Make your motorcycle riding greener
Tip #1: accelerate smoothly and maintain a regular speed. At 40km/hr, you consume almost nothing. True, everyone overtakes and/or curses you. At 130km/hr, you consume twice as much and at 170km/hr, three times as much fuel. When you increase from 40 to 130km/hr, fuel consumption “only” increases by 100%, while it increases by almost as much again to gain those extra 40km/hr to 170km/hr. So why not keep some extra power under your belt? You will reduce consumption and engine wear. You will find that if you aim to cut one refuel, you won’t spend that much more time on the road and you will be less tired.
You save most fuel by reducing your accelerations. Even when accelerating over a few hundred metres, depending on how much you open the throttle, your consumption varies by around 25% between a smooth acceleration and a sudden sprint from a green traffic light.
In town, don’t expect miracles but keep your riding smooth and safe. When approaching a red traffic light, let the bike glide under its own momentum and change down gears gradually, braking just before you stop (which also saves the brake pads).
Two tips on the open road: avoid drag and make the most of descents. On motorways and highways, adopt a “cruise control” technique by seeking to maintain the same rpm whether on the flat, up or downhill. To maintain 90km/hr on a steep hill, you have to open the throttle and thus consume more. Downhill, close the throttle and work on your trajectory.
In addition to engine rpm, drag plays a significant role in fuel consumption. Avoid anything that sticks out: wear close-fitting garments and remove satchels and top cases if you don’t use them daily.
If you are really into savings, leave your comfort behind and remove the windscreen deflector. A high deflector represents a wall that generates substantial buffeting, increases drag and thus the quantity of horsepower required to maintain speed.
Finally, regularly check tyre pressure. Under-inflated tyres guzzle much more fuel: 0.5 bars less can increase your consumption by 0.5litres per 100km! Respect the manufacturer’s recommendations and don’t hesitate to slightly overinflate your tyres by 0.2 bars.
