Was getting 20mpg... will update you on this next tank

[DavidJRoberts]

Hiya, new to this forum and new to Magna ownership. Just bought a black, '94 w/17k, cobra pipes, k&n filter, light bar and floor boards for $2k. Not bad deal eh? I had to have the tank acid washed as it had sat a little and it needed a jet kit and re syncing/cleaning the carbs with those pipes (the prev guy never bothered) but it's almost perfect now.

However, even after this work and a full service, it was still only getting 17-20 mpg.

I just put some E3 spark plugs in today so I'll keep you updated on what that does for the bike. The old ones were completely black with black oil at the base of them.

Apart from new sparks, does anybody have any other suggestions?

I know the jet kit (stage 1) and pipes will reduce mpgs but 20mpg?

My riding is around town and some motorway where I average 70-85mph, mostly around 80). I suppose I could try one tank where I only avg 70 but I'd rather ride the car pool lane and that would be too slow.

Cheers for any help on this.

[drkngas]

On my initial install of the Cobra Stage 1 kit to what looked correct on the Cobra instruction paper, I was getting 22mpg. I was also blowing out plenty of black smoke at full throttle.  Moving the clips on the needles up one notch corrected that problem.  I also have Cobra pipes and a K&N filter.

[DavidJRoberts]

On my initial install of the Cobra Stage 1 kit to what looked correct on the Cobra instruction paper, I was getting 22mpg. I was also blowing out plenty of black smoke at full throttle.  Moving the clips on the needles up one notch corrected that problem.  I also have Cobra pipes and a K&N filter.

Cheers for the reply. I'll pass this info onto my mechanic. I wish I had the time to install the kit myself but with a family and owning a business, you know how it goes. This is also my only transportation so I didn't want to mess it up as I'm still learning as I go. Just yesterday my mechanic turned a couple screws to make the fuel mixture a little more lean to increase mpg's too but I think it needs to go back to where he had it before as it pops a lot now on deceleration. It didn't do that straight after the jet kit install and larger idle jets.

It won't take too long to get through this tank and I'll see where I'm at. Ta for the clip info. No black smoke for me but I'll ask him about it.

[hootmon]

First Welcome to the site from Tampa Bay Florida..
2nd, do you know what size main jets did you install??

It sounds like your mechanic screwed in the idle jet screws (which will cause more popping) and will not really effect your mileage that much.. A little popping on decel is normal, just Maggie talking to you that she wants to go!!! You should be getting between 35 & 50 MPG..

Two more things.. Where you from Mate?
Can you look next to the serial number on the neck, and see if there is a "punch" mark at the end..

[roboto65]

Hi and welcome to the club if you want your gas mielage to go up loosen the wrist alittle  I know it is a hard thing to do LOL but you will see marked improvements  when i had mine if I averaged 75 to 80 I would be hitting reserve around 85 or so miles give or take depending where my wrist was LOL

[DavidJRoberts]

First Welcome to the site from Tampa Bay Florida..
2nd, do you know what size main jets did you install??

It sounds like your mechanic screwed in the idle jet screws (which will cause more popping) and will not really effect your mileage that much.. A little popping on decel is normal, just Maggie talking to you that she wants to go!!!

Two more things.. Where you from Mate?
Can you look next to the serial number on the neck, and see if there is a "punch" mark at the end..

Thanks for the welcome. Oldham, England, just outside of Manchester in the north west. I've been on this side of the pond for almost 10 years now though. The popping went away once he put the jet kit in along with the larger idle jets. The popping just came back today since he did a little something yesterday. He's a mobile mechanic and had forgotten to give me something back when he dropped off my bike. So when he came by the office yesterday I had him take a quick gander at it again. At that point, he took his screw driver and dialed two things on either side of the engine and said it would now run a little leaner—in an attempt to do a little something about the mpg. Not much but something. He recommended the spark plug replacement since he said he could hear one of the left ones not firing so well. Anyroad, I think we should dial that back to where it was because it only popped very occasionally after the jet kit but today it was popping at every other red light decel since it's leaner. I'm sure I could do that... If I knew where it was and how far to turn it. Will google it!

I'm collecting the feedback from this question and will ask him these things on Monday. Really appreciate the responses lads.

I'm driving about 50 miles to a business meeting on Monday morning so I'll figure out the hopefully new mpg soon.

No punch mark after the serial number - the long number punched into the head tube? - or whatever it's called on a motorbike.

[DavidJRoberts]

Hi and welcome to the club if you want your gas mielage to go up loosen the wrist alittle  I know it is a hard thing to do LOL but you will see marked improvements  when i had mine if I averaged 75 to 80 I would be hitting reserve around 85 or so miles give or take depending where my wrist was LOL

hehe, yeah I know, I was waiting for that response! I'm not sure what the motorways are like in TX but here between orange county and los angeles I just prefer being in the car pool lane. If I'm honest, I'd also say I just like going fast, too. I really should just go 70 and stay in a slower lane. Good for the bike and good for the bank account, I'm sure.

