KymcoForum.com

Scooters - 125 to 300 => Super 8 150 => Topic started by: glopezz05 on November 22, 2010, 02:40:43 AM

Title: Milage and tank range.
Post by: glopezz05 on November 22, 2010, 02:40:43 AM
I ran my tank dry...

Didn't realize how many miles i can get while showing E...

So that tells me i get 66mpg and 90 miles to the tank full...
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: Rianna on November 22, 2010, 02:43:59 AM
Sounds great...

You won't get that in any car...

And I know you're lovin' that newfound power and speed...
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: glopezz05 on November 22, 2010, 03:07:45 PM
It was funny cause I was taking a trip to the grocery store thats a mile away...

I ran out and coasted into a parking spot!

Baby! Come get me!

Well, at least I now have a gas can!
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: Rianna on November 22, 2010, 04:33:35 PM
Ha! That's great you were so close and she came got you. I ordered me a cell phone for that very reason. I read some folks carry a gas can thing with them on long trips when they may not see a gas station for a while. Can't remember the name of it at the moment, but it kind of looked like a silver thermos/insulated type coffee cup. At least now you'll never have to wonder how many miles you can go on a full tank!
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: jmccoach on November 23, 2010, 06:56:26 PM
90 miles on a tank for me.

I saved an empty can of Seafoam and refilled with gas for an emergency. It won't get me far, but maybe enough to the gas station? I wouldn't store it under the seat, though!
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: WT100 on November 24, 2010, 01:50:24 AM
I use a MSR Fuel Bottle on long rides.  Very heavy duty so i don't worry about it under the seat. 

http://www.amazon.com/MSR-MSRFUELBOTT-Fuel-Bottle/dp/B002L1413S/ref=pd_sim_sg_1 (http://www.amazon.com/MSR-MSRFUELBOTT-Fuel-Bottle/dp/B002L1413S/ref=pd_sim_sg_1)
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: Rianna on November 24, 2010, 01:52:51 AM
There ya go! It's a good idea for you, WT, because you go on them 160 mile LOOOOONG rides!  :D
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: WT100 on November 24, 2010, 01:59:17 AM
There ya go! It's a good idea for you, WT, because you go on them 160 mile LOOOOONG rides!  :D
Exactly! I've used it more than once.   ;D

On group rides each of us (3) ride leaders cary one.  Some of our "molded up" 2T riders really suck the gas!
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: Rianna on November 24, 2010, 02:12:49 AM
Oh I bet they do. Those things will be great for that. Could really save ya a lot of trouble if you ran out on them twisty roads in the middle of nowhere.
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: courior on November 24, 2010, 08:00:12 AM
I get about 91UK MPG from my super8 125... i think u can click the link in my sig and see some more info if u want :)
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: glopezz05 on November 24, 2010, 01:18:37 PM
Nice tip on the bottles...  may think about that considering you can get pretty far on a thimble of gas...

and thats a nice way of keeping track of your milage.
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: klaviator on November 28, 2010, 02:14:55 AM
I just ordered a couple of fuel bottles for 3.71 per bottle plus shipping.  Not sure how long this sale will last but here's the link:http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,2963H_Brunton-Fuel-Bottle-1-Liter-Aluminum.html (http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,2963H_Brunton-Fuel-Bottle-1-Liter-Aluminum.html) 
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: Rianna on November 28, 2010, 02:23:24 AM
Wow. That's a really great price! Thanks for posting the link, klaviator.
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: klaviator on December 09, 2010, 08:55:56 PM
My first fillup since the bike was new.  The guage read near empty so I filled it up.  It only took .78 Gal which worked out to 85 MPG.  I recently got some fuel bottles so sometime in the future I'll run the tank to empty just to see how far it will go after the guage reads empty. 
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: Bad Turtle on January 12, 2011, 11:17:05 PM
I just got my Super 8 150 here in Tucson AZ and when the gage read half a tank with the odo at
50 miles I topped the tank off to see how much fuel it would take. If the tank size is 1.32 US gal.
like the specs say then I am getting around 75 miles a gallon. 1.32 gal. times 75 mpg = 99
miles. Half a tank = 50 miles. ::)
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: glopezz05 on January 13, 2011, 05:34:16 AM
Right on man.  Need to revisit this post in a couple thousand miles.
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: klaviator on January 14, 2011, 11:19:00 PM
My super 8 is almost broken in.  So far I am averaging 77MPG (assuming the odometer is accurate)  I ran one tank until the guage was all the way on E.  I got just over a gallon in the tank.
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: klaviator on February 23, 2011, 10:02:13 PM
It seems like I can get more gas in the tank when the scooter is on the centerstand instead of the side stand. 
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: Portland Steve on February 24, 2011, 10:03:25 PM
I always try to fill up when the gauge gets to the red zone.
I have a lot of stop and go around town on my commute and figured that I am getting around 60 mpg.
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: klaviator on February 24, 2011, 11:06:37 PM
My mileage has varied between 66 and 92 with an average in the high 70s.  my mileage has been getting better.  Not sure if it's because the engine is breaking in or due to the warmer weather.  Maybe a little of both?
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: Portland Steve on February 25, 2011, 04:38:02 PM
My mileage has varied between 66 and 92 with an average in the high 70s.  my mileage has been getting better.  Not sure if it's because the engine is breaking in or due to the warmer weather.  Maybe a little of both?

