1150 GSA.......How many miles on reserve ??

[YellowRS]

Hi All,

I have had my 2005, 1150 GSA for a few months now and am about to do a 3k European tour in a couple of weeks time, so I though I better get my facts right before I run out of fuel, in the middle of nowhere

I have noticed that my Fuel warning light comes on when I have ridden about 230-240 miles from a full tank.

then when I try to refill her, I can only get about 25 litres in to the brim !!

She is a GSA so should have a 33 litre tank, which would indicate that I still have (33-25) =8.0 litres left in reserve, once the light comes on

Does 8 litres (almost 1.8 gallons) sound about right for reserve, at 54 mpg this is about enough fuel for approx 100 miles

(Thats more than my 996 Ducati can manage on her complete tank )

Does this sound about right???

 

[NeilDD]

It all depends on how you ride it
When the light comes on think about fuel within 50 miles or so, as to get the last bit of fuel out you need to lay it on the RH rocker cover.

Usual sort of range on the GSA tank is round 300-330 if you're riding around 75-80

 

[Geldof]

I think its a 30 Litre Tank on the Adv, and light is meant to come on with 4 litres
left in the tank

 

[trickday]

Try re-setting the trip meter to zero when the reserve light comes. Strap a 5 litre can of juice to the back and then run her dry..

As said before, you should be looking around 50/60miles..

TD

 

[Uncle Rob]

strap a fuel can to the back of your bike and run it out,that way you will know for sure.,also if you lean it to the right you can get a little more fuel.

 

[IainMac]

When I had a 1150GSA the big tank was an option and the std offering was no larger than the cooking 1150, so are you certain you have the larger tank?

 

[Fanum]

When I had a 1150GSA the big tank was an option and the std offering was no larger than the cooking 1150, so are you certain you have the larger tank?

'05= 33 litre tank.

 

[Ian J Hartley]

When I had a 1150GSA the big tank was an option and the std offering was no larger than the cooking 1150, so are you certain you have the larger tank?

The standard GS tank is 22 litres, and as he says in his post he can get about 25 litres in from empty. I gather from that he must have an Adventure tank.

However, he may have an Adventure tank retrofit with the standard GS internals. Which would mean a shorter float arm, which would put the low level fuel warning on at a much higher fuel level.

The only real effective way is to measure miles from full to empty using trip.

 

[MikeO]

'05= 33 litre tank.

Nah - the 1150 Adv large tank was only ever 30 litres - single part number for all years...

I did the fuel can on the rack and run out on all the various tanks I've had - varied between 55 and 70 miles...

 

[buellzebub]

However, he may have an Adventure tank retrofit with the standard GS internals. Which would mean a shorter float arm, which would put the low level fuel warning on at a much higher fuel level.

The only real effective way is to measure miles from full to empty using trip.

This is exactly what I have done to my non-Adventure GS and the warning light at 240 is the same. Depending on how it's ridden, loaded etc. I can get between 300 and 350 miles to a tankful before I run out, DAMHIK
So, reset the trip at each fill and aim to refill around 280~300 miles and you'll be ok

Mick

 

[Sunny Jim]

You'll know when you're nearly out - the fuel pump screams like feck and you start getting a tad hot under the collar as the little demon on your shoulder urges you to just 'keep going!'

Do as Mike does - carry one of those little life-saver bottles from HG and fix it to your panniers.

Have a great trip

 

[YellowRS]

Hi Everyone,

Many thanks for all your comments and advice

I have a 2005 1150 GS Adventure "SE" and it is standard and factory original and definitely the "large" tank.

I have just got hold of a copy of the owners hand book which states the following:-

1150 GS (non-Adventure) = 22 litre tank (low fuel light = 4.0 litres.)

1150 GS Adventure = 30 litre tank (low fuel light = 4.0 litres.)

Therefore with my 30 litre tank and the bike achieving a low 46 mpg on its last full tank (a lot of short trips) I should have a total minimum range from full of :-

30 litres = 6.6 gallons which is 6.6 x 46 =303 total miles per tank

Obviously on a longer run I would expect to get 50-55 mpg, which will take the tank capacity up to around 350

Yellow warning light at 250( ish) miles.

4.0 litres remaining @ 46 mpg = approx 40 miles on reserve


I am now going to double check this by running full to completely empty

Many thanks for all your help chaps much appreciated

 

[IainMac]

Nah - the 1150 Adv large tank was only ever 30 litres - single part number for all years...

I did the fuel can on the rack and run out on all the various tanks I've had - varied between 55 and 70 miles...

The 1st year 1150GSA pre LWR bandwagon came with the std size 1150 tank and it was definitely an option to get the large tank as remember thinking it was a bit steep to tick that option when ordering it new , just in case anyone was thinking a small tank 1150GSA was snidey.
I never found it to be an issue as the stock seat was a chore after 150 miles so I rarely ran into reserve even on long haul trips into Spain. Weirdly I used to average about 45mpg in Blightly but it rose to 53mpg in Spain.

 

[ahutcheon]

Standard 1150GS, I did 35 or so miles with the light on then still drained 4 litres out of the tank to empty it (off the bike). And I get the expected 18+ litres in when I fill up a bit after the light comes on.

So I'm suspecting that either BMW quote a fairly conservative reserve capacity or the tank design leaves an inefficiently large amount sloshing around once the "usable capacity" is exhausted - the standard tank would swallow 25 litres from dry.

 

[oblertone]

You can expect ...

... about 10miles/litre if you're being conservative, and about 10miles/litre if you're thrashing it. As to the reserve, it all depends on where your float arm sits, as they can be re-positioned by accident when the fuel filter is changed.

PS - You are going to Europe, it's hardly devoid of fuel stations

 

[Ian J Hartley]

PS - You are going to Europe, it's hardly devoid of fuel stations

+1

I thought the whole idea of taking your bike on tour was to enjoy the roads, and suck in the scenery. To me this means frequent stops etc.

if you find the petrol stations are more than 250 miles apart, then I recon you are not in Europe and lost.

 

[davegs]

Petrol

We are talking Europe and not the US, plenty of stops but watch out in France on Sundays as only self serviced open and they take French credit cards.
(so much for us "being in Europe"!).

 

[MikeO]

We are talking Europe and not the US, plenty of stops but watch out in France on Sundays as only self serviced open and they take French credit cards.
(so much for us "being in Europe"!).

I've been using pay-at-pump in France for several years using a UK credit / debit card...

 

[Packer]

The standard 1150 tank is supposed to hold 22 litres but with the filler neck mod you can get 24 into it. That's enough for over 250 miles at around 60mph, I've done it several times. Talking to Grizzly of this parish on the way back from Northumbria last weekend he had just got 250 miles from a standard tank two up with camping gear and put just under 23 litres into the tank. So 300miles should be a good target on an Adventure tank with about 15 miles to spare.

Next, the leaning the bike over to get more fuel doesn't work on the 11½GSA as it has a link pipe between the two lobes of the tank.

 

[Flanners]

You'll know when you're nearly out - the fuel pump screams like feck and you start getting a tad hot under the collar as the little demon on your shoulder urges you to just 'keep going!'

Do as Mike does - carry one of those little life-saver bottles from HG and fix it to your panniers.

Have a great trip

Be careful I did that 2 weeks ago and blew or knackered the fuel pump....replaced it cheaply using a link from the forum.