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Real Newb Question - Gas Light & Tank Volume

pokeyjoe

pokeyjoe

High Miler
Joined
Sep 1, 2012
Messages
746
Location
Long Beach, California
I'm on my second tank of gas, so bear with me. The light came on (steady), so I filled the tank. I filled it to the bottom of the filler hole and put in 3.5 gallons. That can't be right. The tank holds 5.5 gallons. Can anyone enlighten me?
 
Fuel warning lights are notorious for being inaccurate. Learn from your experience and calculate your actual range.

(From someone who has run out of fuel too many times!) :oops:
 
Put a small can of fuel in a back pack, keep riding and note at what intervals various warnings are received.
Cough! ................... Die!
Add fuel from small can, ride to nearest service station.

Ps. Don't use Death Valley for this experiment.
 
Fuel gauge is not linear, you'll get a lot further on the first half of the tank compared with the second.

Just be aware that your actual fuel consumption will vary and depend on temperature, altitude, and how heavy your right hand is. Keep some in reserve to make it to that gas station.

I wonder why I don't listen to my own advice? :roll:
 
I do not own one of your bikes so I can not speak specifically of your bike, but motorcycle tanks are NOTORIOUSLY inaccurate compared to car fuel tanks. The size and shapes makes it much harder to get an accurate reading. Then I know on my BMW it makes a huge difference if I am going uphill or downhill even a little bit. I have gone from NO bars to 2 full bars {out of 8} just cresting a slight hill. the farther down the tank it goes the less accurate it is.

Do as others have said and carry some gas and experiment exactly what it does at the bottom of the tank so will know exactly how it sounds and feels and looks on the dash when you are low.

But I always live by the motto while out on the highway, "Never pass gas"....If I am even above a 1/2 tank and I am passing a station, I just top off, unless of course you know for sure that there is more choices ahead.

I was caught with my pants down one time when a station I had planned to stop at was closed for repairs on time. We had passed a station 50 miles back with about a 1/2 a tank and we ended up running out way out in the middle of the desert on Rt 62 with miles to go to Vidal Jnct. NOT FUN. Don't Pass Gas...at least on the open road.... :lol:
 
on my 2011 Racer, low fuel warning first come on when i hit around 150km. technically it should remain on and start counting the milage to tell how far you've been travel on low gas but it never does, instead mine turn the warning light off and back on again in a minutes or so untill I hit about 190km then it reaminds on solid and i didnt go too much further once i got the solid warning.
 
Well, thanks for that. I took it to 134 miles (216 km) today. The light had been on steady for a few miles. I'm getting 38 mpg. Pretty good this early.
 
pokeyjoe said:
Well, thanks for that. I took it to 134 miles (216 km) today. The light had been on steady for a few miles. I'm getting 38 mpg. Pretty good this early.
Click to expand...

o, your must be 2012 model that with the metal tank? your tank almost 2 gallon bigger than mine
 
I have a "new to me" 2002 Guzzi EV1100 Cal Special that I've run several tanks through, various speeds, 200 mile runs over flat/hills etc. So far the milage is running 45-50 mpg calculated. For the past couple of months I've been making mounts for my side "truck"... and getting the adjustments dialed in. The low fuel light came on at ~150 miles with the car on...and the tank looks almost empty...

The only way to know for certain just WHAT milage you will get is to run several tanks under varying conditions then calculate the average...THEN subtract at least 5 mpg from the calculated average and use that number to guess when to fill up...then follow the advice of "never pass gas"...I've been riding 60 odd years all over the Western US, riding on many different brands of cycles and always carry at least one gallon of extra fuel, AND a gallon of water...I've been know to get a wild hair going to the grocery store and end up two states and a week away from where I started...and running out of gas OR water out in the middle of the Nevada desert, day or night, can wreck the he** out of a nice ride, not to mention making whoever finds you very sick.

I don't trust "no stinkin" lights to say the least, not to mention technology seems to go belly up when you might need it the most.

I also have a 1980 BMW R65 I bought new with over 90,000 miles now. I drive both bikes 50-60 m/h for the most part. The Beemer got 37-40 mph with the hack and now gets 45-47 clean.

Your milage will vary greatly depending on how you ride and how motivated your right wrist gets. :evil: :arrow:
 
On my 2011 Cali the light comes on anywhere between 115 to 145 miles. If I fill at 175 miles it will take about 4+ gallons. Generally I fill around 160 miles. I miss the 6 gallon tank & reserve petcocks on the older machines but that's progress for you!
 
pokeyjoe said:
I'm on my second tank of gas, so bear with me. The light came on (steady), so I filled the tank. I filled it to the bottom of the filler hole and put in 3.5 gallons. That can't be right. The tank holds 5.5 gallons. Can anyone enlighten me?
Click to expand...
Just solved my confusion. Duh. My tank holds 4 gallons, not the 5.5 gallons in the new V7s with metal tanks. The US got metal tanks on the 2012 models, although its not the same 2012 model that the rest of the world got. It is a replacement for the plastic tanks and, as such, only holds 4 gallons.

Which, of course, begs the question, "Can I put a 5.5 gallon tank on my bike?"
 
I know I am a bit late on this one but have only just joined!

My 2011 V7 Racer with the smaller tank gives me a regular 230 to 240km between fills, fingers crossed have yet to run out and must admit I ride like the old man I am. :cool:

Kev
 
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