I have gone from an 07 FXDBI to an 03 FXDL (carb). MPG on the 07 was 45ish and on the 03 it was 36. Damn, any suggestions here? There should not be that big of a difference! This is crazy. No deviation from either bike, both stock EXCEPT for some V-H pipes on the 03. Any tuner suggestions? EFI does not make that much difference... I think.??

Any input appreciated...

 

The difference is in the fact that one has a carb and the other is EFI. The EFI version had to meet tighter exhaust emissions than the 03 (one reason Harley changed over) so is running on a leaner air/fuel mixture. Carb bikes cannot be tuned to run as well as an EFI bike and will generally be less economical. You have nothing wrong with either bike!

 

I hear what your saying and was thinking the same thing, but a 10MPG difference seemed a bit high to me, thus the original post. Let me dig out the book and see the carb specs and maybe i can squeeze 2 or 3 more MPG outa it.

Thanks.

 

The only reason I care about MPG is for tank range, I don't ride a Harley because it gets great gas mileage, so I really don't see why it matters, but grbrown is correct, big difference between a carb bike and EFI bike,

 

I've noticed lousy mileage with some fuels that have more ethanol.

 

I get similar mileage to you with my 03 Dyna, but my 07 EFI Firebolt gives 50% better, riding it much quicker. That is typical of the sort of differences we can expect, on stock or mildly modified bikes.

 

03 probably has an 88 ci motor and your 07 should have a 96ci motor...that probably has something to do with it, maybe?

 

I have to disagree to some extent. My 02 wideglide, carbed, was getting as much as 53 mpg, 2-up, when stock and now, with 95" and cams and re-jetting I still get 43 highway and 39 freeway with a bunch more power than when stock. Do you ride both bikes the same way? I'm sure to get some static about my above statement but if a carbed bike is running right it should do better than 36. Did you buy it used, perhaps the previous owner did some jetting or gear ratio changes.

 

Thanks for the response Jack, my buddy with an 02 is getting mid 40s with his so I was expecting the same so this was a shock to me. I am not sure what the previous owner did, its an 03, but it only has 12k miles on it. I am going to go to the dealer and see if they can check any main records, put the baffles in the exhaust, get it adjusted and see what happens. Maybe clean the dirty oil filter too. That could be an impact.

 

**** Ethanol gas runs better with EFI, wind swirling around in different directions .. all kinds of factors in play here. But generaly the computer controlled EFI will always get better gas mileage.

By the way .. I love EFI. I would rather ride then spend my time tweeking carbs.