Knowing the MPG for your XR250 is good info to know for when you are out on the trails. I thought in this post I would take averages from people that have willing given their mileage data from various forums and groups that I frequent. Well that turned out to be too much hassle for people so you are left with me and my own stats.
An XR250 will consume 1 imperial gallon of fuel every 78 miles on avaerage.
This figure is calculated by me setting my trip everytime I fill up and recording the mileage everytime I run out of fuel. Overtime this has given me a very good average figure.
7 Tips To Increase Your MPG
Keep your tyres at the correct pressure – When a tyre pressure is low you are actually increasing rolling resistance which will increase mpg.
Remove excess weight – most of us probably dont carry additional weight on our dirtbike but some will have a box or panniers . If you are carrying extra weight that you dont require just get rid of it. In doing so you will reduce the overall weight that the bike has to move and in turn reduce fuel consumption.
Reducing Speed – This is common sense, by driving slower and using the correct gear you will improve fuel consumption so your MPG will rise. This is mainly going to apply to road riding of course.
Riding Habbits – I’m probably not the best person to be preching about riding habbits as I do like to thrash it around alittle, especially when I haven’t been out for some time.
Reduce Fuel Evaporation – Parking in direct sunlight on a hot day will cause the fuel to evaporate at a quicker rate. Less fuel in the tank after it has been paid for means less mpg.
Dirty Air Filters – If your air intake is clogged or restrictred then it can have a negative effect on mpg.
Regular Maintenance – Looking after your bike generally and with regular maintenance will ensure it stays healthy and in shape. This will help to maintain you mpg level. This will include keeping it clean, doing your oil, filters and tyres accroding to the guidelines in the handbook.
How Far Can I Ride On My Reserve Tank?
If your XR is like mine then you wont have a fuel gauage or odometer to help you know when you are low on fuel. Instead you are more likely to start spluttering along as fuel dries up and hopefully you haven’t left the tap turned to reserve from as previous occassion.
If you haven’t left the tap on reserve then you have a smug feeling as you turn the tap to allow your reserve fuel to be used and then start to calculate the journey to the nearest fuel station.
So how far can you actually go on the fuel left in reserve? Check your owners manual but my fuel tank has a capacity of 9 litre, and 2.9 litres of this is set for the reserve.
That means based on an average 78 Miles to the Gallon.(imperial gallons not US Gallons) I should expect to see my reserve tank carry me for about 49 miles. That should be plenty far enough to reach a fuel station.
XR250 Fuel Tank Options
One way to increase your mileage per tank is upgrade your stock tank for a larger version. Now this wont increase your MPG, if anything the extra weight of fuel is going to lowerer it….but that is likely to be so slight it is not worth mentioning!
The standard tank on mine is 9 Litres but you can get bigger tanks, such as the 14.4 litre made by Clarke. This will increase your fuel capacity by over 50% and from what I have seen , they dont look stupidly big.
Colour wise, many people go for transparent coloured tanks, although I am not a fan at all of these. The only reason to go for them in my opinion is to see your fuel level. But really… who needs that when you have the reserve!
Transparent gas tanks are known for discolouring as well. Commonly people say the tanks turn a murky brown colour which is going to look even worse.
Clarke provide red and white coloured tanks for the XR which will work with most colour schemes but ultimatley the decision is yours.
Biger fuel tanks are also available from Acerbis and IMS. All tanks from these suppliers are decent and range in pricing. Below are prices correct at the time of writing to give you an idea.