30mpg (13.1km/l) Normal?

I took my pig out for a chilled ride. Highest I went was 124kph, but thumped along at 90kph mostly. I was shocked to see my bike had used so much fuel.

Running 15/42, carb is good, filter is clean and bike runs like an absolute animal.

Could my gearing be too tall?

Bike was lighter on fuel with the previous 15/48

"thumping along" this bike won't like, at least not if you mean you labour it, underrevving. Keep the revs a bit more 'up', it'll thank you by not throwing a rod or bigend bearing.
You said you mounted the 68S idle jet - but is that all? Tell us what jetting you run, floatlevel, what filter, what support-mesh behind the filter, what sidepanel (opened or not), did you indeed remove the TWO plastic plugs out of the airbox, is the 'open' intakerubber on it (ie not the slotted one), and what headers and what silencer you got? Oh, in case you run a hot(ter) cam or HC-piston mention that too.
However no, a higher gearing will not effect a higher consumption, unless you labour it and wring it's neck during that process.

BuRP wrote:"thumping along" this bike won't like, at least not if you mean you labour it, underrevving. Keep the revs a bit more 'up', it'll thank you by not throwing a rod or bigend bearing.
You said you mounted the 68S idle jet - but is that all? Tell us what jetting you run, floatlevel, what filter, what support-mesh behind the filter, what sidepanel (opened or not), did you indeed remove the TWO plastic plugs out of the airbox, is the 'open' intakerubber on it (ie not the slotted one), and what headers and what silencer you got? Oh, in case you run a hot(ter) cam or HC-piston mention that too.
However no, a higher gearing will not effect a higher consumption, unless you labour it and wring it's neck during that process.

Twin Air Filter.
Standard Backfire screen
No side cover opening
Open Intake rubber
Stock Cams (wanted stg 2 hotcams , but was advised against it)
Akro Headers, with Akro slip on.

I need to confirm the jetting, it just came back from a big service.

I've dropped the front to a 14T now and put the clarke tank back. The Acerbis is just too friggen huge and impacts my steering. Im keen to see how it goes now.


Whats the RPM limit on the R? I dont like running harder than 6.8k RPM

Confirmed, its running a 68s and a 165main

My xr is all stock (uncorked) 175 main,68s pilot, b53e set to 3rd clip groove, 15/41.Averages 20-22 km/l highway riding 90-110 kmh.Heavy traffic,hard riding might be about 15-17 km/l .This is always at sea level or never more than 500-600 feet above.Last time i rode the bike i travelled about 130 km for 6 litres   oh and i always use 98 octane fuel, that is the highest octane available here at petrol stations    

beaver350 wrote:My xr is all stock (uncorked) 175 main,68s pilot, b53e set to 3rd clip groove, 15/41.Averages 20-22 km/l highway riding 90-110 kmh.Heavy traffic,hard riding might be about 15-17 km/l .This is always at sea level or never more than 500-600 feet above.Last time i rode the bike i travelled about 130 km for 6 litres   oh and i always use 98 octane fuel, that is the highest octane available here at petrol stations    

I need to check where my needle is at. We run 95 unleaded.

No need for high octane fuel with the stock compression piston    .

How much would needle height affect economy?

Not as much as the riding style   

165 main is a bit small I think, you're at sealevel in Slaapstad.
Who's got "the" jetting table handy (not me, at work) to tell Steve what jetsize to try?
And yes, that can result in a bit lower consumption indeed.

Mind, 'can', because the terrain you ride determines your consumption primarily, obviously combined with your wrist and size of goolies. Jolling in Atlantis will scare you, trust me, it'll suip!!
This bike ain't no slouch hence will suck juice if provoked, I take it you know that much.
If however yours uses more just 'suddenly' then looks elsewhere, not so much the carb - leaking valves perhaps, or just adjustment required? Can it be that the rings get tired a bit, how many miles has it under its belt? When last did you look at the plug etc, that kinda thing.
Needle position does affect usage but not drastically so, it is after all a fine-tuning only.

Go over the bike with some care, you might find the cause.... the most common one being over-oiling of the filter   

No idea who did the service - but do check the valve clearance?
This bike has an auto-decomp system that will throw open a valve if the crank is reversed a minute bit, in doing so causing one ex-valve to have excessive play! You'd probably hear that also but dunno your ears or experience, just want to mention it here.
The fact though that you had the service done points to a less mechanically-inclined person, correct?
Get with it bru, this is a single only! Practice makes perfect, lean on your handier pals a bit to show you? Cheaper first of all, secondly you'll know it IS done correct, and thirdly you'll do it more often because it's less hassles... plus you probably will find it is lekker to do too!

For all but Boere: 'lekker' is anything nice, from food to girls to a landscape, it's a 'good' thing   

BuRP wrote:165 main is a bit small I think, you're at sealevel in Slaapstad.
Who's got "the" jetting table handy (not me, at work) to tell Steve what jetsize to try?
And yes, that can result in a bit lower consumption indeed.

Mind, 'can', because the terrain you ride determines your consumption primarily, obviously combined with your wrist and size of goolies. Jolling in Atlantis will scare you, trust me, it'll suip!!
This bike ain't no slouch hence will suck juice if provoked, I take it you know that much.
If however yours uses more just 'suddenly' then looks elsewhere, not so much the carb - leaking valves perhaps, or just adjustment required? Can it be that the rings get tired a bit, how many miles has it under its belt? When last did you look at the plug etc, that kinda thing.
Needle position does affect usage but not drastically so, it is after all a fine-tuning only.

Go over the bike with some care, you might find the cause.... the most common one being over-oiling of the filter   

Jetting guide from PIG PEN says to use 170/172/175 main jet at sea level depending on temp.Just a point about using 98 octane i only use it because 91 octane here is a percentage of sugar cane ETHANOL and can cause problems with fuel system o-rings and seals so i try to avoid using it     

BuRP wrote:165 main is a bit small I think, you're at sealevel in Slaapstad.
Who's got "the" jetting table handy (not me, at work) to tell Steve what jetsize to try?
And yes, that can result in a bit lower consumption indeed.

Mind, 'can', because the terrain you ride determines your consumption primarily, obviously combined with your wrist and size of goolies. Jolling in Atlantis will scare you, trust me, it'll suip!!
This bike ain't no slouch hence will suck juice if provoked, I take it you know that much.
If however yours uses more just 'suddenly' then looks elsewhere, not so much the carb - leaking valves perhaps, or just adjustment required? Can it be that the rings get tired a bit, how many miles has it under its belt? When last did you look at the plug etc, that kinda thing.
Needle position does affect usage but not drastically so, it is after all a fine-tuning only.

Go over the bike with some care, you might find the cause.... the most common one being over-oiling of the filter   

Im going for a ride with a XRL tomorrow and lets see how we compare in the fuel department.

Mario from Dirtrider did the service. I realise doing the valves on these bikes is really easy, im just not comfortable doing it on my own yet.

I ride off road mainly. I try and avoid all things black. Maybe thats the issue of mixed terrain, rocky hill and such.

When you stop riding the bike and put it on the kick stand or even when trying to kick start the Pig, do you notice any fuel leaking from the overflow tube on the carb?
  

AURORA wrote:When you stop riding the bike and put it on the kick stand or even when trying to kick start the Pig, do you notice any fuel leaking from the overflow tube on the carb?
  

No leakage, nothing.

Starts 1st kick on cold and any other time really.