To Reserve or Not to Reserve and other random thoughts

[Willow]

I tend to fill the tank to the top and run it to the bottom.  It irritates some who have ridden with me.  There are a few reasons why I go to and into reserve on almost every tank of fuel.  One or two may be slightly tongue in cheek.  One or two, though, are valid.

The fuel mileage experienced by one on his motorcycle is impacted by speed, wind resistance, and weight among other factors.  The weight of the motorcycle is contributed to by the amount of fuel in the tank.  I tell my friends that the best fuel mileage you're going to get will be during that last few miles before you fill it up again.

The bottom of the fuel tank gathers junk.  When you turn the fuel lever to reserve and start feeding from the bottom of the tank the fuel down there is moved.  Honestly, most of the stuff in the gasoline won't hurt you filter or engine a bit when it is fed into the carburetors in minute amounts but if you let it collect and collect at the bottom of that tank it reaches an amount and consistency that can indeed be an issue.

If you never go to the bottom of the tank then you won't really know where it is.  I ride in perfect comfort after the motorcycle has alerted me that it needs the reserve switch because I know precisely how much gasoline there is between the point of reserve requirement and a completely empty tank.

The reserve switch is one of the distinctive reminders of the difference between my two wheeled mode of transportation and just another cage.  I like those differences most of the time.

Last week I was turning south on the west side of Lawrence onto the K10 bypass from US40.  The ramp from the stop lighted intersection to the entrance onto K10 is long, probably a quarter mile or more.  One of the reasons I enjoy riding the Valkyrie is the myriad choices it offers the rider.  I glanced to my left to note a car coming out from under the overpass directly across from where I was beginning my transition.  The PRV on K10 at the point is sixty-five miles per hour.  Traffic tends to run at or slightly above that rate.  I'll bet I could go on in front of that vehicle, I thought, and I turned the throttle.  I ran it through four of the five gears coming down that ramp and looked over my shoulder to see the target cage was well behind where I would merge onto the flyway.  I glanced down at the gauges and was a bit surprised.  She's so smooth, so effortless that she is sometimes deceptive.  Is it common?  Do others have that same experience as I of looking down at the speed indicator and unexpectedly seeing the needle at or passing the ninety?

I was riding around town when I pulled up to the rocking chair position at a stop light.  The car next to me showed the characteristics of a law enforcement vehicle but with standard tags and it wasn't the latest of models.  The light turned green and I moved off the line at a moderate pace.  To my left and slightly behind I heard the easily identified sound of a police vehicle engine kicking into more than casual mode. I turned the throttle a bit more and ran the Valkyrie up to a bit over the PRV before settling in and allowing the car to cruise past me.  Is it automatic?  Is it just a natural instinct or a learned response?  I would hate to think I could be trapped all that easily.

It's a good day to own a Valkyrie.  You know, maybe it's a good day to own several Valkyries.  You all be safe and we'll hope to see some of you in June.           

[hubcapsc]

If you never go to the bottom of the tank then you won't really know where it is.

Who the &^$!! wants to know where that is? ! ? !

I'll fill the 1500 up with non-ethanol on the way home, it won't be at reserve, but I will
probably wash the pollen off the 1800 and ride it some this week, letting the Log
Truck sit - but not with a mostly empty tank.

With a bike that gets used regularly, I bet the gas in the tank gets sloshed
around plenty that there's not a layer of bad gas at the bottom...

-Mike "on these roads, anyhow..."

[Gryphon Rider]

Because most of my riding is in the city, I almost always run it to reserve before filling.  Over a month it'll save me the time of not having to fill it up once.  The only time I'll fill before reserve is when I'm heading out of town or on the highway.  What's the rocking chair position and why is it called that?

[Willow]

...  What's the rocking chair position and why is it called that?

   Its' a leftover from CB slang many, many years ago.  It's the one out front.

[Chrisj CMA]

Carl.  I don't know if you like (ed) th show Sienfield.  There was an episode where Kramer was test driving a car.  He took it way farther than he was supposed to. When the gas needle went below E Kramer became very excited, living beyond E he called it.  I get it, you like pushing it to see how far beyond "E" you can go.  Yes, you will have a hard time finding many to share your thrill.

