Mods & Methods to Increase Fuel Economy 

Legend has it, there was a man who took all the mods and never filled his tank again.

And finally, lose some weight. Less mass, more efficiency

I just sat through a 10 min + video about fuel efficiency. Why? Because it was well made, well structured, interesting and clearly delivered. Nice one mate!

It may sound kind of stupid, but you're teaching an old dog some new tricks. Your manner of delivery is honest, open, friendly, and non condescending. Well done young feller. After nearly a life time of riding, I find myself watching your shows, applying some of your insights, and get even more enjoyable rides as a result. Well done young sir.

Seriously, I think Ryan is the only guy on Earth who could sell me a tank bag with the argument for better fuel efficiency being the main selling point.. I wonder if he realizes his own genius

I can't understand why this channel doesn't have well over million subscribers, it's flipping brilliant.

I changed the sprockets on my F800GS to +2 front sprocket and -1 rear, sits about 600rpm lower at cruising speed which cuts the vibrations way down. That alone made it worth it, even without being able to get 220 miles out of a tank (non-adventure)!

1) Acceleration Sense: Where possible time your approaches to avoid standing starts. 2) Short-shift: Use more throttle to less RPM before upshifts. 3) Draft: Take advantage of large vehicles close to your desired speed. Leave reaction space but still within the moving eddys for reduced drag benefit.

What!!! I ride a KLR. Listen here Joffrey. I'm not a cheap bastard. I didn't just spend all day hacking foam out of the stock seat to lower the ride height because I didn't want to pay for the appropriate suspension. Ok, well maybe I did. BUUUUUUUTTT I did B-U-Y the hacksaw...Welllll I bought the blade because I didn't want to spend the money on buying the handle as well. AHA, I've got it. I spent my hard earned dollar bills on the staple gun I needed. Then again, I did keep the packaging in perfect condition so I can get a refund when I take it back. Oh god...I'm a cheap, penny-pinching KLR rider. Does anyone have a GS there looking to get rid off? Second hand...cos...you know. As always, awesome video mate. Except for the KLR crack. *Wanders off grumbling in the cheapest way possible.

Its always a good day when FortNine uploads.

Also, for those heavier folks out there, every pound you loose, is a pound less for your bike to haul. Doesn’t matter as much for cars, but it’s a noticeable difference, especially on smaller bikes. Another added bonus is that you’ll be in better shape.

Setting aside the option of simply riding slower the two biggest factors to fuel efficiency I've found are: 1. Aerodynamic drag of big hard saddle bags (on my Tiger 800 or my dad's R1200gs we're talking 45mpg with, versus versus 55mpg without). 2. Limit acceleration and braking. That doesn't mean riding slowly, but simply carrying more speed into and through turns, to avoid having to brake hard into them and having to accelerate hard out of them. Staying in a higher gear helps here as well (lower revs, less acceleration out of turns). We may scoff at the idea of caring about fuel efficiency on a motorcycle, but who here hasn't found themselves a long way from a gas station, say 250 miles into a tank of gas, wondering if you're going to make it.

Fuel hauler nerd here. You'll note the labels say "*may* contain upto 10% ethanol" it's not for sure and has to be there even if the station buys ethanol free gas since the truck could have delivered e10 previous to that load. Another note is refineries and fuel terminals typically don't produce an actual "Mid-Grade" gasoline anymore and thus anything sold in between regular and premium is a mix of the two done at the pump. You'll see the fills at a station are colour coded. White is regular, red is premium and yellow is diesel. So if you're at a station with ethanol free premium and you buy 89 you have a 5%(ideally) ethanol content. You can check pump gas for ethanol by putting a small amount of water in a water bottle and marking the level. Then add gas and shake. Water and gasoline do not mix however ethanol is hygroscopic like brake fluid meaning it absorbs water. When you shake the mixture the water will strip the ethanol from the gas and mix with it. After shaking let it settle and note the water level vs the line.

I care about MPG, more for range than savings.

Excellent vid, I am a KLR owner and I didnt even mind your dig at our overall cheapness...to us its a badge of honour :), but seriously really enjoyed your well organised and structured content. Your delivery as always was excellent as well.

