
Slab the whole way and high speeds... the Trans-Canada can be dismal and be hard on the wallet ( tickets ).

Fuel will be cheaper as well. The Mackinac Bridge is a thrill as well.

09mackinaw30.JPG
 
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Wow a lot of new factors to consider. Glad I posted! :eek:
I don't plan to be going more than 110-120 for the most part and I am really counting on regular hiway driving and low rpm high gear consumption rates.
Headwind is not something I accounted and am glad you brought that up! Do you really think that headwind could reduce mileage by 35%?
(If that is the general consensus then all I need to do is add an extra 35% to the estimates)...



I am very flexible with the date likely July or August though.
The furthest I have ridden is about 300 km non stop from home to Tobermory. I did it on a ninja 500, 2up. Rode nonstop through a hail storm on the way home, will never forget it.
I have been riding for 5+ years and have more than 50,000km seat time logged. I will definitely be doing several weekend trips to log actual distance and fuel usage numbers, get comfortable with the bike and to give me plenty of time to make bike comfort modifications if neccesary. I used to ride a road bicycle. I did a cycling tour from Montreal to Vermont with camping gear so hours/days out on the road is something somewhat familiar to me.

Considering the alternate route as advised :)


As a minimum I want to do 900km days. Three, 300 km stretches or so, which can be broken up with pit stops in between if need be.
If things work in my favor I am hoping it will be closer to three, 400km rides each day with no more than 1 hour stop between for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
On the road at 5am every morning rolling and resting around 9-10am, 2-3pm, and between 5pm-7pm until the next morning, depending on pace.

Flying west was something I also considered for it would free up enough time so that I could try for Alaska! I just figured It would be cheaper and all around a better experience to do the entire trip on the bike (though this may not neccasarily be the case). I really want to get out west as fast as possible so I can spend time exploring Banff and visiting family, but I have never driven across the entire country before and if it can be done in 5 days efficiently I really want to give it a try!
 
You'll be fine. After repeated days on the bike, if you aren't getting to bed early, sometimes it can be tough to be up at 5am. I find that waking up just before sunrise and riding by first light, allows me to easily knock off 1000km/day and be parking the bike around sunset. The further out in the boonies you are, plan for higher chances of wildlife at dawn and dusk - so be extra aware at these times.

For fueling up, if you try to fill up just as you park for the night, then each morning you know that you can ride a full tank before needing to stop. If your tank gets approx 380km/tank, plan to fill up around the 300km mark. I ran out of gas on a ride once and all the time I saved on the trip from pushing my tanks to the limit was wasted on that one mistake. Your original idea of total fuel calculations is good, but also factor in that fuel prices are often much higher in the boonies than in the cities. As for wind, it might not be 35% more, but the wind can be really intense over the flat prairie lands, and less intense where you have trees to act as windbreaks.

I eat a small snack and have a tea before leaving in the morning, and then eat a larger breakfast around 10am when I make my first stop. I have also found that eating at Subway for lunch works great if I save 1/2 my sub for dinner, because while the food is not great, I won't ever get sick off it and it's consistent. Instead of eating indoors, I can then stop at scenic points and eat wherever I feel like. For dinner, I wait until I park the bike for the night to eat the other half of my sub. It's a nice way to wind down a good day of riding.

If you like to take pictures, you may find that as you get into very scenic landscapes, it becomes more difficult to do 1000km/day, because of all the time spent stopping to take pics and enjoy the scenery. On more than one occasion, this has caused me to be riding after dark and last year I hit a deer coming into West Virginia in the dark.
 
A few random thoughts:
- gas in US is on average 25% cheaper, following a route through US to South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana would bring you to some interesting places and roads after only 2,300km; Never been on Trans Canada but I heard it's pretty boring until Calgary (except for the Lake Superior part), therefore if is an option, you might want to consider a US route.
- as mentioned earlier, out in the west gas stations are few and far between (there are signs like "Next gas station in 200 km"), never run on an empty gas, unless you know for sure that you are approaching a major urban center on the only road leading there
- I've done in the past 1,000 km days, but the next day I didn't feel like riding; if you have an opportunity, test your limits before the trip
- in my case, it's not only the destination or even the road leading there, it's also about the places I could see and explore; if you are that way, consider some time and funds to stop at National Parks in US or other major landmarks (ex Mount Rushmore, Devil's Tower, Yellowstone, etc)
 
5 consecutive high mileage days is not going to be an enjoyable trip, especially as your first big trip. It'll be a big accomplishment, but it won't be much fun.

this was my 30 day trip last summer (disregard the Florida pin)
500km/day average

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1000km slab a day? Doesnt souns that fun to me but different stokes for different folks. If your goal is to get there then sure, but nature sure i breath taking and theres times where youd slap yourself if you didnt stop. If this is your first trip, make it memorable, try not to zoom through it.
 