I owned my standard around five years when the petcock failed.  For those five years I rode to the point of needing to switch to reserve maybe two or three times.

After I gave up trying to fix that POS petcock, I just went to a Pingel.  I said all that to say this.....when I pulled that original filter out, by your logic it should have been gunked up.  It wasn't, the thing was sparkling clean, well as "sparkling" as a gasoline soaked piece of plastic can be.

I contend that the gas that could eventually become "reserve" gas is constantly mixing and  churning inside the tank.  Yes sentiment will tend to drift to the bottom but should not make it past the filter, so sucking gas from the reserve hole does nothing to keep you fuel tank clean.

If you think you have a build up of sentiment, your only good plan of action would be to remove the tank and clean it out.

[Firefighter]

I keep mine full as it is very hot and humid where I live. The heating and cooling everyday invites water to contaminate the fuel. Also I try and ride in the countryside try to get away from traffic (which is getting more difficult to do) and there are fewer fuel stations and I might decide to take the long way home so for me I fuel up before I park.

Have noticed on some of my other bikes if I don't keep the fuel level over the inside hump in the tank (the metal you see when looking in the fuel fill opening), this metal will rust.

I do at times run on reserve but i don't know if I am accomplishing anything or not.

[Black Dog]

Knowing 'how far' you can get, after hitting reserve is, in my mind, a good thing to know.  On the way to IZ in Arkansas I hit reserve on a very dark desolate part of 'nowhere'...  After a few anxious miles, I spotted a sign indicating the distance to the next town.  Some quick number crunching (and relaxing the grip of the right hand), I was able to make it to the next gas stop, with no worries.

Regarding 'on ramps'...  They were made to attempt the triple digit merge 

Black Dog

[Cracker Jack]

...  What's the rocking chair position and why is it called that?

   Its' a leftover from CB slang many, many years ago.  It's the one out front.

In this part of the world, the" rocking chair" position(s) is in the middle of a pack (convoy) with a "front door" in front and a "back door" in the rear thereby giving the "rocking chair" some protection from law enforcement in front and behind. Maybe not that way where you are.

[PAVALKER]

I'm unfamiliar with the term PRV..... What is that?

[msb]

Have owned my current Interstate for 15 years, and used to run to reserve on a regular basis before filling up. Once the daughters grew up and the co-pilot and I started going on more and more long multi-day and multi-week rides (mostly on our own, and always as far away from urban areas as possible), I got into the habit of making sure the tank was filled at the first opportunity prior to heading into any stretch where there was a possibilty of not seeing a suitable fuel stop in time (my eagle-eyed co-pilot is also very adept and consistent in noticing two things on the bike....the position of the needle on the speedometer, and the level of IS's fuel level indicator
So, for the past several years I had gotten into the habit of not using reserve at all. That all changed last year in Spearfish when I attended Daniel Myeres' fuel petcok demo session, and listened intently to his advice that by not switching to reserve at least semi-regularly, issues could arise as described here, or that the petcock may not function at all when a time comes that switching to reserve is unavoidable. That thought stayed in my head for the entire trip home from Spearfish...that my neglect (or ignorance, if it were) might come back to bite me. Luckily I was travelling with a Standard towing a trailer that required fuel stops a lot more regularly than me, and I didn't have to "test" my poor neglected petcock. Needless to say a replacement was on the agenda as soon as I made it back home, and I have now reverted back to using reserve.

With respect to glancing down and noticing the speed approaching/exceeding 80-90 without thinking about it...yeah, that can happen pretty regularly at times - especially when riding solo. When riding 2-up...not so much, as a "polite" rap in the middle of the back from the aforementnioned "eagle-eyed" co-pilot usually puts an end to that in a hurry  

[Oss]

I like to start every ride with a full tank

Just because once I am having fun I don't want to stop till I get home or to a destination that appears

It is my tendency to look for gas at the 3 bar indicator just because I really dont want to know where the end is, (anymore than I want to know where my end date will be) and because I remember the Carter years of waiting on line   

That said,  I did run out once, at the entrance to a gas station and coasted in to the pump.  No idea how many miles were on that tank tho    

[Chrisj CMA]

Here's the thing.  Kinda like in my scuba diving days.  Scuba tank manifolds usually have a reserve handle.  Our bikes stock petcock has a reserve knob.

