World Environment Day 2020: Top Tips To Save Fuel On A Two-Wheeler

The year 2020 will be remembered for the damage that the Coronavirus caused, across the world. But the bright side was that barely a few months of little to no economic activity meant that the earth had a chance to heal. And on the occasion of the World Environment Day 2020, it is upon us to help nature in its healing process. One of the simplest ways to do it is by saving fuel. Every time you are out riding your two-wheeler, keep these easy tips in mind, save fuel and help the earth to heal.

Also Read: World Bicycle Day: Places You Can Cycle To Instead Of Taking A Vehicle

1. Ride at a steady speed

(Try and keep your pace steady when riding a motorcycle. Sudden throttle and brake inputs may mar the fuel efficiency of your two-wheeler)

This is one of the easiest ways to keep your two-wheeler in good shape and get decent efficiency as well. Ride your scooter or a motorcycle at a steady pace. Try and avoid sudden throttle and brake inputs as they make the engine work harder, which in turn means that the engine uses up fuel faster. Plus, there is more wear and tear involved when you suddenly open the throttle or pump the brakes.

2. Maintain correct tyre pressure

(Maintaining recommended tyre pressure is one of the ways to extract good fuel efficiency)

Again, a simple way to extract good fuel efficiency from your scooter or a motorcycle is to maintain the tyre pressure that the manufacturer has recommended. This ensures that the tyre has low rolling resistance and offers optimum grip on the surface along with having the best handling as well. The moment you over-inflate or deflate your tyres, especially on tarmac, you will end up upsetting the balance of the two-wheeler and the efficiency will for a toss too.

3. Switch off engine at traffic signals of more than 30 seconds

(Switch off the engine at a traffic signal where you have a stop of more than 30 seconds)

Yet another simple habit that can be adopted! Switch off the engine of your two-wheeler whenever you are at a traffic signal and see that it will last for more than 30 seconds. Moreover, nowadays even mass market motorcycles get a start-stop system which makes it easier to do so. Over the course of a year, you will end up saving a significant amount of fuel. Straightaway, that is money saved and to a large extent, helps in saving the environment as well.

4. Keep your two-wheeler well-maintained

(Keep the engine well-maintained and get the motorcycle serviced at recommended intervals)

A scooter or a motorcycle running in prim and proper condition is likely to give better efficiency than one which hasn't been. Keep the engine well-maintained, get it serviced at recommended intervals and keep an eye on fluids such as engine oil, coolants and brake fluids and so on. The smoother the engine runs, the better efficiency it will offer. In addition, keep the tension of your chain (for motorcycles) well-adjusted and keep it well lubricated too. A well-oiled chain helps in smooth running of the motorcycle as well.

5. Keep emissions in check

(Keep a check on the emissions level of your two-wheeler. Lesser emissions mean less harm to the environment)

Another way to save the environment from harm is to keep an eye on emissions from your two-wheeler. You should always keep the sparkplugs clean and maintain the specified gap between the electrodes. Similarly, the air filter should be kept clean as well. In case of carburetted engines, get the carburettor tuned from an authorised workshop. Lastly, avoid use of spurious and adulterated fuel as much as possible. Fill in fuel from authorised petrol pumps and get the emissions of your two-wheeler checked every six months.