Since this will be my first long trip I have come up with a common sense formula to estimate my fuel requirements and costs.
For those of you who have experience touring please don't hesitate to chime in!

My proposed forumula
(Total Distance of Trip in Kilometers) Divided by (Average MPG aka Kilometers per Litre) = Total Litres of Fuel

(Total Litres of Fuel) Multiplied by (Average Price Per Litre) = Total Fuel Cost


Toronto To Vancouver (One Way)

4400 km / 45MPG or 19 Km/L = 231 Litres

231 Litres X $1.10/L = $254 Total Fuel Cost



The Fz6 has a 20 litre fuel tank thus I can expect to fill up approximately 12 times on the trip, and get roughly 380km per tank.


Anything I might be missing?


You can use this: http://www.gasbuddy.com/Trip_Calculator.aspx

to get a bit more accurate as it uses the daily prices per location. You can enter your own mileage figures or just select a Honda Civic as that has comparable consumption to your FZ6.
 
I've done the TransCan to Vancouver; most of it is two lane and falling apart (in places). If I were to do that again, I would for sure go West through the US: better roads, four lane, higher speed limits. It's perfect to get as many miles under you as possible till you hit the foothills.
 
You may want to stick close to the speed limit. OPP in Northern Ontario are hungry for speeders.

Also, don't stretch out your fuel stops until your tank is empty. I wouldn't want to drop below 1/3 of a tank at any time.

BONUS TIP! Fill your tank at the end of your riding day. If you're leaving early in the morning, you might not find an open gas station, depending on where you are
 
Even on touring rig let alone a bike on sports end of the spectrum.
Those kind of runs you need to watch dehydration which can leave you woozy and sun burn or worse.

Except on occasion 550-650 km per day seems practical tho long days in June starting 5.30 am can make a big difference.

Don't under estimate how tiring riding into the wind or a cross wind can be.
Average windspeeds in Sask are 20 kph.
http://forecast.predictwind.com

One reason starting early pays as wind is lower.

Also riding into the sun at the end of a long day can be totally debilitating no matter what sunglasses or shield you have.

Something to consider is the Bluewater Bridge at Sarnia and then up through Michigan to the Sault.
Slab the whole way and high speeds... the Trans-Canada can be dismal and be hard on the wallet ( tickets ).

Fuel will be cheaper as well. The Mackinac Bridge is a thrill as well.

09mackinaw30.JPG

The upper Michigan peninsula is a shooting gallery for the state troopers and deer hazzards......otherwise, a great little detour.


Throttle lock and rock the slab. Once you find some interesting roads, you'll find fuel consumption is affected by how much you twist the throttle.

It's a long and boring ride across the prairies and even for the majority of Alberta.

Plenty of fuel stops along the major highways. But, don't try to manage your fuel stops the same way as a cage. Stop to stretch and top up every couple of hours and you won't need an extra fuel container.

If you go off the beaten path? Then things get interesting. Good and bad.
 
Forgot about deer - that's always a risk when doing long days....both morning and dusk.

Finding a pair of rockin' transports to play deer catcher works....or a honkin big SUV
 
To be honest, if did 1,000km/slab and solo, I'd fall asleep behind some rock halfway through. ;)
Long rides I like company and break it up with some twisties.

... But I do agree with others. Go through the States. Way more interesting roads, cheaper fuel, food and lodging. More gas stations, rest stops, etc.
 
Yes, gas is cheaper in the States, but you can't count on $1.10 anywhere else in Canada.
Gas is still hovering around a $1/L around here, but I know that Vancouver is paying roughly $1.30/L.
When I travel, I never think of the cost of the gas, since that is usually the cheapest part of the trip.
 
Yup....tho I must admit - last year in Australia doing a days run on the ST1100 at $1.75 Aus per litre when the Aus dollar was above the Canadian
That was $45 or so for bouncing around the local roads,,,,,gave me pause at times
If I were touring here ..gas for a day.would be close or more than a motel stay

Nice that fuel has dropped here as well. Food is cheap in US as well.....McDs or Subway ...cheap meals on the fly

If you do US - take some US cash as some CC fuel stops can reject your card
 
I've gone from TO to Van for many years. First time was via TransCanada. All after that was via the States. There are tons of gas stations along the way. Forget about budgeting gas and just ride. Same for trying to get 1k km/day. Enjoy the ride. If you are just going to slab it, why bother riding ...unless it's just to get there. I've done that too. 23 hr day. Will NOT do that again.
 

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