Some people think of it as EXTRA air or fuel.  Some people think of it as an artificial and for the most part unnecessary false bottom.

If you keep track of the remaining resource at all times, you will just know when the reasonable time arrives to replenish said resource.  I use my odometer.  I gas anywhere from 100 miles to 150 miles.  I know if I M pulling my trailer get gas by 100. Also I will look for gas at 100 miles if I have been "flying" or battling a headwind.  Normal riding, I know I can make 150 no sweat.

Either way the reserve doesn't "give you more gas" or air

Knowing how far you can go on reserve is not going to make the he next gas station any closer.

Every time you pass a gas station you either have enough fuel to make it to the next one or you don't.  With or without the reserve.

[Cracker Jack]

Here's the thing.  Kinda like in my scuba diving days.  Scuba tank manifolds usually have a reserve handle.  Our bikes stock petcock has a reserve knob.

Some people think of it as EXTRA air or fuel.  Some people think of it as an artificial and for the most part unnecessary false bottom.

If you keep track of the remaining resource at all times, you will just know when the reasonable time arrives to replenish said resource.  I use my odometer.  I gas anywhere from 100 miles to 150 miles.  I know if I M pulling my trailer get gas by 100. Also I will look for gas at 100 miles if I have been "flying" or battling a headwind.  Normal riding, I know I can make 150 no sweat.

Either way the reserve doesn't "give you more gas" or air

Knowing how far you can go on reserve is not going to make the he next gas station any closer.

Every time you pass a gas station you either have enough fuel to make it to the next one or you don't.  With or without the reserve.

All sounds very logical to me. And your point??

[Chrisj CMA]

Here's the thing.  Kinda like in my scuba diving days.  Scuba tank manifolds usually have a reserve handle.  Our bikes stock petcock has a reserve knob.

Some people think of it as EXTRA air or fuel.  Some people think of it as an artificial and for the most part unnecessary false bottom.

If you keep track of the remaining resource at all times, you will just know when the reasonable time arrives to replenish said resource.  I use my odometer.  I gas anywhere from 100 miles to 150 miles.  I know if I M pulling my trailer get gas by 100. Also I will look for gas at 100 miles if I have been "flying" or battling a headwind.  Normal riding, I know I can make 150 no sweat.

Either way the reserve doesn't "give you more gas" or air

Knowing how far you can go on reserve is not going to make the he next gas station any closer.

Every time you pass a gas station you either have enough fuel to make it to the next one or you don't.  With or without the reserve.

All sounds very logical to me. And your point??

My point is...knowing when you need gas is smarter than relying on the reserve.

[msb]

Either way the reserve doesn't "give you more gas" or air

Knowing how far you can go on reserve is not going to make the he next gas station any closer.

Every time you pass a gas station you either have enough fuel to make it to the next one or you don't.  With or without the reserve.

All very true. In some instances however, riding in unknown territory or more desolate regions there can be "unknown" factors.... is the fuel stop showing on the GPS still operating, or open? Have I miscalcualted the conditions, where I've actually used more gas that usual (I usually plan on about 300 km (180 mi) when riding around 70 mph 2-up prior to reserve)? Filling up when opportunities arise, then keeping reserve as in fact, a reserve for when calculations may be off would best describe my preference. So not really "extra fuel" I agree....more like an extra "safety margin" for error in judgement or other unforseen circumstances. Either way, at least I will not hesitate to switch over if needed on my trek to WV this June, having confidence that the petcock is fully operational.

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

I fill my bikes up after every ride before it goes in the garage ( always ) .  You have a hot engine under a half empty cold gas tank  when parked is just asking for a rust especially in cold / cooler months from condensation.

