Reserve? nc700s

[L.B.S.]

For the guy who's only getting 55 or 60 mpg, and barring some mechanical malfunction, you should read your manual's recommended shift points and stick more closely to those. Of course that won't make much difference by itself; you have to ease up on the throttle as well. I've been getting around 70 mpg, sometimes a little more, but I drive it pretty sensibly.

Well, it's entirely probable I have been reving it higher than needed/optimum for shift points, and my riding has been all urban with no highway jaunts to speak of.

I am fully aware of what the recommended speeds and RPM's suggested by Honda for this bike, and honestly don't think I'll truly be able to 100% stick to them. They must make for one helluva big difference though, as the vast majority of my shifting has been at 3,000 rpm or less.

In the beginning, (first tank) I was more around the 3,500 mark for shifts, with only the occasional blip up to 4,000 and 5,000, but that was pretty much just in a "break-in variable speed and rpm mode."

I took the advice of a few good peeps here during my second tank, and I did see a jump of about 10 mpg's, with lowering my shifting and cruising rpms.

Are most people here *really* shifting at like 2,500 rpm?

 

[Craig92DA9]

The gauge reads all five bars until the tank is down one gallon from full. If you "fill" it 0.5 gallons short it's still going to read full.

I never use the pump nozzle shut off when filling the bike. I (hopefully) find a pump with good low flow rate control and fill to the absolute rim visually. It is very consistent that way, and I know I'll have a range of at least 250 miles. I generally run past the flashing bar by 15-20 miles or so and put around 3 (US) gallons in.

Greg

I am new to motorcycles and extremely experienced with cars, my concern with filling the tank to the tip top was over saturating the charcoal canister with fuel.. but thats a car problem and perhaps not really a bike problem? I'll try filling to the brim next tank.

 

[cyrano138]

I wouldn't do it, Craig. The manual advises against it for just that reason: preserving the charcoal filter. I believe you're only supposed to fill it to the metal plate visible in the tank opening.

 

[cyrano138]

Well, it's entirely probable I have been reving it higher than needed/optimum for shift points, and my riding has been all urban with no highway jaunts to speak of.

I am fully aware of what the recommended speeds and RPM's suggested by Honda for this bike, and honestly don't think I'll truly be able to 100% stick to them. They must make for one helluva big difference though, as the vast majority of my shifting has been at 3,000 rpm or less.

In the beginning, (first tank) I was more around the 3,500 mark for shifts, with only the occasional blip up to 4,000 and 5,000, but that was pretty much just in a "break-in variable speed and rpm mode."

I took the advice of a few good peeps here during my second tank, and I did see a jump of about 10 mpg's, with lowering my shifting and cruising rpms.

Are most people here *really* shifting at like 2,500 rpm?

Maybe there's something else going on besides your driving. To answer part of your question, though, I shift right where the manual suggests and keep my throttle very light, except going into sixth. For that gear I wait until about 41 or 42.

 

[L.B.S.]

Maybe there's something else going on besides your driving. To answer part of your question, though, I shift right where the manual suggests and keep my throttle very light, except going into sixth. For that gear I wait until about 41 or 42.

I thought it was tough going to my BMW's basement low rpm redline, @ 8,500 lol.

That had been the lowest reving motorcycle I've ever owned, in 40 years. Every day commuting for the past 5 years, my little CBR seldom sees anything under 11,000 rpm for shifts, and it's "puttering along" rpm is about 9,500.

It does around 11,000 rpm at 65 mph +/- on the highway. 90 US mpg for the most part.

 

[cyrano138]

Coming from a car it was almost no adjustment for me, but I realize a lot of people have had a very different experience.

 

[Craig92DA9]

I wouldn't do it, Craig. The manual advises against it for just that reason: preserving the charcoal filter. I believe you're only supposed to fill it to the metal plate visible in the tank opening.

that is about where I've been filling it to, but I have yet to get more than say 2.5-2.7gal in it with the fuel light on and maybe 20-30 miles into it. Considering the manual states a 3.7gal tank and the fuel light coming on with .7gal remaining.. I'm just trying to figure out why, am I not filling it enough or is my light a little off?

