Mileage

[MOTORCOP20]

I have a 2018 FJR. Whenever the last bar on the fuel gauge blinks I fill up. Sometimes 4.8 sometimes 5.4 or anywhere in between. It says it holds 6.6 gallons and I have never been close to that at the pump and I have 230-250 on the odometer.

Currently I have 289 miles on this tank and I’m waiting for some an opportunity to head out with some fuel in a car and ride till empty to see how far I can push the last few ounces of fuel in the tank.


So, how far have you gone on a full tank?

 

[RossKean]

You can run it down to just a few ounces. I have put as much as 24.7 litres into my 25 litre tank. (It was cutting out a bit in the last few hundred meters to the station.) On my bike (2011), I generally have around 6-7 litres when the last segment starts flashing (6 litres is 1.6 US gallons) while driving. The flash may come sooner if the bike is on the side stand.

 

[Mortenk]

Most people report 1.5 gal left when it starts flashing and the count-up starts. That equals around 60 miles for most people. I consistently take it 40 miles past flashing without issues, and often add 6 gal. This has really nothing to do with how far I go on a full tank, as some tanks are spent in town, while others are spent touring backroads.

But to answer your question: the longest I have gone on a full tank was 330 miles. This was earlier this year when I did a full day of 50 mph cruising...

 

[MOTORCOP20]

Thanks Mort

 

[Rocnsanman]

Motorcop20,
I have a 2009 and have found ( numerous times ) that when the last segment starts blinking I can do another 85 miles before the anxiety takes over and my ride is no longer fun.

 

[RossKean]

Motorcop20,
I have a 2009 and have found ( numerous times ) that when the last segment starts blinking I can do another 85 miles before the anxiety takes over and my ride is no longer fun.

Problem is that all bikes may not be identical with respect to remaining fuel. I recommend filling completely a few times as soon as you hit "reserve" to see the residual amount as well as the variance. 85 miles is more than I could get, even driving conservatively- I am sweating bullets by 75 miles. Less with spirited riding or headwind.

 

[Sunnyorlando]

I agree - 85miles is a lot, and wholly depends on riding style and traffic conditions. Same goes for how many miles you got up to that point. Mine (an '18) gets ~42 mpg unless I'm playing hard. I cannot recall getting much more than that ever.
Often I go about 30 miles past the start of the blinking. At that fill up I can usually add about 4.5~5gal, which means I had about ~1.5 gal left.
However, as it is the same with cats, I prefer to not go much farther because the fuel pump is then running without cooling - the pump uses the fuel in the tank as a cooling of sort. So it's best to not let it be running without cooling for too long.

 

[RossKean]

I prefer to not go much farther because the fuel pump is then running without cooling - the pump uses the fuel in the tank as a cooling of sort.

I have heard this mentioned a number of times but I have never heard of a fuel pump failure that could be attributed to overheat due to low fuel in an FJR. In fact, the only FJR fuel pump failures I recall have all been related to particulate crud from bad gas or corrosion. I look at it this way, if there is ANY gasoline in the tank going through the pump, the boiling point of the fuel is low enough to prevent any chance of overheating (depending on formulation, gasoline will start to boil at less than 100 °F). Once ALL the fuel is gone, it is no longer an issue since the engine isn't running anyway!

 

[Sunnyorlando]

Yeah, I agree. While it's unlikely that an actual failure will happen, it's just a practice I've always done and as it applies to cars as well, so I never let it get that low.

 

[Dan Cooper]

I have heard this mentioned a number of times but I have never heard of a fuel pump failure that could be attributed to overheat due to low fuel in an FJR. In fact, the only FJR fuel pump failures I recall have all been related to particulate crud from bad gas or corrosion. I look at it this way, if there is ANY gasoline in the tank going through the pump, the boiling point of the fuel is low enough to prevent any chance of overheating (depending on formulation, gasoline will start to boil at less than 100 °F). Once ALL the fuel is gone, it is no longer an issue since the engine isn't running anyway!

