jackstrat - 9/9/2011 6:49 AM
We rode our 2011 HD FLHTC down to Murray KY (450 miles) on Monday and had the Hannigan Classic Twin sidecar installed on it. Rode back (450 miles) yesterday. I have tons to say and report for those interested, but I had one glaring huge disappointment: The MPG with the sidecar is TERRIBLE! On the ride down, we averaged 44 mpg. On the ride back we averaged 24.8 MPG. A whopping 19MPG difference! We had to stop at 112 miles, 110 miles, 105 miles, and then 115 miles. Spent $100 and way too much time filling up. It isn't really the money, it is the stops!!!!
Anyone out there tack on a sidecar a see a drastic change in MPG? I was expecting a hit of 20%. But a hit of 43% is a killer!
Comments? Suggestions?
Jack
The gearing on all of the very late model Harley-Davidsons is rather high for a sidecar. The 2011 FLHTC has 3.487:1 in fifth gear and 2.875:1 in 6th gear. While I'm sure that the 103" engine has ample power to pull the machine solo, I would suspect that wirth the gearing and the Hannigan, you are using a lot of throttle to keep it moving in sixth gear. If you are running in fifth, that's sort of a compomise, as well.
Nonetheless, that much of a drop is not common. My former 2004 88" Ultra would get 42 mpg solo and with a Harley-Davidson sidecar (approximately 300# with 50# lead weight added) it would get 35-37 mpg regularly.
Wish I had something comforting to tell you. There's no free lunch when it comes to running a sidecar. Love them as we all do, they are harder on tires, brakes, engines and fuel.
Other than lightening up and running a bit slower, there's not much that you can do.
Good luck.
Get consistently 40 MPG with the Suzuki Savage rig/car, occasionally in the 45 range. Same bike as a bagger gets about between 50 and 55 and I usually run it faster by 5 MPH. So 20% less seems normal to me. 80 miles on the tug and 100 on the bagger. Max
It can really vary depending on each rig. My current bike, GL1800 averages 44 MPG solo, with my Champion Escort I average 30-34 MPG, depending on how I drive.
Go back a few years I had a Moto Guzzi 850 with a Ural sidecar. Solo that Guzzi got 50 MPG, with sidecar attached and loaded up for traveling it still got 45 MPG. These are all US gallons.
By the way, if you do decide you want an aux tank, you might check www.tourtank.com. I have one of their older 2 gallon tanks that I run on a gravity feed that tees in between the tank and carbs. It's on a quick disconnect so I can have it on/off in about 5-10 minutes.
Jackstrat,
Joining a sidecar to any motorcycle increases the profile and parasitic drag ... period. Now you've got 2 barn doors plus a screen door your propelling down the road asymmetrically to boot. You can reduce drag by lowering the windshield on both m/c and car and/or adding a cockpit cover on the car but only on some combinations................... just adding 10 mph to your speed will hit you hard on mileage costs. Double your speed equals 4 times the drag and that throttle has to open to provide that fuel flow. Even 2 aerodynamic smoothies like the Hannigan KLT sidecar added to the K1200LT will drop from 50 mpg to a hair under 40 mpg. It will do better than 40 mpg but at 50-55 mph (gps) speeds.
I use 42 psi on the front (Marathon 880) and 48 psi on the rear and 30 psi on the sidecar. My rig weighs 1175 lbs before I get on and/or my passenger................ I do not add any "ballast" as the track is 58" and produces a down force of 210 lbs at the sidecar wheel. Total weight is the culprit that saps your mileage at any speed........................ so keeping weight low helps mileage. Keeping speed in check really helps mileage.
Keeping up with ECC helps greatly in tire performance/life for any asymmetric vehicle (reduced rolling resistance). It is like flying an airplane pretty soon you "trim" automatically without thinking about it.
It sounds like you have a beautiful rig. More miles and smiles and you'll really love it in every way!
Thanks for the replies and ideas. I am considering adding a 2-3 gal tank somewhere, somehow. I averaged 32 MPG around town this weekend. 1/2 alone, 1/2 with the wife, two-lane higways, a few expressway miles, city driving, etc. I will check out tourtank, and others. Wish they had more "connection" information.
Thanks again!
jack
That sure is a beautiful rig. I can see lots of grins with each mile there. For extra fuel tank you might also check places that sell to drag racing car builders.
Also, Sampson's sells auxiliary fuel tanks just for motorcycles.
http://www.sampson-sporttouring.com/fuel-cells.html
Nice rig.
Since I bought my 1990 FLHTC with the Harley SC on it I don't know what it would get solo, but I average 28MPG running around town and back country roads. It doesn't seem to change when I add my wife to the car. But I tend to stay in the throttle a little longer than necessary sometimes. On a recent 150 mile trip on pretty flat back roads with few stop signs and no passenger at 55-60 MPH I averaged 36.
Extra 1 to ??? Check these guys out http://www.rotopax.com/.
Paul
if i keep it under 60 i get over 30
at 80 i get just over 20
it does not seem to matter if the sidecar is loaded or empty - its just speed
to
Just got back yesterday from a 5 state tour (2,419 miles) of Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. Several mountain passes of over 11,000 feet, some desert and mostly Scenic byways. Very little superslab work at 75 MPH. Mostly 65-70 MPH cruising except for the switchback stuff. Lowest tankful gave 35.7mpg due to a bad gas batch in the Colorado Rockies. Highest tankful delivered 50.1 MPG. Trip average was 40.7 MPG.
Rig is a 2010 103 CI Stage II Street Glide with Liberty car. Loaded hack but no windshield or monkey aboard this run.
Same rig last July with my bride aboard (and all of her "stuff") and full windshield delivered 37.5 average in the Canadian Rockies and Badlands on a 2,600 mile run.
The answer to good mileage is "Moderation" and lots of it.
Lonnie
I have been giving my MPG a lot of thought and I think the following are all factors to our low MPG:
1. The Hannigan Classic twin is large with tons of top AND bottom surface to cause drag. The Liberty, HD TLE, and similar rigs have much less flat "surface" area to cause drag.
2. Removing the tub windshield would certainly help, but is not an easy affair on the Hannigan. Our Ural shield rotated down into the tub when the wife was MIA.
3. The low pressure in the sidecar tire...
4. 10 - 20 MPG headwind.
5. Gearing is not quite right. I wanted to do a stage 1 performance upgrade but then thought the MPG would suffer, but now I am thinking it might be a wash. There were times when the bike could barely do 55 MPG. I experimented during the four fillup trip with crusing in 6th, 5th, and 4th. Did not seem to affect MPG and was certainly more fun riding in 4th and 5th. It seems like guys running the HD 103CI motor seem to get better gas mileage, though they are all running narrower tubs.
Jack
I run 35 in the sidecar tire and also the driver.
Exactly 30 MPG for my last tankful. Combined city and 2-lane hwy driving, no passenger.
I just can't figure out how some of you get 35+ MPG riding 65+ MPH?!
Jack
What you do is buy an 883 Sportster and hook on a 250 lb. hack, pump the tires up nicely and get 48 MPG.
