[Lloyd]

Well here I am just a matter of a few weeks at most away from being the owner of a brand NEW Honda Gold Wing GL1800. This has been a very long and painful road getting here…heavy on the pain part…and not in a figurative sense…! Long story really, but just as I was about to buy my dream bike, I had a industrial mishap and got injured which put me side lines when it came to riding of a gold wing and for that fact even my Honda Shadow for 2+ years.

Ok….so here I am just a matter of weeks away from owning my first GW, I have ridden a few of them, so riding one is not going to be any big deal. But what I really want to know is…How many MPG or Litre per (100 Km’s) will I get….??? I have done some reading and the more I read the more lost on the subject I am getting. Some say they are only getting about 30 MPG, while other say high 30’s to low 40’s for MPG, and yet some claim getting near 50 MPG from there GL1800…?

Ok….so what the real world number…? What is it….30 MPG or near 50 MPG….? Now I understand full well it’s a large engine…but really what can I really hope to get, or is each one of the GL1800’s a beast all its own and has wildly swinging MPG reading…?

I guess I would like some real life figures like what’s you worse MPG that you have ever gotten, what’s your average and what the best you have ever gotten. Just like with my Honda Shadow the VT 750, I knew other that had them and some would say they only get about 150 Km’s to a tank, other say they get very low 200’s per tank. Me…well I guess I must be doing something right as I almost always get 270 to 290 Km’s from a tank when I need to switch to reserve tank. Having no gas gauge on the shadow my trip OD is my gas gauge that I go by. It’s all I have…

Also I have heard more then a few people write on other sites that the GL1800 eats tries like its going out of style…some saying they only get 5,000 off a set and they are shot. Ok…so what the true, what is real…what can I expect to see from a new 2010 GL1800…?

Lloyd

 

[TOP]

Well Lloyd have no fear, I,m on my 7th wing and you will probably average 40MPG Can,t say that I have ever gotten 50MPG on the 1800 but did on the 1500 only because I was doing 50-55 cause there was not a gas station for 70Plus miles. If you keep your 1800 at 70 you will get a little over 40 MPG everything is subject to change weather, xtra passenger, pulling a trl if you know what I mean but hell drive it like you own it. Even if you get 30MPG, just enjoy the ride. If you wanna get 80MPG buy a mopet

 

[xhdrider]

My '08 GL1800 averages 39 to 40 mpg, with swings of 32 to 45, depending primarily on speed (fast=less milage) and wind. Tire life seems highly dependent on always running correct air pressure which for most is 41 or 42#--and tire life also seems to be extended with balancing beads, judging from posts on this site.

 

[lakecharles]

I am getting in the 40's... but I have to ask, "why do you even care?" If you are set on having this motorcycle... why are you seemingly so obsessed with knowing otheres' fuel milage? It makes not sense to me... "..your worst... best... average..." why?

 

[Lloyd]

I am getting in the 40's... but I have to ask, "why do you even care?" If you are set on having this motorcycle... why are you seemingly so obsessed with knowing otheres' fuel milage? It makes not sense to me... "..your worst... best... average..." why?

Well one....I love doing long haul rides, that means I do 1,000 to 1,300 Km's at the drop of a hat...and often in some remote places where a gas station is not anywhere close by. That for starters! And two, I am not made of money, I take it you have no idea what the gas prices are like here...it was $1.40 per litre this morning here and there is 3.78 litre to a gallon...thats $5.29 a gallon to you.

But really I love doing long runs and I am trying to figure out just how far a tank will get me before I run out. Pushing a Honda Shadow down the high way after you have run out is bad enough...pushing a Gold Wing....lets not even go there....!

 

[Lloyd]

Well Lloyd have no fear, I,m on my 7th wing and you will probably average 40MPG Can,t say that I have ever gotten 50MPG on the 1800 but did on the 1500 only because I was doing 50-55 cause there was not a gas station for 70Plus miles. If you keep your 1800 at 70 you will get a little over 40 MPG everything is subject to change weather, xtra passenger, pulling a trl if you know what I mean but hell drive it like you own it. Even if you get 30MPG, just enjoy the ride. If you wanna get 80MPG buy a mopet

I to have had a few of those " OH SHIT " moments when you know your nearing the bottom of your tank and there is NO gas station for a long ways to come. Been there done that...been very lucky so far never had to push my bike to a gas station. However I have run out...dry tank...and coasted the last few hundred yards into a gas station once. Do not care to ever repeat that again...!

 

[Lloyd]

Well as soon as I pick up my new GW, I will log the MPG or in my case the Km's per Litre I am getting. Once I make it through a few tanks and get my high and low and a average I will post them on here. Normally if I was in the city or near by I would not care so much. But as I said I like doing long haul rides and it would be nice to know what I can expect from a tank. And I asked this question here as the numbers I was seeing were swinging so wildly that I could not figure out whats going in.

Thanks everyone for the info, if there is any other helpful hint and tips on anything about the GW....I would love to hear them so I have a heads up on possible issues that might come with a GW.

Lloyd

 

[xhdrider]

As a point of interest, I ride in rural to very rural areas and on long hauls as well, so remaining gas in the tank is a concern. To double check the gas guage, I usually reset one of my trip meters each time I fill up just to know at a glance about how many safe miles remain in the tank, with 240 to 250 miles/tank being the max. Maybe thats a carry over from my Harley days when the bike computer showed remaining miles in the tank--wish the GW showed that info as well.

 

[Two Wheel Wing]

I average over 40 mpg with my 2009 GL1800. If you keep it under 3k rpm you should be pleased with the mileage. Good luck and enjoy your new Wing.. Ride safe..

 

[willmax]

I average about 40 mpg on my 2005 Wing. Where are you located?

