How far do you go with the fuel gauge flashing?

[RCinNC]

After once having to push a KZ1000 when it ran out of gas, I tend to err on the side of caution. I usually fuel up at around 180 miles, and if the fuel bar starts flashing, I start looking on the phone or Zumo for the nearest gas station. I think the longest I ever went between gas stops was 220 miles.

I'd hate to rely on how much was left in the tank once the bar starts flashing if I was in someplace like Kansas with serious headwinds, or Colorado with lots of mountains to climb, or doing 80 mph on an interstate. All those conditions could result in an unpleasant surprise if you were counting on past calculations for your remaining gas when you keep riding when the bar starts flashing.

 

[Little Joe]

The danger in getting this intel from the various users is fuel source, riding location, and loads.

Fuel source: users in Europe are generally reporting 15% or better mileage because of fuel quality, and a lot less corn filler. I'm in Ontario, Canada. In the summer if I'm just fueling up here, I get 40 mpg. If it's on winter fuel, 36. If I ride south of central Virginia, 45-48. Non ethanol in the South, 51. Same rider, my style and speeds don't vary much.

Average speeds vary, take Texas for example. Their averages are reported at 15 mph more than I can do here without getting pinched.

My wife and I driving the same car, I get better mileage. And she's a solid driver, doesn't rabbit, does the same speeds as me at about 10 over. Most of it is my old truck driving habits of reading farther ahead on a road, and getting out of the throttle a bit earlier when approaching off ramps and lights. So your style can really skew mileage numbers.

Ball park for me, the feed me light hits at 300 kms, about 190 miles, and there's about 4 liters/1 US gallon minimum left.

I’m from Ontario as well. If you’re only getting 40mpg imp . Then you must be running 140 a lot.

I can consistently get 60mpg imp if running secondary roads and about 100kph, 2up.
It is as good or better mileage than my DR 660.


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[MonkeyBut]

I think the timing of the low fuel light coming on is pretty consistent….all five of the S10s that I have owned have taken 4.4 to 4.5 gallons to fill when the light first begins to flash. This indicates to me that there is about 1.25 gallons left until empty having filled the tank a couple of times with 5.6 gallons on a refill.
I’ve never run out and have ridden 40 miles with the light on numerous times……I do slow down when the light begins to flash for better mileage.

This!!!!
I've never run out of fuel but have been within a mile or 2 when the fuel light starts flashing.
I did this on purpose to know what was left on the tank. Regardless of how hard or easy I was twisting the throttle. When my bar starts flashing "I" have 1.5 gallons of fuel left. No matter the average, blinking means the same amount of fuel. 1.5 gallons for me. That means "I" with easy throttle can get at least, bare minimum another 50 miles with one and a half gallons.

Because, when the bar starts flashing, and I was within those 1 or 2 miles, my motorcycle always took at least 5 gallons to fill.

This is my 2 cents or 1.5 gallons. Hahahah. Your gallons left may vary but it's a good ides to know regardless of what you did before the light starts flashing, what you have left.

 

[Avalanche123]

I just put it down to the Tenere's tank shape. The H-D's tank is more uniform.

I wondered about that too....The ST has more volume at the top....but there are other fluctuations that are more difficult to explain.

 

[SkunkWorks]

I agree with what Whisperquiet and MonkeyBut stated.

No matter how easy or hard I ride, when the fuel indicator starts flashing, I know I have around 1.5 gallons left in the Tank.

I did run out once...............I was deep in the Canyons on the Apache-Trail, trying to make my way back to civilization towards Apache Junction.
The fuel indicator had been blinking for some time, but there is nothing along that stretch.
I made it as far as the "Hitching Post Saloon" where I coasted silently into the parking-lot, out of fuel.
I had gone somewhere around 270-275 miles on that tank of fuel.
I called my good friend to come get me with a 5-gallon can of fuel...........I was only about 2 miles from the nearest gas station at that point.........."Almost made it".

 

[Longdog Cymru]

I’ve got a 2010, still quite new to me so I’m still getting a feel for fuel range.

how far do you typically go with the fuel light flashing?

Until it stops flashing, then you start pushing!

 

[Sierra1]

Until it stops flashing, then you start pushing!

Actually, it'll still be flashing while you're pushing if you leave the key on.

 

[Ss1]

I drove exactly 85 km on a flashing indicator and 440 km in total. Then I got on the road.

 

[KGaron]

I've run over 60 miles with the light flashing. I typically try not to exceed 50 miles though.
Last year, loaded down during a cross country trip just outside of Vega Tx, I ran out after 47 miles. I was on the edge of nowhere and it was 99* at 10:30am when I started pushing...