One of the best “ cruise control “ devices I have ever used on a motorcycle and I’ve been using them since 1967 is free. An elastic band wrapped on the handle bar between the grip and the right hand switch and front brake lever block clamped to the handle bar. It provides enough friction to prevent the throttle from rolling back on its own even when you take your hand off the grip but yet is easy to roll back the throttle as you would normally when slowing and your wallet hasn’t felt a pinch. When one elastic wears out as they tend to do over time simply replace the elastic that was used to hold a bunch of carrots together from your grocery store. Free. It’s worked for me for over 50 years on a dozen bikes.

Could it be? Original and extremely high quality content on youtube? WOW. seriously, dude, you are amazing. These tips are soooo good and will help everyone that is new or already experienced in riding motorcycles. Subbed.

You want to lose major weight off your motorcycle? Switch to a lithium iron phosphate battery. I saved 10 full pounds compared to the OEM. 10 POUNDS! And it is a more powerful battery.

I was able to hit 75 MPG (U.S.) in my brother's twin spark SV650S. Lots of tucking and *gasp* pulling in the clutch and coasting. It is pretty nice to see 200 miles go by without a fuel light ever coming on. I also had to tape off about 3/4 of the already pretty small radiator just to see 170F water temps(it was 45F outside, which was part of that). I'm hoping to get my own and mod the piss out of it specifically for fuel economy. I'm shooting for 100 MPG.

I'm glad I found this channel, Ryan has more advice and explains everything there is to know about motorcycles and riding. Including safety.

I like how he goes into intricate details in everything he covers.

I love how you play around with the format. This has to be one of my favorite along with the Twilight Zone one

Man I wish I found your channel a lot earlier. I'm getting ready to buy my first bike in about a month or 2 and your videos are amazing. Your an inspiration man, keep up the great content!

Brilliant script, performance and editing. Most informative and funny channel on bikes I've ever come across. Hooked!

I feel like this entire video is a reference to some tv show or a movie but i'm not understanding it

Cheap bastards... KLR owners. Really Ryan?! You better hope that I never run into you in Vancouver. Cause if I do... I'll have to stop and tell you how awesome the channel is and how I'm a huge fan.

I'm already an F9 customer. Your videos are just a bonus. love em. cheers

dude all of your videos are so well made, high quality, thanks!

Something that's worthy of all is the sprocket mod! So simple yet makes a world of difference.

"We actually give a shit saving gas on a motorcycle" Man i love motorcycles but i also live in Portugal and i pay $1.86 PER LITER. Off course i care about saving gas. Great video again...

Such quality content, I am amazed every time....Keep up the good work!!!

So weirdly and wonderfully presented and edited. Delightful.

As an Adventure riding, cheap bastard that owns a KLR, that comment at 1:40 had me rolling in my chair. so true.

I love the editing in this, leaving the outtakes IN like literally nobody was actually going to watch it! Very funny!

Such a good channel - it's my go-to when buying a new piece of kit to check reviews.

Another entertaining video full of information, education and humor, also edited brilliantly. You would make a fine teacher young man. Ride Safe from the UK.

A sprocket change test for fuel efficiency and results in rpms, top speed etc would be interesting. For example 3 more teeth in the front.

@1:45 "cheap bastards, KLR owners" 😂😂

Subbed because you explained using vectors, with notation. Great channel.

as always... super creative and subtle videography and editing

Lubing the chain should give you better fuel economy, with more power getting to the rear wheel. The friction is very noticeable on lower powered bikes. If only there was an oil sealed chain guard so you could run the chain permanently in oil (similar to a timing chain).

Rule of thumb seems to be for every 13°C/ 25°F drop in intake air temp, octane required drops by 1 full octane rating. Octane needed also drops as you climb higher in elevation. Not a fuel economy thing as such but can save some coin over a year.

Great videos!! Entertaining and interesting lol thanks for shouting out the peg! A lot of late season riders here!!

All of these tips are actually really useful for people who want to tour on smaller tank bikes.

Best channel on RU-vid!

That opener cracked me up!

Informative, sarcastic enough. Very good. Bravo!

After watching at least 10+ videos on your channel, I can clearly say that you are one of the top 10 motovlogger in the world. Keep em coming!

