Not sure I'd agree with the "fuel hog" status, HB. The 100 mpg figure is more inline with scooters and such. I can get a little over 60 mpg on easy dirt roads and pavement occasionally, with 45-55 mpg on harder 2-track and even a little singletrack thrown in...and that with a pumper carb. Are you sure you don't have a hole in your gas tank?

 

I know the SV quite well and I am a big fan of its format: light, sporty, comfortable and reliable middleweight V-twin.
I used to have a Honda NT650gt which was Japan's first attempt at filling the same niche that the SV later did. It had a pretty trick set of specs for 1988. A torquey little 52deg V-twin in an aluminum twin spar frame & single sided swing arm. Back in those days, the 41mm forks and 150 rear tire seemed absolutely massive too! It was also the platform the Two Brothers Racing got their start on so there were plenty of track-ready aftermarket parts available for it too!
I used the NT650 for everything from track days to long distance sport touring, and sometimes I wish I'd never sold it...I am going to stop now before I start crying .

 

Fuel hog for sure. Wouldn't be so bad to live with if I upgraded to a larger than OEM tank but this bike is a hog. Especially off road in the real woods with real trails, single track I guess it's called, this thing is a thristy ****. I've hit reserve after 50 miles.

Remember now, big huge muscle bikes get as good of mpg as our teensy weensy klx250s do. Hell, some cars are even able to run in the 50 mpg range.

Not sure where the fuel is being wasted but it's nothing simple. Best to learn to live with it.

 

"Fuel Hog" might be a bit more sensational term than I'd personally select, but I agree with your point.
For me the KLX has been an enlightening education in fuel economy and the sometimes inverse relationship it has with engine displacement. While I can achieve ~60mpg on my KLX, I can also get pretty close to that on my 1200cc XB too!

 

I'm hoping that when I switch from the D606 rear to a trials tire that the mpg improves. I really think it will since the knobby is quite aggressive for the road and heavy.

1200cc and probably double the weight and get 60 mpg, or 250cc and still 60 mpg plus nearly half of that in the woods. Oink!

 

Actually, the Buell is probably under 100lbs more than the KLX! The biggest difference between the two bikes at cruising speed is the throttle position. Whereas the KLX is often WOT on the highway, the XB is barely just cracked.
The Buell is also fuel injected with less frontal surface area and is only turning 3500 rpm where the KLX would be spinning twice as fast.

 

I love the 250 even though the gas mileage could be equal to a larger bike. A larger bike isn't as simple (depends on the model) nor as light (without spending big bucks). This is a do it all kinda thrash it around bike that gets 50+ mpg I just wish I knew why I'm not getting at least 60.....time to tinker some more

 

Wow, that's a light bike for having such a large engine. I had no idea what a 1200XB was except that it is a 1200cc engine. A gasoline engine is more efficient at full throttle than when the butterfly is partially closed. That throttle is a resistance. The high rpm is a negative for mpg.

We all bought the klx for good reasons. I like the light weight and license plate on a fairly competent dirt bike. Wish it had better mpg, think it should get better mpg, but that doesn't seem possible.

 

It's a topic for a different forum, but Erik Buell is a weight-savings design genius! Google him if you are at all interested in innovative motorcycle design.
- Gas tank? Who needs it, put the fuel inside the frame!
- Dry sump oil supply? Put it in the swing arm!
- Dual front brake discs? One will do if it's mounted directly to the rim!