Alright folks, buckle up because today I’m gonna walk you through exactly how I figured out what kind of gas mileage my Africa Twin actually gets. Dealers and spec sheets can lie through their teeth, but real-world riding? That’s the truth.
Kicking Things Off
First thing I did was hunt down my old gas can from the garage – dusty as all hell, but it’d do the job. Dragged it out, gave it a wipe, and headed straight to the gas station down the road. Pumped exactly one gallon of regular unleaded into that sucker. Simple start, right?
Riding for Real Numbers
I strapped the gas can securely to the back rack and hopped on the bike. Reset the trip meter to zero. No fussing with electronics just yet; old-school method first. Here’s how I ran the test:
- Phase One: City Slog – Spent the morning riding my usual downtown route. Stop-and-go traffic, red lights every block, crawling behind buses. The Africa Twin felt heavy, revving low and grumbling. Exactly the kind of torture that kills MPG.
- Phase Two: Highway Haul – After refueling from the can when the city slog was done (and noting the trip miles!), I hit the open highway. Pushed it to a steady 70 mph with a slight headwind. No cruising gently here – wanted to see what happens when you actually ride it like you mean it.
- Phase Three: Backroads Blast – Found some winding country roads. Mix of short bursts up to 60 mph and slower curves. Basically, mimicking how I actually ride on weekends. Let the bike breathe a bit.
The Big Empty
Kept a sharp eye on the fuel light. The SECOND it flickered on, I pulled over. Not when it was solid, but that first little blink. Checked the trip meter again. Boom. Total miles ridden on that single gallon.
Crunching the Ugly Numbers
Did the dead-simple math: Total miles divided by 1 (since I used exactly one gallon). Did it again after switching to liters just to compare with the bike’s computer later.
- City Crawling Results: 38 miles. Ouch. That heavy ADV bike hates stoplights just as much as I do.
- Highway at Speed: 48 miles. Better, but still felt kinda thirsty fighting that wind at 70.
- Backroads Fun: 52 miles. Surprise! Riding it normally, not granny-shifting or pinning it, actually got the best number.
Electronic Lies (Sorta)
Checked the onboard fuel computer after each leg. Wouldn’t you know it? It was consistently over by about 3-5 MPG compared to my measured stops. Nice try, Honda. Shows why you gotta actually dump gas in and measure it yourself.
So What’s the Real Deal?
After running this whole show, punching numbers twice, and cursing traffic fumes, here’s the raw truth about my Africa Twin:
- Stop-and-Go Hell: Forget 40 MPG. You’re looking at high 30s. It drinks when it’s hot and stuck.
- Highway Realism: Pinned at 70-ish? Maybe low 50s on a perfect day. But with any headwind or incline? Mid-to-high 40s is more like it.
- Actual Riding Roads: This is where it shines. Mix it up, let it roll? 50+ MPG is totally possible. Seems it likes to stretch its legs more than idle.
So yeah, average around 45 MPG overall seems about right for my style. But trust me, lug that big twin in city traffic? It’ll siphon gas like a thirsty camel.