Gas Gage??

[BigBishop]

Anyone know of an after market Gas Gage for a Standard?
Also, thinking about putting a Intersate has tank on my standard. Has anyone done this?

[tank_post142]

Interstate tank has been done many times. expect to pay from $600-1200 for a tank, but, this will give you a sending unit to hook up a guage.

[gordonv]

I have not heard of anyone installing a fuel sending unit to a gas tank. After owning bikes with fuel gauges, I still use the reserve and knowing how meany miles I can drive to reserve as an indicater of distance and fuel left (no need for a fuel gauge, I wouldn't bother with it).

People have added the Interstate gas tank (6.9gal) to the standard/tourer models, and there was a post about 2 months ago about getting a fuel gauge hooked up to it.

Seems the IS tank uses a reverse ohm method compared to the fuel gauge (after market), and modification is required. Look for that post from a while ago, and see what is required.

[BigBishop]

How many miles will a standard tank get?
How many miles will I get when I turn on the reserve?

[houstone]

I have found that mileage depends dramatically on how far you turn the throttle!     I tend to turn it too far, and get about 120 miles on a full tank before hitting reserve.  That is up, by the way, after putting in new plugs!     I am sure less throttle would make that number higher.
Not sure how far reserve will go now, but am sure it's at least 30 miles...
Jeff
('98 Darkside Tourer)

[Mr.BubblesVRCCDS0008]

On my tourer I got about 135 to 140 before hitting reserve but, speed, headwinds, and load do vary the end results. After hitting res. I usually ran 10 to 20 miles before refueling. Just remember (very important) to switch valve back to normal position after refueling if you don't you end up on the side of the road like I did. I was watching the trip milage and had just past a station by about two miles when she started cutting out reached down to switch to res. and that is when I found out I was already on reserve. I only had 135 miles on that tank but it was fast and into about a 30 mph headwind. At least four bikers passed us up without even a wave, a very nice cowboy in his truck made a u-turn to help us and go get us some gas.

[hubcapsc]

How many miles will a standard tank get?
How many miles will I get when I turn on the reserve?

It is all over the map. But your bike will generally go the same amount of miles
on each fill up... After you've had it just a little while, you'll know when to expect it
to go to reserve (that's when to plan for gas)... hopefully you'll not have to get a
real good feeling for when reserve runs out 

-Mike

[Willow]

How many miles will a standard tank get?
How many miles will I get when I turn on the reserve?

How many miles in a Standard tank depends upon several factors.  Miles per gallon varies greatly amongst individual bikes.  Conditions such as wind and speed can have a detrimental effect.  Mostly, each rider fills the tank differently and you can get a variance of almost a gallon per fill up.

I get about 143 miles to reserve.

The second question should render a much more reliable answer.  The distance from top of reserve to the bottom of the tank is always precisely the same.  The best way to find your reserve range is to carry a little extra fuel and run it out of gas.  Measure the distance from when you first go to reserve to when the fuel is completely gone.  For me at normal highway speed under normal conditions that's 43 miles.

Again, consider that less than ideal conditions may impact your reserve range, but at the very worst, by twenty percent.  That gives me a pretty much guaranteed reserve range of 35 miles.

Determining your reserve range will assist you in riding with a lot less fear of running out of fuel.  Running out once or twice will convince you the world doesn't end with that occurrence. 

[hubcapsc]

Running out once or twice will convince you the world doesn't end with that occurrence. 

Foo. And I only ever ran out once...



-Mike

[F6BANGER]

And remember, a bike full of gas weighs about 700 lbs less than a bike that is out of gas.......

You dont have to push a bike with gas...

[The Purple Haze]

Here you go: http://www.motosens.com/usa/f6c_e.htm

I have four of their gauges and have had no problems for a couple of years.  Note that they are aware of the sending unit differences and allow for that.

[Rocketman]

How many miles will a standard tank get?
How many miles will I get when I turn on the reserve?

Caveat for all of the previous comments:
Reserve capacity changes when you change petcocks.  Therefore, if you're running a stock petcock, the above comments apply.  If you're running a Pingel, halve the reserve capacity, and add that to your primary capacity.
I'm running a Pingel on an Interstate tank, and can get exactly 17 miles out of reserve.  I don't think you have to ask how I know.  The good news is that I had enough momentum to roll up to the pump.  It's called: a great sense of timing.  Or, bad judgment combined with luck.

