Fillin' her up.....and a reserve question

[lthj75]

I just filled up my new R12RT for the first time....Seems to be different than my Harley. Is the process for the RT more like a car - shove the nozzle in and fill 'er up until it stops? Is that right?

 

Also - how does the reserve work on this bike. Is that fuel in the fuel gauge equation? Or does it hit empty and then go to reserve? I know I should RTFM, but I'm at work and I'm impatient!

[JohnBeaven]

I have to trickle in the last few litres to fill it half way up the neck of the tank.

If you shove the nozzle in and fill unitl it stops you will be several litres short.

[lthj75]

The dealer said that if I overfill, it'll drain into the carbon canister - so now I'm gunshy of filling her up too much.

[wilsons]

With the ST anyway, I've started a few months ago to fill her up to the bottom of the neck, sometimes a little overflow at the bottom. I've never had issues with that. Perhaps they ment overflow if you fill to the top of the neck? There is a lil hole there.

[wilsons]

The orange/yellow light hits me around 180 take a few miles give 10 or so. After that it counts down anywhere from 40 to 50 miles left, aka reserve. These bikes (RT/ST at least) seem to have an extra gallon you don't ever see if you fill the bike up at the end of the count down.

 

The RT's gas light kicks in at what 300?

[cranezilla]

The "safety valve" in the gas tank, which is a combination rollover valve, vent vavle and maximum pressure relief vavle is located in the front and on top of the gas tank, which puts it physically below the top of the filler neck.

If you fill the tank to the top of the filler neck, the level of liquid is above the "safety valve" and any venting will be liquid rather than vapor. This vented liquid then goes directly to the charcoal canister. If filled cold and left to warm up in this situation you could force more liquid into the canister than it will hold.

That is why my aux tank is vented to an expansion tank using the relocated stock safety valve to the charcoal canister.

It is not a good practice to fill the tank to the top of the filler neck.

[Rusty1945]

I just filled up my new R12RT for the first time....Seems to be different than my Harley. Is the process for the RT more like a car - shove the nozzle in and fill 'er up until it stops? Is that right?

Reach into the filler neck with a finger and pull out the rubber coller in there. Now you'll be able to see into the tank as you fill it - much easier.

[ChrisA]

I just filled up my new R12RT for the first time....Seems to be different than my Harley. Is the process for the RT more like a car - shove the nozzle in and fill 'er up until it stops? Is that right?

Reach into the filler neck with a finger and pull out the rubber coller in there. Now you'll be able to see into the tank as you fill it - much easier.

 

My bike never had the rubber collar, so I just fill it up until I hit what I think is the bottom of the filler neck. I run the clock down as close to zero as I can and usually end up putting in 6+ gallons. My warning lights comes on around 250 miles and I average 42mpg on my daily commute. Country riding will yield me more like 48mpg.

[gettysburg]

The RT's gas light kicks in at what 300?

 

The gas light on my RT comes on at about 260-280. I've ridden 320 miles with the "miles to empty" displaying "--" and was barely able to squeeze 6 gallons into the tank.

[lthj75]

Ok, your replies are making me feel better. I filled up with 80 miles left on the countdown and she took like 4.5 gallons. I thought I sucked at filling it up poperly!

[Shawnee Bill]

Also - how does the reserve work on this bike. Is that fuel in the fuel gauge equation? Or does it hit empty and then go to reserve? I know I should RTFM, but I'm at work and I'm impatient!

 

These are Electronic Fuel Injection engines, as such they work much like your car, the fuel pump is inside the gas tank therefore no three position gravity fed fuel valve as "standard" M/Cs have had forever; "off, open, and reserve".

So you rely on your fuel gauge as in your car. In addition many of us tend to use the trip meter as a "fuel gauge", we have a good feeling for how many miles we can go on a full tank. Reset the trip meter every fillip. Makes it easy to calculate your gas mileage while riding.

My low fuel light comes on at about 1/3 a tank left (reserve?), so I divide the miles on the trip meter by two, that's a good estimate of how far I can go before empty if my riding style doesn't change.

[gettysburg]

I think there's about 1.5 gallons of gas that will forever be stuck in the tank. Or maybe I just need to start leaning more in the turns.

[Yankee_Dog]

I think there's about 1.5 gallons of gas that will forever be stuck in the tank. .......

 

I think that may be wishful thinking. I think more likly you would have to stand the bike bolt upright and fill the bike until it overflowed in order to get the full amount. If you are counting on an extra 1.5 gallons on gas as reserve you could find your self pushing your bike to the next gas station.

 

yankee Dog

[gettysburg]

I think that may be wishful thinking. I think more likly you would have to stand the bike bolt upright and fill the bike until it overflowed in order to get the full amount. If you are counting on an extra 1.5 gallons on gas as reserve you could find your self pushing your bike to the next gas station.

 

yankee Dog

 

I wasn't suggesting that there was 1.5 gallons available in reserve. Just that there is 1.5 gallons that will never leave the tank if you're to believe BMW's claim of a 7.1 gallon capacity.

 

Anyway, my wife has a 1200 GS so if I fill up every time she does, it's impossible for me to run out of gas.

[GelStra]

I thought I sucked at filling it up poperly!

Nein, you do suck! Chust anozer example of BMW's uber-superiority in everyting! You are nicht worthy of such fine enchin-eeering!

[ADulay]

OK, so I've been riding a bit longer each time before actually filling the tank.

 

This time I got down to 10 miles remaining on the idicated "miles to go" and filled it up on the center stand.

 

Took 5.3 gallons this time. Each time it gets a little more.

 

Next try will be AFTER the "time to go" hits zero.

 

AD

[Buckster]

I made the vent modification to the filler neck and have been able to completely fill the tank now. Put 6.9 in on a recent trip to Montana and Wyoming. At 50+ mpg, I was filling up at over 300 miles easily. Got 376 miles on one tank. Speeds below 70 at higher elevations. I normally get 45-48 around home in Austin. As low as 36 at 80 mph against headwinds.

Based on Cranzilla's explanation, this is probably not a good thing to do unless you plan on riding through the first gallon or so. I will limit my refills to the bottom of the filler neck unless traveling over 50 miles to my next destination.

Sure is nice to have the extra range on trips though. I had used aux fuel tank on my K75RT to get close to a 300 mile range but don't fill it is necessary on the R1200RT

[Catbird]

Reach into the filler neck with a finger and pull out the rubber coller in there. Now you'll be able to see into the tank as you fill it - much easier.

What exactly is the purpose of this rubber collar?

 

Is there any reason NOT to remove it?

[Don_F]

My UK 05 bike has no collar? One thing I do get is a little splash back when filling, I've tried to angle the filler nozzle in all directions but I still get some spits splashing out continuously, so much that I usually don't grip the trigger fully to reduce the pressure/splashing. maybe the black collar is to stop that? I usually ride at weekends 150 miles a day, the onboard computer shows an average 57 mpg, if I take my time (60-70 mph) on motorways I can get 65+mpg (but it's no fun).