gregsfc Posted May 28, 2017 Report Share Posted May 28, 2017 (edited) I'm not a regular Ohio rider, but I will be on Saturday June 8, starting at or about 7 am at Splash Harbor in Bellville (near Mansfield and Lexington). This is a Vetter Fuel Economy Challenge. It is free to all riders of powered two and three wheelers, but you need to have a bike or scooter or trike that can maintain at least 75 mph or so in order not to be disqualified. I'm trying to promote and challenge other stock-bike owners and riders to come and ride, especially those who think they can do really well in a real-world-as-possible ride with respect to fuel economy on their bikes. I'd like to see how well some model and make bikes can do when we really try with respect to mpg and to have some others there besides the heavily-modified electric and streamlined gas and diesel bikes. I've got a 2014 Honda CTX700 with a 670 cc, parallel twin, torquey, automotive-type engine that hits the rev limit at only 6500 RPM, which means, basically, that it drives more car like than motorcycle like, but makes for a really smooth and torquey ride, and is well-fitted to a cruiser-style motorcycle. It also means that it can get phenomenal fuel economy for a 700 class bike with at least 43 hp and 42 foot lb torque at the wheel. I went to this event back in 2014 and did amazingly well. I beat all other stock bikes by 21 mpg or more. I came within 1.5 mpg of beating a fully streamlined Honda Helix, and much better than any stock bike has done save one, in the whole history of the event, and it was on a bone-stock motorcycle that weighs almost 500 pounds. But in 2014, I didn't have much competition from stock bike riders. There were only around 4 of us there that were riding stock bikes that were seriously trying to achieve good fuel economy. I know there are other stock bikes out there that can challenge me. The BMW GS650 and other 650 single and 800 twin BMW variants are supposed to be really frugal. So too is the Suzuki Burgman scooters, and the Honda 250/300 singles and 500 and 700 newer parallel twins. I'm sure there are others. Please come out and ride and/or help me promote to others who may be interested to come out and ride with me and beat me on my CTX700! Here is the info www.schultzengineering.us Edited May 28, 2017 by gregsfc grammer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregsfc Posted May 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2017 Oh yeah. Forgot the link to the event information: www.schultzengineering.us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregsfc Posted May 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2017 You get disqualified by getting passed by the pacer who trails the group. You must ride like a normal ride; no hypermiling, coasting, gliding, or falling back from the group. They'll watch how we're riding; so no funny stuff. And, in order to qualify for a win in a class: (1) gas-powered winner; (2) electric-powered winner; (3) alternative-fuel winner; and (4) overall winner; you must be able to pack 4 large bags of groceries upright contained within you luggage compartments or body work. This last rule is what excludes riders of most bikes and usually only the modified or streamlined bikes can pack all these groceries, because they have huge bodywork. It's tougher than it sounds. It includes some tall groceries; and they have to be packed upright. The rule is made to favor Vetter-style streamlined bikes, that really don't need any help. But even if you could pack the groceries, it wouldn't matter, because stock bike riders aren't going to touch the streamlined bikes or the electric bikes with respect to fuel economy. None of that matters though, because as long as we show up and follow the rules and stay with the pack, we can record our fuel gas refill level and get our mpg recorded and published, and so we can sort of have a competition among ourselves and see it published in the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregsfc Posted May 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2017 According to the link, Fred Hayes will be there after a three year absence with his streamlined diesel bike that has exceeded 180 mpg running 20% biodiesel at this same event in years past. That vehicle is something to see. He also used a slightly different version of this same bike that does so well with fuel economy to break the diesel motorcycle land speed record out at Bonneville Flats, so it's more than a capable bike, however, it's a little crude sounding, because it's a naturally-aspired, indirect-injected, light-weight diesel engine originally built for military services mounted on a KTR 650, and therefore has no pilot injection to smooth out that diesel clatter. The electric modified bikes are really something as well, because those guys have done so much to them in order to go the distance, and the Vetter streamlined Kawasaki Ninja 250s are really neat as well. The Vetter streamline riders have been talking about switching to electric or going with a Honda single and a new streamliner designed by Craig and to try to top 200 mpg, so it's possible that either Vic Valdes or Alan Smith will show up with a new streamliner, but we'll just have to wait and see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wojo72 Posted May 28, 2017 Report Share Posted May 28, 2017 The thought of some of the folks here combined the idea of conserving fuel made me chuckle. Whatever floats your boat I guess. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregsfc Posted May 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2017 (edited) It floats my boat! And it's not about everyone coming together that day to save fuel; of course we're burning fuel in the challenge ride. It's about displaying and/or sharing techniques, technologies, riding styles, and different style rides at all performance levels to move a product forward, and everyone challenging each other to do better, and it's at least as good a reason to be an enthusiast as riding for recreation, or the chance to wear funny clothes. A 1950 Chevy pickup truck probably generated about 1/4 the hp and got worse mpg than a 2017 Silverado with it's most advanced V8 power train; had less room; was less capable; and not nearly as refined. That didn't just happen because everyone was chuckling about the prospect of every advancement in fuel efficiency or any other mechanical advancement for that matter. The reason why much of our motorcycle culture resist anything that may possibley advance technologies is beyond me. But whatever floats your boat I guess I don't drive a Prius, but it's just a car. I'm sure those who own them have very different personalities and reasons for choosing one. They're a pretty good value for one thing, as compared to an average, new American light vehicle price. If I did own one, it wouldn't make me a certain type of person. I'd just be an American who drove a certain car to get around. Edited May 28, 2017 by gregsfc grammer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubba Posted May 28, 2017 Report Share Posted May 28, 2017 I don't think there's any disrespect intended, at least not from me. Most motorcyclists ride because 1) it's about the most fun you can have with your clothes on; 2) our bikes are really just big toys for adults and not something viewed as "practical"; 3) the idea of using a motorcycle as transportation BECAUSE IT'S ECONOMICAL just doesn't fly in the face of reality, at least in the midwest, when you consider the cost of tire replacement, maintenance costs, and a 7-9 month riding season. There are many fringe motorcycle followings, the ultra-economy fuel mileage guys being just a bit more left of center than say...the Iron Butt guys who think riding 1000/1500/2500 miles without rest is "fun" and so they piss down their legs into a reservoir from their condom catheter so they don't have to stop. Not saying some don't find this kind of stuff interesting/challenging/aspiring to accomplish, but most of us would just rather ride for the fun...and stop to pee. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonik Posted May 29, 2017 Report Share Posted May 29, 2017 And illegal!! . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snot Posted May 29, 2017 Report Share Posted May 29, 2017 (edited) There is a guy on ninjette that rides from California to join this challenge, he rides a modified Ninja 250. It goes on during vintage days at Mid-Ohio. http://www.schultzengineering.us/vmd-2017.htm http://craigvetter.com July 8th not June. Edited May 29, 2017 by snot 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike884 Posted May 29, 2017 Report Share Posted May 29, 2017 (edited) hmmm now to bring the grom.... or the NC700x. i bet i can take the CTX on the grom, the NC would be close... but I've tweaked the gearing a bit. Problem with the grom I can only hit 70 or so currently...don't put any hills in front of me Edited May 29, 2017 by mike884 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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