When out of fuel, the engine may not be running, but the fuel pump is still running until the key is turned off.

However, I do agree with the general premise that if there is any fuel the pump is adequately cooled and lubricated. I'm one of those who run the tank right down to empty, in familiar territory, and have frequently put more than 6 gallons in that 6.6 gallon tank.

dan

 

[RossKean]

and have frequently put more than 6 gallons in that 6.6 gallon tank.

Me too. Gauge has been sufficiently reproducible that I can confidently go that low or lower.

 

[Old Guy]

Me too. Gauge has been sufficiently reproducible that I can confidently go that low or lower.

That's it in a nutshell. Though it'd be nice to have a gauge that's perfectly accurate at all levels, if it at least acts the same way all the time I can deal with it. I know I can do 40 more miles after my '13 starts crying "feed me", and it'll still have a gallon or so on board. And it's worked that way since I bought it. I'm a fan of setting a trip meter when I fill it. I can more accurately guessimate my remaining range myself than the onboard computer does.

 

[Torchsport]

50 miles after the blink is when I fil up.

 

[bergmen]

I have heard this mentioned a number of times but I have never heard of a fuel pump failure that could be attributed to overheat due to low fuel in an FJR. In fact, the only FJR fuel pump failures I recall have all been related to particulate crud from bad gas or corrosion. I look at it this way, if there is ANY gasoline in the tank going through the pump, the boiling point of the fuel is low enough to prevent any chance of overheating (depending on formulation, gasoline will start to boil at less than 100 °F). Once ALL the fuel is gone, it is no longer an issue since the engine isn't running anyway!

I've put 6.528 gallons in after sputtering for a mile or so. No after effects on the fuel pump a couple of years after the event. I wish there was an ACCURATE method of realistically determining the actual amount of fuel in the tank so we can plan accordingly.

Dan

 

[RossKean]

I've put 6.528 gallons in after sputtering for a mile or so. No after effects on the fuel pump a couple of years after the event. I wish there was an ACCURATE method of realistically determining the actual amount of fuel in the tank so we can plan accordingly.

Dan

Mine is dead reliable. Almost exactly 6.5 litres left (out of 25) when I go into count up mode, as long as it wasn't low and on the sidestand when I turn on the key. If I take it easy, I know I can get 120 km without sweating too much. I find the average mileage computation is very accurate if you reset it at fill-up.

 

[Brodie]

Here is another method:

When the gage starts blinking and starts accumulating miles from zero, reset the average mileage counter on the dash. It will quickly give you the calculated value, which gets more accurate as the miles count up. Figure on a gallon worth of miles before time to look for gas. Most likely you will be putting in around 5 1/2 gallons. The more you do this the more your confidence will build in your meter. If your right wrist is a bit heavy you will be getting gas a bit sooner; a light wrist will go farther.

Works for me.

Brodie

 

[nimnifnof]

I also use 50 mi after it starts blinking, which usually puts me around 275 mi for that tank. At that point I generally put in about 6.1 gallons.

Also considerating how you are riding, you need to be aware of how much weight is on the bike including the what's in the saddlebags.

 

[Whooshka]

Why risk burning the fuel pump and sucking up any residue in the bottom of the tank? You should have a good idea how far you can go on reserve.

 

[RossKean]

Why risk burning the fuel pump and sucking up any residue in the bottom of the tank? You should have a good idea how far you can go on reserve.

People talk about it but I have never heard of an FJR fuel pump failing because fuel ran low and it overheated. (Not saying it couldn't happen but I don't recall any reported cases.) I run mine to within a litre or two of empty routinely and have put in over 24.5 litres (25 L tank) at least two times (unintentionally) but never ran out of fuel to the point where the engine died.

Unlike some other brands, the FJR fuel pumps seem to be exceptionally reliable - most failures being attributed to maintenance "errors" or rusty gas tanks.
The fuel intake is at the bottom of the tank anyway so any heavier-than-gasoline crap could be drawn up at any time (not a floating pickup). Argument could be valid if we had lighter-than-gas (floating) debris...