Features (operating skills) of "MAXIMUM" MPG in an ATV.

[Sourdough]

Please don't GUESS. I can GUESS, Flawed guess could "conceivably" be fatal.

Clearly 2WD will get better milage then 4WD. What other conditions would maximize MPG..?? Is there a sweet spot in the MPH..?? Would creeping along at 20 MPH render better MPG then 45 MPH..??

"Might" be compelled to cover long distance on a large & heavy ATV, with only finite amount of fuel. I suspect the machine will do 70+ MPH. But is there a sweet spot in the speed that greatly enhances MPG.

 

[zoomzoom]

In my experience (having owned over a dozen ATV's of various sizes), your best mileage is achieved more by RPM than by speed and unless you have a tach, you have to go by ear. Be in whatever gear you need to get through the terrain but keep your engine RPM's just high enough where there is no engine bogging. Somewhere between 1800-2400 RPM's seems to be the sweet spot for my machines (Honda, Suzuki & Kaw).

If your machine is both auto and manual (normally push button manual), being in the manual setting lets you control the engine better. The auto's run a bit higher RPM's.

I don't check MPG's regularly but where I live (very hilly), I'd guess I only get around 10 MPG's.

For carrying extra fuel, I found this flat style of spare tank the best as you can just load on top of it.

 

[Sourdough]

best mileage is achieved more by RPM than by speed and unless you have a tach, you have to go by ear.

Machine has a digital Tachometer. And Thank You.

 

[zoomzoom]

I'm not going to ask what you're driving but if it has a digital tach, I'm guessing it has other things like a trip odometer.
If it does, have you tried:
Fill the tank
Drive 10-20 miles at something like 2400 RPM's (average).
Re-fill the tank and see how much fuel it used.

Repeat at 2000 RPM's and check your results.

I was just out mowing and thinking (but moot now since you already have the machine) that my diesel side-by-side can go a lot further distance than my ATV.
It doesn't seem to matter what RPM's I run the diesel at but I constantly get over 2 hours of run time per gallon. I think it has an 8-gallon tank which means 16 hours run time. Yea, it's slow but at even 12-13 MPH, I can go nearly 200 miles. My day-to-day ATV (a Honda 400) may go 50 miles.

 

[Sourdough]

I'm not going to ask what you're driving but if it has a digital tach, I'm guessing it has other things like a trip odometer.
If it does, have you tried:
Fill the tank
Drive 10-20 miles at something like 2400 RPM's (average).
Re-fill the tank and see how much fuel it used.

It is a CanAm 800 and only has 72 miles on it in 18 months. I never cared about the MPG till this week.

 

[zoomzoom]

Spare fuel is your friend, especially on an initial run.

 

[Tirediron]

and don't get sucked into the high octane gas fantasy, yes it will maybe allow it to make more, wide open throttle power, but lower octane burns faster and results in better MPG at part and light load

 

[Tirediron]

an other trick that greatly helps milage, if it is safe to do so , let the downhill momentum help up the other side.

 

[Mountain trapper]

To me performance is much more important than MPG. Plus I'd never own a 2 wd vehicle.

 

[Sourdough]

This thread is about making it to a specific location for (SHTF) survival should that be necessary.

 

[Mountain trapper]

This thread is about making it to a specific location for (SHTF) survival should that be necessary.

Yep, and in my area an under powered 2 wd wouldn't make it very far.

 

[Sourdough]

To me performance is much more important than MPG. Plus I'd never own a 2 wd vehicle.

So, you would intentionally purchase an ATV THAT WAS ONLY 4WD (2 wd not an option) only 4WD exclusively. I am not sure they ever made that.

 

[Tirediron]

Yep, and in my area an under powered 2 wd wouldn't make it very far.

where did an underpowered 2 wd come from , 800 cc can ams are well powered, I seriously doubt you can get one thats not a 4x4 .

 

[Mountain trapper]

So, you would intentionally purchase an ATV THAT WAS ONLY 4WD (2 wd not an option) only 4WD exclusively. I am not sure they ever made that.

They used to make 2 wd only ATV's, not sure if they still do or not. My ATV's all have a 2 wd and 4 wd switch. Since I'm in 4 wd 95% of the time the 2wd option is next to worthless for me. During winter everything is only in 4wd around here.

 

[Sourdough]

where did an underpowered 2 wd come from , 800 cc can ams are well powered, I seriously doubt you can get one thats not a 4x4 .

I think you misread some of my posts.

 

[Mountain trapper]

where did an underpowered 2 wd come from , 800 cc can ams are well powered, I seriously doubt you can get one thats not a 4x4 .

I know that at least Honda used to make 2 wd only ATV's. That may not be the case now days. I have a CanAm 1000, at times that seems a little under powered for my use.

 

[Sourdough]

Since I'm in 4 wd 95% of the time the 2wd option is next to worthless for me.

You do fully understand this thread is NOT a general what do members like, or feel they need.

It is about ONE thing ONLY. How to milk the MOST distance on a given amount of fuel, if the failure to cover that distance would likely be FATAL.

 

[Mountain trapper]

You do fully understand this thread is NOT a general what do members like, or feel they need.

It is about ONE thing ONLY. How to milk the MOST distance on a given amount of fuel, if the failure to cover that distance would likely be FATAL.

I understood it just fine. My point is that if an ATV won't make it to where you need to go then mpg is a moot point

 

[M0del_31]

I read years ago that typically an engine is most efficient when run at the rpm it makes peak torque. That is usually not very high in the revs but it depends on the intended design spec of the vehicle as a system of tires, gears, rpms and emissions.