[solo1]

Carl, your post reminded me of two occurrences in our family.  Mark was traveling on Coliseum Blvd. (very busy) in Ft. Wayne when the Valk started slowing down.  He knew what that meant. He reached down to flip on the reserve................it was already on.  He ended up pushing the Valk uphill about a half mile to a service station.  I wouldn't have had that strength and stamina.

My oldest son called me one day and said that his KLR quit running.  I said "Switch to reserve" and he said......................"reserve?"

I only ran into reserve twice on my Valk. I always kept it topped out. Goes back to my Youth when I couldn't afford to fill the tank on my beaters and had to walk in below zero weather two miles because the water in the gas tank froze.  To this day i always top out all tanks regularly unless i'm on a trip.

BTW, the old VW Beetle also had the same setup on their gas tank, a reserve valve you kicked with your foot.  We, in the service department, got many calls.

[Skinhead]

Carl, your post reminded me of two occurrences in our family.  Mark was traveling on Coliseum Blvd. (very busy) in Ft. Wayne when the Valk started slowing down.  He knew what that meant. He reached down to flip on the reserve................it was already on.  He ended up pushing the Valk uphill about a half mile to a service station.  I wouldn't have had that strength and stamina.

My oldest son called me one day and said that his KLR quit running.  I said "Switch to reserve" and he said......................"reserve?"

I only ran into reserve twice on my Valk. I always kept it topped out. Goes back to my Youth when I couldn't afford to fill the tank on my beaters and had to walk in below zero weather two miles because the water in the gas tank froze.  To this day i always top out all tanks regularly unless i'm on a trip.

BTW, the old VW Beetle also had the same setup on their gas tank, a reserve valve you kicked with your foot.  We, in the service department, got many calls.

You beat me to it Wayne, I wanted to say the only thing you must remember about running on reserve is to remember to switch back to ON after refueling.  Got me a good scare once when I was getting phenomenal gas mileage, judging by the fact that I didn't have to switch to reserve yet.  When it got to the point of being ridiculous,  I reached down to switch and it was already there!!  Got off at the next exit and refueled.

[Willow]

If you never go to the bottom of the tank then you won't really know where it is.

Who the &^$!! wants to know where that is? ! ? !
... 

LOL! I do, Mike, and I expect anyone I ride with to likewise know.  I'll give you an example of why.  Some years ago I was riding with four other Valkyrie riders.  We were headed south on an interstate when one of the riders rushed ahead in a panic to tell the ride leader he had gone on reserve.  He jumped off at the next exit and my friend, the ride leader, followed.  Because I had a strong sense of loyalty to the ride leader and because I really wanted to ride with most of these guys, I followed the group off the interstate.   He, the panicked rider, led us back several miles to the last service station we had seen.  On that journey back I made a commitment to myself that I would never again ride with that particular gentleman.  It wasn't really that hard as there's already a limited number of riders that I will choose to ride with.  They all filled up and we headed back onto the southbound interstate.  To add insult to the decision, as we rolled past the plae we had exited and turned around I took note.  It was less distance ahead to fuel than it was back to where we had gone.     

Carl.  I don't know if you like (ed) th show Sienfield.  ...  I get it, you like pushing it to see how far beyond "E" you can go.  Yes, you will have a hard time finding many to share your thrill.
...
If you think you have a build up of sentiment, your only good plan of action would be to remove the tank and clean it out.

I only have seen Jerry Seinfeld a few times.  from those few times I have determined that I despise what he presents and most of what he stands for.  You don't really get it.  It's not about pushing past "E" (?????) but about knowing and being comfortable with what I have available and what the limit actually is.

Sediment.

I keep mine full as it is very hot and humid where I live. The heating and cooling everyday invites water to contaminate the fuel.
...

That's a good point, firefighter.  I guess I should have clarified that my bike doesn't normally sit for long.  If I do bring it home and expect it to sit for more than a day or two I will fill the tank with gasoline specifically to protect it from rust.