 

[Craig92DA9]

Coming from a car it was almost no adjustment for me, but I realize a lot of people have had a very different experience.

This is my first bike, and I swear this thing builds power almost exactly like my 92 Acura Integra, pretty much the same driving experience as far as shift points, just faster and a little more low rpm pull, so for me there was no adjustment to shifting this thing and I have yet to bounce off the rev limiter as many more experienced riders tend to do initially.

 

[shoemonkey]

hiya only today i had this it hit red at home then i travelled 6 more miles to work filled up with 11 litters so going by that id say you should have at least 4 litters in the tank when it starts to flash from 2 bars to 1 red bar and when you go under that it will stay on red just over 1 gal to 4 litters so you should be fine for at least 60 miles depending on your riding style. ps 6 miles id say i did one litter so thats about 80 miles to the gal woooo

 

[searsboy]

My 1st bar disappears at about 100 miles but the next 4 bars go away in the next 100 miles, had the red line once and it took a little over 3 gal, red line seems to be as stated in book, the rest of the bars work weird.

ALL fuel gauges work weird IMHO!
A car will do the same thing...stay on full forever and then start moving toward "E" fast!
Thankfully we have a tripmeter!!!

 

[cyrano138]

that is about where I've been filling it to, but I have yet to get more than say 2.5-2.7gal in it with the fuel light on and maybe 20-30 miles into it. Considering the manual states a 3.7gal tank and the fuel light coming on with .7gal remaining.. I'm just trying to figure out why, am I not filling it enough or is my light a little off?

I guess it's been a while since you posted this, and hopefully you've gotten it all figured out now, but I have the exact same experience. I never gave it much thought. Mind you, the manual says the indicator comes on when there is approximately 3.7 left in the tank, so we're only off by about .3 gal.

 

[LA_NC700X]

I don't think the gauge on our NC700x is very accurate.. Kind of accurate but I will be careful with it especially when you travel to unfamiliar area.

My bike MPG has gone up since the last time I post here... Now the first bar disappear around 70-80 miles, second bar around 110-120 miles, third bar around 180-200 miles...

A few weeks ago, I rode over 280 miles and I still have 2 bars left when I got home, I should have taken the bike to gas station and know exactly how many gallons goes in... But I have a 5 gallon gasoline tank at home, so I just use that and I have no idea what kind of MPG I got...

I just passed 200 miles again with still 2 bars showing last night when I came home... What ever the MPG, I am happy

 

[treybrad]

Well, I found out mine is pretty accurate today... I let the tank run dry

I've been doing some rowdy commuting in 30-40°F temps with strong winds the last week, much of it on the tollway at 80-85 MPH, so my light came on the earliest I've ever seen it, at 150 miles. I've been playing with it, trying to get a feel for how much is really left in the tank, going 35-45 miles on a fill up after the light starts blinking and never put in more than 3.5 gallons.

Well... it went dead on me at 196.5 miles today -- luckily I was able to roll into a gas station. It took 3.690 gallons, which comes out at an abysmal 53.3 MPG.

That might not be quite right, because this was my first fill up with the centerstand. I'm thinking maybe I'm able to get more fuel into the tank on the centerstand vs. the side stand, but I didn't play with it at the pump as it was pretty chilly and I was trying to get home.

My real mistake was putting 3.77 gallons in my head as the capacity of the tank. The owner's manual actually lists 3.73 gallons, the website now has 3.7 gallons, but either way, that's quite a bit less than 3.77 gallons. Because of that, I thought my fuel light was coming on way too early and I had at least a gallon in reserve, which should get me 55 miles, even under bad conditions. The reality is, it's very close to .77 gallons (at least on mine) once the light comes on. I traveled 46.5 miles with the light on, assume the .77 gallons is correct, that's ~60 MPG, which seems about right for the last 45 miles' conditions.