[valkyriemc]

Caveat for all of the previous comments:
Reserve capacity changes when you change petcocks.  Therefore, if you're running a stock petcock, the above comments apply.  If you're running a Pingel, halve the reserve capacity, and add that to your primary capacity.
I'm running a Pingel on an Interstate tank, and can get exactly 17 miles out of reserve.  I don't think you have to ask how I know.  The good news is that I had enough momentum to roll up to the pump.  It's called: a great sense of timing.  Or, bad judgment combined with luck.
[/quote]

The Pingel is easily modified to put you back to the original reserve capacity. But you have to tear into it again. All the info is available if you need it. The first I recall of the mod and a write up was by John Schmit. And the first post I see by "Shock Bushing Gary" about this petcock issue was 12/27/2002! Thats how long we-all have been dealing with this...  
http://www.valkyrieforum.com/forum/tech_archive.cgi?read=1395108

[BF]

It's alot cheaper to just use the trip odometer.  Reset it at every fill-up.....when it gets to a hundred miles, start to think about looking for a gas station. 

Depending on which seat is mounted on your Valk, your probably due for a leg and butt stetch at about that point anyway.   

[MP]

It's alot cheaper to just use the trip odometer.  Reset it at every fill-up.....when it gets to a hundred miles, start to think about looking for a gas station. 

Depending on which seat is mounted on your Valk, your probably due for a leg and butt stetch at about that point anyway.   

Tell me, when I push hard, and go on reserve at 74 miles, how setting it for 100 miles will help?     LOL

I will pushing it to the 100 mile mark!

So much depends on how hard you twist your wrist, and how windy it is.  Try going 80mph into a 40mph wind, NO WAY do you make 100 miles on a std. tank.

MP

[Bone]

These fat ladies get thirsty. I couldn't believe I was going on reserve at 85 miles. Just got into New Mexico and had read several High Wind Area signs. Few miles later she was out of gas. I haven't run out of gas in 35 years.
Young guy picked me up and drove me to a gas station (1 mile) and back with a can of gas. It was triple digit temps !

[Ferris Leets]

My first road bike had a gas gage.  Factory.  Nipple on bottom of tank, nipple on top of tank with piece of clear tubing connecting them.  '66 Suzuki X6 Hustler.

[hubcapsc]

My first road bike had a gas gage.  Factory.  Nipple on bottom of tank, nipple on top of tank with piece of clear tubing connecting them.  '66 Suzuki X6 Hustler.

Fudgie has a friend with a Harley who used some kind of industrial welder made for repairing the hulls of
ocean-going naval vessels to weld up a system like that to his Harley tank... maybe he will repost the picture...

-Mike

[John Schmidt]

You want a fuel gauge, here's your answer. And it works even with a dead battery. 

"The Taylorcraft fuel gauge is about as simple, light, and reliable as can be made.  It is simply a cork on a rod that sicks up through the fuel cap directly in front of the windshield.  It's identical to the J-3 Cub fuel gauge.  They are expensive to buy, but cheap and easy to make."

So, all you have to do is remove the OEM gas cap and find one that fits in place of it. Drill a hole in the top, buy a bottle of wine, drink the wine and save the cork, drill a hole in the cork and stick a piece of SS wire up through it and up through the cap. VOILA...you now have a fuel gauge. You can even mark it with lines showing full...half....1/4....etc. If, after a few years the cork gets fuel-logged, go buy another bottle of wine.

[Anthony]

One of our dutch VRCC members (a real electronics wizzard) is in a final stadium of producing a bolt on Fuel gauge: no drilling in a tank, fits on ST or IS tank, by measuring the pressure after the shut off valve, and compare that to ambient air pressure.
More info can be found here :

http://www.valkyrieriders.nl/vrcc/showthread.php?tid=180
Best is to google translate, but the pics and youtubes already tell you a lot.

After his gear indicator and turn signal indicator, i have faith that this will be a neat addition for our valks.
I will keep you informed when its finished.
Anthony

[Hoser]

It's alot cheaper to just use the trip odometer.  Reset it at every fill-up.....when it gets to a hundred miles, start to think about looking for a gas station. 

Depending on which seat is mounted on your Valk, your probably due for a leg and butt stetch at about that point anyway.   

Tell me, when I push hard, and go on reserve at 74 miles, how setting it for 100 miles will help?     LOL

I will pushing it to the 100 mile mark!

So much depends on how hard you twist your wrist, and how windy it is.  Try going 80mph into a 40mph wind, NO WAY do you make 100 miles on a std. tank.

MP

Dang it MP, now I gotta try it!  Hoser    Think I can find a 40 mph head wind in Kansas?   

[R J]

Hey Grasshoppers.    I have over 242K miles  on MGM and have yet to run out of gas.   He has been in all of the lower 48 3 times and to Alaska once.

My gas guage is very simple.    If I have 74 miles on the trip meter and come up on a gas station I STOP.    Ya never want to pass up a chance to pee and fill up. It is illegal to relieve yourself along side the road in California, expensive also.
Works every time.

I say fur get about that firkin reserve, unless ya can't find a station.    I was always able to find them on the Way up to Alaska and back.

This method really started when I was a CHP.  Those Harley's were not real liable on their mileage.   The Kaw's were a little better and the Motto Guzzi really sucked.