As to whether using the trip meter is accurate enough to determine when I really need fuel, the distance and volume from the top of the tank to the bottom varies based upon how full I last filled the tank and how rapidly the fuel is being burned.  The distance from the top of the reserve to the bottom of the tank is always the exact same amount.  At normal highway speed I can get about forty-three miles out of the reserve.  Even with a significant reduction in fuel mileage I don't need to be panicked until thirty-five miles has gone by.

It's honestly not necessary that everyone regularly goes to reserve.  I do suggest, though, that every rider takes a gallon or half a gallon of fuel with him and run his bike out of gas noting when he went on reserve and when it coughed at the bottom of the tank.  Whether you use it regularly or not there may come a time out in the western part of the country that you will unexpectedly need it/  When that happens you do want to know how much it will give you. 

 

[Bighead]

I ran my IS waaaaaayyy further than I thought possible in 2013 on my coast to coast trip. My and my fellow rider that went with me had the pucker factor happening,we came upon a town and I was gonna pull over and fill up but when we reached the exit they were doing construction and traffic was backed up (I was well below 1/4 tank ) I saw town past that exit and decided to stop at the next one except there wasn't a next one the next sign of gas was about 75 miles and we were both on fumes when we got there and the owner was locking the door to close for the evening with some desperate begging and explaining we were only about 1500 miles from home he did sell us some fuel and we were able to continue to the next areas with a hotel room. If he hadn't turned the pumps back on we were going yo have to stay in his parking lot overnight   so I try not to run that Low anymore actually I started carrying a saddlebag gas can that holds a gallon and a half when I am going on extended trips. Don't have to worry to much about running out of fuel here in the Eastern half of the country but when getting out in the North west they can be few and far between.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Willow, I have to admit I haven't run my tank empty. But I do think you have a good idea. The most I've had to take it was 30 miles on reserve. I was very nervous thinking I was going to run out any minute. It's good to know that 43 is what you usually can get. I'm curious since you have some experience at this, how far on your Interstate can you go after the gauge starts blinking ?

[Rams]

Willow, I have to admit I haven't run my tank empty. But I do think you have a good idea. The most I've had to take it was 30 miles on reserve. I was very nervous thinking I was going to run out any minute. It's good to know that 43 is what you usually can get. I'm curious since you have some experience at this, how far on your Interstate can you go after the gauge starts blinking ?

Well, I  don't have a guage and carry about 10 gallons when you count the belly tank but,  I've been 413 miles without putting my feet on the ground.    Yeah, I really needed to piss before I stopped..................

[The emperor has no clothes]

Willow, I have to admit I haven't run my tank empty. But I do think you have a good idea. The most I've had to take it was 30 miles on reserve. I was very nervous thinking I was going to run out any minute. It's good to know that 43 is what you usually can get. I'm curious since you have some experience at this, how far on your Interstate can you go after the gauge starts blinking ?

Well, I  don't have a guage and carry about 10 gallons when you count the belly tank but,  I've been 413 miles without putting my feet on the ground.    Yeah, I really needed to piss before I stopped..................

Dang, I guess so. 

[Crackerborn]

I suppose if I never changed my riding style, route, or my mind about where the route will take me, I could just gas up somewhere around every 130 miles. There have been occasions that I hit reserve at 90 miles and once at 155 miles when I had a following gale. I now have a Pingle and reserve is a bit shorter than the OEM petcock, so once I do hit reserve, I tend to start looking for fuel. I have had several two-wheeled forms of conveyance that had no reserve and a few that did not even have a fuel shut-off. One old gem that I remember fondly had no reserve and no odometer. One hour and a bit riding time and a fuel stop was in order as well as tighten all the nuts and bolts so you could keep all the parts on the old girl (no brands mentioned). It was a hard tail so the stop usually was a relief. If I am going west, I carry an extra gallon of gas in a saddlebag. While I have not run out of gas in the past 10 years or so, that walk down the road to the next station was never part of any travel plans I have ever made.

[DK]

Personalities aside and addressing realities, I have installed a belly tank. It negates the need to fill up my Tourer at 70 miles when dealing with headwinds and 50 mile spacing of filling stations in Idaho and Wyoming and other such places.

