In India, bikes are primarily used to commute from one place to another and a lot of people are concerned about the mileage of the bike. Every time a prospective buyer looks for a new bike in the market, one of the first few things he/she looks for is the mileage. The mileage quoted under ARAI specifications are often done under ideal test conditions, which are almost impossible to achieve in real-world environment. This post is dedicated to let users know about the tips to get the maximum fuel efficiency of their bikes, irrespective of the make. These tips may or may not give you the figures quoted by ARAI but will certainly improve your fuel efficiency by a considerable extent. 
* The worst enemy of fuel efficiency is weight. Carry as little weight as possible. Adding unnecessarily heavy crash guards may have a negative impact on fuel efficiency. If you have any touring kit installed in your bike, remove it when not in use as it only adds unwanted weight and affects the dynamics of your bike. Riding with a pillion also reduces fuel efficiency. You may not be able to avoid certain things like a pillion rider, but keep in mind that adding weight reduces your bike's mileage.
* Keep the bike in good condition. Make sure all your bike's internals are well maintained. Ensure the air filter is clean, engine oil topped up and chain properly lubed.
* Maintain correct tyre pressure in your bike. Inflate it only as specified by the manufacturer. Most people fill 25psi at the front tyre and 35psi at the rear no matter what they ride. Your bike may or may not confirm to the pressures. Read the instruction manual and make sure what the correct tyre pressure is. Always check your tyre pressure when the tyre is cold.
*Always try to fill fuel only at the fuel station you know. In that way, the chances of getting cheated are less. (Also see: How to detect fraud at petrol pumps)
*Fill your tank up early in the mornings or late at night. Avoid filling it up in the afternoon as the fuel expands and evaporates too.
*Keep the bike running in the highest possible gear and at the lowest possible speed, which the drivetrain can achieve without lugging the engine. Usually, it is between 40- 55 kmph in normal bikes. Lugging is when the bike 'jerks' when the decreasing speed is too much for the engine to handle. At that time, the engine tends to half-stall while the drivetrain forces it to run. This is especially detrimental to the chain as the varying speed may force it to snap.
* Make sure your throttle inputs are slow and gradual. Sudden acceleration can lead to more fuel consumption. It goes without saying that racing starts should also be avoided.
*Avoid idling the engine too much. When you are at a long traffic signal lasting more than 20 seconds, shut down the engine. If you come across too many long traffic signals, if your bike has a kick start, use the kick-start so that the battery does not get loaded often. That way, you can improve the life of your battery too.
* Maintain a steady pace while riding. When slowing down, slowly decelerate using the engine instead of braking at the last moment. A keen awareness is needed to ride efficiently. Always look ahead and decide accordingly when you would want to decelerate. You can save your brake pads' life too!
* Avoid clutch riding and brake riding. Many people tend to keep the clutch pulled while riding. What happens is, the clutch slips and there is a loss of power from the engine to the drivetrain. Hence, the power transmission does not take place efficiently. I have seen many riders do brake-riding. Brake riding means keeping the foot pressed against the brake pedal while riding. When you do this, the brakes constantly create unnecessary friction and hampers the movement of the wheel.
* Make sure you shut off the fuel tap (if equipped) when the bike is not in use. Before taking the bike out, do not forget to switch the fuel tap back to the “On” position.
* When starting the bike for the first time, allow the bike to idle for at least two minutes. This ensures the oil is at the optimum temperature and circulates properly to the entire engine unit.
* Last but not the least, plan your route. Use routes that are less congested and time your journey in such a way that the traffic is minimum.
Please add any other fuel efficiency tips you use with your bikes in the posts below.
Also see: How to Get Maximum Fuel Efficiency from your Car
* The worst enemy of fuel efficiency is weight. Carry as little weight as possible. Adding unnecessarily heavy crash guards may have a negative impact on fuel efficiency. If you have any touring kit installed in your bike, remove it when not in use as it only adds unwanted weight and affects the dynamics of your bike. Riding with a pillion also reduces fuel efficiency. You may not be able to avoid certain things like a pillion rider, but keep in mind that adding weight reduces your bike's mileage.
* Keep the bike in good condition. Make sure all your bike's internals are well maintained. Ensure the air filter is clean, engine oil topped up and chain properly lubed.
* Maintain correct tyre pressure in your bike. Inflate it only as specified by the manufacturer. Most people fill 25psi at the front tyre and 35psi at the rear no matter what they ride. Your bike may or may not confirm to the pressures. Read the instruction manual and make sure what the correct tyre pressure is. Always check your tyre pressure when the tyre is cold.
*Always try to fill fuel only at the fuel station you know. In that way, the chances of getting cheated are less. (Also see: How to detect fraud at petrol pumps)
*Fill your tank up early in the mornings or late at night. Avoid filling it up in the afternoon as the fuel expands and evaporates too.
*Keep the bike running in the highest possible gear and at the lowest possible speed, which the drivetrain can achieve without lugging the engine. Usually, it is between 40- 55 kmph in normal bikes. Lugging is when the bike 'jerks' when the decreasing speed is too much for the engine to handle. At that time, the engine tends to half-stall while the drivetrain forces it to run. This is especially detrimental to the chain as the varying speed may force it to snap.
* Make sure your throttle inputs are slow and gradual. Sudden acceleration can lead to more fuel consumption. It goes without saying that racing starts should also be avoided.
*Avoid idling the engine too much. When you are at a long traffic signal lasting more than 20 seconds, shut down the engine. If you come across too many long traffic signals, if your bike has a kick start, use the kick-start so that the battery does not get loaded often. That way, you can improve the life of your battery too.
* Maintain a steady pace while riding. When slowing down, slowly decelerate using the engine instead of braking at the last moment. A keen awareness is needed to ride efficiently. Always look ahead and decide accordingly when you would want to decelerate. You can save your brake pads' life too!
* Avoid clutch riding and brake riding. Many people tend to keep the clutch pulled while riding. What happens is, the clutch slips and there is a loss of power from the engine to the drivetrain. Hence, the power transmission does not take place efficiently. I have seen many riders do brake-riding. Brake riding means keeping the foot pressed against the brake pedal while riding. When you do this, the brakes constantly create unnecessary friction and hampers the movement of the wheel.
* Make sure you shut off the fuel tap (if equipped) when the bike is not in use. Before taking the bike out, do not forget to switch the fuel tap back to the “On” position.
* When starting the bike for the first time, allow the bike to idle for at least two minutes. This ensures the oil is at the optimum temperature and circulates properly to the entire engine unit.
* Last but not the least, plan your route. Use routes that are less congested and time your journey in such a way that the traffic is minimum.
Please add any other fuel efficiency tips you use with your bikes in the posts below.
Also see: How to Get Maximum Fuel Efficiency from your Car
By the way, what bike do you ride?
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