what happened to my MPG??

[RX-1MAN]

I've been reading this sight with great interest. Never posted before but I guess now it is time. Last season I logged 3,200 miles on my sled and was consistently at 14-15 mpg. Best ride I ever had and my buddies were envious of how little fuel I took(especially the Cat guy). :cry: This summer I added a ripsaw, the green Holtzman springs and a heel clicker clutch kit. Rode 200 miles the last two days and I'm getting 12.5mpg. Is this all due to the clutch kit? Also always noted alot of black soot on the tail pipes. Should I drop the clips a notch to lean it a bit? Last question: Are the EK plugs really worth the extra money?

 

[welterracer]

The mods you have done are great but make you SPEED hungry!!

You are pushing on the throttle more now and becuase of the clutch kit the engine is spinning harder!! And the track has more drag!!

12.5 aint bad... Alot of polaris and skidoos only get 10mpg!!

 

[Birdman]

I think that some clutch kits cause the motor to spin at higher rpm's at trail speeds. I purchased a kit from Dalton and it seemed to affect my range as well. I installed the stock weights and have the 57.5 Daltons sitting in the tool box along with many components that were the trick thing but didn't live up to promise.

 

[snowman]

I also seem to lose mpg since i added the clutch kit (heelclickers).

 

[slims427]

Just got back from a 260 mi. run today in the UP. Installed Maxximun Perf.trail clutch kit. My mileage is down to 12 from 15.Engine spins too high. Think I'll put the stock spring back in the primary and try it. If that doesn't help the situation I'll also have to go back to the stock weights.

 

[Turk]

Guys...with aftermarket clutching your cruising rpm,s are generally a lot higher. This will raise fuel consumption but you do gain in throttle respons & acceleration. Remeber guys.......to get something you gotta give something else up!!!!! You gain in one area but lose in another....found this out the hard way!!!!

 

[Straightliner]

With a clutching setup in your sled. You are putting the motor under more load and you will burn more gas. Horsepower don't come cheap! (Later)

 

[SUPERTUNER]

Wanna Play?...Ya gotta pay.

That's the way it has always worked...forever, as far as I know.

 

[Frostbite]

I noticed the same thing last season. The Daltons KILLED my fuel economy. The way I reasoned what happened was there wasn't enough tip weight to shift the sled into a higher gear (like the stock weights). So, I looked for a weight profile the same as the Dalton (the daltons use the 8DN profile) but with a big head on it.
Enter the 8DN-00. I tried them again this last Wednesday. Talk about fun! I have 4.5 steels rivets with steel washers under the bucked rivet heads in the inner holes and just the 4.5 steel in the outer holes. For a shorty I'd add the steel washers under the 4.5 gram rivets in the tip also. Then you have the same acceleration profile as the Dalton PLUS the good economy of the stock weight.
Man I wish someone else would try these weights. They have been banished to the land of misfit toys and I think you'd be pleasantly surprised. PB
How are the heavy hitters for fuel economy?

 

[Mighty]

PB, I averaged 15 with HH's riding it pretty aggressivly.

 

[MR.HAPPY]

I'm running last years ER w/1.25 camo & never got more than low 14s once! I have now added HH's & green springs & getting 12.5-12.6 mpg!

BR

 

[vmaxjohn]

I think you guys looking for better mpg would be better served by loosening the secondary 10* or 20* until it's livable. That's the sole reason stock sleds come with loose secondaries, it helps mpg's!

Someone with HH's should try it, just loosen the secondary a notch or two and check again. Thing is, it might keep you from going wfo out of the corners, and using some of that wonderful torque I think the biggest benefit would be upshifting quicker when you're off the throttle, instead of staying in the meat of the power band longer (like I like it to!)

Happy tuning!

 

[Mighty]

Isn't putting a clutch kit on like driving your truck in drive instead of overdrive? You keep the engine in it's powerband but suffer increased fuel consumption.

 

[Buckeye]

Fuel economy

A higher initial number helix will give you better fuel economybecause you shift into higher gear and ride there at lower rpm's.

 

[RX-1MAN]

Thanks for all the great input! Figured it was due to the clutching. Just wondered if there was anything else I could do to get some of the MPG back. Not the end of the world as long as I stay ahead of everyone else