Wow, do you have a lot of long, flat stretches that you ride?  I have never seen that kind of fuel mileage on a 150.
I had a Vespa ET4 150cc scoot and I swear that I was only getting around 50 mpg.
What am I doing wrong?
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: jmccoach on February 25, 2011, 06:37:31 PM
Averaging 74.7 last time I tracked it summer of 2009.

Miles   MPG
/Tank   
69   81.5
77   76.2
70   73.9
75   74.3
80   76.8
79   74.9
80   73.1
80   74.8
60   72.6
84   72.9
82   75.2
65   70.6
77   78.5
67   69.9
90   76.1
86   73.1
84   71.8
75   71.6
78   75.1
87   75.6
76   71.7
87   76.5
94   75.1
93   78.9
85   76.8
94   78.6
81   77.4
85   73.8
83   76.4
89   74.7
90   78.1
87   73.9
87   74.9
85   71.1
84   73.8
84   72.2
71   70.7
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: klaviator on February 28, 2011, 01:19:20 AM
Wow, do you have a lot of long, flat stretches that you ride?  I have never seen that kind of fuel mileage on a 150.
I had a Vespa ET4 150cc scoot and I swear that I was only getting around 50 mpg.
What am I doing wrong?

I ride through varied terrain.  I just completed a ride which included a lot of steep hills.  I "only" got 76 MPG.  There are a lot of factors which determine gas mileage besides the size of the engine. 
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: Kevin on April 06, 2011, 09:06:59 PM
27th February to 15th March 2011

16 days
562 miles
8.34 US gallons
67.39 miles per US gallon
$29.30 USD total
$1.83 USD per day

Car parked in the garage: Priceless

:D
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: klaviator on April 07, 2011, 06:14:20 PM
I just put 1.25 Gal into my tank.  I guess I was pretty close to pushing it. It was also the first time I put more than $4 of gas into it :(
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: skadamo on July 20, 2011, 02:22:47 PM
I use a MSR Fuel Bottle on long rides.  Very heavy duty so i don't worry about it under the seat. 

http://www.amazon.com/MSR-MSRFUELBOTT-Fuel-Bottle/dp/B002L1413S/ref=pd_sim_sg_1 (http://www.amazon.com/MSR-MSRFUELBOTT-Fuel-Bottle/dp/B002L1413S/ref=pd_sim_sg_1)

One of these bottles saved 4 guys on a recent offroad ride I took. Handy for transferring fuel from one tank to another if you have access to the fuel line.
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: 5oo on August 07, 2011, 01:36:56 AM
what gas you use guys???
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: Portland Steve on August 09, 2011, 03:57:33 PM
The dino kind.
I have tried mid grade and it will work, but I hear more valve clicking with it (I swear I do).
I alternate tank fulls between the highest octane and the mid grade.
Regular just seems like a no-no for motorbikes, but it will work in a pinch.
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: 5oo on August 11, 2011, 02:22:43 AM
I have brand new s8 150 but I got only 66.. ???
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: old geezer on August 11, 2011, 12:26:35 PM
There is a sticker under the seat next to the gas tank on my Kymco people 150 that says use 87 octane,

There is NO difference in the energy content of high and low octane gas. High octane burns slower and has a resistance to spark knock due to advanced timing and high compression. if your engine is not designed for high octane you are wasting your money.

http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/gasoline-octane-myths.html (http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/gasoline-octane-myths.html)

Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: klaviator on August 11, 2011, 01:54:23 PM
The dino kind.
I have tried mid grade and it will work, but I hear more valve clicking with it (I swear I do).
I alternate tank fulls between the highest octane and the mid grade.
Regular just seems like a no-no for motorbikes, but it will work in a pinch.


