Fuel remaining when "RANGE" = 0 mi. until empty

[pwillikers]

Vehicle: 2011 BMW R1200RT w/ESA and "onboard computer" (Model: K26, 0440)

 

I realize this topic is mundane, yet I persist.  :-)

 

The RT fuel tank holds 6.6 US Gal. inclusive of a 1.1US Gal. reserve.  In an effort to determine what's what, I ran the RT until the "onboard computer" indicated a "RANGE" of 8 mi. remaining until empty.  I filled the tank to the brim and it took exactly 6 US Gal.  This leads to the conclusion that there is still .5 US Gal. remaining when the RANGE is at ZERO.

 

Is this observation consistent with your experience? 

[szurszewski]

I don’t have an RT but the computer on the same age gs w/esa is similar. 
 

In my experience the remaining miles are pretty random. Sometime they seem to be right on, but sometimes they seem

to be counting down a lot faster than the odo is counting up - less often but still sometimes they change much slower. 
 

I have yet to run mine to empty…

 

I would be interested to hear if you tried this for several tanks (always filling at 8 remaining or very close) if you could always fit in the same amount of fuel. 

[6speedTi]

Fuel up when you see the low fuel light. Only you know what's best on your ride. 

[lkraus]

Distance to empty is an estimated distance to the beginning of "reserve" based on your average fuel mileage.  Resetting the average mileage every time you fill the tank will provide a more accurate estimate based on current usage. My experience is that my '06 RT, with the same amount of "reserve", does have a full 4 liters left when the DTE is zero. There have been several times when I've nervously watched the "---" range display for 35-45 miles. My preference is to start looking for gas when the trip meter hits 250 miles, or sooner in some areas of the western U.S.

[jdub53]

17 hours ago, pwillikers said:

Vehicle: 2011 BMW R1200RT w/ESA and "onboard computer" (Model: K26, 0440)

 

I realize this topic is mundane, yet I persist.  :-)

 

The RT fuel tank holds 6.6 US Gal. inclusive of a 1.1US Gal. reserve.  In an effort to determine what's what, I ran the RT until the "onboard computer" indicated a "RANGE" of 8 mi. remaining until empty.  I filled the tank to the brim and it took exactly 6 US Gal.  This leads to the conclusion that there is still .5 US Gal. remaining when the RANGE is at ZERO.

 

Is this observation consistent with your experience? 

 

Your experience is what I've seen on my 2013 RT in the 4k miles that I've owned it. I believe the most the tank has taken was 6.1 gallons with an indicated 11 miles remaining, and that's refilling it to just above the bottom of the filler neck (where BMW wants you to stop filling, as going all the way to the top can cause gas to be drawn into the vent hose / charcoal canister which can then cause injector clogging - unless that's changed from the Oilhead days). I reset the MPG average at every fill-up, and the usual ~ 43 - 45 mpg indicated by the onboard computer is very close to my manual calculations. 

 

On my previous 2014 GS with its claimed 5.3 gallon tank, on a trip in west TX where there aren't many opportunities to fill up, I once (stupidly) ran it down seven miles beyond where the computer showed zero miles remaining before I found fuel. It then took 5.4 gallons according to the pump, and made me wonder how accurate BMW's overall capacity claims are.

[9Mary7]

18 hours ago, pwillikers said:

consistent with your experience? 

I would much prefer to have .5 gal. left at "0" range than to run out of fuel when my range said "1" mile to empty.......... but she's Italian so all is forgiven

[M Novack]

Last fall let my friend lead, he though there was gas sooner (not the case) so when we pulled in to gas station my display said 2 miles remaining and we were doing all we could to conserve gas to get there, but I only put 5.486 gallons in so I figure I had another 35-40 miles in tank, not as bad as I thought. My buddy on his Goldwing had 0 range showing FYI, but he made it too, although he was very close to empty.

[Rougarou]

I routinely go sub "---", routinely!!  Like Larry above, 25-45+/- is what I've done. 

 

 

[pwillikers]

Vehicle: 2011 BMW R1200RT w/ESA and "onboard computer" (Model: K26, 0440)

 

Filled up today at exactly 50000 mi. on the odometer and (---) -2 mi. of range left.  Fill up took 6.141 US gal., filled to the bottom of the filler neck.  265 mi. on this tank.  42.3 MPG average since taking ownership ~5k miles ago.