how far do you go on reserve tank

[Wanderer]

I can go and go - - until I run out.

[CaptainJoe]

2007 RSMV 820mi. Light comes on at 211-218 mi. with 2 bars showing. After light comes on, if you start up a hill, it will start sputtering and need to switch to reserve.

 

I'd have to say don't depend on your mileage being consistant especially when you travele out west and run into ethanol and other addatives.

 

My 650 V-star went from 150 mile per tank before hitting reserve to 110 mile. I got it up to 130 mpt or or so by switchng from 87 octane to 91-92 octane.

 

Best advice I've heard so far is to get a 1 gallon reserve tank that will fit in a saddlebag for those "just in case " scenarios. At some point you will have to go to reserve especially if your out west.

 

Don't know about you, but I'm NOT pushing the 870-900 lb.? Black Pearl more than a couple of feet...LOL

[LilBeaver]

2007 RSMV 820mi. Light comes on at 211-218 mi. with 2 bars showing. After light comes on, if you start up a hill, it will start sputtering and need to switch to reserve. ...

Now THAT is impressive!! I wish I could get my bike to do that

 

...

I'd have to say don't depend on your mileage being consistant especially when you travele out west and run into ethanol and other addatives.

...

 

-- Or like Beer30 said, there is always a chance of getting some bad fuel, so better to mix the good with the bad than get all bad.

 

I'm not sure exactly how that worked out. I know that I typically get average MPG. But, on that one day, I did run dry about as much as I could possible tell. I mean, it wouldn't start. And then, after adding the 32oz MRS Bottle, I was able to go 17 miles before going empty again. Maybe I'll give it another test to see if I missed something the first time. Typically, I get about 35-38 MPG during most types of average riding.

...

 

Pete:

One thought here is that if you had a few hard right leans or something, then you 'ran out' you would have had quite a bit of fuel left in the tank, that would have been accessible after a hard left turn or two. Sine the petcock pulls from only one side of the tank and the tank has a big 'divider deal' in the middle, it takes a good lean to get the fuel to switch from one side to another. A few weeks ago, I spent some time in a parking lot, screwing around... I mean 'practicing slow maneuvers' and my fuel was low enough that I could get the fuel light to come on when I was doing right handed U-turns and then get it to go off again with left-handed ones. After that I made a point of doing right-turns only until I started to sputter (which was a big mistake... Sputtering in the middle of a full locked turn is NOT fun ). I switched to reserve long enough to get the bike leaned over to the left, then turned it off of reserve and was able to drive for ~10 miles or so before having to actually switch back to reserve.

 

So if we say you had maybe 1/4 gallon left in the right side of the tank (inaccessible without leaning the bike far to the left), and you added your 32 oz (1/4 gallon) that would give you ~1/2 gallon. If that all sloshed to the left side of the tank and you averaged 36-40 mpg on your way to the pumps, that would have given you your 17 miles. So that could be a plausible explanation for your 17 miles on what appeared to be 1/4 of a gallon of fuel.

[Zfrebird4]

... I never allow my Bird to run out of gas, as that sends all the bottom junk to the filter. And I run with the reserve on, just where Lonna told Squidley to leave it when they sold her to me! LOL

 

Good riding to all.

 

JackZ

 

anytime in CO .

[dunvilsteev]

I created this for gas consumption, mileage and $$ spent for a season .

 

Please feel free to use, hope it helps you out.

 

I have a Canadian version also posted.

[YamaDuck]

I'm not sure anyone can answer that question. I have never run out of gas but I switch to reserve an awful lot. I get about 170 - 185 miles usually before I hit reserve but I have hit reserve at 120 miles before also. It all depends on how fast your driving, how much wind your fighting, etc. I have ridden 225 miles without running out of gas and the other Venture I was riding with ran out at 210 miles. The biggest factor is how much gas you put in when you fill up. If you stop when the gas reaches the bottom edge of you gas tank nozzle then you don't have 6 gals in. You probably have about 5.5 gals. I have spent a lot of time at the gas pump trying to fill up my gas tank and have still never filled it up. I will fill it to the nozzle let it settle, fill it to the nozzle let it settle, fill it to the nozzle let it settle, fill it to the nozzle let it settle, you get the idea. The most I ever put in was about 5.4 gals. Some people have punched holes in the inside nozzle collar to release the air back pressure so you don't have to let the gas settle and make it easier to fill the gas tank. I would not do this modification without some research. Anyway you see why this question is so hard to answer.

[Evan]

Based on all the other posts, I guess I am the oddball as I was annoyed at the red gas light on my 88VR coming on with over a gallon of gas left in the tank so I bent the gas tank float arm so it doesn't light up so soon.

[Beau-Kat]

Mine starts to sputter and I have to switch to reserve just BEFORE the warning lite comes on, I would say you should be good for at least 40 miles. I hope:confused24:

Gary

 

Mine use to sputter exactly when the fuel light would come on. And I mean it happened every time. Crazy!