I have owned over 20 motorcycles & scooters.  Only 3 required high octane gas.  I ran all the rest on regular with no problems.  

There is no way a different octane gas will cause valve clicking. If your valves are clicking your valve clearances are too loose.

In some cases an engine designed for regular will need premium gas but that means that there is something wrong with it.

An example would be that sometimes high mileage engines develope carbon deposits which cause pre-ignition and therefore reguire higher octane.

Possibly if an engine is running really lean it might run hot enough to cause pre-ignition or detonation.





Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: JustWantToRide on August 11, 2011, 02:35:24 PM
The dino kind.
I have tried mid grade and it will work, but I hear more valve clicking with it (I swear I do).
I alternate tank fulls between the highest octane and the mid grade.
Regular just seems like a no-no for motorbikes, but it will work in a pinch.


I could understand hearing more valve clicking if you used a lighter or cheaper oil - but I can't understand why a lower grade gas would make you hear it.  Have you tried using the regular from a different brand or a different station?  Sometimes a gas station will have a problem with contaminants in one (or all) of their tanks, and that can play all sorts of games with you.  The engine compression and timing determine what octane fuel will work best in a motorbike, and Kymco lists the octane they recommend in the users manual.  They list the RON numbers - so if your gas pump lists "(R+M)/2" then it is not the same number.  RON 91 comes out to just under 87.  There are a lot of things that have contributed to us thinking higher octane fuel is better for our engines - starting with the way they call it "Premium".  You may be getting something useful out of the premium, but it isn't the octane. 
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: klaviator on August 12, 2011, 12:23:31 PM
I am amazed by how many people think the higher octane is automatically better.  Diesel fuel has a far higher octane rating (I don't think they actually rate it) than gasoline. It also has a higher energy content.   Just try running your scooter on it. 
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: Portland Steve on August 12, 2011, 10:23:50 PM
If the Super 8 is ok running 87 octane, then that is what I should do.  The valves are likely unrelated and I need to get my facts straight.
As fate would have it, the gas station gal pushed the "regular" button on the fuel pump and I didn't notice until I filled it.  It ran great this morning with no engine knocking or pings.
Maybe I will get that fabled 75 mpg now...
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: klaviator on August 13, 2011, 01:47:27 AM
Something else to consider if you run premium gas.  When you go to a gas station where all three grades use the same hose, the first 1/4 to 1/2 gal that comes out will be whatever was pumped last.  So there is a good chance that when you pump, and pay for premium, and only put in a gallon or less, you really aren't getting premium anyway. 
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: Portland Steve on August 16, 2011, 11:54:56 PM
That works the other way too.  You may be paying for regular and getting 1/4 to 1/2 gal of premium.
So, I guess you are better off paying less and potentially getting higher octane.  You could always add octane booster if you so desired.
My owners manual recommends a research octane of 91 for the Super 8 150.  I have been running on half a tank of 87 without much trouble.  Is pump octane different from research octane?
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: JustWantToRide on August 17, 2011, 12:59:17 AM
That works the other way too.  You may be paying for regular and getting 1/4 to 1/2 gal of premium.
So, I guess you are better off paying less and potentially getting higher octane.  You could always add octane booster if you so desired.
My owners manual recommends a research octane of 91 for the Super 8 150.  I have been running on half a tank of 87 without much trouble.  Is pump octane different from research octane?

In Portland you are probably using (M+R)/2 - of 87 which comes out to 91 RON.  The RON is the R in the formula.  91 RON is "regular".
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: klaviator on August 17, 2011, 01:46:14 PM
That works the other way too.  You may be paying for regular and getting 1/4 to 1/2 gal of premium.
So, I guess you are better off paying less and potentially getting higher octane.  You could always add octane booster if you so desired.
My owners manual recommends a research octane of 91 for the Super 8 150.  I have been running on half a tank of 87 without much trouble.  Is pump octane different from research octane?

If you wanted to, you could sit at a gas station and wait for someone to pump premium, then use the pump right after them and then you would that first 1/4 to 1/2 gal of premium.  ::)

 Or you could just get regular and not worry about it since your scooter is unlikley to run any better on premium.
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: JKLz17 on September 20, 2011, 10:50:52 PM
Hey, i just got a new S8, and its showing empty after 34 miles. This isn't normal...right?
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: klaviator on September 24, 2011, 03:34:50 PM
Mine shows empty after about 70 - 80 miles and I can then put a little over a gallon in it.
Title: Re: Milage and tank range.
Post by: Portland Steve on September 27, 2011, 04:38:53 PM
Super 8 150 has been running on 87 pump octane for a few months without knocking or any problems.