Interstate owners??

[pocket aces]

How many miles do you get on a tank before switching to reserve? 

[longrider]

Mileage depends on a lot of variables.  City, Highway, Aggressive riding, but mostly speed.  If I keep it at 70-75 on the highway cruising I will see 165-170 on the main.

[old2soon]

I generally stop for fuel at around 150 miles. I have gone about 180 but as I was pullin in to the pumps the engine stumbled-think reserve. I also stand my bike straight up and fill to the neck. I have run her to reserve in about 122  123 miles from a full tank. Course I wuz cruising a bit north of the ton.  And I wuz loaded down with all my gear coming back from an Inzane.  On slower rides she has returned near 39 M P G. RIDE SAFE.

[SCain]

Lately I have been getting between 210 and 225 before switching to reserve.
This is a combo of some mountain twisties, city and hwy riding.

2001 Black/Beige

[0leman]

I do a lot of cruising on 55 mph roads (do somewhere around 65 indicated), get around 37 mpg which translates to around 222 miles for 6 gallons.   At 70-75 (on 65 mph roads)  get around 35 mpg, or around 210 miles.

So far I have not had to turn on the reserve.  I normally look for gas before 180 miles as gas stations are  not around ever corner where I ride.  I am getting old so pushing a dry bike is not to appealing. 

[Savago]

Generally around 150-160 miles, but it depends on how I'm riding... once I was doing 25mpg but I was twisting the tail of the bike (i.e. started the day in Oregon and finished the day in Montana).
 

[Jess from VA]

I do a lot of cruising on 55 mph roads (do somewhere around 65 indicated), get around 37 mpg which translates to around 222 miles for 6 gallons.   At 70-75 (on 65 mph roads)  get around 35 mpg, or around 210 miles.

So far I have not had to turn on the reserve.  I normally look for gas before 180 miles as gas stations are  not around ever corner where I ride.  I am getting old so pushing a dry bike is not to appealing.  

Ditto.  I've averaged 220 +/- to reserve on two interstates for many years (a mix of cruising and fast speeds), and may only lose 10-15 miles at constant 65-75 on tank to tank freeway riding.

But you will not get these miles if you fill on the side stand, or just pull the nozzle out after the first high speed shut off, and/or don't use a slow speed pump to get every bit of fuel in right up to the neck that you can.  Sitting on the bike centered up at the pump, looking down in the hole, using body to gently nudge the bike side to side, on slowest pump feed trickle, stopping a couple times to let the foam die down, a half gallon or more will go in after it looks to your eyes like it's full.

This is not really necessary for ordinary riding in areas where there are pumps all over.  But a few bad scares of running out, in strange country where you are not finding any stations at all, with the IS dash constantly flashing at you, can give Post Traumatic I-Almost-Had-To-Push-The-Bike Syndrome.

Just a word of caution Oleman, if you are never using reserve, you can't be sure if you have some developing crud down in the tank bottom.  Yes refilling mixes it up some, but it quickly settles to the bottom again, and the petcock screen may do it's job.  But you might want to occasionally ride on reserve from time to time just to draw gas from the bottom for awhile.  Just remember to switch back off of reserve after 50 miles or so.  And a healthy dose of Seafoam or Berryman's B12 or Techron on those occasions might even be better.

I look at my (reset on every fill-up) trip meter more than my gas gauge.  I really only pay attention to my gas gauge when it's down around 2bars left.  Down there, it likes to switch back and forth between 2bars, 1bar, and flashing.  Though eventually, it's just flashing.

[oldsmokey]

1 up, easy going not highway, 225.

[Pete]

210 to 220

[JimC]

I have never hit reserve,
I ride with others that have standard tanks so they are the judge of when we stop, if riding alone, my legs or bladder need relief long before reserve time comes into play. If just accumulative miles around town, I just watch the gauge, when it gets down around a quarter tank, I fill up.

JIm

[Steel cowboy]

2001 interstate air pressure at 44lbs in the back tire and 42lbs in the front. All stock jets, I'm getting about 230+. I try and keep her under 3000 rpm and ride to enjoy the ride. I've made it from spring hill to Daytona at around 3/4 tank.

[gordonv]

I recall on my current IS, getting 175 miles to reserve, from a Factory tank fill. 2 up hwy 70-75 Mph.

On my 1500 GW, the best I got, was when I slowed down to 50 Mph. About 1/3 less fuel used.

[Farside]

I cruised along Hway 90 West from Tallahassee, FL to Pensacola getting 190 and flipping to reserve getting another 37 miles. That was hitting some small towns, 2 - 4 stop lights along the way and not going over 65. Nice ride. 