I hit 90 'by accident' on Thursday so I looked around and figured I may as well hit 100 and see how the bike does. I was surprised at how smooth it was. I quickly came down to 80 after maybe 10 seconds because, well, I don't want a ticket and at that speed they may take it away from you. I won't be doing that again too quickly, especially with a fam to go home to.

I think I've also established the bike does 0-60 just quick enough and don't need to 'test' that anymore... The still bike got about 24mpg when I road it 'nicely' though when it was raining last month.

[roboto65]

Oh you did not mention you were in Cali well not much to do there since the speed limit out there is double  I have driven on the roads out there in the 80s and 5 was the fastest and love Big Sur Hwy 1...

[DavidJRoberts]

hehe, yeah, sorry. Everyone around here seems to have hurry sickness so the motorways have a fast average speed. If it's not congested, 80mph seems to be the accepted speed limit. One doesn't have to give into that but I find myself staying around there, too.

But like I said, even when it was raining last month and I rode at maybe 65-70 and didn't jump out of the stocks at lights, I was still only getting 24mpg.

Will give an update tomorrow after the ride to San Diego. I like the questions I've been given to ask the mechanic, too, so we'll see what he says.

[hootmon]

You didn't answer the question on the main jet size.. Maybe you don't know..

Don't google for the idle jet adjustment, search this site.. It's usually between 2 3/4 and 3 turns out from all the way in, but it is in a carb thread somewhere.. You also need a special "D" shaped bit to do it which is listed in the same thread..
Here are three threads you can start with.. to catch up.. Yeah, there's some reading to do.. !!
Start with this one:
http://www.magnaownersoftexas.com/forums/index.php?topic=2119.0
Then go to these..
http://www.magnaownersoftexas.com/forums/index.php?topic=3837.0
http://www.magnaownersoftexas.com/forums/index.php?topic=3914.0

The '94 had a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) issues on an oiling issue on the top end.. The TSB instructed to drill small holes in the cam bearing retainers to let oil pass through..
IF Honda did the work, they were supposed to put a punch mark on the neck near the S/N..
I also have a '94 and and this work was never done on mine and I have over 70K on mine and she still runs like new.. So I wouldn't worry too much about it..

Since we now know that you are in Cali, I would guess you have a Cali Smog modified version..
You will know because you will have a pipe attached to the large bolt on the right side (Brake side). the picture below shows a NON-Cali model with no pipe..

[TLRam1]

Welcome to MOOT David!!

No need to waste time researching anywhere, all the info you need can be found here and someone can tell you where would be a pretty good place to start.

Hootmon, our Florida resident who we can't run off nor have had any luck getting him to Texas, gave you some good info to read and start with and drkngas may have hit it on the head also.

No one has really said where you need to be because we do not know what you have on your bike. Your mechanic may be fine but working with the pilot jet in this way is trying to put a bandade over the issue w/o fixing the problem.

You say Jet Kit, specifically what was put in?

Cobra Jet Kit or Dave Dodge Kit or what the mechanic called a Stage 1 in that case is what? 

Reading the above Hootmon gave you will tell you where you need to be depending on what was installed and you can get it right/close, for the most part, the first time.

On speeds you are talking about, 38MPG would be about the best you can expect for highway with shield and other variables considered. 

Can you call your mechanic and see what was done? He will appreciate the help to get this right.

Find this out, post up and we can get you there.

[hootmon]

So David.. Now you see that I am the Opening act, to keep you busy and interested until the real experts like Terry, Greg, and others show up to really help you..

BTW - I lived in Cali for a good chunk of time and in LA for 4 years. I had a 750/4 while I was out there.. See how I keep you busy and interested????

[MarylandMagnav45]

To disagree with Allen...

I don't think 50 mpg is possible on the 3rd gen...unless you have a lot of tail wind, a huge down hill, and a light beer gut hahah.

I've been able to achieve 51 mpg but my bike is a 1st gen, stock, tires maxed out with air, and in comparison to the typical motorcycle rider...i don't weigh too much (180lbs).

I had the throttle pegged at 70mph at about 5000 RPM for almost 3 hours it seemed so its not as fun as you think...

Much more fun to to ride like a jack rabbit and enjoy the fact that your bike is faster than most cars on the road .

I'd shoot for 40 mpg!  Very acceptable for a v4 bike that weighs 500lbs.

[hootmon]

I have semi- stock pipes w/ K&N and consistently get between 40 & 48 MPG...
I will get under 40 if I run above 80 for any real length of time

[MarylandMagnav45]

I have semi- stock pipes w/ K&N and consistently get between 40 & 48 MPG...
I will get under 40 if I run above 80 for any real length of time

So you average 45.

Good.  That's about the same as mine. 

I think people should report averages more than highest reached.

Maybe I could get 55 mpg if I starved myself for 2 weeks, and stripped down my magna to the bare essentials lol.

20 mpg is unacceptable....did you say BOSS HOSS?

I heard the new vmax averages 30mpg, and I'm sure those guys probably get like 25-28 mpg on average due to riding that super bike!