Now I don't go more than 40 miles!

 

[Grape_salad]

Filling in some details now that I’ve had the bike for a while:

- If I fill up as soon as the fuel light starts flashing, it will take 16 litres to fill the tank
- if I run it till empty (stalling, bike needs to be leant over to slosh fuel to the pickup to keep it running) it takes 21 litres to fill up

So functionally I see the bike as having 21 litres of total capacity, with the fuel light coming on with 5 litres left.

 

[Sierra1]

Last fill up: 223.6 miles with 5.28 usg.

 

[Cycledude]

Three different times on our Prudehoe Bay trip I had gone 250 miles and put in 5 gallons of gas to fill it so that means there was still a little over one gallon of gas left in the tank so it probably could reach 300 miles if I drove conservatively.

 

[whisperquiet]

Three different times on our Prudehoe Bay trip I had gone 250 miles and put in 5 gallons of gas to fill it so that means there was still a little over one gallon of gas left in the tank so it probably could reach 300 miles if I drove conservatively.

I think the most fuel I’ve ever put in a S10 was around 5.6 gallons at around 250 miles or so.

 

[lund]

When I went to Arctic Circle it is 410kms or 254miles from Dawson City to Eagle Plain. I made it in without refuel, the warning light had been flashing for the last 1/2 hr for sure and thought I was going to run out. It came in on fumes I'm sure.
I would normally not do that and refuel as it is very hard on a fuel pump to run so low on fuel, the pump relies on the fuel for cooling and running so low will shorten the life of any fuel pump. But I was curious to know in case.

 

[Cycledude]

When I went to Arctic Circle it is 410kms or 254miles from Dawson City to Eagle Plain. I made it in without refuel, the warning light had been flashing for the last 1/2 hr for sure and thought I was going to run out. It came in on fumes I'm sure.
I would normally not do that and refuel as it is very hard on a fuel pump to run so low on fuel, the pump relies on the fuel for cooling and running so low will shorten the life of any fuel pump. But I was curious to know in case.

Do you actually know how much fuel you put in your tank ?

 

[scott123007]

As others have said, there are approx. 1.25 -1.5 gallons left when the light starts blinking. This is a CONSTANT, no matter how many or few miles you have gone to get to that point. What I do when the light starts blinking is to zero out my MPG on my dash, and then start taking it easy, IF I don't know how far I have to go for fuel. Knowing that I if I ride it like a Girl Scout, and keeping an eye on my new MPG screen which will always read 50+ mpg now that I'm babying it, I have 60+ more miles of range.
Moral of the story is to take it EASY after the light starts blinking and you should get at least 60 miles more till empty.

 

[Madhatter]

well for me its simple , when it starts flashing find a gas station ... actually its better to fill up before it starts flashing . there have been 2 times on a trip were I missed a gas station and pressed on and was very concerned about having to walk . when flashing I slow down to maximize the MPG's , and some how I made it to a gas station . had a half gallon left on one occasion .

 

[thughes317]

well for me its simple , when it starts flashing find a gas station ... actually its better to fill up before it starts flashing . there have been 2 times on a trip were I missed a gas station and pressed on and was very concerned about having to walk . when flashing I slow down to maximize the MPG's , and some how I made it to a gas station . had a half gallon left on one occasion .

Exactly. I try to avoid unnecessary drama, so I'm the guy that dips into the next gas station after my range drops under 100 miles left in tank....I feel no need to see how far I can stretch it. YMMV.

 

[lund]

Do you actually know how much fuel you put in your tank ?

I actually never paid attention, its not something I would normally do. Maybe it would had gone much further.
I was carrying 2gallons of extra so more of a curiosity thing LOL.
The CanAm had to be fueled up about 150kms back as it was flashing empty for nearly 60kms and it is rumored it will do 80kms on reserve flashing light.
Compared to the S10 the CanAm is a guzzler, we were carrying an extra 5gal. of fuel for that beast and needed it couple times.

 

[Cycledude]

I actually never paid attention, its not something I would normally do. Maybe it would had gone much further.
I was carrying 2gallons of extra so more of a curiosity thing LOL.
The CanAm had to be fueled up about 150kms back as it was flashing empty for nearly 60kms and it is rumored it will do 80kms on reserve flashing light.
Compared to the S10 the CanAm is a guzzler, we were carrying an extra 5gal. of fuel for that beast and needed it couple times.

I’ve heard the older 2 cylinder CanAm’s use considerably more fuel than the newer 3 cylinder models like your wife was riding.
Usually pay attention to how much fuel gets put in because it gives me an idea how much farther I could have gone before running empty.