Best $400.00 I've ever spent on the Valk.

It lets me avoid stopping for fuel every 100 miles when my co-riders want to stop at 150.

It also enables me to make 200 + mile runs between stops if things are going too good to stop.

I've had some harrowing times living from the bottom of my reserve - don't want to do it again, but if I have to, it's still there with its 37 mile range @ 55 mph.

Dan

[hubcapsc]

I go on reserve around 115... some people don't go to reserve until
way past that, but in the South there's probably gas somewhere
before I run out, no need to panic. I was chasing Thumper while on reserve down
I75 on a windy day once, and I was a little nervous by the time he
pulled off for gas.

-Mike "but not panicked"

[scooperhsd]

Hitting reserve = FIND GAS NOW for me.  

All my other bikes up until now - I could count on the tripmeter, so I 've been in the habit of ALWAYS reseting the tripmeter when filling up - and the only bike I had that had a fuel guage was my PC800. Doesn't work so well on my Valk - it has an issue of sticking right before turning over 100 miles. So... I've figured out that I can get 140-150 miles before turning on the reserve - so, I add 150 miles to the odometer and try to remember that. If I forget - my Pingle flips on reserve with about .3 gallons left - approximately 10 miles. The other possibliles  would be getting that fuel guage from the European fellow and/or getting a dedicated GPS that I could "reset the tripmeter " on every fillup.

Since most of my riding is 35 miles one way to work - it works pretty well - 2 roundtrips = time to fill up.

I suppose I could fork out the several hundred for a new speedometer / odometer / trip meter - if you can find one....

[Jess from VA]

I've had experiences on the PA/OH turnpike, that take me back to high school math questions.

Your vehicle averages 35MPH and your gas tank holds 6.9 gallons (1.1 reserve).  At the 190 mile mark (on your odometer) you pass a sign that says Rest Stop and Gas in 8 miles, Next Service Center in 50 miles.  There are a couple exits in that fifty miles, but you have no idea if there is gas at or near any of them.  A small headwind has been picking up in the last half hour.  What should you do?

Let's see, 190 miles divided by 35MPG equals 5.4 gallons; 6.9 minus 5.4 equals 1.5 gallons left; so I should have 52.5 miles left.  It took me a couple minutes to do this in my head, now how far past that 8 mile warning sign am I?  Wait a minute, wait a minute, was that 52.5 miles to the next exit, from the upcoming service center, or was that from back at the sign a few miles back?  

Answer:    WTF am I thinking about?  If I don't stop in the next three minutes, I'm going to pee my pants.  I'm getting off NOW.  

Ok, if I normally pee about a half quart, but haven't peed in 3.5 hours.......   STOP DOING THAT!!!!

Oh, look at the shiny Mercedes with the stacked blond driving. Boy is she hot!~

Crap, I missed my exit!!!  I'm gonna pee my pants AND run out of gas.  

I wonder where that Blond is going?  

[msb]

I've had experiences on the PA/OH turnpike, that take me back to high school math questions.

Your vehicle averages 35MPH and your gas tank holds 6.9 gallons (1.1 reserve).  At the 190 mile mark you pass a sign that says Rest Stop and Gas in 5 miles, Next Service Center in 50 miles.  There are a couple exits in that fifty miles, but you have no idea if there is gas at or near any of them.  A small headwind has been picking up in the last half hour.  What should you do?

Let's see, 190 miles divided by 35MPG equals 5.4 gallons; 6.9 minus 5.4 equals 1.5 gallons left; so I should have 52.5 miles left.  It took me a couple minutes to do this in my head, now how far past that 5 mile warning sign am I?  Wait a minute, wait a minute, was that 52.5 miles to the next exit, when I reach the upcoming service center, or was that from back the sign a few miles back?  

Answer:    WTF am I thinking about?  If I don't stop in the next three minutes, I'm going to pee my pants.  I'm getting off NOW.  

