anybody ran out of fuel already?

[Rocker66 34,453]

When I started riding we didn't have fuel gauges  and still managed. Mind you we did have manual reserve taps which were a much better idea but sadly lost with the introduction of FI

[Guest szucsi]

On the pre 2005 Hornet 600, there wasn't a gauge, only a fuel warning light, which comes on, when you reach the reserve level. On the '98 Hornet, there was nothing to warn you about fuel! Watch Here. On the 2007 Hornet 900 (which is only 7 years old), there was also just a reserve lamp. So no gauge at all, just a lamp, which comes on only when like the flashing red on the NC700/750. People somehow managed to run out of fuel for years.

I always reset one trip meter, and start searching for fuel at around 300km (about 190 miles), despite whatever the gauge says.

[bazza 3,629]

Today my 750DCT got to 0.6 on the digi -guess-what's-left read out -last time I ran out (deliberately) on that setting so I even selected D ( Docile )mode to prolong the fuel tank life. i got to the station and it took 13.62 -at 186 trip miles

So phew i didn't run out but with 1/2 litre left it was a bit close.

So that's 61mpg but main thing is -running after 0.5 is cutting it a bit fine!

My bike is usually run in "Sprightly" mode -unless you have a better name for it!

[Guest robson]

Today my 750DCT got to 0.6 on the digi -guess-what's-left read out -last time I ran out (deliberately) on that setting so I even selected D ( Docile )mode to prolong the fuel tank life. i got to the station and it took 13.62 -at 186 trip miles

So phew i didn't run out but with 1/2 litre left it was a bit close.

So that's 61mpg but main thing is -running after 0.5 is cutting it a bit fine!

My bike is usually run in "Sprightly" mode -unless you have a better name for it!

 

when you fill up you do it up to which top, lower or upper?

I mean hen you open the tank there is another hole inside, right?

I sometimes fill pass that inner hole.

[Guest robson]

When I started riding we didn't have fuel gauges  and still managed. Mind you we did have manual reserve taps which were a much better idea but sadly lost with the introduction of FI

 

that manual reserve tap was really a good idea. Today I guess we can carry in notank a quart bottle of gasoline as a reserve. 

[shiggsy 529]

I always found the manual reserve taps pointless,  not nice doing an overtake to have is suddenly start spluttering and you have to grope around one for the tap.  I always used to leave it switched on reserve and use the trip meter like I do now.

[bazza 3,629]

when you fill up you do it up to which top, lower or upper?

I mean hen you open the tank there is another hole inside, right?

I sometimes fill pass that inner hole.

i fill to the lower level -but its only an egg cup full above that -which i expect would vent out somewhere!

[Rocker66 34,453]

I always found the manual reserve taps pointless,  not nice doing an overtake to have is suddenly start spluttering and you have to grope around one for the tap.  I always used to leave it switched on reserve and use the trip meter like I do now.

Trip meters? we didn't have such things when I started riding

[shiggsy 529]

Yeah I can only relate back as far as the 90's

[Rogue 831]

I use a spreadsheet to record fuel economy (yes, sad, I know).  At the end of every entry I extrapolate by calculating what the tank range would have been based on that tank full fuel economy.  The best I got was 225 miles.

 

It's only sad if you if you also use your spreadsheet to calculate Average MPG (normal plus moving averages), estimated total tank range, cost per mile, cost per week, etc. Then make pretty graphs to display it all.

[Guest robson]

Yeah I can only relate back as far as the 90's

 

1890's is pretty far back...

[Dave H 2,022]

It's only sad if you if you also use your spreadsheet to calculate Average MPG (normal plus moving averages), estimated total tank range, cost per mile, cost per week, etc. Then make pretty graphs to display it all.

 

Guilty as charged.

[Rogue 831]

Guilty as charged.

OK, yes, me too.

 

Should anybody be interested, from my figures average estimated tank range would be 205 miles (min 190, Max 218), I'm getting approx 68 mpg.

I generally re-fuel at after 180 miles. This is after running for approx 20-30 miles on red/flashing fuel warning. Generally tank then takes approx 12 litres to full 

[Crofty 119]

I ran out on the autoban last month The reserve started flashing at 169 miles which is a bit early but I was loaded up with lots of luggage and I weigh over a 100 kilos. I was looking for fuel but on this autoban (between Kassel and Wurzburg) there did,nt seem to be anything for 30/40 miles

 

Anyway ran out at 214. I came off the autoban at 210 fearing the worst, ie did,nt want to run out on an overtake etc

 

It coughed a couple of times and I knew that was it so I pulled over and my pal went onto a filling station in a town to get a spare litre which solved the problem. I have run up to 225 before filling up but that was just me and no luggage so it must make a big difference.

