Fuel Economy is one of the major criterions for selecting two-wheeler in India. All vehicle manufacturers aim to give maximum attention for achieving better fuel economy while deciding engine and vehicle parameters like good driveability, pick-up, power and low emissions, etc.
When all the parameters are designed and manufactured accordingly, it all depends on how the rider uses the capabilities of vehicle for his use. Fuel economy of the vehicle greatly depends on the driving pattern, especially if the vehicle is with variomatic transmission.
Every engine has got the specific operating speed band in which it delivers maximum fuel economy. The vehicle speed corresponding to this engine speed band is economical speed zone. Hence if a vehicle is driven in that zone, then only maximum fuel efficiency is achieved.
To get the optimum fuel economy from a given vehicle, to the vehicle's optimum capability, a gadget was designed called “Mileage Maximizer” (“MMx”) which will guide the rider to drive in economical speed zone which will give better fuel economy. With the help of the gadget, significant improvement in the fuel economy is observed (especially with riders having poor driving habits).
The gadget consists of a pre-programmed microprocessor based electronic device and audio visual feedback system. This electronic device sends signal to visual and audio indicators depending upon engine operating condition. The rider has to drive according to these signals to get optimum fuel economy.
The details about the gadget and test results are discussed in this paper.