Fuel gage foolishness

Manfred

Manfred

Stuart Brogden
Joined
Sep 6, 2024
Messages
369
Location
La Vernia, TX
Bike
2010 Honda nt700v
I rode to meet with the saints today - 35 miles each way by back roads. Fuel gage read just less than a quarter of a tank when I left and dropped down through the red zone and landed on E about 20 miles before a gas station. I filled up with 4.166 gallons. The fuel tank capacity is 5.2 gallons. It appears I have about 75 miles of range once the needle hits the bottom peg. Is this normal for an NT700V?
 
Woodaddict said:
Yes, there is .9 of a gallon after all way on E. I would regularly go past needle all way down.

There is some talk about this if you search a little bit
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Wonder how tall the fuel pump is. It is cooled by the continuous sloshing of fuel at low levels.
 
On a number of occasions I had to let the gauge drop below the "E". Each time I had about 5 - 10 miles left in the the tank.

Note: it is not a good idea to let the tank get below about ¼ full as the petrol is used to cool the pump (and they are expensive).
 
Long ago I wanted to see how much fuel was left in the NT when the low fuel warning actuated. I finally got very nervous riding locally and looked it up to find out that bike did not have one.
:rolleyes:
 
Frosty said:
Long ago I wanted to see how much fuel was left in the NT when the low fuel warning actuated.
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Yep... ze GF has me instead... ;)
The ST1100 would easily do 300 miles on a tank, the NT's max service range is ~250...
So my ST's fuel warning starting to blink (occasionally) indicates the NT behind me is 'running on fumes'... 😁
(she already managed to run out of fuel twice while riding around alone...)
 
I'm not looking to run the tank dry; trying to get a handle on when I must stop for gas. In rural Texas, there are long distances between gas stations in places.
 
Not exactly on topic, but this thread reminds me of long ago when motorcycles had no fuel gauge. If you ran out of gas, you just flipped the fuel tank valve to "reserve". Then on occasion, you would forget to put it back to "main" after refueling. The next time you ran out of gas.....you were out of gas.
 
cliffh said:
Not exactly on topic, but this thread reminds me of long ago when motorcycles had no fuel gauge. If you ran out of gas, you just flipped the fuel tank valve to "reserve". Then on occasion, you would forget to put it back to "main" after refueling. The next time you ran out of gas.....you were out of gas.
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The NT is the first bike I've owned with a fuel gage. I've always had the reserve setting on the percock.
 
I'm still old school so I always set the trip meter A, figured out how many miles per gallon I was getting (a good average) when I fill up and that way know how far I can go on a tank. Seldom ever pay attention to the fuel gauge. I just always plan fuel stops at 200 miles or less.
 
WVRider said:
I'm still old school so I always set the trip meter A, figured out how many miles per gallon I was getting (a good average) when I fill up and that way know how far I can go on a tank. Seldom ever pay attention to the fuel gauge. I just always plan fuel stops at 200 miles or less.
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I've not even looked at the trip meter. All I've done with the dash is set the clock.
 
when I want to find out how far my new bike can go on a tank of gas, I take a gallon gas container with me and ride around town so as not to be too far from a station when the bike quits. The gallon should get me to a station. I try not to let the fuel get lower than a quarter of a tank. As I said "I try"
 
All bikes are different. I had a 1967 Moto Guzzi once upon a time. You just didn't want to need the reserve. When switched to reserve, you might only get 15-20 more miles before completely empty.....less on curvy roads. Pretty much useless reserve.
 
cliffh said:
Not exactly on topic, but this thread reminds me of long ago when motorcycles had no fuel gauge. If you ran out of gas, you just flipped the fuel tank valve to "reserve". Then on occasion, you would forget to put it back to "main" after refueling. The next time you ran out of gas.....you were out of gas.
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Been there, done that.
 
junglejim said:
I discovered as a very young rider that it’s easier to put gas in a motorcycle than it is to push it to a gas station. It only happened once.
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There is only one time where you have too much gas...and that is when you are on fire. You probably will never hurt a carburated engine by running it out of fuel, even though at the last it runs very lean. But a bit of googling will show there is a very real risk of running a fuel injected engine out of gas. Hint. On many cars, if you put the accelerator to the floor, the engine will crank but the sparking plugs wont fire, allowing you to prime the engine.
Yes, running a fuel-injected engine out of fuel can cause damage, primarily to the fuel pump, which relies on gasoline for cooling and lubrication. While it rarely destroys the engine instantly, it can cause the fuel pump to overheat and fail, clog fuel injectors with sediment, and create airlocks in the system.

Potential Damages and Risks:
  • Fuel Pump Failure: The electric fuel pump is submerged in the fuel tank and cooled by the fuel. Running dry causes it to overheat and significantly shortens its life.
  • Clogged Injectors/Filters: Low fuel levels allow the pump to draw in sediment and debris from the bottom of the tank, which can clog filters and injectors.
  • Engine Lean Run/Knock: As the system runs out of fuel, it may cause a very lean mixture (too much air, too little fuel), leading to high cylinder temperatures and potential knock.
  • Air In The Fuel System: Air enters the fuel lines, which may make the engine harder to start even after adding fuel, sometimes requiring a priming procedure, especially on diesels
 
Manfred said:
The NT is the first bike I've owned with a fuel gage. I've always had the reserve setting on the percock.
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I'm kind of the opposite. I've only had one without a fuel gauge and I don't miss it. For me, range anxiety is something too easily avoided to let it mess with my ride.
 
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