So, long story short -- my tank really is 3.7 gallons, and my fuel light comes on right about when it's supposed to, with ~.77 gallons remaining.

trey

 

[LA_NC700X]

Well, I found out mine is pretty accurate today... I let the tank run dry

I've been doing some rowdy commuting in 30-40°F temps with strong winds the last week, much of it on the tollway at 80-85 MPH, so my light came on the earliest I've ever seen it, at 150 miles. I've been playing with it, trying to get a feel for how much is really left in the tank, going 35-45 miles on a fill up after the light starts blinking and never put in more than 3.5 gallons.


Well... it went dead on me at 196.5 miles today -- luckily I was able to roll into a gas station. It took 3.690 gallons, which comes out at an abysmal 53.3 MPG.

That might not be quite right, because this was my first fill up with the centerstand. I'm thinking maybe I'm able to get more fuel into the tank on the centerstand vs. the side stand, but I didn't play with it at the pump as it was pretty chilly and I was trying to get home.

My real mistake was putting 3.77 gallons in my head as the capacity of the tank. The owner's manual actually lists 3.73 gallons, the website now has 3.7 gallons, but either way, that's quite a bit less than 3.77 gallons. Because of that, I thought my fuel light was coming on way too early and I had at least a gallon in reserve, which should get me 55 miles, even under bad conditions. The reality is, it's very close to .77 gallons (at least on mine) once the light comes on. I traveled 46.5 miles with the light on, assume the .77 gallons is correct, that's ~60 MPG, which seems about right for the last 45 miles' conditions.

So, long story short -- my tank really is 3.7 gallons, and my fuel light comes on right about when it's supposed to, with ~.77 gallons remaining.

trey

Did you fill the gas up to the rim? and it's 3.7 gallon?

 

[treybrad]

Did you fill the gas up to the rim? and it's 3.7 gallon?

Not to the rim of the tank, but to the metal crossmember just below the rim. That's as full as I feel comfortable filling it so I don't soak the charcoal canister.

I think I probably could've leaned the bike to one side or the other and maybe found a little more fuel -- I'm not sure where the pickup is on the NC. That said... running it dry like that isn't supposed to be good for the fuel pump at all.... I didn't want to press my luck anymore than I already had.

trey

 

[LA_NC700X]

I rode my bike with red light flashing to work yesterday about 27 miles and finally put gas at lunch. Total miles 230.8, gas used was 3.014, MPG came out to 76.575. Looks like this time even after 27 miles riding with the red light flashing, I still have about .7 gallon.

I remember someone here in our forums ran out of gas, completely dry but his gauge was still showing 2 bars!!!

 

[treybrad]

I rode my bike with red light flashing to work yesterday about 27 miles and finally put gas at lunch. Total miles 230.8, gas used was 3.014, MPG came out to 76.575. Looks like this time even after 27 miles riding with the red light flashing, I still have about .7 gallon.

I remember someone here in our forums ran out of gas, completely dry but his gauge was still showing 2 bars!!!

Interesting... Assuming a constant 76.5 MPG, that means your light came on when you had 1.05 gallons left. I think I'm going to try and stop as soon as I can after the light comes on next time and see how much I can put in...

trey

 

[LA_NC700X]

I think the safest thing to do for not running out of gas is not to ride over 40 miles after the red flashing bar came on... Unless pushing bike is something you love to do...

 

[treybrad]

I think the safest thing to do for not running out of gas is not to ride over 40 miles after the red flashing bar came on... Unless pushing bike is something you love to do...

Ha, agreed I'm going to start putting 40 miles as my mental note when the light starts flashing...

trey

 

[DanH]

I don't know what is going on with my bike. Ever since the first tank, the reserve starts flashing at about 150 miles and I fill within 30 miles for 2.2 to 2.5 gallons. That means my bike is hitting its reserve with 1.2 - 1.5 gallons in the tank or about 90 miles...