Tips To Get Maximum Fuel Efficiency From Your Bike
- Author :
- TATA AIG Team
- ●
- Last Updated On :
- 10/07/2024
The convenience, ease of transportation, and low operational costs of two-wheelers are what make them the most preferred choice of several Indian riders. The combination of city streets brimming with traffic and afflicted by narrow lanes further justifies choosing bikes and scooters over cars in India. However, with the soaring fuel prices, two-wheelers are also becoming costlier, and so several vehicle owners might be wondering how to optimise fuel efficiency and maximise savings.
To get the best mileage out of your two-wheeler and ensure the bike’s fuel efficiency, there are some simple tips that riders can follow. Essentially, to know how to increase the mileage of a bike, riders must first understand the correlation between three pertinent factors: surface condition, traffic, and, last but not least, the rider themselves. Once bike or scooter owners understand this, it becomes a lot easier to transform your two-wheeler into the best fuel-efficient bike. Without further ado, let’s understand how to increase fuel efficiency in bikes.
How to Increase Fuel Efficiency in Bikes?
An individual’s style of riding has an observable impact on the bike’s fuel efficiency. The other influential factors include the engine's size, the vehicle's weight, the make and model of your two-wheeler, etc. All these factors combined affect the fuel consumption of the vehicle. However, regardless of the features of your bike or scooter, here are some tips on how to increase the mileage of a bike:
- Be a Steady Rider
A sporadic riding style will negatively impact the fuel consumption of your two-wheeler. Therefore, vehicle owners are always advised to maintain a steady speed while riding. You may have often heard experienced riders and bike enthusiasts say, “ride at the economy speed of your bike.” This is because riding the economy speed of your bike is one of the easiest ways to enhance fuel efficiency. In addition to maintaining the speed, riders must also avoid frequent gear changes and abrupt accelerations to improve fuel efficiency.
- Service Your Bike at Regular Intervals
Regularly servicing your vehicle is perhaps the best way to ensure that your bike continues to deliver high mileage. With regular servicing, the malfunctioning or broken parts can be fixed early on so as to keep your vehicle running smoothly for a long time. With regular servicing, you can extend the life of your two-wheeler while also improving fuel efficiency.
- Switch Off the Engine When Idle
This may seem like common advice, but the truth of the matter is that switching off your engine while the vehicle is idle is highly recommended for fuel efficiency. Imbibing this as practice adds up over time to help you save on a lot of fuel for your vehicle. When your bike is idle, particularly at red traffic signals for longer than a minute, it consumes fuel. If you switch off the engine at red lights, you can save some fuel.
General gross calculation recommends that keeping your vehicle idle for 10 seconds is equivalent to restarting the engine. Moreover, when you keep your engine running when your vehicle is idle, it will lead to greater wear on your engine.
- Modify in Moderation
All modifications to the vehicle must be done prudently. This is because modifications both enhance or degrade the fuel efficiency of your bike. If the vehicle owner chooses to modify the electrical components of the bike or modify parts of the engine, it is bound to affect the efficiency of the fuel of the vehicle. Therefore, before undertaking any internal modifications, think twice to ensure it does not affect the fuel efficiency of your vehicle.
Additionally, vehicles that have been tuned to enhance the performance of the engine may increase the risk of an accident. When vehicle owners seek coverage of insurance policy for bike for their modified vehicle, the insurance providers consider their vehicles as increased liability. Therefore, the insurer automatically charges an increased premium for their two-wheeler insurance policy. To ensure you have the best fuel-efficient bike, modify it prudently.
- Fill Up on Quality Fuel
Filling up your vehicle with poor-quality fuel adversely impacts your bike's engine. In extreme situations, it might even lead to engine failure and compromise your safety. The fuel quality can be determined by checking the fuel density and volume at the petrol station. Preferably, look for reputed fuel stations and try not to frequently change the location of where you fill your fuel.
Since the engine is the most important part of the vehicle, you can ensure its protection by adding an engine protection cover to your comprehensive insurance policy for bikes. The engine protection cover by Tata AIG secures your vehicle's engine against any damage or loss. It effectively compensates the policyholder by repairing or replacing the engine.
The Bottom Line
There are several factors contributing to the fuel efficiency of your bike. While factors like traffic congestion and poor quality of roads are uncontrollable, there are others, such as the driving style and regular servicing of your vehicle, that can enhance fuel efficiency. To add a layer of protection to your bike, you must also invest in a comprehensive two-wheeler insurance policy. As per the Motor Vehicle Act, third-party bike insurance is mandatory for vehicle owners. However, investing in comprehensive bike insurance is always advised, so the damages to your vehicle are also covered. Those who are pressed for time will be happy to know that you can even buy 2-wheeler insurance online.
You need bike insurance for particularly unfortunate events such as accidents, theft, and damages caused to your bike by natural and man-made calamities. In any case, riders can use their two-wheeler insurance policy to compensate for the damages. A comprehensive insurance policy for bikes acts as your best friend in unfortunate events. When you buy 2-wheeler insurance online, compare different policies to find the right one. Another benefit of buying 2-wheeler insurance online is that the premiums are cheaper.
Disclaimer / TnC
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