 

The trip was about 4000 miles and I averaged 71/72 mpg,  unloaded on day runs I usually get closer to 80 mpg.  

 

Someone mentioned pressing the kill switch while riding,I have done that accidentally thinking I was pressing the main beam in dark tunnels all the warning  lights came up and I was rolling to a halt before I realised what I had done,flicked the switch back and the engine fired up again and got back up to speed. don,t know why I did it,i have a few bikes but think all the main beams are on the left. must check !  

Edited September 23, 2014 by Crofty

[Scootabout 2,251]

I tend to wait until the flashing single bar comes on, then estimate how many miles left until I need to fill up.  For open road it's about 40 and for town it would be maybe 25.  That works well provided I've been looking at the fuel gauge regularly.  There have been occasions when I haven't, meaning I've been unable to know at what mileage I went into reserve.  That makes for nice bit of anxiety..  but in practice I've usually found I've had more left in the tank than I thought when I fill up. 

[Crofty 119]

Scootabout  that's the problem if you miss the mileage reading when the the last flashing bar comes on you have to guess and hope for the best

 

I always reset the trip when I fill up so that I always have minimum figure to work from, in my case I am using 210 miles as absolute max.

 

I was out for a run today and filled up at 168 miles and it took 9.6 lts so looks like it is back to 78/79 mpg with just my day stuff in the non tank

[Guest TGreg]

I don't know what about the NC700, but my NC750XD meauser the consumed fuel as well. Therefore I reset trip "A" when fill up the tank and checking the fuel meter instead of trip meter and refill before 12l consumption.

[Guest robson]

I don't know what about the NC700, but my NC750XD meauser the consumed fuel as well. Therefore I reset trip "A" when fill up the tank and checking the fuel meter instead of trip meter and refill before 12l consumption.

 

trip meter is far more reliable hen consume fuel one. 

[Guest TGreg]

trip meter is far more reliable hen consume fuel one. 

You can check the accuracy of the consumed fuel meter easily by comparing what it shows and how much you refill. Yesterday it showed me 10,5l and refilled around 10,45. Far enough for this purpose.

[Guest CRP47]

Having recently owned a very thirsty KTM1190 I am now of the habit that when fuel is down to roughly a quarter of a tank I look to fill up & you know what, I've never had to push a bike. I used to be a Paramedic & our ruling was never leave an Ambulance with a quarter of a tank or less. A good habit I think. 

[Guest Noofer]

That is a good habit, but you all seem to be getting way better figures than me. My work commute is only 9.5 km and I'm lucky to get in 6th gear on one 70 km/h zone stretch for about 30 seconds, apart from that its all 50 or 60 km/h zones. I imagine this would be why I'd use more fuel. Long distance rides I've approached 300 km/tank but not yet exceeded that.

[Guest Sean]

The fuel gauge goes to 0 when it on reserve. Then the gauge will count up to 0.7gal or 3L before it runs out.

If you are getting very close to empty then don't drive at high speed as the fuel could run out and this could be dangerous.

I ran out of fuel on a demonstrator with DCT. I'll just pull the clutch in and let it coast but there is no clutch and it just slows down changing down gears so you go very little distance. I let it settle a while for a bit of fuel to drain down and I started again. On normal bike you'd get up to speed on few drops of fuel and then pull in clutch and coast for few hundred metres but this bike just stops. I'd never been on this bike before so don't know if this is possible but afterwards I thought maybe you could knock button into neutral but didn't think of that at the time. I left the bike at road and got lift back to the dealers. Bought the manual.

[Reckless_Rat 89]

It would be interesting to know from someone who's run out, if the tank really does take 14.1 litres, or is this quoted figure erring on the cautious side?

[Paul2129 73]

Yes, I don't read instructions, I also don't carry spare fuel.

I just assumed that the flashing single bar would go out before the fuel runs dry

I don't understad why we done have a 'range' that counts down to '0', instead, it counts fuel used since reserve ? Anyway, I'd stopped the bike with 0.7gal on reserve, after this it would not start. The petrol station was a long wet walk away ! I'm such an idiot ! I've had years of practice

My mileage was generally around town, it managed only 185 miles

[Guest Robmdavies]

If you want to try out how far can you go until the bike stops, you can put at least a litre bottle with fuel in the nottank, so if the bike stops, just pour in the fuel and good to go for about 20 more miles

If you want to try how it feels when run out of fuel, just push the kill switch, which will stop the ignition/injectors.

What happens on a dct if the kill switch is pushed?