Ok, if I normally pee about a half quart, but haven't peed in 3.5 hours.......   STOP  :2funny:DOING THAT!!!!

Oh, look at the shiny Mercedes with the stacked blond driving.

Crap, I missed my exit!!!  I'm gonna pee my pants AND run out of gas.  

I wonder where that Blond is going?  

 

[Hef]

Everyone has an opinion and like oil and tires there are disagreements on what is best. My system is the same as Smokin Joe. I live 7 miles from town and my last stop on the way home from every ride is the gas station where I fill the tank. Have done this same procedure for over 45 years and have never had gummed up carbs nor rust in the tank, so I assume it works at least for me. 

[Oldfishguy]

I run the odometer on "trip mileage" and reset after a each tank fill.  Granted, interstate high speed riding is quite different than rural road riding for mileage.  I hit reserve 80% of the time.

My general rule of thumb is:

160 miles, stop if it is VERY convenient  

180 miles, stop if you're driving by a station

200 miles, might have to go out of the way and search a  bit for a station


And the acceleration issue, and you think we have it bad:

Last summer I was turning onto a four lane divided highway from a stop sign in my 66 Impala SS.  Behind me was a crotch rocket guy, itching to go.  I waited for an open space and started to accelerate "smartly" into the right lane.  As I glanced in the rear view mirror I saw the rocket moving swiftly into the left lane with purpose.  With the immediate road clear ahead of us I punched the old big block to the floor and threw every gallon through the Holley 4 as possible.  The rocket whipped passed me as I shifted into third gear standing only on his rear wheel in perfect form.  And all I could do was marvel at the rider's skill.  

Yup, and you think we have the itch bad.
  

[MP]

...  What's the rocking chair position and why is it called that?

   Its' a leftover from CB slang many, many years ago.  It's the one out front.

In my 40 years of trucking, "Rocking Chair" was  always in the middle of the pack.  One had "Front Doors" to watch the front, and "Back Doors", to watch against HP's coming up from the rear.

Since the middle ones had little to do, they were "in the Rocking Chair".

[Rams]

I've had experiences on the PA/OH turnpike, that take me back to high school math questions.

Your vehicle averages 35MPH and your gas tank holds 6.9 gallons (1.1 reserve).  At the 190 mile mark (on your odometer) you pass a sign that says Rest Stop and Gas in 8 miles, Next Service Center in 50 miles.  There are a couple exits in that fifty miles, but you have no idea if there is gas at or near any of them.  A small headwind has been picking up in the last half hour.  What should you do?

Let's see, 190 miles divided by 35MPG equals 5.4 gallons; 6.9 minus 5.4 equals 1.5 gallons left; so I should have 52.5 miles left.  It took me a couple minutes to do this in my head, now how far past that 8 mile warning sign am I?  Wait a minute, wait a minute, was that 52.5 miles to the next exit, from the upcoming service center, or was that from back at the sign a few miles back?  

Answer:    WTF am I thinking about?  If I don't stop in the next three minutes, I'm going to pee my pants.  I'm getting off NOW.  

Ok, if I normally pee about a half quart, but haven't peed in 3.5 hours.......   STOP DOING THAT!!!!

Oh, look at the shiny Mercedes with the stacked blond driving. Boy is she hot!~

Crap, I missed my exit!!!  I'm gonna pee my pants AND run out of gas.  

I wonder where that Blond is going?  

She was waiting on me......

Getting 400 + miles between fill ups means you have a lot of time to do the math.   IOWs, very slow to moderate acceleration and averaging between 50 and 55 mph with little to no headwinds and coasting down hill to that last fuel stop.   Been there, done that..

[vanagon40]

. . . my Valk - it has an issue of sticking right before turning over 100 miles. . . .

Next time you reset the trip meter, try spinning it past 00000.0 a couple of times before stopping at 00000.0.  I think this is a not uncommon phenomenon.

[Alien]

I regularly run to reserve on the Mothership as Valkyrie's are particularly gentle about letting you know when it's time to switch.  Throttle response gets a little soft and then you know to hit reserve.  My old Sportster, on the other hand, would be running just fine then abruptly sputter and die...often in a corner.  Not good. 

