Fuel gauge was blinking

[ljurgens]

So last Friday I had been out riding and was about 15 miles from home when I noticed that my fuel gauge was on the last chiclet and was blinking red. I had no idea how long it had been blinking like that... So I chose to turn right and go down hill to the gas station that was about 3 miles down instead of left to get home 15 miles away.

I was surprised that I still had about a gallon of fuel at that point, as I was only able to put 2.8 gallons into it.

One thing I do miss about my Victory is the miles to empty reading on the dash, and it was pretty accurate. I haven't figured out my routine yet with the trip meters and mileage etc. on this bike.

 

[ljurgens]

I probably should have added this post to the thread on the 0.0 counter.

D

Thread 'So what is the 0.0 counting during a low fuel warning?'

Feb 26, 2024

I read the manual and can't seem to find the answer. When I hit the last bar and the 0.0 starts blinking what exactly is that showing? I've rarely gone very far on that last gallon and yesterday it clicked over to 0.1 finally.

• Deleted member 12249
• Replies: 14
• Forum: NC700 General Discussion

 

[670cc]

I don’t know how the newer NC’s fuel gauges work, but on my 2012, the gauge has very low resolution, in that there are only 5 bars, and when it goes to the last bar, it is flashing. When flashing happens, there is at least 3 quarts remaining. Based on experience, If I am getting good mileage, I count on 50 miles remaining when the last bar flashes. No need to buy gasoline immediately.

 

[mercurydog47]

So last Friday I had been out riding and was about 15 miles from home when I noticed that my fuel gauge was on the last chiclet and was blinking red. I had no idea how long it had been blinking like that... So I chose to turn right and go down hill to the gas station that was about 3 miles down instead of left to get home 15 miles away.

I was surprised that I still had about a gallon of fuel at that point, as I was only able to put 2.8 gallons into it.

One thing I do miss about my Victory is the miles to empty reading on the dash, and it was pretty accurate. I haven't figured out my routine yet with the trip meters and mileage etc. on this bike.

The safest way is to reset the trip meter on fillup and then just use 60 mpg as the factor. 3.7 X 60 and you are empty in 222 miles. This isn’t accurate if this tank uses a lot of stop and go and shutoff of engine style driving. It only works on a trip where the engine is on and stays on pretty much all the time.

 

[ljurgens]

I did a bit of reading and found that the "INFO 1 display" automatically switches to the "reserve trip meter" and starts counting 10ths of gallons since the bike hit reserve. That does actually seem helpful in that if averaging 60mpg, which seems fairly likely, then can ride about 6 miles for each 10th of a gallon. Not to uncommon to find a gas station within 4 tenths (24 miles) at least around where I live. Seems I would have been safe to just ride to the station close to home vs backtracking.
Good lesson to learn, and helpful to learn more about the dash and settings!

 

[Like To Ride]

Exactly.

The OEM fuel gauges today are weird. They're digital and programmed by salesmen and nonriders.
Do the math and try not to get confused between different bikes.

One of my bikes stops logging miles when there's still 66 miles left in the tank. Which 66 miles is that?

 

[milesprwr]

On my 2013, when the last bar starts blinking I fill up about 2.8 gallons of gas. So I expect I can get about 50 miles when it begins blinking.

 

[dduelin]

I don’t know how the newer NC’s fuel gauges work, but on my 2012, the gauge has very low resolution, in that there are only 5 bars, and when it goes to the last bar, it is flashing. When flashing happens, there is at least 3 quarts remaining. Based on experience, If I am getting good mileage, I count on 50 miles remaining when the last bar flashes. No need to buy gasoline immediately.

I agree but on my 2013 when the last bar starts flashing pretty much 1 gallon of the 3.7 gallon tank remains.

 

[670cc]

I agree but on my 2013 when the last bar starts flashing pretty much 1 gallon of the 3.7 gallon tank remains.

I agree on the pretty much 1 gallon remaining. What with going uphill, downhill, and otherwise sloshing the fuel around, the gauge doesn't always have a consistent, clean, and final transition to the flashing segment. So that’s why I wrote “at least 3 quarts” remain.

 

[the Ferret]

I did a bit of reading and found that the "INFO 1 display" automatically switches to the "reserve trip meter" and starts counting 10ths of gallons since the bike hit reserve. That does actually seem helpful in that if averaging 60mpg, which seems fairly likely, then can ride about 6 miles for each 10th of a gallon. Not to uncommon to find a gas station within 4 tenths (24 miles) at least around where I live. Seems I would have been safe to just ride to the station close to home vs backtracking.
Good lesson to learn, and helpful to learn more about the dash and settings!

