It died at the Pump

[fltsfshr]

I took my scoot out to run a bunch of errands. As I headed home winding it up a bit in third, it cut out. I slowed down, looked down and saw my gas gauge all the way on E.

I turned around and limped back to a gas station about a mile away. I pulled up to the gas pump and didn't have to use the key. It shut down right there.

I think I'll look at my fuel gauge more often. :rolleyes1:

fltsfshr

 

[RedNigel]

how long were you on the 'E'?

 

[Bear]

OMG ! And all along I thought that "E" stood for Enough. All kidding aside, when mine hits E, it means fumes--ask me how I know?

 

[fltsfshr]

how long were you on the 'E'?

I have no clue other than it was obviously too long..... haha

fltsfshr

 

[RedNigel]

I always pull over within 25 miles of hitting E (or total of 225-235 on the tank)
I have never put more than 4.5 gallons in the tank. I have never found that last gallon, and I am not willing to find out the hard way just how far I can go.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Right after I got my NT, I was in Brush, 10 miles east of town and finished a meeting and decided to head out on a loop that would be about 65 miles to bring me back to Fort Morgan. I had just a tad less than half-tank according to the gauge and about 120-130 miles on the trip odometer.

By the time I got 25 miles north on Colorado 71 to CO 14, I was down from just a tad less than half to just a tad less more than a quarter. I slowed down to 60mph, after running at about 70 for the 1st 25 miles. By the time I got to Colorado 52, 25 miles north of Fort Morgan I was down into the very top of the red. I slowed down to 45, lowered the windscreen as far as it would go and got down behind it to reduce drag as much as possible. When I was 8-10 miles north of town, I was down below the red and figured I was going to be walking.

But I made it to town and to the first gas station and only put in 4.445 gallons. I think the most I've ever put in was about 4.9 gallons.

 

[Coyote Chris]

The gas gage is certainly non-linear for sure. There is an idea floating around that may or may not have any truth in it but it really sounds good. All high pressure "in the tank" fuel pumps are cooled by the gasoline in the tank. In certain cars, and maybe bikes, a tall vertically mounted pump may not recieve the cooling it needs if the fuel in the tank is routinely kept at a low level to where slosh cant reach it.

Right after I got my NT, I was in Brush, 10 miles east of town and finished a meeting and decided to head out on a loop that would be about 65 miles to bring me back to Fort Morgan. I had just a tad less than half-tank according to the gauge and about 120-130 miles on the trip odometer.

By the time I got 25 miles north on Colorado 71 to CO 14, I was down from just a tad less than half to just a tad less more than a quarter. I slowed down to 60mph, after running at about 70 for the 1st 25 miles. By the time I got to Colorado 52, 25 miles north of Fort Morgan I was down into the very top of the red. I slowed down to 45, lowered the windscreen as far as it would go and got down behind it to reduce drag as much as possible. When I was 8-10 miles north of town, I was down below the red and figured I was going to be walking.

But I made it to town and to the first gas station and only put in 4.445 gallons. I think the most I've ever put in was about 4.9 gallons.

 

[Warren]

That might be true but it would seem like it would be an obvious design defect that the manufactures would be aware of and design around.

 

[seagrass]

I ran out of fuel on my first tank, on the highway and about 10 miles from anywhere. Luckily I was heading to a friends place in the next town and he came and rescued me.

I believe the fuel pumps are also cooled by the fuel passing through them which reduces the risk of them overheating when the fuel in the tank is low.

 

[Coyote Chris]

That makes a good story too. I suppose it depends on where the windings are, the design, etc. Sometimes I get cynical about designs. An engineer comes up with a crackerjack design for an in tank fuel pump and some managment type comes along and says, "Cheepen it...its too good and too expensive.". I have lots of friends who have had their Amerian fuel pumps stop pumping.....and in many cases, there was no access plate on the floor to get to the top of the tank and the access plate located there, so the tank had to be dropped.

I ran out of fuel on my first tank, on the highway and about 10 miles from anywhere. Luckily I was heading to a friends place in the next town and he came and rescued me.

I believe the fuel pumps are also cooled by the fuel passing through them which reduces the risk of them overheating when the fuel in the tank is low.