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Fuel Light

1K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  Big-B 
#1 ·
So, when the low fuel light comes on, how many miles do we have left? I rode another 10 miles and put 4 gallons in.
 
#2 · (Edited)
"Miles Left" will depend on percentage of throttle being applied. :p

Not the answer to your question but certainly is a valid variable to the equation.

Suzuki list the fuel capacity of the M109R at 4.9 gallons. (maybe use .8 or .7 so you have some wiggle room)

So if you know the average MPG you get, multiply that buy .9 and you should be pretty close if you put in 4 gallons when you topped off.

I have run out a couple times before and coasted into the station dead empty a few times more, so I now make a habit of trying to fill the tank often.

After all it cost the same to keep the tank full as it does to keep it empty.

BCS
 
#4 · (Edited)
I am not one who looks at MPG very much but I can say that if you are not into the throttle, you can go a good bit before the light turns solid.....when that happens start looking for a station relatively quick.

But if you have the throttle to the stop you don't have very long at all.

I know that is not much help......others here who watch the MPG will chime in and give you a rough idea.

Remember that 75 mph cruising in 5th gear is only 10% (+/-) throttle position.......so that would not be considered "being into the throttle".
BCS
 
#6 ·
Light will blink when down under a gallon,when or if light stays goes solid you have about 10 miles left.I know for myself as soon as the light comes on I look for gas why push your luck.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Ran mine down intentionally one time til the light went solid. Stayed in town driving a loop around a local gas station. So anyhow, everytime my fuel bar drops the first bar, it takes exactly 2.6 gallons, or half a tank to fill it. I consider it convenient to think of it as, when the first bar drops, you have half a tank left.

The light is kind of doing the same thing the reserve position on older bikes did. When the bike started stuttering and misfiring, you reached down and flipped it from main to reserve. It was always exactly one gallon when that occurred. So if you drove it sanely, you got whatever distance was equal to the maximum fuel mileage for whatever bike you were riding.

Thus when the light comes on blinking, you've flipped that petc-ck (I consider it totally ridiculous that the word petc-ck is blanked out. WTF, it's a damn motorcycle part) to reserve and have one gallon left. When I did that little test ride thing, I got around 20 miles before it went from blinking to solid. Went right straight to the gas station. I recall it took exactly 4.7 gallons to top it off to where it had been before. Which on a 5.2 gallon tank, means there was half a gallon left.

Even with half a gallon left, there is always a certain amount of fuel in any given tank that cannot be consumed. Maybe only half of that half gallon is usable. So yeah, 10 miles might be right. I don't intend to ever find out. Maybe in a Mad Max world. :D
 
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