Hello from a newbie

[tybme]

Hi my name is Ty and I have been stalking these boards for a while now. I am currently a 1500 Goldwing rider but 1 week from tomorrow I fly to California to pick up my first Valkyrie interstate and ride it 2000 miles home. Should be a good break in ride for me ;-)

I do have a question - what kind of range should I expect from a tank of gas? I am trying to find my fuel risk spots before I leave.

I hope to see many of you on the road in the near future and a big shout out to Willow and Sheets as this wouldn't have been possible with out their help and guidance.

Tybme

[eric in md]

180 to be safe ..

[SANDMAN5]

Welcome!! I don't have an I/S so I'm just guessing at about 175. You can
probably get more than that depending on how you ride, wind conditions,
extra weight, etc, but having a Wing you already know that!! With my Std
tank I can go 150 or so and you've got another 1.5 gallons.

[Black Dog]

Count on 175 - 200, before hitting reserve.  Mountains, stiff wind, higher speeds, and a active right wrist are all factors in mileage.  Plan on the lower end of that estimate when you begin your journey, and you should get a good feel for how your new bike sips the fuel, in about 5 - 6 tanks...

Welcome to da Zoo!

Black Dog

[Ice]

Welcome!! I don't have an I/S so I'm just guessing at about 175. You can
probably get more than that depending on how you ride, wind conditions,
extra weight, etc, but having a Wing you already know that!! With my Std
tank I can go 150 or so and you've got another 1.5 gallons.

Welcome tybme.....

175?? how are you getting 175? I know the I/S has the bigger,  tank but on my standard I start searching for gas at 150 and thats no joke. either I am riding too hard or the wife has too much junk with her. I am guessing the wife's junk. Also i could not remeber the last time I rode a straight road either so that may have something to do with it.

Yuri

[Mr.BubblesVRCCDS0008]

On my I/S if I keep bike upright level and fill it to the inside neck and run about 65-70 one up 200 miles before res is normal. As speed and wind increase milage will decrease. If your in populated area(plenty of gas stations) I'ld run it till res. In country or desert areas I'ld fill up at 150 to 175 miles on tank just to be safe.Enjoy your new ride and trip.

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

Welcome from TN. 

[Joe Hummer]

One of the great things about the I/S is you have a gas gauge.  When you get close to reserve, the gauge will flash at you.  There isn't much time (miles) between when it starts flashing and when you hit reserve.  I am an aggressive rider...all the time...and I can usually squeeze 185 miles before reserve. 

Have a safe ride and if you think you are going to make it by St. Louis, drop me a line.  I am sure we could get together for a meal or drink. 

Joe

[SANDMAN5]

175?? how are you getting 175? I know the I/S has the bigger,  tank but on my standard I start searching for gas at 150 and thats no joke. either I am riding too hard or the wife has too much junk with her.  I am guessing the wife's junk. Also i could not remeber the last time I rode a straight road either so that may have something to do with it

Yeah, re-read my post. The last line says "with my Std tank I can go 150 or so..."
I was just guessing that another gallon+ should get him to at least 175. YMMV.

[JetDriver]

Welcome, Ty.  You're going to love the bike.  The late model wing may be more responsive in the handling dept., but the Valk's are way above average and they have CHARACTER!!  Besides, you aren't going to find a closer knit group of motorcycle enthusiasts than Valk owners!  The standard/tourer tank holds 5.3 gal.  Yours hold 6.9, a hair over 1 gal of which is reserve (assuming they haven't changed the petcock).  Figure 32 to 35 mpg as a base from which to start, until you get to know your bike.  As has been suggested, it's not the bike so much that will make a difference, it's your right hand!  No reason to run anything other than regular.  I wish I could do the trip with you- have fun!

[Ice]

175?? how are you getting 175? I know the I/S has the bigger,  tank but on my standard I start searching for gas at 150 and thats no joke. either I am riding too hard or the wife has too much junk with her.  I am guessing the wife's junk. Also i could not remeber the last time I rode a straight road either so that may have something to do with it

Yeah, re-read my post. The last line says "with my Std tank I can go 150 or so..."
I was just guessing that another gallon+ should get him to at least 175. YMMV.

Not so serious Bob , was not meant bad, was more a joke than a statement, I get 150 out of the tank and with the wife's junk I can get less depending on my right hand.

What does YMMV mean? Or do I not want to know?

Yuri

[X Ring]

What does YMMV mean? Or do I not want to know?

Yuri

Your Mileage May Vary.  IOW (In Other Words) your experience may not be the same as mine.

Marty

[Ice]

What does YMMV mean? Or do I not want to know?

Yuri

Your Mileage May Vary.  IOW (In Other Words) your experience may not be the same as mine.

Marty

Marty,

Thanks , I am new to acronyms of such, I am used t the ones the military uses but they also have their own terminology that varies from service to service.

