| Member |
 Discussion Topic  |
|
|
gdickelman
 Moderator
1191 Posts
[Mentor]
Annandale, VA
USA
Moto Guzzi
California Vintage
|
 Posted - 11/06/2009 : 7:45 PM
|
I'm pretty good about resetting my trip odometer at each refueling, and calculating mileage. The Moto Guzzi traverses 48 - 52 miles per gallon. That has been consistent since I bought the beast in 2007. It does not have a gas gauge, but has an orange "idiot" light, which begins to glow at about 135 miles into a tank of gas. While I have never tested it, the five gallon tank should carry me over 200 miles. I've stretched it to 200 once or twice, with no trouble.
A few weeks back I picked the bike up from the dealer near Baltimore (routine service) and proceeded to Gettysburg for a business meeting. I was cresting a hill three miles from my destination and at 176 miles, when the bike sputtered, stalled and coasted to a pathetic stop, in the middle of nowhere.
You guessed it...I ran out of gas! There had been some tinkering with the trip odometer while in service, apparently, and hence I had less gas than indicated.
Thankfully, AAA with RV came to the rescue, but I was mortified. I should have realized that the early onset of the "idiot" light was a signal to the idiot driving the Guzzi that it was time to stop for gas.
|
|
|
scottrnelson
Advanced Member
5258 Posts
[Mentor]
Pleasanton, CA
USA
KTM
990 Adv, ST2, XR650L
|
Posted - 11/07/2009 : 9:57 AM
|
It's interesting how we can rationalize about how far we expect to go when the low fuel light is glowing. I managed to run a Ducati Monster completely dry once when I was doing some acceleration tests to check carburetor settings while the light was glowing. Who would think that making about ten 0-99 mph acceleration runs up a hill would use gas faster than normal riding? 
I also managed to run my Mustang down to totally empty by rationalizing that I could easily go another 30 miles before I really needed to fill it up, then forgetting all about it. At least I managed to get to the parking lot at work before it started to seriously act empty. I was somehow thinking I could drive one more mile to the gas station - no such luck. I had my wife bring the gas can from the garage that time.
When in doubt, fill the tank. Especially before heading into any area with few or no gas stations. |
 |
|
|
greywolf
Advanced Member
682 Posts
[Mentor]
Evanston, IL
USA
Suzuki
DL650AK7
|
Posted - 11/07/2009 : 10:14 AM
|
| Fuel injected vehicles with in tank fuel pumps are cooled by the fuel they sit in. Running out of fuel or even running very low a lot can drastically shorten the life of the fuel pump. |
Edited by - greywolf on 11/07/2009 2:28 PM |
|
|
|
gdickelman
Moderator
1191 Posts
[Mentor]
Annandale, VA
USA
Moto Guzzi
California Vintage
|
Posted - 11/07/2009 : 10:34 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by greywolf
Fuel injected vehicles with in tank fuel pumps are cooled by the fuel they sit it. Running out of fuel or even running very low a lot can drastically shorten the life of the fuel pump.
When the event occurred and the engine was sputtering, I recall saying to myself, "I wonder what I am damaging by running out of fuel...must be something." You have confirmed my suspicion.
I guess the orange light has the image of a gas pump on it for a reason....  |
|
|
Niebor
Ex-Member
|
Posted - 11/07/2009 : 8:41 PM
|
I suspect most of us run out of gas at least once in ten years or so. This bike has a gas gauge, I've never... quite run it out. The latest close call was last spring. I was running late for a meet at the base of Pikes Peak. I figured I'd get gas just before heading up the mountain. It didn't occur to me that there is no gas between Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak. I started up on a 1/4 tank. The good news is that it's all downhill on the way back.
By the time we made it back to the Springs I took on 3.76 Gall in a 3.9 Gall tank. The dent I-70 left behind a couple years back likely reduces capacity about .1 G. Had to have been on fumes. 
Regarding your electric fuel pump. In addition to cooling issues, the motor is a torque-limited design, meaning it will spin much faster when not pumping fuel. This is also quite destructive. I would advise never running a fuel injected bike below 1/4 tank. Same with your car, for that matter.
|
|
|
| |
Discussion Topic |
|
|
Most Recent Posts
|
Activity History
|
Safety Tips
No gas guage...orange light...sputter...