Residual fuel

[flstc_geek]

Got a little over 3k on my 08 now so I've been thru a few tanks. Using the guage and fuel remaining on the dash, the most fuel I've put into the bike is 3.8 Gal.
On my 95 figuring out how far I could get on a tank was pretty straight forward. Fill her up, set the trip meter and run until you hit reserve.
Without a reserve to switch to, I'm hesitant to run too far past the gage.

Anybody run the tank dry and then fill up and notice how much fuel it held? Basically how much fuel is residual when the engine starves out.

[YankeeBob]

I've put 4.7 in my '04 Road King. That was after 220 miles. I typically don't let it go past 200 miles.

Its pretty simple, really. Do the math. Go 150 miles or so with varied driving habits. Calculate your fuel mileage. Then figure how many miles you can go on a tankful using the mileage number you just figured. Subtract a reasonable safety margin, say 50-75 miles. And use that as your guideline for when to fill up.

[Smokin751]

I'v put 4.9 in my 07 EGC. Not sure if the pump wasn't calibrated. It wasn't starving but I try not to run it down that far.

[ChopperDude]

Harley's fuel gauges are notoriously inaccurate. Expect to get 175-200 miles and still have some "emergency" left over.

[06 flstfise]

I go until the gas light comes on, 06 fatty. Usually 140 or so depending on what type of riding I am doing.

[ChopperDude]

Originally Posted by 06 flstfise

I go until the gas light comes on, 06 fatty. Usually 140 or so depending on what type of riding I am doing.

As the gauges are inaccurate... so is the "low fuel light", as they work off the same float and circuitry.

140 is VERY conservative... but to each his own.

As mentioned before, use the odometer and expect to fill up at 175-200, and STILL have close to a gallon left.

[flstc_geek]

Sounds like no one is positive about how much useable fuel is in a softail tank. Like others have said, I get about 200 miles, when I'm showing empty, but it still only takes about 4 gal to fill up. That's refilling at 20%. Being an old army aviator, I can be anal retentive about fuel, but that's even too conservitive for my taste.

I'm half tempted to run a tank till it coughs and carry a small jug of gas just to see, but I know how bad that is for the fuel pump.

It's hard to look at the petcock position and estimate how much unusable fuel is in that tank.

I still think that out of 5 gal, at least 4.5 of it should be usable.

[ChopperDude]

Originally Posted by flstc_geek

I still think that out of 5 gal, at least 4.5 of it should be usable.

I'd be almost certain that 4.5 is useable... but here's the problem.

Depending on HOW YOU DROVE FOR THAT TANK OF GAS, you're mileage is going to differ, so when you hit that 4.5 gallons point, the odometer reading might not be the same. Comprende?

Example... if you did lots of in-town-driving, you might have used up 4.5 gallons at 210 miles. if you did lots of 55mph cruising on the highway, it might not occur until 240 miles. Understand, these are ballpark numbers, just trying to give you an idea.

Basically... going by the gauge is fairly fruitless with these MoCo gauges. So you just have to decide what your personal comfort level is with the odometer method.

An aside... I don't blame the MoCo for their inaccurate gauges... primarily it's a function of the oddly shaped tank. If the tank were a nice "rectangle" (such as most automobile gas tanks)... the float would travel up and down such that halfway up, it's half full, etc.

With these tear-drop shaped tanks... it's a much tougher "target"