How much gas left?
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Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 82
Likes: 17
From: Annapolis, MD
How much gas left?
On a '09 Road King with a 96ci and a 6 gallon tank - anyone know how much fuel is left in the tank (not necessarily how many miles) when the "Lo Range" warning comes on?
Long story short - I forgot my wallet and couldn't get gas late last night. According to GPS I had 89 miles to home and 71 miles of range left. The Lo Range came on under 15 miles left, but still made it home no problem and heard some fuel still sloshing in tank.
I don't "plan" on running low all the time, but it's nice to know how much of cushion is provided. It seems like I can never add much more than a bit over 5 gallons when I fill up so I'm thinking there might be close to a gallon held in reserve.
Thoughts?
Long story short - I forgot my wallet and couldn't get gas late last night. According to GPS I had 89 miles to home and 71 miles of range left. The Lo Range came on under 15 miles left, but still made it home no problem and heard some fuel still sloshing in tank.
I don't "plan" on running low all the time, but it's nice to know how much of cushion is provided. It seems like I can never add much more than a bit over 5 gallons when I fill up so I'm thinking there might be close to a gallon held in reserve.
Thoughts?
Grand HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,581
Likes: 669
From: Rolla
These small fuel tanks (relatively speaking) and "float gauges" are just not accurate enough to say you "X" gallons of gas left.
The fuel tank still uses an float system like many older toilet tanks.
Usually, you should be safe to assume you have about 25-30 miles left after the light comes on.
But that can vary, depending on how accurate your float was set to begin with.
One bike might have a little more or less fuel left in the tank than the next bike.
The fuel tank still uses an float system like many older toilet tanks.
Usually, you should be safe to assume you have about 25-30 miles left after the light comes on.
But that can vary, depending on how accurate your float was set to begin with.
One bike might have a little more or less fuel left in the tank than the next bike.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,599
Likes: 1,588
From: Eastern Ohio
My low fuel light comes on at 120-130 miles into a fresh tank. I can then run for another 120-130 miles till I'm empty. My range indicator tells me I'm on "lo" at about 150 miles. Yours may differ.... The most fuel I have put in was 5.90 gal @ 230 miles.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 157,323
Likes: 56,885
From: Michigan 15 Minutes East Of Hell
O.P. .. Sunday on the way home from the U.P. I was travelin' faster than I was thinkin' ... light came on and had 22 miles to West Branch ( next gas ) Pulled up to the pumps and put in 5.3 gallons ( the bike was sitting straight up )
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 6,065
Likes: 1,945
From: Somewhere on the Bourbon trail
^^This when your light comes on. Then figure out your mpg based on various driving styles, like superslab vs. around town vs combo.
Mine is about 1.2 gallons remaining when the light comes on.
Mine is about 1.2 gallons remaining when the light comes on.
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Mine comes on with a little less than 2 gallons left and says I have 75-77 miles to go. That "miles to go" number crashes and burns to zero in about 25-30 miles. I usually still have about a gallon left when the indicators says I have 5-10 miles to go. Nice to know I have 20-30 miles left over the idiot light.
