Does the trail 125 actually get 130 mpg?

[calobster]

 

[SneakyDingo]

"Hey little buddy" hahaha. That Carroll Shelby thing with the $100 is cool. I didn't know that. My favorite part of these videos is just how every single one of them is like... "here, have a beer, come enjoy this thing with me."

So I have a theory on the 130 mpg rating, and why some people will get it somewhat easily, and some don't. I need to test this theory with some long, high speed riding to know for sure, but... I suspect the reasoning is how much high speed riding you're doing. The engine has a sweet spot, and it's not zipping along at freeway speeds, it's much lower than that. 35 mph, 40 mph, I reckon that's the sweet spot for fuel efficiency on this bike.

I'm not gonna lie. I am FAT. And I wear full gear, which means I block more wind. Seattle is hilly. I basically start saving for brakes and chains when I replace brakes and chains. I'm riding over the GVWR of the bike for sure. Shit, buck naked I'm pretty sure I'm over the GVWR of the bike. I have a fuel dashboard in my sig and I'm getting a median of 112 mpg right now, but most of my riding is not super fast, easily 45 mph and slower. I bet if I was riding at 30 mph for hours on end, I'd get even better mileage. Side note, but this dashboard in my signature automatically updates whenever I log a new fuel entry, so any time you check back it will show you the most recent data.

 

[dmonkey]

Tires also make a significant difference, and many of us are running knobby aftermarket tires that are not good for MPG.

 

[m in sc]

it all is based on what mph they test it at and conditions, cars are the same way. .02

that's been going on FOREVER. I'll even give you a 60 year old example:

I own one of these, its identical to the one in this brochure in every way. I know i could get 21-25mph cruising around, but in reality, the test was done at like 27 mph in perfect conditions non stop for the most part. With the modified 200 thats now in it.. i still get 19-22. (town).

As far as the trail, im in the high 90s with the cam, big bore kit etc.

 

[SneakyDingo]

Yeah, there's nothing particularly unique about this. It's very much ideal conditions. At least for electric vehicles, they have had to be a lot more specific because EV range can get really hammered by a VERY large number of variables. So it's kind of hilarious, because you look at it and they're like, "for this Class 3 eBike, which can do 28 mph, you will get 120 mi range if you ride it at 8 mph, with the lowest assistance level, on flat ground, with no accessories, on a warm day, with a very light cross breeze, on flat smooth ground with overinflated tires." The unspoken part is "but if you ride it on a freezing cold day with a fat rider on hilly bumpy terrain heavily loaded you can expect to get 1/3 of that range"

What I'm convinced of is that I think unlike most "ideal vehicle" conditions, it's actually somewhat reasonable to hit the 130 mpg conditions as long as you aren't super fat.

 

[SneakyDingo]

Alright @calobster - today I was all, "I can go to Tulip Town today. Ooooh, if I do that, I can compare what 80 miles of continuously wide open throttle looks like compared to the usual around town puttering." IIRC you and I are still both on the stock tires, but I'm a little wider. I was also carrying some extra gear, about 10 lbs of stuff on the back, and wearing my heavier duty protective gear, which blocks even more wind than normal.

Usual slower speed mpg: 112 mpg.
Today's wide open throttle mpg: 104 mpg there (trip + 48 mi of local riding), 92 mpg back.

So still pretty good, but definitely not 130 mpg, and starting to drop into the territory of more highway capable bikes.

 

[ChiefPockets]

That matches my experience. I had ONE tank net me 132 mpg, otherwise my highest is about 120, lowest is 96, and average is 109. I'm getting worse mileage the longer I've owned it, I think because I'm doing more WOT trips now.

 

[eastema]

That matches my experience. I had ONE tank net me 132 mpg, otherwise my highest is about 120, lowest is 96, and average is 109. I'm getting worse mileage the longer I've owned it, I think because I'm doing more WOT trips now.

I just did a check, 30 to 35 mph for 130 miles. 145 mpg! This thing should have pedals to get that. I love it. That was all street riding with the goal to get mpg, so real easy driving.

 

[MisterB]

I just did a check, 30 to 35 mph for 130 miles. 145 mpg! This thing should have pedals to get that. I love it. That was all street riding with the goal to get mpg, so real easy driving.

At that rate, the gas is more of a lubricant and coolant for your piston. Good job!