After the low gas light. How far more have you driven?

I am averaging about 100 miles before I get the “Get Gas Light”. I'm getting ready to do a long trip. I'm curious how far anyone's pushed it before hitting empty.



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I am averaging about 100 miles before I get the “Get Gas Light”. I'm getting ready to do a long trip. I'm curious how far anyone's pushed it before hitting empty.
You're a braver person than I, sir. One thing I should mention however, is that the fuel pump sits in the tank. The pump relies on the gas for cooling the motor, which is running continuously with the engine on.

Fuel pump replacements is not something I like doing on the side of the road ;).
Additionally, check your owners manual. It should tell you how much reserve you have left in your tank once the fill gas indicator lights up. It does in mine (I have a TC with the bigger tank, so I'm of no use to you).

Mike
 
Additionally, check your owners manual. It should tell you how much reserve you have left in your tank once the fill gas indicator lights up
But does the fill gas indicator light up at the point when the reserve is reached? I didn't think that the gas indicator was that accurate. In fact I didn't think it monitors the reserve level at all. Maybe I'm wrong.
 
But does the fill gas indicator light up at the point when the reserve is reached? I didn't think that the gas indicator was that accurate. In fact I didn't think it monitors the reserve level at all. Maybe I'm wrong.
In my manual (page 40), it states that approx. 1.1 gallons remain when the fuel reserve indicator kicks on.

Again, I caveat that I have the Transcontinental model, so my fuel reserve is likely larger than yours. Check out your manual on the same subject, particularly the "reserve volume" of fuel that your tank holds. That is when your fuel indicator light turns on.

And yes, I have every confidence in these sensors, that they will turn on and off at the appropriate fuel levels.

Mike
 
I have to chuckle at this whole idea of running down to the very bottom of the gas tank. It reminds me of the old "Seinfeld" episode when Kramer went for a test drive and did exactly that. 🤣🤣🤣

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Me, I always get nervous when I see it down to 1/4 tank, but that's a personal issue 😁. My very first motorcycle, I ran out of gas about 2-3 miles away from my apartment. I PUSHED my bike up the steep hill that my apartment was on top of (I was only 19 at the time😎) only to later discover that RESERVE TANKS were a thing!!!!

Had I simply turned the petcock knob from ON to RES, I could have easily rode home with plenty of gas to spare! However, I suffered severe emotional damage that day, as I brutally learned this lesson. 🤣

Never again!!!!

Mike
 
30-40 miles on the light easily. You have approx 4 litres left when the light comes on. I was regularly getting 160/170 before filling up and never got the full 16 litres in.
Ditto ... my light generally comes on between the 110 and 120 mile mark depending on how hard I lean on her, @130 if I am doing distance and then I have (taking it a bit easier) 30 - 40 miles left .. have not run out so far ..
 
Where is that petcock knob on the R18? Still searching... :ROFLMAO:

Should have said I have the R18B. Reserve is 4 litres/1.1 gallons on all models I think. So if you use up the reserve, the tank is dry by then right? No fuel left to cool the fuel pump motor? So all of that "reserve" is not really meant to be used up and in reality you must spare some of it for the cooling?
 
I usually ride to the nearest gas station when the light comes on.

Seriously though,Having a side car I watch the mileage otometer and gauge the time the light will come on to allow extra time.
I get 25-30 mpg so,in about 80 miles I start looking for a gas station.Seems to be around 100 miles so so.

Good luch with all the replies you get.
TK
 
Where is that petcock knob on the R18? Still searching... :ROFLMAO:

Should have said I have the R18B. Reserve is 4 litres/1.1 gallons on all models I think. So if you use up the reserve, the tank is dry by then right? No fuel left to cool the fuel pump motor? So all of that "reserve" is not really meant to be used up and in reality you must spare some of it for the cooling?
Yes, the reserve shouldn't be used up, if fuel pump longevity is important to you ;). In ye' olde days, gravity-drain petcock/carb setups conditioned riders that they could ride down to the last drop. Now, with fuel injection (with fuel pump installed in the tank, mind you), this is no longer a "safe" practice to perform.

Really, the same applies for vehicles too. Constantly running cars down to "E" helps to hasten fuel pump demise. That's why some cars can have the same fuel pump at 200k miles, and another one needs replaced at 100k. I have witnessed this time and time, and time, and time, and time again over the decades (I used to flip beater cars as a side hobby).

