Oh no. 45mph club may have a point
Discussion
I get better MPG according to the OBC readout in 5th at less than 60mph. Above that 6th is best. Same for 30MPH. 3rd is better than 4th. Kind of goes against everything I thought really. Highest gear as early as possible and all that. Anything under 2,500RPM and I'm better changing down rather than up. I can only assume it's got something to do with the turbo.
On the baby CB, riding normally (i.e. full throttle and flat out...) returns 70-80 mpg, depending on how many cars I get held up by.
If I slow a bit to an indicated 60 mph, mpg rises to around the 90-100 mpg area.
Back off to 40 mph and it rises to 110-120 mpg. And I have time to admire the countryside more, count leaves on trees, which is nice. If boring after a while.
Deliberately slow to the point of max fuel economy (highly inadvisable on safety grounds...) and the thing can do at least 8 miles on a carb float's worth of petrol before it cuts out. While I don't know what that is in mpg, I do know that for the same amount of petrol riding normally lasts 2 miles or less - blocked breather pipe causing a vacuum in fuel tank was the cause of it cutting out after using a carb float's worth, in case you were wondering.
Fortunately, with it I don't have to care about fuel economy.
If I slow a bit to an indicated 60 mph, mpg rises to around the 90-100 mpg area.
Back off to 40 mph and it rises to 110-120 mpg. And I have time to admire the countryside more, count leaves on trees, which is nice. If boring after a while.
Deliberately slow to the point of max fuel economy (highly inadvisable on safety grounds...) and the thing can do at least 8 miles on a carb float's worth of petrol before it cuts out. While I don't know what that is in mpg, I do know that for the same amount of petrol riding normally lasts 2 miles or less - blocked breather pipe causing a vacuum in fuel tank was the cause of it cutting out after using a carb float's worth, in case you were wondering.
Fortunately, with it I don't have to care about fuel economy.
Your average 40mph driver isn't really doing 40mph. At an indicated 40mph they will be travelling at 35-38mph (the older the car the worse the speedo). Factor in latent reaction to hills, extreme reaction to a car pulling out 3 miles away, scenery, chatting to Doris, picking their nose, being obstinant and arrogant and in reality they are doing 30-35mph.
MissChief said:
I get better MPG according to the OBC readout in 5th at less than 60mph. Above that 6th is best. Same for 30MPH. 3rd is better than 4th. Kind of goes against everything I thought really. Highest gear as early as possible and all that. Anything under 2,500RPM and I'm better changing down rather than up. I can only assume it's got something to do with the turbo.
What car? Petrol or diesel? I'd guess 2000-2500 rpm to be the most economical range on my Megane (2.0T petrol) but have no instant MPG readout...
Allyc85 said:
45mph would be a blessing.
30-35mph is becoming more than normal around here in east Devon and any hill they get even slower as they forget the basic skill of using a gearbox to at least maintain speed! Mosts dayts I usually end up doing 20mph in the 60 zone out of Sidmouth.
I love Devon. I'd dilly dally along all day if I lived there.30-35mph is becoming more than normal around here in east Devon and any hill they get even slower as they forget the basic skill of using a gearbox to at least maintain speed! Mosts dayts I usually end up doing 20mph in the 60 zone out of Sidmouth.
Some man maths to justify doing 70 rather than 56 behind an artic on a 300mile journey:
Journey time @ 56 = 5hrs 20min
Journey time @ 70 = 4hrs 17min
mpg @ 56 = 30
mpg @ 70 = 25
Fuel used @ 56 = 10gal or 45litres
Fuel used @ 70 = 12gal or 54litres
Saving = 9l and assuming fuel is £1.37 per l = £12.33
My hourly rate is more than £12.33, so by taking an hour longer it costs me more to go slower.
Journey time @ 56 = 5hrs 20min
Journey time @ 70 = 4hrs 17min
mpg @ 56 = 30
mpg @ 70 = 25
Fuel used @ 56 = 10gal or 45litres
Fuel used @ 70 = 12gal or 54litres
Saving = 9l and assuming fuel is £1.37 per l = £12.33
My hourly rate is more than £12.33, so by taking an hour longer it costs me more to go slower.
*Al* said:
My 530i (petrol)gives it's best mpg around 80 mph which is around 37mpg which I think is reasonable.
My 130I does the same and I do 22k miles per year. Bloody thing gets 35 @ 65 which I know is not a lot but heyho.So I get 340 miles per tank @ £60.00 where my 320D did 550 per tank @ £120, so 2 x tanks in the 130i is 680 miles so the 4 pot diesel was a waste of money. In the long run.
Edited by Allanv on Saturday 21st September 20:15
Allyc85 said:
45mph would be a blessing.
30-35mph is becoming more than normal around here in east Devon and any hill they get even slower as they forget the basic skill of using a gearbox to at least maintain speed! Mosts dayts I usually end up doing 20mph in the 60 zone out of Sidmouth.
The best ones are those doing 35mph over woodbury common, those are really frustrating (and usually holding up the articulated lorries too!).30-35mph is becoming more than normal around here in east Devon and any hill they get even slower as they forget the basic skill of using a gearbox to at least maintain speed! Mosts dayts I usually end up doing 20mph in the 60 zone out of Sidmouth.
donaircooleone said:
Allyc85 said:
45mph would be a blessing.
30-35mph is becoming more than normal around here in east Devon and any hill they get even slower as they forget the basic skill of using a gearbox to at least maintain speed! Mosts dayts I usually end up doing 20mph in the 60 zone out of Sidmouth.
The best ones are those doing 35mph over woodbury common, those are really frustrating (and usually holding up the articulated lorries too!).30-35mph is becoming more than normal around here in east Devon and any hill they get even slower as they forget the basic skill of using a gearbox to at least maintain speed! Mosts dayts I usually end up doing 20mph in the 60 zone out of Sidmouth.
vsonix said:
Tbh this is possibly the part of the UK with the biggest 65+ population, really into their Matiz and Jazz... some of the most frustrating driving ever round Sidmouth/Budleigh on a Sunday!
Sadly this is true! Even at 6am I dont think I have ever had a clear run over Woodbury Common, even when not pushing on!Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff