running on empty?

[dlb]

I normally fill up about 3/4 empty, but the last couple of times I've been lazy and waited. With the needle firmly sitting on the last mark of E, I'm still only putting about 4 gallons in. should be another gallon in there somewhere. is this about normal for the gauge?

 

[fltsfshr]

When my gauge hit empty, it was gone. It cut out on acceleration. I barely made it to a station, it died as I pulled into the pump. I got just a little bit over 4 gallons into it. I'll never let mine get anywhere that empty mark again.

fltsfshr

 

[RedNigel]

I've never gotten more than 4.5 at that point. There those here who will tell you the fifth gallon is still available to you at the 'E'
I don't have the nerve to try and find out
So I go from tank to tank on 4.5

 

[Herb]

I've never gotten more than 4.5 at that point. There those here who will tell you the fifth gallon is still available to you at the 'E'
I don't have the nerve to try and find out
So I go from tank to tank on 4.5

Yes, I'm one of those that testify that a 5th gallon is available when the gage hits empty.

 

[Laserdot]

If I re-fuel when it is at the bottom of the red I put in 4.0-4.1 gal. Since I city commute in San Jose, I routinely let it go further, normally around 4.5-4.6 gal. I think the emptiest I ever got was a 4.85 gal fill up, around 280 freeway commute miles.

Mike

 

[its just rain]

My experience has been exactly the same as Laserdot. I usually ride with two other friends, one who rides a Harley and the other rides a crotch rocket. When I'm in the lead I stop when I've gone about 180 miles so they don't run out of gas. It usually takes 3.2-3.3 gallons to fill her up.

 

[dnktng]

From my last summer attempt to get stranded:

Anyone try to run out of gas? I did. Carried a 1 gallon can of gas to bail myself out. Here are my results:

1. Gas gauge goes about 2-3 needles below E and STOPS. Needle will not go lower, and definately will not go to the zero position as displayed with key off.
2. Was able to get ~40 miles after needle stopped moving.
3. Got 297.1 miles on that tank.
4. Filled 4.871 gallons. Usually fill 4.0 to 4.3 gallons, so I ran an extra .5 gallons out before fill up.
5. 61 mpg. This is above my normal 55-57 mpg in summer.
6. I felt engine stutter going up an incline and filled up at next gas station, so I didn't run it till it died..... but I tried & learned enough.

 

[Woodaddict]

I too have run on the red with needle on bottom and not moving. Only did this after noticing I was only putting in 4.0 - 4.3 gal, so tried to stretch some little by little. 2 round trips to work is 226 miles, so at that point I'm set at low needle point for about 20 miles. In cold air I'm getting 51-52 MPG, in warm weather I can get 53 - 56 MPG. On a long trip I can get 57-58 MPG. If you don't run high MPH you can get good MPG higher than than the posted Honda rated 50 MPG. My best tank was 280.5 miles, with 4.8 gal on fill up, attaining 58MPG, while riding 2 up, I could have made it to 300 miles, but with wife on back and not knowing for sure where gas station was at................

 

[ken]

Was able to get ~40 miles after needle stopped moving

Last summer on a long, empty strech of Wyoming with no open gas stations, I was forced to ride long after the needle stopped moving. At that point, I slowed to 45 mph in high gear and went another 52 miles until I found an open station. My tank held 4.92 gal.

Ken

 

[Phil Tarman]

At that point, I slowed to 45 mph in high gear and went another 52 miles until I found an open station. My tank held 4.92 gal.

Ditto! I don't remember how many miles I went, but the most gas I ever got in was 4.911 gallons. I kept thinking, "It's lighter than my Connie was, but I still don't want to push it." I was running out the first fill-up I did after I bought the bike.

 

[Cameron]

I routinely put 4 to 4.5 gallons in once the needle gets to "E". I put in 4.935 in the Fall, after 219 miles - yeah, I know, I get pretty low mileage, but the majority is my daily commute into center city. I did get 255 miles on 4.621 gallons (55 mppg) at the end of my Montana/Canada trip in the summer. Most recently put in 4.265 at the "E", but I could get the needle to indicate higher when leaning the bike at a red light, so I knew there was still fuel in there. I carry a small fuel bottle with me, just in case.

 

[Chuck 500]

Closest I've come to running out was on my SS1000 ride. In deep west TX I left a gas station with 1/2 tank showing in the gauge and 90 miles to the next stop. Thity miles on, the needle pegged on E! One gallon left, 60 miles to go. Slowed WAY down, had been running 75 to 80+. Slowed to 50. Made it, pumped 4.9 gallons. Never again.

 

[vzshadow]

+1 on the trip mileage. I don't pay much attention to the gas gauge. I try and fill up between 220 and 220 miles. I usually put in a bit more than 4 gallons.

