EVO - Miles on Reserve

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Jan 20, 2017 | 03:58 AM

#21

grbrown

Club Member

Joined: Jun 2007

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From: Bedford UK

Quote:

Originally Posted by texashillcountry

What did you do to your Pingle to only get 8 miles out of the reserve????????
I get between 30 and 40 miles out of mine and that's after I cut it 1/2"ish shorter.

8 miles hardly qualifies for being called a 'reserve'! I haven't attempted to dismantle my Pingel, but is it possible to add a longer tube, to increase reserve?

Jan 20, 2017 | 04:44 AM

#22

RANGER73

Club Member

Joined: Sep 2010

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From: Beyond Fucital

Quote:

Originally Posted by grbrown

8 miles hardly qualifies for being called a 'reserve'! I haven't attempted to dismantle my Pingel, but is it possible to add a longer tube, to increase reserve?

Theres a rebuild kit. But tube length is a crapshoot.

Jan 20, 2017 | 05:27 AM

#23

Sorg67

Tourer

Joined: May 2016

Posts: 442

Likes: 30

From: Florida

I have a 92 Softail. I have not tested the reserve, but I am assuming I would get 30 to 35 miles out of it. This is based on the gas mileage I get and the fact that I get about 3.5 gallons from the main and I believe the total capacity is 4.5 gallons.

I have never gone more than 5 miles on the reserve. I would like to know without finding out the hard way. Maybe I should ride it around the block until it runs out so I do not have to walk to far to go get gas.

Jan 20, 2017 | 05:37 AM

#24

grbrown

Club Member

Joined: Jun 2007

Posts: 45,429

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From: Bedford UK

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sorg67

Easy way of finding out. Having turned on reserve ride for about half the distance you think you can go. That is best done while riding locally, where you know you can easily get fuel. Just ride around in loops of a few miles, checking fuel level at intervals. If you get to 30 miles you can be more confident of doing that distance again! You will find that as fuel gets lower the bike will start to run light, also once it gets to that stage it may be difficult to restart. In that case refill before having the coffee and doughnut you promised yourself!

Check fuel capacity on-line here, as some Softails have a 5 gallon tank

Jan 20, 2017 | 07:47 AM

#25

texashillcountry

Dirt don't hurt

Joined: Jan 2011

Posts: 21,065

Likes: 4,561

From: Haslet Texas

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sorg67

I have a 92 Softail. I have not tested the reserve, but I am assuming I would get 30 to 35 miles out of it. This is based on the gas mileage I get and the fact that I get about 3.5 gallons from the main and I believe the total capacity is 4.5 gallons.

I have never gone more than 5 miles on the reserve. I would like to know without finding out the hard way. Maybe I should ride it around the block until it runs out so I do not have to walk to far to go get gas.

Depending on the model of softail you have you either have 4.2 or 5.2 gallon tanks.

Aug 11, 2018 | 03:32 PM

#26

bentparts

Road Captain

Joined: Apr 2009

Posts: 501

Likes: 150

From: Jersey

Petcock

Quote:

Originally Posted by texashillcountry

When I put a Pingle on mine it gave me about a 1.5 gallon reserve.
I have since cut down the pick up tube so that I only get about a 1 gallon reserve.

A 12 mile reserve is useless IMO you need to get a better petcock.

I also have a Pingle on mine, almost exactly the same amount of reserve too. Next time I have to drain the tank gonna cut it down like you did. How much did you cut off? Now If I can only get the damn fuel gauge to read correctly. I have an early Road King tank on mine and the gauge has never read full, even when I fill the tank right into the neck.

Aug 11, 2018 | 10:45 PM

#27

aces&8s

Seasoned HDF Member

Joined: Sep 2012

Posts: 6,570

Likes: 590

From: almost there

One more thing to consider. About 2/3 thru the red mark reserve mine runs out.. about 30 miles or so. when I hit red I flip the Pingle and head to the gas, or before then.

Aug 12, 2018 | 05:46 PM

#28

Uncle G.

Seasoned HDF Member

Joined: Jun 2010

Posts: 9,332

Likes: 3,873

From: Upstate New York

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom84FXST

Besides the petcock..their are other factors that can affect reserve. Early Softail tanks had the petcock between the cylinders...which put it towards the front of the tank...if you lower one of these bikes in the rear...you can trap 3/4 gal or more...that you cannot get out regardless of the petcock you run. At some point they moved the petcock to the rear of the tank..where it should have been to start with...Food for thought.

The petcock was moved in ‘95, when Harley went to the vacuum petcock. The forward position was easier to reach for the rider to turn on and off. This was no longer necessary with a vacuum petcock.