CBR650R MPG am I missing something?

[Ian Warren]

All the reviews I’ve read and the claimed Honda MPG are 47 MPG (MCN) and 48 MPG Honda
I’ve finished running in and done the first service so I have started using the performance and just don’t see anything that low!
I know the office test profile won’t involve maxing the acceleration or revs so how come thebclaimed figures are so low?
Even if Hondas figures were US Gallons (smaller than UK imp Gallons) it wouldn’t explain MCNs !

For info I chased my son around on his new Ducati V4S yesterday (ex BSB Superbike rider) and I was Canning it and getting 57 MPG and on a more laid back ride home but on the twisty route with lots of brake and acceleration got 63 MPG
Was with nice super unleaded but still can see why Hondas claim is so modest?

Well a new piece of info for you.
Currently touring the bike from the UK to Europe and having been through France, Belgium, Germany and no Austria and having spent multiple tanks on mostly unrestricted autobahns doing average speed of 170-180 kph even maxing the bike at 234kph a few times (145 MPH) I’m getting 6.3 L/100km indicated which is 44 mpg Uk or around 37 US MPg.

Also impressed with the top speed as I am a chunky chap and I’ve got two panniers a rucksack and 20 kg of luggage !

I do know the Speedo is a little hopeful probably by about 5 % at lower speeds. So guess real speed is probably around 135 mph so still impressive.

 

[Decade]

On the daily commute, I get a fairly consistant 52-53 UK mpg on the CBR650R. (according to the dash, assuming it can be trusted)
Interestlingly (or not) I can't see any difference in mpg between E5 & E10, nor in performance. But I'm perhaps not best placed to judge performance as I rarely get to let her rip.I can get more mpg on a long motorway run, until I let it rip & get up to 90-ish, then efficiency plummets a bit.

 

[Ian Warren]

On the daily commute, I get a fairly consistant 52-53 UK mpg on the CBR650R. (according to the dash, assuming it can be trusted)
Interestlingly (or not) I can't see any difference in mpg between E5 & E10, nor in performance. But I'm perhaps not best placed to judge performance as I rarely get to let her rip.I can get more mpg on a long motorway run, until I let it rip & get up to 90-ish, then efficiency plummets a bit.

Matches my experience.
I think the reported figures are a couple of MPG Uk hopeful but otherwise the bike performs well.
Got a new low figure yesterday (38 mpg indicated) or 7.3 litres per 100km) but was at around 200 kph or around 125 mph all day!
Interestingly despite sitting close to max all day and a little slower but not a lot nothing on the bike has missed a beat, never got too hot, chain is looking new still!
Even more impressed with the bike by the day!

 

[CBRay]

Just filled up, 165 miles 3.4 gallons jamming it in. A little over 48 mpg. Mostly… taking it easy(ish) next tank I’ll flog it 😏

 

[RichardWatterson]

I usually shift around 6k and the bike tells me I'm getting 43-44 around town

 

[CBRay]

I usually shift around 6k and the bike tells me I'm getting 43-44 around town

 

[CBRay]

Rev it up

 

[Ian Warren]

Rev it up

Did lots of that on the German autobahns and out of corners in the alps 👍

 

[Peteblue]

I've had my CBR650R for a little over three years now, and until recently, I was getting 62 mpg. I have the occasional heavy right hand and enjoy a bit of madness here and there, but in general I leave the bike in 6th gear when I'm on the open road and obey the speed limits.

I read a test a while ago where a comparison was made between E5 and E10 fuels, and the conclusion was it was cheaper to buy E5, so a couple of months ago I started filling up with super juice. I'm now getting 66 to 68 mpg.

I've no idea if that increase in mpg means it's cheaper or not, but the engine feels smoother and less viby.

It's just my take on things, and I'll continue buying E5 fuel for the forseable future.