 

Now it doesn't do that because my fuel light and reserve tripometer do not work anymore. I guess I'll be replacing my fuel sending unit at first opportunity.

[Beau-Kat]

I think I've gotten the fuel problem solved at least for myself here. I picked up a Tomtom One XL GPS the other day and one of its fetchers is locating the closest Gas Station haven't had to use it as yet but I'm hopping this will rectify some of the anziaty of hitting reseve and not knowing where the next gas stop is.. LOL..

 

That's one of the best features of my Garmin - all of the points of interests (gas stations, restaurants, banks, parts stores, hospitals, etc.) it will locate for you. Man, I really love that feature. Sure does cut my anxiety.

 

I use to write down where I would find gas stations open when I traveled along the interstates at night. Because, I had discovered that if I only took notice of the stations that were open during my daylight traveling, there was no guarantee they would also be open at night. Bought fuel using my credit card at a closed station one time. At 3am, with no one around, and only dim area lighting, that was a little spooky. At least i was able to fuel up.

 

Now, if I could only get my Garmin back from my wife and daughters before my next trip. They use it all of the time.

[LilBeaver]

Mine use to sputter exactly when the fuel light would come on. And I mean it happened every time. Crazy!

 

Now it doesn't do that because my fuel light and reserve tripometer do not work anymore. I guess I'll be replacing my fuel sending unit at first opportunity.

 

 

I replaced the sending unit on my 01 (because it failed) with one from an 06, and I noticed that the fuel bars went down much differently than my 01 did - so there IS some variance with years.

[Beau-Kat]

I replaced the sending unit on my 01 (because it failed) with one from an 06, and I noticed that the fuel bars went down much differently than my 01 did - so there IS some variance with years.

 

Do you like the way that one (the '06 one) works or would you prefer the earlier model?

[LilBeaver]

Do you like the way that one (the '06 one) works or would you prefer the earlier model?

 

 

Good question. Quite frankly, I don't care. It just took a few tanks to get used to about how far I could go on each bar, and about how much further I could go as each block went away.

 

I guess I do like that the one on the 06 is more evenly distributed - meaning that each bar represents closer to the same amount of fuel than the one did on the 01.

I do also like that the fuel light actually works now (Before, it didn't work, and I didn't think it was all that big of a deal - but it is handy as a 'warning you are about to have to switch to reserve' and also since the fuel light works the "F-trip" meter works too - which is nice since we have such a large reserve capacity, I don't have to play the "Now how far have I gone since I switched to reserve" game anymore.

 

On my original sending unit, if I recall correctly, it seems like the tank would stay 'full' for 60-80 miles or so, then the rest of the bars would drop very quickly. Again, it was just a matter of getting used to it opposed to the current unit that drops the first bar somewhere around 40 miles (50 on the highway).

 

I hope I have provided you with some useful information here even though I did not really directly answer your question.

[Beau-Kat]

Just what kind of info I was looking for.

 

I knew there must have been a reason that I had not installed a new sending unit yet. I was waiting to hear this very info.

 

I totally agree with you on how my bars drop on the MM (at least that part of the unit still works). Mine acts exactly like you said yours did.

 

I'll be replacing mine with a newer version also.

 

Thanks again for the replies.

[davecb]

Look at it this way, You have a 6 gallon tank, that may hold 5.5 gallons max. When your light comes on and you switch to reserve, figure that you have one gallon of gas to get to the next gas station...

[aharbi]

As I have done with all my bikes. I will carry a two gallon gas can with me when the fuel is low. I will run the bike to empty after switching to reserve to check my mileage. I can get 56 miles while on reserve to empty on a calm day.

[V7Goose]

Look at it this way, You have a 6 gallon tank, that may hold 5.5 gallons max. When your light comes on and you switch to reserve, figure that you have one gallon of gas to get to the next gas station...

Gee, my 6 gallon tank holds a full 6 gallons - what's wrong with yours, gotta big dent in the tank or something?

 

And the reality on the RSV is you have 1.5 gallons left when the light comes on, despite what the owner's manual says.

Goose

[Gamecock]

Checked my mileage today.....I got 165.9 on 4 gallons today. I had 3 bars left when I filled up, and I know it was slam full when I started out. I couldn't pass Sam's without getting gas as it's 25 cents cheaper than by my house.

 

Looks like I had another 2 gallons left and roughly 80 miles, though I would say 70 being conservative. Not bad, 41.5 MPG's.

 

Good info to know about the light coming on at 1.5 gallons left. I know one thing, the bike WILL cut off on you going up a hill with the gas light on and NOT being on reserve. How do I know this? First hand experience! I leaned the bike over and got popped in the back of the head by the boss!

 

 

Ben