Heat kills.

Mike
 
Thanks for clarifying that. I haven't ever emptied a tank and don't plan to take the risk.

The manual doesn't mention this matter, probably cause it rarely happens during warranty...
 
Then what is the very loud whining sound I hear with the engine off but ignition on? I thought that was the fuel pump.
You are correct. That's the fuel pump. It's running all the time when the ignition's on, waiting for you to start the engine. It needs to provide a certain amount of PSI to both fuel injectors to operate, and the fuel pump running allows it to build and sustain that PSI throughout startup and operation.

In the car world at least (not recent years however) the manual does caution against running the tank low for this very reason (burning up the fuel pump). People still do it of course, and have blessed me with many a cheap car flip on Craigslist 🤣. I fix what they break and send the car down the road to a happy new owner...and make a few extra bucks doing so😁.

Mike
 
You are correct. That's the fuel pump. It's running all the time when the ignition's on, waiting for you to start the engine. It needs to provide a certain amount of PSI to both fuel injectors to operate, and the fuel pump running allows it to build and sustain that PSI throughout startup and operation.

In the car world at least (not recent years however) the manual does caution against running the tank low for this very reason (burning up the fuel pump). People still do it of course, and have blessed me with many a cheap car flip on Craigslist 🤣. I fix what they break and send the car down the road to a happy new owner...and make a few extra bucks doing so😁.

Mike
The fuel pump will prime but it is definitely not constantly running all the time the ignition is on and the engine is off.
 
I am averaging about 100 miles before I get the “Get Gas Light”. I'm getting ready to do a long trip. I'm curious how far anyone's pushed it before hitting empty.



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The reserve is about 1 gallon, so I typically expect to be empty within ~44 miles (my average MPG across all tanks). I aim to refill within 20 miles after reserve comes on so I don’t come close to running dry. On my R18 Classic, the reserve usually comes on around 130 miles into the tank.

On a tank where I rode the furthest on a tank, I ended up refilling at 173 miles & put 3.7 gallons in for an average MPG of ~46. My worst tank was the first full tank after I bought the bike & it was still breaking in with 39MPG. My best tank was 48MPG. I essentially expect I can do 150 miles on a tank with no worries. My worst MPG would still be 175 miles till fully empty, so this is a reasonable buffer.

As an aside, I record every tank in Fuelly with odometer, price per gallon and total gallons filled, so these are actual usage numbers, not what the computer estimated MPG is.
 
The reserve is about 1 gallon, so I typically expect to be empty within ~44 miles (my average MPG across all tanks). I aim to refill within 20 miles after reserve comes on so I don’t come close to running dry. On my R18 Classic, the reserve usually comes on around 130 miles into the tank.

On a tank where I rode the furthest on a tank, I ended up refilling at 173 miles & put 3.7 gallons in for an average MPG of ~46. My worst tank was the first full tank after I bought the bike & it was still breaking in with 39MPG. My best tank was 48MPG. I essentially expect I can do 150 miles on a tank with no worries. My worst MPG would still be 175 miles till fully empty, so this is a reasonable buffer.

As an aside, I record every tank in Fuelly with odometer, price per gallon and total gallons filled, so these are actual usage numbers, not what the computer estimated MPG is.
Folks, this bike has fuel injection, and fuel injection pumps the fuel up to 45 to 60 psi high pressure before injection, and then goes back, what isn't injected, back into the fuel tank. Compression of fuel makes it hot, and the fuel is used to cool the in tank fuel pump. It's always a good idea to get fuel before or when the fuel light comes on.... the remaining fuel gets hot and doesn't cool the fuel pump properly, not enough remaining volume.

Save your fuel pump, fill up BEFORE the fuel light comes on.
 
You're a braver person than I, sir. One thing I should mention however, is that the fuel pump sits in the tank. The pump relies on the gas for cooling the motor, which is running continuously with the engine on.

Fuel pump replacements is not something I like doing on the side of the road ;).
Additionally, check your owners manual. It should tell you how much reserve you have left in your tank once the fill gas indicator lights up. It does in mine (I have a TC with the bigger tank, so I'm of no use to you).

Mike
I've did 28miles shiting myself can't tell you how much it took to fill rubbish garage with no super unleaded only put £10 in it
 
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