On the 21's and up you can be on flashing red with the last bar and then suddenly down in the lower left corner it's starts a countdown in 1/10ths of a gallon for 7 tenths (reserve is 7/10th of a gallon) at which point in theory it should be empty.

I use Trip B for miles on tank (zeroed after filling up), and Trip A for daily miles ridden since I record my daily mileage. (zeroed every morning before taking off)

In the pics above, I went of flashing reserve at 214.7 mi. Then at 250.1 mi after having used 4/10 gallons of the supposed 7/10 gallons of reserve, I pulled in to get gas, and it took 3.095 gals to refill (leaving approx 6/10 gallons of gas in the tank if it really holds 3.7 gals)

Now my bike averages between 64 mpg winter and 74 mpg summer although I have gotten as high as 81 mpg. In theory with a 3.7 gal tank I should be able to go anywhere from 236 mi "per tank" in winter to 273 mi "per tank" in summer or as high as 299.7 mi "per tank" at optimum, but it all depends on temp, road surface, speeds, how much stop and go, any elevation changes etc The furthest I have gone on a tank is 250 miles., but I generally refill anytime I get down to 2 bars or less.

 

[ljurgens]

Great details, much appreciated.
I certainly wasn't attempting a test or anything, just riding and honestly wasn't paying attention to fuel at all, knowing it gets such great mileage. I had been riding in sport mode all day and we rode a lot of hills etc. At the time, I just didn't know what I had. Now, I know about the count-down which is great. I'm going to have Trip A which is the one I zero out when I refill the tank, displayed so I can visually know how many miles I've ridden on this tank. I use Trip B for my annual mileage tracker.

 

[the Ferret]

If I remember right, it will automatically zero trip A when you refill the tank unless you go into the mode menu and change it. I turned that off on mine so I could use A for daily mileage

 

[potter0o]

On my 2013 I have to manually reset A and B. I use A for fuel and B for chain lube.

 

[dduelin]

I agree on the pretty much 1 gallon remaining. What with going uphill, downhill, and otherwise sloshing the fuel around, the gauge doesn't always have a consistent, clean, and final transition to the flashing segment. So that’s why I wrote “at least 3 quarts” remain.

I know that the remaining fuel is good for at least 60 miles at 'low gas' speeds but I'm too nervous to go much beyond 40 miles unless I know exactly where I am and where gas is. I guess that's my "3 quarts."

 

[Pinesdweller]

Thank you for the details. That will help me a lot. I am surprised how quickly my gauge (2014 NC750) clicks the 3rd and 4th bar off ! Then it's flashing red one bar and I tend to get anxious ! Having filled the bike at that point, I am surprised how little fuel it takes about 2.5 Imperial gallons.

 

[GregC]

Cars have had "distance to empty" for, what, 20+ years? why not motorcycles. It's idiotic

 

[670cc]

Cars have had "distance to empty" for, what, 20+ years? why not motorcycles. It's idiotic

And why can’t Honda provide a fuel gauge resolution of better than 5 or 6 “bars”. That poor resolution is why many riders supplement the fuel gauge with the trip meter. The fuel sender is analog; the instrument panel should be able to easily double the resolution and give the rider a closer estimate as to how much fuel remains. My Zero displays remaining battery level in 1% increments, and it’s accurate, linear, and consistent. The Honda gauge is mostly just a guess within a quarter tank of gasoline.

 

[Star fox/]

I love how fuel milage gauge is.
I try to keep going up if I can.
One semi I drove had a fuel tack I always loved keeping it in the green light foot was great fuel milage saving the company money.

 

[davidc83]

Cars have had "distance to empty" for, what, 20+ years? why not motorcycles. It's idiotic

My 2015 Prius C has that (bought it new) but miles to empty is not very accurate, I never trust it. If it says 100 miles to empty, I start looking for a gas station after 60 miles because after 60 miles, it is down to 10-15 miles to empty, and it doesnt matter if it is interstate speeds or local highway/county roads. I just watch the fuel gauge itself (bars by the way) and when it gets to the last bar, fuel time. When it says 0 miles, and the gas station pump icon comes on and beeps, when I get gas, it takes 7.9-8.2 gallons (and it has a 9.3 gallon tank). Toyota really doesn't want drivers to run out of gas, they warn in the owners manual, doing so may mean a trip to the dealership as putting gas in the tank after running out sometimes doesn't reset and the car thinks you are still out of gas. The owners manual also states if you run out, you have to put at least 5 gallons of gas in and hope it resets....

 

[Star fox/]

There's other problems could take out fuel pump you need enough gas to flush filter pump on cars runs until this happens.
On some cars