I won’t feel bad if you don’t believe a word of this story. I don’t believe it myself and I was there.
Here’s the thing: my 2008 Husqvarna SMR510 single cylinder thumper has always gotten around 50 miles per gallon of gasoline. Sometimes it does 47mpg, other times 52mpg. These are mostly highway mile ratings because traffic doesn’t exist in La Luz, New Mexico. Rain or shine, for 12,000 miles the fuel usage has been consistent. That’s not bad mileage for a high-strung, near race bike engine so I’m happy.
The Husky seemed to be stalling more frequently than I like on the trip to Bonneville. The clutch was dragging a bit, the oil was overdue for a change, it was 100 degrees plus everyday and the 510 spins only the barest of flywheel to ensure quick revs. Added to all this is the Husky’s tall first gear, which requires a bit of slip to get off the line. I checked the intake system for air leaks and tightened the hose clamps and gave all the whatnots a good look over. Everything seemed ok. Maybe Joe Berk is right: Maybe I just don’t know how to ride a big 4-stroke single.
My riding buddy Mike and I were at the Pilot fuel station in Wendover and he suggested I try some Lucas fuel treatment. “That’s good stuff, pour some in the tank each time you fill up and see if the bike quits stalling.” Normally I put no faith in fuel additives. It’s all snake oil to me but I figured I’d humor Mike and pour some in for appearances. Nothing happened. The bike kept stalling. It ran exactly the same. I made a special effort to rev the piss out of the engine to keep from stalling in traffic and went about my business.
It was on the ride home that the strangeness started. I was getting well over 50 miles per gallon at our first gas stop. I dumped a little more Lucas snake oil in the fresh tank. The next couple gas stops I didn’t bother to check the mileage but each time I filled up I dumped a little of the Lucas sauce into the tank.
On the second day of our homeward trip the Husqvarna did 70 miles per gallon. I was stunned. I figured I must have been doing something wrong so I dumped a little more Lucas in the tank and ran 100 miles down the road. This next tank was only 67 miles per gallon. These mileage numbers kept up all the way back to La Luz. I’m out of snake oil so it will be interesting to see if the fuel consumption increases.
How is this possible? How can a few ounces of yellowish liquid increase mileage by 40%? What am I doing wrong? Get this: normally I can go about 150 miles before running out of gas. With the magic sauce I can go 210 miles! I can’t believe it. Has anyone else experienced this phenomenon? Tell me about it in the comments section, please. I need to know that I’m not insane.
Joe I stop using Lucas when we finish the trip on the destination tours when I got to Texas now I don’t get over 55 miles per gallon going to start using it again.
Gerry Edwards always put a capful of Lucas in my RX3 whenever I stopped in at CSC, and he told me they use it regularly on BMWs when they come in for service at Brown BMW. If Gerry says it’s good, that’s proof enough for me.
Let me know if your mileage goes up, Orlando. I’m still amazed. I might start carrying a small container of the stuff for long sections without gas stations.
We used to use it in our diesel fleet to keep the injectors lubed and clean. Don’t know about mileage though.
Absolutely the injector tip was carboned up you are getting a squirt gun shot Rather than a spray
Does anyone know if it will work for cars?
Burt, I’ve not used it in a car but there is a Lucas website and they show additives for different purposes.
Joe, there’s a lot of evidence on the ‘net that a fuel injector cleaner can provide a significant increase in gas mileage. The one I use, Seafoam, also does a great job, especially if added directly to the injector through a vacuum line. A third and stronger product is Chevron with Techron cleaner.
Could it be that Lucas, the Prince of Darkness, has an American cousin that actually works?
OK so the yellow liquid bumped your fuel mileage up a bit. But what about the stalling? Did the magic liquid solve that too?
No. It still stalled.