Measuring Fuel Economy

One of the reasons for me getting a motorcycle was the hope of saving funds spent on fuel. Obviously, a 1.3/1.6/1.8L car would down more gas than a 125cc bike. It would also get stuck in traffic much more, which needlessly consumes more fuel.

Whatever my bike consumed, I'm sure that it's less than if I would have taken a car. I know, as I only spend about 200 pesos per fill-up on the bike and which would last me a week, making the daily commute to and from work for 5 days, and minor errands on the weekends. Two hundred bucks of gas for the car on the other hand, probably wouldn't even last me a day. To add, the car gets filled with "Xtra Unleaded" while the bike gets "XCS".

Xtra Unleaded - Premium Grade Ethanol-blended Gasoline (RON 93+)

XCS - Premium Plus Grade Ethanol-blended Gasoline (RON 95+)

(From: http://www.petron.com/what-we-offer.html)

If it was consuming less, how much less? I was intrigued and wanted to get an empirical answer. I found and downloaded an app for Android called "Mileage". It was probably designed to monitor fuel consumption for multiple cars but works as well for a single motorcycle. You can get it free, here.

The app provides an easy and straightforward input format. Units can be customized and comments added.

The full "statistics" are also provided. If you want  to see the nitty gritty.

Here are the results from a month's worth of fuel fill-up data for the Kymco Super 8. This was the KS8's second month, and I hope that it's gas consumption has stabilized after the one month break-in period.

So if the calculations are correct, the Super 8's Fuel Economy runs from 25 to 30 kilometers per liter, with an average of about 27 kilometers per liter. Not bad, not bad at all.

OSW

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KS8 Logo

(Couldn't resist taking a snap after cleanup.)

OSW
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Selecting my first Motorbike

I was decided to get a motorbike. The question now was, which one. As going into motorcycle shops was overwhelming, with a virtual "sea" of motorcycles to choose from. 


My criteria was simple. First, it had to be automatic. I didn't want to fiddle with a clutch and shift gears. I just wanted to "twist and go". Lazy, yes, but that at least ensured that for a newbie, I had to think on one less thing, and focus on not falling off.


Then, I wanted something with a flat floor. I didn't want to be straddling a horse. I actually tried getting on a couple of those (bikes, not horses) and by the third one I tried, my thigh was already cramping.  


At this point, my choice was narrowed down to a scooter. Though the wifey suggested that I get a Honda CB or CBR, as we went to a Honda 'Prestige' Shop to look at their selection.

Comparison Chart from: http://www.motortrade.com.ph/

Third, I wanted something big. Well, at least bigger than the usual fare of scoots plying the streets with bicycle-sized tires and a short wheel base. I actually sat on a Yamaha Mio in one of the shops and I felt like a fat kid on a stroller. But darn, that thing looked nice. But still, it wasn't a good fit.


I then took interest in a Suzuki Skydrive. It had nice angles, was a better fit for my size, and was a lot cheaper than the Mio. But still, the tires looked small.


Then after looking around shops and on the net, I saw something that I truly fancied. A Kymco Super 8. It had all the qualities I was looking for, bigger than all of the scoots I tried in the same price range, wider tires. It had a nice design, sporty look, and a big compartment. And all the online reviews for the Super 8 I've read were positive. And most of them were in the US,  or Europe. My confidence in the KS8 was boosted as this was an internationally-released model.


I asked a friend whom I knew was into motorcycles what he thought of the KS8. It turns out that aside from his other bikes, he had a Super 8 too! And as on the net, he too gave a thumbs up to the KS8, though he was taking a particular interest in the Kymco 'Like' which he suggested that I also look into.

Check out: http://www.kymco.com.ph/html/super8125specs.html


I was sold. I wanted a KS8 and was getting one. Next up would be canvassing for the best price and deciding where to get it... 


OSW 
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