A majority of Indian bike owners determine the usefulness of
a bike on the basis of one specification. That specification is none other
than MILEAGE!
Ever since the inception of four stroke bikes in the Indian biking scenario,
auto companies have been pushing the benchmarks of this highly competitive
specification ever higher across all segments.
Never have the Indian public ever thought about how practical it is to derive
100 kmpl out of a(say) 150cc bike. Most of them say, mileage nahi to kuch
nahi.
Now I have a simple question to all of you. How many amongst us bikers
actually
know the various factors that determine the mileage of a bike? And I’m not
just talking about spanking new bikes but also about bikes which have done a
good reading on the odometer too.
Well here are a few of the major factors.
FIRST: The most important factor is the speed at which one drives the
engine. Each engine capacity has a particular optimum speed to derive
"maximum" mileage. They could approximately be classified as follows
:
100cc -124cc bike - 40-45 kmph
124cc -149cc bike - 45-50 kmph
150cc -199cc bike - 50-55 kmph
200cc+ bike - 50-60 kmph
Now we all know that maintaining these speeds will generally give us near
optimum fuel efficiency. Considering the power of vehicles in these segments, I
think barring the 100cc segment, it is a bit difficult for us to always stick
to the guns. There are those times when one wants to open the throttle and
let fly. Well. Generally, one doesn’t lose out too heavily. For example,
mileage that drops from 60 kmpl at 45-50 kmph to about 55+ at 60-70 kmph speeds
is reasonable and understandable. And yeah, I’m talking about cruising steady
at those speeds. One has, in essence, to be practical about the mileage
derived. If the mileage is seriously low, one must think about the other
factors which affect mileage. I elaborate on these now.
SECOND: Power.
The very word in itself brings an adrenaline rush in any true biker! How one
wishes they could just pull away from the pack of mundane commuters and fly
with the wind!
Well, I do like doing it once in a way( when on the highway of course!)
but I do considerthe M factor. Yes. It is easy to just twist the throttle
on one’s bike to the fullest, easily forgetting that the fuel consumed is
proportionately higher. Now this is the case with all bikes though there are
slight differences that I shall elaborate a little further.
Always remember that more power means proportionately lower mileage.
Example, when one gets a mileage of 60 at a constant speed with fewer changes
in gear, it all changes when one is stuck in a traffic snarl. One utilizes
more power to get back to the steady speed state. Thus losing out a bit on
the M factor. Now that doesn’t mean one should worry inordinately about it…
If that’s the case, I think a cycle or legs would be a better option!
THIRD: There is another major factor that affects
your mileage and that is how you maintain your bike… And by maintain I mean not
just wash it every weekend type of thing but proper service…
Any bike requires a service every 2000 kms to run smoothly…
Now there are people who do it well beyond that limit as exceptions are
possible… In general, pull out any owner’s manual and this is the
recommendation…
Now, coming to the parts of the engine which
play an important role…
Carburetor :
The “carb” as its popularly known plays a significant role
in the whole aspect of mileage… Each bike comes with a particular type of carb
depending on its essential role… A couple of these are:
Constant Velocity(CV) carb: This carburetor is tuned
to give optimum mileage when one maintains constant speeds… It is ideal when
one cruises steady with slight variance in throttle… A CV carb generally is the
mark of good mileage when utilized well…
Transient Power Fuel Control(TPFC) carb: This type
or carb is a performance carb that was utilized in the trendsetting CBZ… As the
name suggests, the mileage varies drectly with the variance in power… This type
of carb follows the system of mileage is inversely proportional to power…
One has to know the technology one’s bike has to determine
how much one can possibly play Scrooge about the mileage…
Clutch Plates: Now, the clutch plates of
one’s bike come into play only at a later stage… Once a bike(well maintained)
crosses approximately 30-40k kms on the odo, the clutch plates would have worn
out sufficiently to require a change… there are many cases where people’s
mileage has dropped like a stone in air at these stages… the first thing one
should examine is the clutch plates and check for wear and tear… Though one may
be a near perfect rider, it is wise to follow the manufacturer’s manual in this
regard for one’s own safety as well as satisfaction…
Spark Plug: The spark plug is the hottest
attachment to your bike since a spark is what drive the whole machine! There
are various types of spark plugs… NGK, Iridium etc…
Now what matters first is not the type of spark plug one
uses, but its maintenance… Over a period of time, deposition takes place on the
terminals thereby reducing its efficiency… One has to periodically clean these
deposits so as to enable optimum fuel burning… Also, it is recommended to
change your spark plug approximately once every 11000-12000 kms depending on
the bike owned…
Gears: It is a little known fact that the no.
of times one changes gear while riding is inversely proportional to mileage…
And sometimes, it is this difference that leads to X getting a mileage of 65
and Y getting mileage of 68 on identical bikes… This is also one of the most
critical factors that determines the difference between mileage in city and on
the highway… The best one can do is to shift to top gear as soon as possible
and maintain its optimum speeds and when necessary, utilizing low end torque to
go back up without down shifting… This also helps in reducing maintenance of
the clutch plates that can really be valuable in the long term…
Continued in comments!