To Reserve or Not to Reserve and other random thoughts

[Jess from VA]

My current Interstate will not go onto reserve until the last bar has been flashing for more than thirty miles.

This is both my interstates.  But with speed, elevations, braking and bumps, I have gone from flashing, back to two bars, then back to flashing, several times in that thirty miles.

Neither the gauge nor the odometer is foolproof, but using both together comes pretty close.  And yes, once you definitely hit reserve, you only have 1.1 to 1 gallon left.  And regardless of my usual mileage, I always assume I MUST get gas by 30 miles.  And once I hit reserve, I have a tendency to get very judicious with the throttle (in unknown areas).  Just pushing my bikes around the driveway is all the exercise I care to get.  Forget pushing them up hills.  

[0leman]

I have lived all of my motorcycle days in the west part of the country.  I tend to ride lonely two lane hwy and county roads.  Knowing how far I can go on a tank of gas is really important as towns with gas pumps are few and far in between.  I tend to stop to get gas when I hit a town around 150-170 miles when on a longer trips. Waiting till I hit reserve might be trouble as next town might be 50-60 miles away and not have gas station open.   If I am just making a loop around where I live and know its only about 200 miles and I will be riding at speeds less than 65 indicated, I will not stop for gas.   

I tend to fill up with gas on way home, keeping the tank full and ready to go.  Even though I live in a rather dry area.  When I did ride to work (retired in 2009), I didn't let the tank go below half full.

[msb]

I do find these days that I need to piss more often and if I stop for that reason I will likely fuel up.  I don't think it's right to use someone's facilities without doing business with that someone.

        

Yes, they do seem to compliment each other quite nicely , especially on longer rides....the aging  Valk and the aging body. One must usually stop on a more frequent basis for the other.... so one can fill up, and the other can empty out .... a perfect match

[Chrisj CMA]

 You don't really get it.  It's not about pushing past "E" (Huh???) but about knowing and being comfortable with what I have available and what the limit actually is.it

No, I get it.  Just have no need to push it (figuratively or literally) I will continue to stop for fuel every 100 miles or 2 hrs whichever comes first with rare exception based on conditions no matter what that means to anyone else

[Gavin_Sons]

I have only hit reserve once. And it was already on reserve. Was losing power as I pulled into the gas station and completly dead by the time I hit the pump.  very rarely do I let it get down so far the bars are blinking. Hell, the gas light in my truck has only been on 5 times in 11 years. I'm too lazy to run out of gas and have to walk or push  why chance it at all. When I'm out on the bike it's a way for me to unwind and forget about the stressful week and not worry about anything. How can I do that if I'm worried how far I can make it before I need gas? I normally stop every couple hours or 100 miles anyway.