 

[WVRider]

Had an experiance about like Ken last year when riding over into VA on a Friday evening. Left from Parkersburg, WV on less than a full tank of gas (it had not moved off full however knew it wasn't) I rode right past the station in Huttonsville, WV with a little over 1/4 of a tank, figuring there would be several stations between there and Monterey, VA. I rolled through several small burgs with no stations. Glanced at the map and knew there were two stations in Monterey, VA and knew I would be pushing the E mark by the time I got there but not enough to take it easy on the fun, twisty US250. I rolled into Monterey and the guage was sitting on the upper edge of the E when I found the first station had been closed (out of business). Oh well, no biggie, would catch the next one. Made the turn onto US220 South and to my surprise the station there had all new pumps, still wrapped in plastic, and the place was also closed for a remake. Just Great ! was my thought. Looked at the map and prayed that the little, unmanned, self serve station in Warm Springs was open and I would be able to make the 32 miles to it. I carefully throttled at 40 to 45 MPH keeping the rpms smooth and when I gased up at Warm Springs it took 4.92 and the odometer was sitting a 312.6 miles. Wrote that one down so I would be reminded to always fill up around 1/4 of a tank unless I'm right around town where I'll take it down E now. I was really pleased that the camping gear ladden NT pumped out a good 63.5 mpg. Don't every want to do that again.

DJ

 

[Rich]

That stretch from Salina - Green River - Grand Junction is the longest stretch I've encountered. On my SL350 (2 gal + 1/2 reserve) that 110 miles was about all I could expect before going on reserve, so the "No Services 110 miles" sign gave me pause.

So after refueling in Green River (hit reserve just as I pulled off the highway. I got cocky. I hit reserve just before Grand Junction. But GJ was a ways off the interstate in those days (1972) so I figured i'd press on until there was a gas station in sight from the highway. Just before hitting the Fruita exit the engine quits. But it's downhill into Fruita, so I figure I'll blow through the stop sign on the exit ramp end should be able to coast down into town. As I coast right on through, sure enough, there's a CHP car lurking under the overpass just looking for me to do just that. I explain to him the situation, telling him my tank was dry. He asks "how big is your tank?". So I tell him 2-1/2 gallons. He gives me a ride to the gas station, where I borrow a gas can. The attendant asks me "How much do you want in it?". The cop answers "2-1/2 gallons". All righty then, I see he's checking my story. Fortunately the bike comes exactly full as the gas can is drained dry.

Epilogue: The cop lets me go and even lets me just take off from the highway exit and returns the gas can to the station for me.

But that stretch in Eastern Utah between Salina and Green River remains the longest empty stretch I've come across, with the GR - GJ stretch in second place. But there are lots of 40-50 stretches like that in the Western States.

 

[suvcw04]

And they say cops are only out to write tickets.
Personally, I have NEVER gotten a ticket that I didn't deserve. And I have been given a free pas a few times when I did deserve a ticket.

 

[Phil Tarman]

I try and fill up between 220 and 220 miles.

That leaves you with a pretty narrow window -- what if you don't find a gas station at 220 miles? Will you fill up at 219 or 221 miles?

 

[vzshadow]

That leaves you with a pretty narrow window -- what if you don't find a gas station at 220 miles? Will you fill up at 219 or 221 miles?

I've gone up in the 250s before getting gas. Phil, Maine is pretty remote but isn't easter Colorado. Gas is easy to come by around here!

 

[bicyclist]

That stretch from Salina - Green River - Grand Junction is the longest stretch I've encountered. On my SL350 (2 gal + 1/2 reserve) that 110 miles was about all I could expect before going on reserve, so the "No Services 110 miles" sign gave me pause.

So after refueling in Green River (hit reserve just as I pulled off the highway. I got cocky. I hit reserve just before Grand Junction. But GJ was a ways off the interstate in those days (1972) so I figured i'd press on until there was a gas station in sight from the highway. Just before hitting the Fruita exit the engine quits. But it's downhill into Fruita, so I figure I'll blow through the stop sign on the exit ramp end should be able to coast down into town. As I coast right on through, sure enough, there's a CHP car lurking under the overpass just looking for me to do just that. I explain to him the situation, telling him my tank was dry. He asks "how big is your tank?". So I tell him 2-1/2 gallons. He gives me a ride to the gas station, where I borrow a gas can. The attendant asks me "How much do you want in it?". The cop answers "2-1/2 gallons". All righty then, I see he's checking my story. Fortunately the bike comes exactly full as the gas can is drained dry.

Epilogue: The cop lets me go and even lets me just take off from the highway exit and returns the gas can to the station for me.

But that stretch in Eastern Utah between Salina and Green River remains the longest empty stretch I've come across, with the GR - GJ stretch in second place. But there are lots of 40-50 stretches like that in the Western States.

Great story! In '73, my riding partner and his brother and I took our first long bike trip and rode out to a wedding in Salt Lake City. Afterwards, two friends of the bride needed a ride to Vail, so we offered to take them. We saw that "No Services 110 Miles" sign and fueled up. About half way, in the middle of nowhere, my buddy's brother had a flat. The girls were freaked out, but I had a set of tire irons and a tube, so we fixed it beside the road. Our heroics were for naught, however; the girl I had the hots for married some guy from Massachusetts a few years later.:smile:

 

[Motero]

The most I have been able to put it in the tank was 4.65 gallons, and that time I had only ridden 158 miles (all in the city). That is, 34 mpg. What am I doing wrong here? I see that most riders are getting much better fuel economy numbers.