Yuri

[stormrider]

I must be twisting real hard or doing something else wrong. 01 IS and goes to reserve at 168 pretty constantly. Unless I'm in the 80+ mph range. Then has another gallon+ on reserve.  I've hit just over 200 miles and put 6.2 gallons in her. Never-the-less, if you know your gonna be on a long stretch and gas is few and far between, yep, go ahead and top er off. And welcome to the family.

[Willow]

I must be ... doing something else wrong. 01 IS and goes to reserve at 168 pretty constantly.

I'd say so.  If you're not regularly going in the vicinity of 190 before reserve on an Interstate you probably need to do some work.  190 is about 32 mpg.

Of course, that assumes that you fill it at least into the neck.

 

[tybme]

Thanks for the welcome all!
I will be traveling from Redding CA (approx) to the Kansas City area. Just under 2000 miles. Hopefully there won't be any late winter storm problems - rain is no big deal but snow woul certainly slow things up.
I can hardly wait!!!!

[Big IV]

welcome, ride safe.

[Hoser]

175?? how are you getting 175? I know the I/S has the bigger,  tank but on my standard I start searching for gas at 150 and thats no joke. either I am riding too hard or the wife has too much junk with her.  I am guessing the wife's junk. Also i could not remeber the last time I rode a straight road either so that may have something to do with it

Yeah, re-read my post. The last line says "with my Std tank I can go 150 or so..."
I was just guessing that another gallon+ should get him to at least 175. YMMV.

Actually the IS holds almost 2 gal. more.  at 30 mpg, its good for  over 200.  If you hit reserve it don't mean your out of gas, and the gas guage is pretty accurate.  I've hit 210 with mine before reserve, and filled up with a hair over 6 gallons.  hoser

[SANDMAN5]

Not so serious Bob , was not meant bad, was more a joke than a statement, I get 150 out of the tank and with the wife's junk I can get less depending on my right hand.

No offense meant. Just thought you might be confusing my std tank with his i/s.
DAMHIKT. Don't ask me how I know this.
IMHO.  In my honest (or humble) opinion.

[Ice]

Not so serious Bob , was not meant bad, was more a joke than a statement, I get 150 out of the tank and with the wife's junk I can get less depending on my right hand.

No offense meant. Just thought you might be confusing my std tank with his i/s.
DAMHIKT. Don't ask me how I know this.
IMHO.  In my honest (or humble) opinion.

None Taken,

thanks for the explanations for the acronyms, maybe some day I will know a few also

Yuri

[HayHauler]

I am heavy (see handle) and only get about 140-150 miles before going on reserve.  My bike runs rich though, so you should expect 150-175 like someone said earlier. 

Welcome to the asylum! 

Hope to ride with you sometime.
Hay 
Jimmyt

[Super Santa]

I just fueled this afternoon.  Bike showed the bottom bar flashing, which it does when you are getting low.  I was NOT on reserve.  It took 5.4 gallons, meaning I had 1.5 gallons left.  And I had 206 miles on that tank.

I normally tend to get a little better mileage than most.

HOWEVER, the first day I got my bike (and riding it 876 miles) I got mileage of 22.7, 29.3, 25.1, 22.8, 25.4, 23.6 and 27.4.  I think the big difference is in your wrist.  That first day I was running over the speed limit.  I was riding it like I stole it.

I have kept pretty accurate records for a good while on this bike.   Two and a half years and my overall mileage is about 36.7.

Good luck and safe travels on the way home.

Just watch the fuel gauge, it is pretty reliable.

[sheets]

It's a beautiful ride between Redding and "here", but there are a couple humps to cross over; both are a tad bit over 3000 ft elevation ("Buckhorn" west of Redding) ("Oregon Mountain" west of Weaverville).  Hopefully the storms will clear by next week.  Currently the snow level is hovering at the 3000 to 3500 ft level.  If you go back that way on your return trip, don't get mesmerized by looking at the river.  This is very unforgiving country once you leave the pavement. You tend to go where you look... if ya know what I mean.  The trip between "here" and Redding will be a memorable 100 miles on two.  Coffee break at the "Straw House" coffee shop in Big Flat.  Cheers!!  sheets 

[Dogg]

i go 200+ easy with an IS tank on my standard...

[sugerbear]

If (and that's a big if) you can keep it below 3000 rpm mileage SHOULD go up.

that seems to be the break point.

[tybme]

3000 rpm is the magic number on my wing too. Under that I can hit 44mpg but ride the throttle and run over the 3000 (70mph) and fuel economy drops to 32mpg. I'm not very familiar with the IS yet - I did not understand that it had a fuel gauge - that's gonna be helpful.
Sheets - I'm not sure what route I'll be taking to redding - I am going to defer to the local advice until I can hit superslab. Unfortunatly it won't be much of a pleasure cruise I gotta make time. Any suggestions will be appreciated. You've got my email and anyone else it's this handle at yahoo.com

thanks again for the advice and warm welcomes