Miles after fuel light?

[TN_Sooner]

Okay, I've been trying to figure out how far I can go after the fuel light comes on - so far, I'm up to about 35 miles, but even then the most fuel I've been able to put in is 3.8 gallons, so I know there is another .4 gallons (~20 miles or so), at least theoretically.

So, two questions:

How far have you gone after the fuel light comes on?

How many gallons were you able to fill with that mileage?

 

[Edumakated]

I usually put in 3 to 3.5 gallons when I fill up after the light comes on. I'm only averaging about 42 mpg (stop & go city riding most of the time). So I just assume I can go another 30 miles before I really need to fill up. However, gas stations are so plentiful in my area I see no point in running it down to the fumes. Being in Chicago and given the route I take to the city, I go through some areas you absolutely don't want to be out of gas pushing a bright blue BMW scooter. My Vespa gauge is just as inaccurate. Low fuel comes on with at least a full gallon remaining.

 

[justscootin]

300km light comes on it will take 12 litres so by theory I should be able to go 100km till dry as the scooter takes 16 litres total. I have gone as far as 70km after light came on and it will take almost 15 litres.

 

[SteveADV]

So, if my conversion calculations are correct, your light comes on at 750 feet, it takes a quart and a half to fill up, you should be able to go another 250 feet, and then it takes a good 2 quarts plus a cup and a half to fill back up.

Thank heavens for my south of the border education.

 

[justscootin]

Exactly perfect

So, if my conversion calculations are correct, your light comes on at 750 feet, it takes a quart and a half to fill up, you should be able to go another 250 feet, and then it takes a good 2 quarts plus a cup and a half to fill back up.

Thank heavens for my south of the border education.

 

[Dale]

I put in 3.7 to 3.8 when light comes on. Have gone 42 miles with no problem. I get average 52 MPG, 49 in town 56 on road. If cursing at 75 to 80 and the light comes on I slow to 65 seems to do better on gas if it stays below 5,000 RPM. Above 5,000 I get about 48 MPG.

 

[SteveADV]

This belongs in the windshield thread but (so I guess I'll add it there also).....I lose about 3-5mpg with the Aeroflow. Plus it bounces around like kahrayzee when hitting truck turbulence. I may put the stock windshield back on to remind myself of why I made the switch.

 

[Edumakated]

I ran out out of gas yesterday while out for a quick ride . Scared the crap out of me as I was on a four lane road going about 50mph with cagers all around me. Fortunately, I was able to get over and the scoot didn't stop on a hill. I was only about 1/2 a mile from the nearest gas station.

The crazy thing is that I had only gone about 9 miles after the low fuel light had come on. My light usually comes on with 2 bars left. I was actually planning on stopping at the gas station I eventually had to walk to. This was really odd because I normally only put about 3.5 gallons or so in when the fuel light comes on. However, my tank was bone dry after filling up.

The only thing I can think of is that I accidentally killed my battery last week (left the key in ignition after taking groceries in for a few days). Maybe after the battery died and I put the new battery in, the gauge was off for some reason? I actually thought it was something else as I just knew I couldn't be out of gas. thought it was maybe the side stand or something.

 

[justscootin]

I went for a ride the other day and before I left I needed about 3 litres or 3/4 quarts so I went in and topped it up while on the side stand (normally I never do this every other time I fill it while I sit on it) after I started the scooter up the fuel gauge did not move it remained at the 5/8 of a tank mark but I new it was full so I rode on. I rode about 175km (a half tank worth) the fuel gauge dropped like a stone and the fuel light came on after 100km but I new I should have had at least 3/4 of a tank. So this morning I filled up while I sat on the scooter and it took a half tank as suspected. When restarting the scooter the gauge registered full. I believe that the scooter has to be vertical for the gauge to reset properly

 

[Edumakated]

I know the gauge won't recognize a full tank if you don't completely turn off the power when filling up. In my case, I ran out of gas after only 9 miles since the fuel light came on. I think the inaccuracy was due to having my battery die earlier as I Normally can ride about 30-40 miles before running out of gas based on how much I typically can put in after the fuel light comes on.