 

[Ian Warren]

I've had my CBR650R for a little over three years now, and until recently, I was getting 62 mpg. I have the occasional heavy right hand and enjoy a bit of madness here and there, but in general I leave the bike in 6th gear when I'm on the open road and obey the speed limits.

I read a test a while ago where a comparison was made between E5 and E10 fuels, and the conclusion was it was cheaper to buy E5, so a couple of months ago I started filling up with super juice. I'm now getting 66 to 68 mpg.

I've no idea if that increase in mpg means it's cheaper or not, but the engine feels smoother and less viby.

It's just my take on things, and I'll continue buying E5 fuel for the forseable future.

Not sure where the added MPG come from but here is an excellent article on the subject.
BTW ethanol has a higher octane rating than pure petrol so if anything your bike should run smoother with E10 and the ethical contains more energy in it not less.

Various tests and figures have purported to show various decreases in MPG using E10 vs E5 but it’s conclusion is it’s unlikely to make more than about 1 MPG difference on a modern bike with an O2 sensor.

My own experience (My son who I ride with often) has a Ducati V4S and a fat wallet) usually feeds our bikes the finest E5 super unleaded tank after tank, I haven’t seen any significant difference when I go back to being a cheap bastard and using E10.

Here is the article, worth a read.

E10 Fuel and Your Motorcycle: What Does it Mean for UK Riders?

With the Government's announcement that the UK would adopt E10 petrol as the standard grade for petrol forecourts, motorcyclists have been left in the lurch,

begin-motorcycling.co.uk

 

[Motojack]

Not sure where the added MPG come from but here is an excellent article on the subject.
BTW ethanol has a higher octane rating than pure petrol so if anything your bike should run smoother with E10 and the ethical contains more energy in it not less.

Various tests and figures have purported to show various decreases in MPG using E10 vs E5 but it’s conclusion is it’s unlikely to make more than about 1 MPG difference on a modern bike with an O2 sensor.

My own experience (My son who I ride with often) has a Ducati V4S and a fat wallet) usually feeds our bikes the finest E5 super unleaded tank after tank, I haven’t seen any significant difference when I go back to being a cheap bastard and using E10.

Here is the article, worth a read.

E10 Fuel and Your Motorcycle: What Does it Mean for UK Riders?

With the Government's announcement that the UK would adopt E10 petrol as the standard grade for petrol forecourts, motorcyclists have been left in the lurch,

begin-motorcycling.co.uk

At least you guys get a choice. Were I'm at you just take what ever the pump gives you! I actually cant tell you what type of petrol I'm pumping into the bike.

 

[Decade]

Matches my experience.
I think the reported figures are a couple of MPG Uk hopeful but otherwise the bike performs well.
Got a new low figure yesterday (38 mpg indicated) or 7.3 litres per 100km) but was at around 200 kph or around 125 mph all day!
Interestingly despite sitting close to max all day and a little slower but not a lot nothing on the bike has missed a beat, never got too hot, chain is looking new still!
Even more impressed with the bike by the day!

Wow, you're really shifting the bike ! I haven't really had the opportunity at the top end.

I deliberately filled up with E5 for the last 3 tanks, & I'm starting to 2nd guess myself.

It's consistantly returning about 56.5 UK Mpg for 3 tanks in a row. I'm not sure if it's actually more efficient though, or if I've just chilled out a bit from the heat & a bit of self-awareness that I'd been pushing a bit too much for a daily commute. Or the roads are busier so I've been forced to slow down ? Might be placebo, who knows ?

 

[Ian Warren]

How you ride can have a massive difference!
I rode about an hour each way to have some blood samples taken for a vaccine trial last week. Left a bit early so wasn’t in a rush and stuck to the speed limits (flowing country roads mixed with the A1 dual carriageway but with road works and an erase speed cameras at 40 MPH for 10 miles. And another 10 miles doing 75-80.
About 50 miles total each way.

Got my best mileage yet indicated 68MPG )UK gallons) probably a real 65mpg.