Great video! I replaced my stock exhaust system with a (much lighter) competition one, but kept a decent (titanium) muffler. After some basic fine-tuning the fuel consumption decreased and it suddenly had low rpm power. Granted, it doesn't look as nice as the stock system, but that's a small sacrifice i'm willing to take. Use the clutch! I disengage the clutch very early, and coast the entire highway exit (or entering traffic lights, crossroads, downward roads and so on) with the engine idling. With a decent timing, I rarely have to use the brakes and very lightly use the clutch to bleed off speed, while maintaining a high (but safe) cornering speed (so extra acceleration is avioded).

Awesome vid as always. One correction, though -- lifting the fuel hose won't do diddly. The shut-off valve is in the nozzle, so the only gas you'll get is in that short stretch between the pump handle and the tip, and since you're already angled down into the tank you'll get that bit of dribble anyway.

Hey props from Portugal ... kinda hooked on you vids excellent info , bad ass edition and man you effort well hands down, subd for life

This bloke. This bloke reminds me of my favourite mates at the bar discussing MC "necessities". *I applaud you*

your driving (or, riding in this case) will impact your fuel ecconomy the most, if your heavy on the pedal/throttle you use more, shift early and ride a bit slower, save fuel. Also engien break alot (but dont forget to light up the rear light)

king joffrey strikes agen

Only channel where i dont skip ads, keep up the great work ryan!

Oh my god , there are sooo much informations here, this is the first and only channel that serves an incredible original content , where do you get all of these informations, does it come from the water you drink , seriously you my friend are the hardest worker in motorcycling , great job,good luck and we hope you teach us more ........ peace✌

Man I love how much more comfortable Ryan has become😁

Summary: Get more fuel for money: Fill up in the morning / cold weather. Raise the pump hose above the tank to empty the last of the gas out of it. You paid for it already. General: Use only octane ratings your bike is rated for. Don't go higher or lower. Avoid high ethanol fuel. Don't carry more weight than you need to. Maintenance: Check and fix your spark plugs / carbs / injectors / jets / valve clearance. Check and clean or replace your air filter. Keep your tires inflated properly. A few PSI over is OK. A lot over is dangerous. Riding style: Ride at slower speeds. Avoid acceleration and deceleration where possible: accelerate slowly, stop slowly and early. Lane split to maintain speed. Use cruise control / throttle lock. Engine brake rather than using the brakes or coasting in neutral. Ride lower and closer to the bike. Modifications: Remap fuel delivery for better mileage. Get low rolling resistance / stiffer tires. Will decrease grip. Get a lighter sprocket. Get a lighter chain. Will require more maintenance and attention. Change sprockets to lower all RPMs. Less acceleration, maybe higher top speed. Get and use a throttle lock if you don't have one. Gear: Use a tank bag and or tail bag rather than saddle bags / panniers. Wear a full face helmet. Best bang for buck: Sprockets and chain. Ride slow, maintain speed. Keep your air filter clean.

Love watching all of your videos guys

I was riding back home to Vegas from Portland on a CB300R I just bought. When I saw a sign saying next gas 163 miles, my bike holds 2.6 gallons. I slowed to 55mph, filled up at the first station 2.4 gallons. I saw a air filter test and KandN filter let 12 times as much dirt by as paper does. My engine is more important than a little gas savings. I would recommend adding one tooth to your drive sprocket, better for your chain too!

Yup... buy a 225 HP bike, and then drive it like an old lady... to save fuel... lol

Hear you about the air filter BUT for those riding a R1200GS/A, the filter is too small to begin with so installing a K&N or Uni foam is a really bad idea - years ago I had a very indepth tech talk with a OEM tech support engineer at K&N (in designing the ATK MX bike air filtration) and he confided in me that K&N air filters ONLY work better than the stock filters if their vacuum per square centimeter was low enough by virtue of MORE filter medium area. With the small entry dimensions of the R1200GS/A the vacuum per square centimeter is way above the factory paper unit (have you ever pulled one of these apart to see just how much actual filtration media is present? Huge!) - I just bought a used R1200GSA and found the previous owner had made the huge mistake of installing a K&N filter - the air tract beyond the filter had more dirt in it than I had ever seen on an R1200GS/A and I did check that the K&N was sealed properly... K&N told me all those years ago that if the vacuum per square centimeter goes above a certain level, dirt is simply pulled thru the goss medium into the motor only a little less than Not having a filter at all, depending on the vacuum level which is quite high on an R1200GS/A - Yikes! In any case, thanks so much for all of your excellent presentations, you and your crew are gifted like few others!

