Running out of fuel!!!!!!

[motomotion]

Have a new GSA which has been filled up to the brim on only 3 occasions. The other day with the on board computer telling me I had 17 miles worth of fuel to go and with 270 miles done since last filling up, I ran out of fuel and came to a stop. Is this because the bikes computer has not done enough miles to calibrate itself yet? Has anyone else suffered such a fate? Should I now not trust the onboard computer......

 

[davidblythe]

Sounds about right on both counts

can get 36.2litres in by modding the neck in the tank, get 285 miles and always shows 10 miles to go

almost died pushing the heap a mile uphill

 

[Yonkyo]

Have a new GSA which has been filled up to the brim on only 3 occasions. The other day with the on board computer telling me I had 17 miles worth of fuel to go and with 270 miles done since last filling up, I ran out of fuel and came to a stop. Is this because the bikes computer has not done enough miles to calibrate itself yet? Has anyone else suffered such a fate? Should I now not trust the onboard computer......

Don't rely on the fuel gauge on your very expensive bimmer too much.
I have also run dry on mine, when the puter was telling me i had 10 miles left.

Thats pretty poor gas mileage (37ish mpg?) as your bike is quite new.
Though this should improve to approx. 47mpg as the engine loosens up over time.

 

[Boxerboy55]

Bike fuel gauges are generally rubbish for counting down. Fill tank. Run it down. Fill tank. Note miles. Calculate average fuel consumption. Repeat as necessary without running out of fuel by using trip meter.

I'm around 10 miles per litre all day, every day. Never more than 200 miles per tank, but stops are usually determined by where I am and where I want to get to. Think north of Scotland without fuel every 5 minutes.
Nae bother

 

[Simon_h]

Mine once ran out with 36 miles to go. As a rule, when riding at normal speeds I used to fill up at 300 miles. To run out at 270 you must have been caning it!

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

Mine on the other hand is very accurate

 

[mpriestley]

there is obviously a fault with your bike. Contact BMW Customer Services at Bracknell to arrange remedial action, listen carefully to their instructions.

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

So presumabely you will be pleased to know that BMW Assist once claimed that I'd run my RT out of fuel with 132 miles still showing on the range?

 

[les049]

And if the tank runs dry ?

Theres a lot of chat of tanks running dry here, but what happens if the tank does run dry ? obviously you stop LoL but in order to get a good gauge of what the bike will do from filled to brim to cutting out but doing this will the linjectors / fuel system need fettling or is just a case of fill up and go !

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

Fill up, crank the motor over untill it fires then go

 

[Engineer]

Theres a lot of chat of tanks running dry here, but what happens if the tank does run dry ? obviously you stop LoL but in order to get a good gauge of what the bike will do from filled to brim to cutting out but doing this will the linjectors / fuel system need fettling or is just a case of fill up and go !

For some reason running it dry harms the catalytic convertor - the manual says don't do it.

Can anyone explain why the cat is damaged by this action? Is it because the engine could mis-fire as it runs out of fuel and send unburnt fuel into the cat??

 

[motomotion]

After running out of fuel, put 4litres of petrol in and the beast fired up straight away with no problems, as for someone saying catalytic converter would be damaged, don't know about that. Will keep an eye on whether the computer will perhaps calibrate itself over time, early days yet to be too concerned. As long as i don't do it again....

 

[GrinningGSer]

My GSA runs to minus 20 miles, perhaps more and I haven't run out yet.

 

[Dellis]

Mine was really very accurate then, at about 28,000 miles, it packed in and the sensor strip was replaced under warranty. Accuracy is now rubbish and even more annoyingly it's inconsistent. The trip meter is a much better fuel gauge these days.

Dave

 

[Edward Hitler]

Fuel gauge on my old 2006GS used to be good, as was the miles to empty when on reserve. I now have a 2010 GSA and it's fuel gauge and range can be a little hit and miss. Concentrate more on your trip meter. My GSA will easily get in excess of 350 miles on a tank (it's done just over 2000 miles) so if yours is much less then your either riding around in first gear or it needs attention.

Stu

 

[claw]

If i got 40mpg out of mine i'd be pleased, there again its down to riding style and speeds your doing

 

[Keith24GB]

I always carry a 1/2 Litre jerry can under the seat of my 97 fireblade just in case. Is their any room under the seat on the new GSA's? As this will be the next bike.

 

[Dickieboy]

When your computers tell you how many miles you have left before you run out of fuel do they know whether your on or off road, if your going to be travelling into a headwind with a pillion with all your panniers and back box fully loaded, or if your going to be going flat out in 3rd gear up a steep hill.

Or do they just give a rough indication of how far you might possibly get in perfect riding conditions?

 

[autogs]

i would assume it looks at the av fuel consumption.

 

[Roymondo]

It uses the average consumption over the past dozen or so miles and the fuel level in the tank to calculate the remaining range. However, the bike's computer cannot measure the fuel level when the tank is almost empty (i.e. once the low fuel warning has activated), so it has to work on a "theoretical" remaining fuel level based on the throttle opening/road speed/injector pulses/phase of the moon.