Went out for a 29 mile ride a couple of days later and used a load of throttle on some twisties and only dropped it to 65!

Being a little more laid back with the throttle
Makes a big difference. But even maxing it riding it very fast for four hours Avon autobahns isn’t too atrocious!

I continue to be impressed!

It’s not the 90+ I got on my 125 Suzuki but it has more than 6 x the horsepower!

 

[Decade]

How you ride can have a massive difference!
I rode about an hour each way to have some blood samples taken for a vaccine trial last week. Left a bit early so wasn’t in a rush and stuck to the speed limits (flowing country roads mixed with the A1 dual carriageway but with road works and an erase speed cameras at 40 MPH for 10 miles. And another 10 miles doing 75-80.
About 50 miles total each way.

Got my best mileage yet indicated 68MPG )UK gallons) probably a real 65mpg.

Went out for a 29 mile ride a couple of days later and used a load of throttle on some twisties and only dropped it to 65!

Being a little more laid back with the throttle
Makes a big difference. But even maxing it riding it very fast for four hours Avon autobahns isn’t too atrocious!

I continue to be impressed!

It’s not the 90+ I got on my 125 Suzuki but it has more than 6 x the horsepower!

Yeah, I feel like I'll have to survey for a year for a complete picture & at that point, I'm thinking 'do I really care either way?'.
I hear you on the 125s. I had a CB125F & it got genuinly 90-100mpg on continuous open throttle (which made it just about 'not completely slow' when pointing downhill) Back then it was £10 to fill a 13 litre tank & I would get over 200 miles on it. Incredibley, the new ones apparently are noticeably more efficient.
But if I get a smaller capacity bike, it wouldn't be a 125, it would be a CRF300L - such a versatile bike, you can do so many things on it.

 

[Ian Warren]

Now I have a CBR650R o couldn’t go back to a 125 again.
If I wanted something cheap and cheerful I might look at the SV650 I did my full license on.
Surprisingly quick and easy to ride for little money but I wouldn’t trade the CBR650R for one lol!

Pinning the throttle to catch up with my son after he went playing with cars that thought they were quick on the autobahns on his Ducati V4S even persuaded me their were times when I would have liked more than 94HP which I was convinced wouldn’t happen for years!

Enjoy yours I am loving mine!

 

[WorldWideShaun]

I want your bike!!!!!!!
20k km in a little over 5 months I get between 4.8 and 8 l/100km

 

[Ian Warren]

Eek I don’t fancy the 8l/100 km end of that!

35 mpg (UK imperial gallons) would get costly these days.
Think that’s probably what I was using doing 148 MPH indicated!

 

[Bubbibjørn]

My clock says 49xxkm, and i average something like 22-25km/l on a tank with mixed riding, some full throttle/full rev shifts with quickshifter, and som contryside cruising.

 

[Brian C.]

Nervous about posting this at it proves I drive like a Granny!
Brimmed the tank this morning and drove 180.6 miles, when I refilled it took 12.63 Litres (2.7782116 UK Gallons). About 50/50 Dual carriageways and country roads.
Giving me 65.0058 Miles per Gallon, or 23.01 km/L. , think I need to twist my right hand More! ;-)
68.4 though according to the Dash display. so not far out!

 

[Ian Warren]

That’s OK you rode how you like and what suits your experience and confidence and just because it’s not what other people choose to do really doesn’t matter.
The three MPG (UK) difference matches my measured tankfuls speed looks like that is consistent.
The MPG also matches what I got on my relaxed ride a week ago!
Even though I’ve been for another 60 miles enjoying some twisty roads the 68 MPG has only dropped to 64 (indicated)!

They are great bikes!

Loving mine for everything I have done so far!

Getting used to my first big bike.
Touring around Europe.
Thrashing it on the Autobahns.
Running round the Austrian Alps.
Dealing with City Traffic.

It’s all been good and the bike hasn’t missed a beat!

Keep enjoying yours!

👍