Ride Safe,

Alien

[zenindian]

I run on reserve is I am in town, but don't on the road.  Through the years I have had to push too many times and getting too old for it now.

[Gryphon Rider]

Well, I  don't have a guage and carry about 10 gallons when you count the belly tank but,  I've been 413 miles without putting my feet on the ground.    Yeah, I really needed to piss before I stopped..................

I always wait until AFTER I've stopped. 

[Willow]

...  What's the rocking chair position and why is it called that?

   Its' a leftover from CB slang many, many years ago.  It's the one out front.

In my 40 years of trucking, "Rocking Chair" was  always in the middle of the pack.  One had "Front Doors" to watch the front, and "Back Doors", to watch against HP's coming up from the rear.

Since the middle ones had little to do, they were "in the Rocking Chair".

Obviously my aging memory failed.  Thank you.  I misapplied the term.  

[Willow]

It was meant to be a light hearted original post but also to give us a chance to think.  I'm good with the results nd interaction.

For those who feel the need to carry a can of extra gas here's a thought.  That is exactly what the reserve level is.  The best place to carry extra gasoline is indeed in the tank intended for it.

For those who think depending upon the odometer is good enough, and I'm speaking now only of long distance riding, here are my thoughts.  I have a range of some 186 miles normally on the Standard, much more on the Interstate.  I have experienced, however, fairly regular variations of up to twenty percent and a few times even more than that.  Remember that we talked about speed and headwind.  My weight hasn't changed that much.  If I'm on the high end of variation and depending upon my total miles per odometer that is a twenty-eight mile difference.  If I'm depending upon my reserve tank potential to inform me that is only an eight and a half mile variation.  Remember that I said with a forty-three mile range on reserve I will choose to get desperate at thirty-five?

There was a question of how far the Interstate will go after that last bar is flashing.  The answer is easy but complex.  Interstate fuel gauges are not consistent one to another.  I've owned three Interstates and ridden a good deal more.  One of my Interstates would regularly go to reserve while still displaying two bars.  One would go regularly just as the final bar began to be displayed flashing.  My current Interstate will not go onto reserve until the last bar has been flashing for more than thirty miles.  Further, the number of bars displayed will change depending upon actions to move the fuel in the tank, acceleration, deceleration and leaning.  My fuel gauge also varies with the number of miles attributed to each bar.  I tell folks there are actually ten bars on my fuel gauge but the display only shows me the middle eight.  The Interstate fuel gauge is a useful tool for telling you about how much fuel you have in the tank but it is only approximate.  The reserve setting is exact. 

I guess to avoid a lot of argument I should say that how I practice certain procedures such as fuel refreshment is based upon distance riding.  I regularly go through a tank of gas on a ride.  I do ride around town, but my behavior tends to be related to distance riding.  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.

        

[Gryphon Rider]

When on a road trip, I plan my stops so I don't worry about running out, usually planning 150-220 km.  I always zero the tripmeter when filling.  If I hit reserve, I know I can go 20% farther before running out if my speed and wind conditions are consistent.  Up hill / down hill is only really a factor in the mountains, and towns tend to be in valleys, so I'm pretty much always going down hill when I'm close to empty in the mountains.  If 20% farther worries me, I slow down to stretch the fuel.  If I've ever run out with the Valk, I don't remember it; certainly not in the last 10 years.

Once I was heading west between Moose Jaw and Swift Current on my '82? GS850L, and as I was passed by a Corvette, I could see the LEDs of a radar detector on his sun visor.  I did what any sensible young man in his early 20's would do, and matched his speed at a distance far enough back to not be caught with him, but still able to easily see his brake lights, should they light up.  What I didn't count on was the rate of fuel use at 50-60 km/h over the limit.  When I hit reserve far sooner than expected, I started to worry, and slowed down to the speed limit.  The bike sputtered just as I was cresting the final hill before Swift Current, and I blew through the stop sign at the bottom of the exit ramp, barely managing to coast up to the gas pumps.