Ryan is a genius. Yet another gem. Many many thanks. Very entertaining!!! :)

Loved this slow format.

The only reason we have ethanol in our gas is because of corn lobbyists. The amount of emissions from growing the corn, refining the corn, and then burning it is greater than just burning pure gasoline. Plus it cuts in to our food supply, causing food to cost more. Ethanol only makes sense if it comes from sugar cane, like Brazil does.

3:28 Always a good thing to have an *AR* in the garage, those thing comes in handy when modding my motorcycle.😂

You guys are amazing, keep up the great work! It's appreciated!

this channel deserves way more attention

Very interesting Video. Is there anyone in India who can help me find the Aluminium Sprocket like the one shown in this Video. I am looking one for a Royal Enfield Himalayan in Western Part of India, Gujarat. Fortnine I love your film making style as well. the split screens and multi character parodies are fun to watch. keep up the marvellous work.

*shows EFI fuel tuner* *Laughs in KLR*

He predicted the fuel prices will go up 3 years ago. What a wise guy

If it counts Ryan, your channel is the only one I subbed to because of the intellect behind the content. All the others are just for the entertainment. You should work in advertisements. Pure pitching genius. Never seen anyone pitch their point in under 10 seconds like you do.

Hmm, this is very Q&A style. Hey Ryan! How about a Q&A?

Just put a turbo on I don't see what the problem is :^). Good vid as always F9.

Thanks for the tips! I’m a big fan of fuel economy

Haven't even got my license yet and I already found my favourite motorcycle channel.

Cool I just learned something. Engine braking saves gas :)

That exhaust backpressure part though... Should we ask Engineering Explained for approval? For a Backpressure vs Exhaust Scavenging analogy?

I love the raw video style.

Beautifully made videos. Bravo.

1:42.....Hey, I'm a KLR owner and i resemble that remark!!!!!

You say, "coasting kills." Can you explain why? As a new rider I have never heard this wisdom.

One of the best youtube channels. Subed.

Have to say I enjoyed this. Tongue in cheek humour , but there was genuine tips in there.

im already saving gas on a motorcycle by just not using my car..great video

Interesting... Now I'm going to disregard all of this and rev my bike hard enough while stationary to produce flames out of the unrestricted pipe...

Nice video. But man, the production value, writing and style have improved so much over the last 15 months. Big fan. Well done, Ryan.

Boy do we need this video right now.

This video's viewership these days 📈📈📈

Now the question is: How much did all this cost compared to how much gas you save? How far would you have to go for these "upgrades" to pay of?

Watching this vid two years later and it reminds me why I always like F9 videos before they hit mid-script. The dang details!

As Always, very informative, thanks fortnine!

Hi, is it necessary to do wheel balancing after installing an external TPMS? i am worried that the additional unsprung weight might cause wheel wobble, I ride a light weight sport tourer...Thanks!

IM EATING LEFTOVERS

Did you have a bad day, man? You don't seem your usual chipper self. Which is cool, no need to launch full-chip every damn day. I like the really neat conversational format used for this video. Keep the quality coming.

Besides some cardio, great stuff man!

03:50 Come on Ryan. Tests had proven that a clean disposable air filter works as good as a top dog racing air filter. Performance air filters can only represent some marginal gain in a high HP bike, with tuned ECU.

Don’t use TPMS systems. They can fail and bleed all the air out of your tire while you’re riding down the freeway. Chances are your mechanic has heard of this, and my broken shoulder can back it up, too.

Iike you've had this video edited in a way that seems like you were being cost effective too! Very meta. Like with black screens between shots, outtakes being included, some bad vo moments. Clever dude!

I like that old off road Suzuki. Informative Vid., Cheers.