 

[Gurock]

Remember it's not just issues with your gauge. When you fill the bike after you've ridden down to near empty, you don't know whether you really got it to hold the entire 4.2 gallons. If you put 3.85 gallons in and there's an air bubble the bike might have been down to fumes before the gas stop.

I've gone about 32 miles on the lit "need fuel light". When I filled it the bike took about 3.9 gallons. I'll be the first to admit that getting to that point was stupid. I was riding on county roads in the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri with a small group of fast riding great fun people. None of them needed gas and I didn't want to hold them up. I thought that the distance to the next gas would be a little less and or that I'd get a little further with what was left in the tank. It's my intention to never let it get to 30 miles on reserve fuel light again.

Everyone seems to get better gas mileage then I do. Not just on the BMW but on every bike I've owned. Some of it may be that I weigh 285 lbs. and some of it is that I tend to ride like my pants are on fire all the time. If the speed limit is 80 MPH I tend to ride at 80 to 85 MPH. I do notice that on cross country trips involving many miles of interstate highways that if I hold back to 65 MPH I get a lot better mileage then at 80 to 85 MPH. I'm just willing to suffer lower gas mileage to ride faster/harder.

 

[exavid]

I put 3.4 gallons of gas in my GT the other day after riding for about ten miles with the warning light on. I'd estimate I had nearly 40 miles of fuel left since we were traveling on secondary roads around 50-55mph which yields 50+mpg. Every bike I've owned really began to suck fuel once you get over 75mph.

 

[isko]

i rode for about 70kms after the reserve lights came on and still had another .8 litres left in the tank. I was cruising at a steady 80kmh on a B road.

 

[yellasei]

A couple of times i have been out, the light on and count up gone to 20 odd miles, come home and parked up on side stand over night then out again and light out and count up gone, lol.
In my experience with BMW guages, these are pretty good!!!!! i wouldnt want to push anything over 30 miles...........or you would be literally pushing it.

 

[wsteele]

Supposedly they say you should fill the tank while on the center stand to get the full amount of fuel in your tank I have never done that just because the bike is a pain in the ass to get it on its center stand, so when the fuel light comes on I just fill the bike up at the nearest gas station while it is on its kick stand and be on my way. Although I would like to know just how many miles I could get after the light comes on but there are to many variables. Speed, wind, hills and valleys etc

 

[SteveADV]

I fill up on my center stand but I weigh a tad over 1/10th of a ton, so getting it up is not that tough.


Well.....you know what I mean.

 

[Disney]

Excuse the newbie question, but I see on some sites that the specs say 4.2 gallons and 1 gallon reserve? Is this true? I'm coming from a Vespa and they had no reserves... So I don't know when or how to use the reserve if it's needed.

Only knowledge I know about reserves is when my friend said he ran out of gas on his Triumph Motocycle and switched to his reserve.

 

[Xian Forbes]

The reserve is basically a light that comes on the dash and then you'll notice that the mileage indicator will change to indicate how far you've gone on reserve. Results will vary as to how far you can go. On the highway cruising I've done 15 or so miles to a filing station. But in traffic, light to light, the economy goes down a ton. So certainly not nearly as far. I guess you'll need to get a feel for your mpg rates in different riding situations by watching the real time display as you ride.

 

[Disney]

The reserve is basically a light that comes on the dash and then you'll notice that the mileage indicator will change to indicate how far you've gone on reserve. Results will vary as to how far you can go. On the highway cruising I've done 15 or so miles to a filing station. But in traffic, light to light, the economy goes down a ton. So certainly not nearly as far. I guess you'll need to get a feel for your mpg rates in different riding situations by watching the real time display as you ride.

Ok, that's where my confusion lies. I thought it was an "extra" amount of fuel. I didn't know it meant "that's what you have left". Thought it was 4.2 + 1 gallon. Derf!

 

[Xian Forbes]

That's normally how a reserve would work on a bike without a gas gauge. But BMW has a specific take on the idea.