Petrol tank alarm emergency action cautionary warning device

I reckon I average about 65mpg, but that's a high % of motorway riding.
Knocking about having a bit of fun can drop it to 45mpg
The tanks are only small, holds about £15 from empty so you do seem to be filling up regularly.
I would imagine the reserve light comes on with 50 miles left but I am not gonna chance it, the most I have risked was 30 miles in the middle of nowhere till I found a garage by luck.

 

Interesting thread title, I thought it was going to be about exploding tanks or something at least !

 

I have an EFI, and do mostly city. I get around 100 miles before the dreaded light starts flickering on and back off again. I usually go to around 120 miles, after which I get ridiculously nervous and start going around mostly on neutral until I fill her up again. Rinse and repeat, every two weeks or so.

That amounts to around 13 litres of petrol. She's not known for being a tree-hugger, the Bonnie...

 

I'm lucky if I get 100 miles out of a tank of standard supermarket fuel before the light flickers on, maybe a little more out of the expensive Shell stuff.

 

Bloody hell Rich, what on earth are you doing contaminating your bikes with supermarket petrol.
You wouldn't get us 'Yorkies' trying to save money like that.
'Penny wise, pound foolish' is the phrase I would apply to that.
They try and tell you it's the same stuff, but you already acknowledge you get less to the gallon.
STOP, before you gum all your carbs/injectors up or blow your engine up.

 

Hi there Muddles, you may find it helpful to others if you put some bike details into your signature. That way other peeps know what bike you're referring to.

Re the fuel tank capacity that depends on whether it is a carb, EFi or Speed Twin model. Can't remember the carb tank capacity but the EFi ones are 16 ltrs and the Speed Twin is only 12 ltrs.

On my 2010 EFi bike I found I could never get much more than 12 or 13 ltrs in, with a reserve of maybe 4 ltrs (when the light comes on) so for me that translated into 220 kms (138 mls) with a further 60 kms (approx 38 mls) on reserve - I never ran out so I don't know exactly how much the maximum distance on reserve would be.

 

That's just silliness. A bit like supermarkets here, where I was told I am not allowed to take pictures of the price tags. But it's ok to write them down. Go figure.

 

Chop it in for an America, have seen 200+ and no light on !!!!

 

Or a Tiger Sport......

 

Hi all,
I ride like a wuss so i am told so that explains 140 miles before warning light comes on, 2014 bonnie.
not tried to see how much in reserve.

 

14.5 litre tank getting around 65 mpg gives me so far a safe 165 mile round trip, that's a T120 and and it can average 85 ish at 70 mph if its very slight undulations on the road.

 

Why on earth would you want to ring your local petrol station for the petrol price ?
Your'e still going to have to put some in, what's your option drive 30 miles to another garage to save 1p per litre ?
You'll get yourself all in a muddle!

 

Muddles,
Next time you are filling up with petrol, look at the dials on the pump, it tells you exactly how much you are putting in, in money and litres and it is also on your receipt, it's a lot easier than looking at your bank statements and wasting time and money ringing the garage.
Get out on your bike and have some fun!

 

I ain't paying an extra 5p a litre just cos it says shell or BP on it!
Most of the petrol comes from a few refineries around the country, can't believe there's much difference!
And I laugh at the people who buy the fancy stuff , 
Unless you have knock sensors. (GTR's, etc), your wasting your hard earned coin.

 

Well we had this debate several weeks ago but with engine oil.
Nobody will ever convince me that 'el cheapo' brands and the likes of Shell, BP etc. are the same product.
I would have to see serious lab report comparisons, which I probably wouldn't understand.
All I can say is that from my experience of using 'fancy' stuff both oil and fuel, I have never 'touchwood' had any problems mechanically with any of my vehicle over 45 years of motoring, including my current BMW bought from new now with 214k miles on the clock.
I can't compare with 'el cheapo' brands because I have never used them.
Funny enough I know a guy with one of the new Bentleys who swore the supermarket fuel was the same, car serviced regularly at Bentley costing £5.7k a pop.
60k miles engine problems! coincidence ?

 

Probably.

I had a Fabia that used supermarket fuel all the time, was barely serviced and I sold it with 130,000 on the clock. It's probably near the 200,000 mile mark now as the new owner was commuting from Cornwall to Liverpool regularly.
I've got another one currently that has done 80,000 miles plus and again is run on supermarket fuel and hasn't been serviced for the last 20,000 miles at least.
But it doesn't prove that not servicing your car is good for increasing the engine mileage......