 

[willmax]

Are you in Edinburgh?

 

[Lloyd]

I average about 40 mpg on my 2005 Wing. Where are you located?

I am located in Vancouver, B.C. CANADA

 

[Lloyd]

As a point of interest, I ride in rural to very rural areas and on long hauls as well, so remaining gas in the tank is a concern. To double check the gas guage, I usually reset one of my trip meters each time I fill up just to know at a glance about how many safe miles remain in the tank, with 240 to 250 miles/tank being the max. Maybe thats a carry over from my Harley days when the bike computer showed remaining miles in the tank--wish the GW showed that info as well.

You can bet on it that I am going to be using the TRIP OD for clocking the Km's, I am not going to hang my ass out in the wind over a gas gauge only. I want to know that I will get a set number of Km's per tank and use that as means of knowing how much I have left on that tank.

There was once when I was in a very remote area and I knew there was a gas station coming up in 20 or so Km's, when I got there I found out that it had burned down the year before...now I was having one of those what I call "OH SHIT" moments as I knew the next one was some 60 Km's away and I had only a depandable 50 Km's left before walking...!

Then there is small little sleeply like village towns where they close up everything at 9pm....roll up the side walks and take them in....well not really...but you know what I mean. And they have only one gas station and it's closed and now you wondering....can I make it to the next town...and if I do...will something be open. There are a good number of those sorts of sleepy little village townships around that I have gone through. Even the street lights turn off and go into 4 way stop blinking mode...that was something new when I saw that. But then some of those places are like a ghost town by 11pm....not a car on the street anywhere to be seen.

 

[Lloyd]

So then from what everyone has been saying about the GW, I can assume that I can get 230 to 265 miles ( 370 to 422 Km’s ) out of one tank then….does that sound about right to you….?

Lloyd

 

[Promethius]

I typically hit 210-215 miles on the trip meter and find a gas station. I think my average mpg is around 40 so I have a cushion on fuel left. Typically the tank gets low and I want a stretch break around the same time. This is on a 2010 base model Wing that has 7,300 miles - tires look to be around half tread now. No pushing in curves - KS is mostly flat and roads are straight - the "chicken strips" get wore down leaning against the side wind.

 

[Lloyd]

..... ( "chicken strips" )......say what..? Chicken strips...? Thats a new one for me...

 

[budoka]

Well Loyd, I usually go 300 km before I start looking for a fuel stop on my '09. I ride agressive (fast) so I burn a bit more dino than average, but I see mid 40's (Cdn) most of the time. I've got 12k on my bike and still have pretty good life on both front and back rubber, but I'm religious on pressures so I think that helps. Some mild cuping on the front now, but no ill efects on handling yet. If I need a new skin for the front, I'll go OEM replacement since I have a complete rear wheel and tire assembly for the back so that they match. Once the back one is done, I'll be paying close attention to the reports on the Avons and 'Stones 'cause that's where I'm leaning with a full set; but that's a couple years away.
As for your sleepy little towns/villages, planning is key; no nice thing rolling into some place on "E" and the places are all walled up (sounds just like rural Alberta hehe). If I'm in doubt on a half tank, I'll fill up at the next station just to be sure.

 

[Lloyd]

There are more then a few of those sleepy little village/townships in B.C. too...! I know I found them...! The biggest joke was one place I rolled into some 15 years ago called Spuzzem. I think I spelt it right...? Any ways...there I was rolling into this place see a sign saying Welcome of Spuzzem Pop. 3,000 or something like that. So I head down the road expecting that any second I am going to come out of the heavy forest highway to see a town. About 1 Km down the road what do I see....another sign saying leaving Spuzzem. Say what....? Were's the town...? Did I blink and miss it all...? Never saw any town what so ever...if there was one, they did a first class job of hiding it..! So as we rolled down the road the standing joke going about was....that must have counted all the head stones in the grave yard when they posted how many people live there...or was that inturned there....will never know....never saw anyone above ground to as where the town was.

 

[Ken Parker]

Lloyd, I just got my 2010 about 6 weeks ago. I now have 2800 miles on it I am getting between 38 - 39 mpg. You are going love this bike! Good luck with it. By the way the great thing is there is no break in period I drove mine 450 miles the day I picked it up. Speed ranged from 65 to 95 what a ride!!

 

[Lloyd]

There may not be a real break in time....but just the same...I am going to take it easy with it for a good 1,000 to 2,000 Km's and give it like a break in just the same. Parts are going to have to lap in to each other no matter what...so there is some break in on some level with any new engine.

But I can hardly wait to get mine....its coming for sure! I am in the middle of moving and getting the bike all at the same time. But I know as soon as I am settled in and all that stuff, I am going to go on one hell of a ride thats for sure...! I already have a idea of just where I will be going for the first big ride...and its going to be a 3 day 3,500 Km trip!

So far every goldwing I have ridden was old like 5 or more years old often run down and beaten up and even then I loved them. So to having a new 2010 of my own...with ZERO miles on it...well this is going to be a blast for sure...! I will be getting a logbook for the gas, and logging it all so that I can figure out what I can get under all sorts of riding conditions from flat open highway to high mountain passes and so on.

And that bring up yet another question. How does the gold wing handle high mountain riding as we have many out in this neck of the woods, like the Kicking Horse Pass ( 6,000 feet ). And many others like it... I know my Honda Shadow VT750 once I get past 4,000 feet up, starts to lose some power and burns gas at higher rate. In the Kicking Horse Pass and a few others that were in the 6,000 foot range, my shadow lost more then a little power...and the gas was being burned like its was going out of style. We have NO shortage of mountains around here...and BIG ones to boot..!

I wonder...does the Gold Wing do this as well....or what...?