Think I have the MPG thing figured out

[dduelin]

Mechanically I can't see why there would be any difference in mileage between the two. Nonetheless, I consistently outdid the DCTs on our day runs at KSL7 (not that it was actually a completion, rather just an observation). The DCT owners simply stated that, in their experiences, the manual gets a little better mileage than the DCT. The only reason I can find is it's the gear choices made by the computer vs the human.

It would be interesting to have a side by side comparison on the same ride, including switching riders to account for variables in throttle operation and acceleration behavior.

I pretty much agree with this observation. I owned a manual 700 and now have a DCT version and in my own use the DCT does not get quite as good mileage. It does weigh about 23 lbs more - about 5% more - which extracts a small penalty but ironically on the WMTC (a tightly controlled mpg test standard done on a rolling road test bed similar to EPA testing) the DCT gets incrementally better mpg but in the real world my results are opposite. To be objective about it the two bikes of mine did not share the same aerodynamics with the DCT having a larger windshield and hand guards. One time I took these off and did a two-way top speed run and the DCT gained 6 mph on the top end after losing the Madstad and Bark Busters. I'm sure the larger frontal area extracts a mileage penalty as well.

Letting the DCT choose the most efficient gear all the time is not why I ride and so I am often manually overriding the computer logic which has to have a negative affect on mileage.

Looking back at Fuelly I see the manual averaged 66.1 mpg over 13,716 miles. High was 94.5 and low as 45. The DCT tracked to 13,835 miles the average is 61.6 with a high of 83.8 and low of 48.1. To be fair during the last 3000 miles or so I did some 80 mph mpg testing then a Bun Burner 1500 attempt with about 1000 miles riding burning 48 to 53 mpg. The affect on total mpg was to loose nearly 1 mpg in the overall average. Before this the average on the DCT was a bit under 63 mpg.

 

[670cc]

@dduelin, I agree that the large windscreen and handguards are a big factor. My average mileage went from the low 80s to the upper 70s when I added those pieces. Sidebags have the most detrimental effect, with a loss of ~5 mpg.

We ran together at KSL and saw several mpg difference. It must be mostly gear choice and how active is the wrist. I fully admit I ride like a grandpa, but I did manage to almost keep up with you.

 

[Amwolf]

You can be as flippant as you want, this is the internet after all ...

I have heard all the technical explanations of how the extra octane is meaningless in a fuel injected engine, I am just reporting my experience. To be clear, the extra octane is not the reason I bought super, it was the cleanliness factor.

 

[670cc]

I have heard all the technical explanations of how the extra octane is meaningless in a fuel injected engine, I am just reporting my experience. To be clear, the extra octane is not the reason I bought super, it was the cleanliness factor.

I'm not aware of fuel injection having a direct relation to octane need. What is the theory on that? There are fuel injected engines that definitely need higher octane fuel, and there are fuel injected engines that don't.

 

[supertux1]

I'm not sure if this is available on other models, but on the 2016, after every fill up I reset the 'Trip A' meter which also tracks MPG for the miles driven after the reset.

I ride around in D mode most of the time very conservatively and on relatively flat midwest roads.

The 2016 'Third Generation DCT' aims to keep the RPM at about 2000, so it's shifting to 6th at any speed over 35mph, and is often in 5th gear by the time I leave an intersection.

I've got almost 1000 miles, all of them with BB Storm hand guards and the slightly taller 2016 OEM shield.

I'm getting about 66 MPG average in those first 1000 miles. Highest was 72 and worst was 55.8 MPG.

 

[dduelin]

@dduelin, I agree that the large windscreen and handguards are a big factor. My average mileage went from the low 80s to the upper 70s when I added those pieces. Sidebags have the most detrimental effect, with a loss of ~5 mpg.

We ran together at KSL and saw several mpg difference. It must be mostly gear choice and how active is the wrist. I fully admit I ride like a grandpa, but I did manage to almost keep up with you.

"Almost" is key. When I'd take off from a stop often your headlight would get real small but I'd dally long enough and you would eventually catch up.

Then there was Saturday....