The author rides a 2008 Victory Vision Tour

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Gas saving tips for the motorcycle commuter

pacific-northwest-motorcycle-roads
Getting good gas mileage when I commute to work on the motorcycle drives me to try to stretch my gas mileage when I take the car. The best technique I have found to add miles to each tank is simple anticipation. When I see stopped or even just braking cars ahead, I ease off the gas even if I have a ways to go. Over time, you will learn how quickly your car or motorcycle slows when you stop the pressure on the gas pedal or throttle. This enable you to more accurately guess when to start coasting towards a traffic light or traffic in general. There is a strange satisfaction when you coast from 60 mph down to 20 or 25 just as the light turns green and the car in front of you begins to move and you never touch the brakes as you continue through the intersection.
There is a down side: The glare you get from the non-coasting motorist who just wants to get up to the light as fast as he can regardless of the fact that he will have to brake hard and then sit there for 20 seconds at a stop. I'm learning to deal with that though as I add up the savings in cash, which, I have heard, is just as good as money.

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