Guess I must try to ride it harder

Go for it ! I guess the journos would have been redlining the test bikes from every stop light.

I had a BMW 528i auto as a company car for a while in the late '80s. BMWs have this natty little fuel consumption meter at the bottom of the revcounter + mine had a digital "instantaneous consumption" readout in the console. Lowest instantaneous consumption I recall seeing was 3mpg ! Worst tank average was 17 mpg over an Xmas berak - all short journeys & cold starts.

Nigel B.