[0leman]

I do a lot of cruising on 55 mph roads (do somewhere around 65 indicated), get around 37 mpg which translates to around 222 miles for 6 gallons.   At 70-75 (on 65 mph roads)  get around 35 mpg, or around 210 miles.

So far I have not had to turn on the reserve.  I normally look for gas before 180 miles as gas stations are  not around ever corner where I ride.  I am getting old so pushing a dry bike is not to appealing. 

Just a word of caution Oleman, if you are never using reserve, you can't be sure if you have some developing crud down in the tank bottom.  Yes refilling mixes it up some, but it quickly settles to the bottom again, and the petcock screen may do it's job.  But you might want to occasionally ride on reserve from time to time just to draw gas from the bottom for awhile.  Just remember to switch back off of reserve after 50 miles or so.  And a healthy dose of Seafoam or Berryman's B12 or Techron on those occasions might even be better.

.

Jess, I do use SeaFoam in the spring, and do occasionally switch to reserve.    Just never "Had To" switch to reserve.  Actually did switch to reserve during a short 140 mile ride yesterday.  Now waiting for the string of storms to hit.   

[Cruzen]

These numbers are all riding two up, total weight of 325 with tire pressures 40-42 rear, 38 front stock Valk Interstate:
205-215 miles when doing a steady 75mph
195-205 miles when doing steady 80 both in altitudes around 1200ft. 
Once when roaming around in Colorado at elevation 6000-8000 it went for 225 before it hit the reserve and I got almost 40mpg on that tank.  We did Holbrook Arizona to Canyon De Chelly and back to Hplbrook, a distance of 248 miles at elevation 5,000ft on one tank.  The reason I mention the elevation is that (based on my over 700,000 miles on two wheels in 48 years) my experience is that with standard settings and jetting, your bike will get less mpg the closer it is to sea level.

[cookiedough]

if memory serves me, around 185 miles or so.  I would not push over 200 miles total but with reserve most will do 200 miles total easily including reserve, plus 200 miles is an easy number to remember and by then is over 2 hours of driving so time to rest my sore behind/legs anyways to get gas.

when the light bar starts flashing, get to a gas station within 15-20 miles or so since then will go to reserve I think.  The 2-3 times in 8 years I have had to use reserve had a smidge over 1 gallon left in gas tank total so to be safe 30 miles more of driving on reserve tops.

My avg mpg is constantly 35-36 best being 40 and worse 32.

[Forge]

My Interstate is still new to me. I went on a long run last weekend and I filled her up to just above the bottom of the fuel neck while on the kickstand. I refueled her at 194 miles and still had 2 bars showing without going to reserves. We were averaging 65 to 75 mph with about 15 miles of 25 to 35 mph farm roads. I also had some Techron added and have removed my trunk, so I don’t know how that may have affected the mileage.

[Paladin528]

Normal riding I am in around 210 to reserve.  if I am in a place where I can let loose I can be as low as 150.
My target is to keep to speeds that allow for over 200

[falconbrother]

Up near 200 miles before I hit reserve.  I rarely let it go that far without a gas stop.  My butt needs a break as well. 

1999 IS

[JC19]

I hardly ever see more than 180 before reserve. Speed makes  huge difference.

[pocket aces]

The reason I ask is that I was riding a week ago on a very windy day. Wind was pushing me around. Bike was acting like it was running out of gas at 175 miles. I switch to reserve seemed to run good for the nest 5 miles till I got to the gas station. Filled it to the top. Only 5 gallons?  Maybe it sucked up some crud? Could the high winds somehow have leaned out my fuel mixture? I have put 150 miles on since that and it is running like a champ!    ?????

[Jess from VA]

Obviously, if you put in 5, you had 2 left, and were not on reserve. (absent a malfunctioning sending unit and/or IS dash electronics, which is doubtful).  If you have ever hit reserve, you know that with the amount of gas in the system below the tank to fuel 6 cylinders and carbs, it is always a slow and gradual degradation of performance (nothing like other bikes I have had that would just almost shut down).  I've had a bit of a stumble, shook the bike (tank) hard, and been back to good running for a couple more miles before the choking to empty was solid and consistent.   

When I am closer to actual reserve (of 1.1 gals), I have been bumping down a freeway with crosswinds (gas sloshing in tank), and my IS dash will begin alternating from two bars, to flashing, to one bar, to two bars, and so forth. This makes me pay much closer attention to how the bike is running, and I think I have imagined it is choking to empty, before I really need to go on reserve.  I don't like to switch to reserve before I have to.  I set one tripmeter to zero when I go to reserve, and must find gas in 30 miles (conservatively), as at that point, the gas gauge is no longer working (beyond flashing).

Truth is, the IS gas gauge, with all of the possible variables in play, is not really very precise, it's more like ballpark.