I’m that guy you saw pushing his bike for gas

[nt650hawk]

I’m that guy you saw pushing his bike to the service station for gas.
Precursor to the story.
The Hawk religiously gets to 130-135 miles before I need to switch to reserve. Then I can go to 170-175 miles before I need gas. At this point I fill the bike up with 3.1-3.2 gallons. The tank holds 3.2 gallons of gas.
Here is the story.
This past Saturday I was going to a meeting. 114.5 miles 1 way and I did not start with a full tank of gas. As I come up o 130 miles on the bike there is a service station on the Pike and a sign that says next service station is 22 miles. Knowing that I have not hit my reserve yet, but will be soon, I calculate that I should be easily within the range of my reserve. I pass the service station and at 133 I get the huccup and now switch to reserve. I’m now 20 miles or so away from the next station. At this point I know I should be able to travel 40 miles and should easily make it to the next station. Traveling along comfortably at 5500 rpm’s and about 75 mph I see the next sign and the service station is 2 miles away. At about 1.5 miles away the bike begins the hiccup. ?????? “ WTF I cannot be running out of gas I should still have another 20 or so miles to go.” I move into the breakdown lane she picks up again. Then putters out and picks up again. I begin to weave NOW as I think it is as gas related issue. The bike regains and putters down and finally cuts out. I can see the see the service station about .75 miles away at the top of the hill. You have got to be kidding me.
What is running in my head? The odometer says 154 miles. I know I usually can go to 175. This has got to be something else other than gas. I make a couple of calls to those attending the meeting and find out that they are ahead of me. One says that they will turn around, Thanks Jane. I begin to push the bike up hill. For a little bike it sure is tough to push up hill. My calves are burning and all I want to do is just get it to the Service station and get off the highway. Within a stone’s throw away from the service station KB and Jimmy (the creepy one) pull over. Jimmy grabs the bike says get in I’ll push it the rest of the way. First thing I do is call Jane to know that KB and Jimmy pulled over. I think Jimmy regretted pushing the bike. He was feeling my pain…. Big Thanks Brother…..
First things first, I know I was going to get gas let’s do this. I fill up with 3.0 gallons.????? I know I have a 3.2 gallon tank so where is .2 gallons of gas. I have been riding for the past 3 weeks and have been hitting my marks to date even with this crappy winter gas. I try cranking the engine over to prime the bowls. In doing so the Bat. begins to die. WTF… I tried a number of times on the hill to crank it over and I knew I took a good number of cranks out of the Bat. Before I completely kill the Bat. I can go from the bat to the fuel pump. This will fill the bowls without losing any cranking amps. I get the tail off and get to the connection. Good thing I know these bikes. KB has some telephone wire and I try to make a connection. It is a tight place and I am having a difficult time making the connection. KB says that he has jumper cable and grabs them. I plug everything together and put the jumper cables to it and after 10 seconds of cranking she fires up.

Ok thinking back on this. Why did I run out of gas when I should have had another 20 miles to go???

I was constantly running about 75 mph/ 5500 rpm’s. I could have been using more fuel than the average commute. BUT I switched to reserve at the normal 130-135 mile mark. So I was looking at the same MPG.
Where was the .2 gallons at the fill up.??? I cleaned the tank filter in the petcock before this season. I know I repositioned a small black rubber unit within the filter that centers the pickup tube to the filter. Maybe this was too low. BUT I have been hitting my 170-175 since I cleaned this out for 3 weeks. I will definitely look into this.
Hill’s Western part of the Pike is hilly. Could I have sucked down that extra 20 miles here? Possibly, but not likely
I was riding into a Weather front. There was an extra bit of head wind. Could have contributed to the fuel reduction within those 20 miles? Possibly, but not likely
It was in the 20’s THE COLDEST DAY IN MARCH @ 22. Did the bike use up more fuel than normal? Again, I switched to reserve at the normal 130-135 mile mark. So I was looking at the same MPG.
OR
DO I just suck? Ill answer that for you. YES I DO. I am now that guy you saw pushing his bike to the service station for gas.

[SteveM]

BTDT,

On the bright side, this will stop being a problem as you get older, because you'll have to stop to empty your tank more frequently than you'll need to fill the bike's tank.

Your expected MPG is about 58, the mpg for this trip was 51, about a 12% decrease. Higher speeds multiply wind resistance exponentially and on an unfaired bike, this can easily increase fuel consumption by 15%.

[nt650hawk]

Your expected MPG is about 58, the mpg for this trip was 51, about a 12% decrease. Higher speeds multiply wind resistance exponentially and on an unfaired bike, this can easily increase fuel consumption by 15%.

That is what I am banking my $ on.

Next time I'm only do back roads.

[Kitt]

did you get the tank from doc? if so it probably has a 0.2 gallon dent and bondo'd over

[nt650hawk]

did you get the tank from doc? if so it probably has a 0.2 gallon dent and bondo'd over

[Doc]

This also means I only need about a 1/2 gallon in my tank to do a race.

[Doc]

did you get the tank from doc? if so it probably has a 0.2 gallon dent and bondo'd over

HEY!!!

I only sell Gino the good stuff. CHEAP.

[CBR929RE]

That is what I am banking my $ on.

Next time I'm only do back roads.

and take 3 times as long. just back off to 70 and you'll save a little fuel.

or you could just just play it safe and top off without trying to empty every last drop from the tank.

[nt650hawk]

HEY!!!

I only sell Gino the good stuff. CHEAP.

Doc is good to me. I help him out a ton. It is a good partnership.

[nt650hawk]

and take 3 times as long. just back off to 70 and you'll save a little fuel.

or you could just just play it safe and top off without trying to empty every last drop from the tank.

Don't forget, catch the draft of a big rig.

[Doc]

Doc is good to me. I help him out a TON. It is a good partnership.

Hence why I am indebted and give him cheap good stuff.

[CBR929RE]

Don't forget, catch the draft of a big rig.

just stay far enough back in case one of the tires blow. I blew one and the entire tread shot off the wheel straight back. Luckily the only person behind me was in the next lane over because if she was right behind me it probably would have went through her face.

wow that was a long time ago, 2.5 years. I think I'm due for another one cause that was the last one I had.

[Paul_E_D]

Geno, the real question is why on earth do you push your reserve all the way to 0??? .2gallons? My fuel light came on during the ride to the same meeting. I stopped for gas instead of trying to make it to the classroom on fumes. I arrived a few minutes later than expected, but didn't need to push my bike anywhere!

[nt650hawk]

just stay far enough back in case one of the tires blow. I blew one and the entire tread shot off the top of the wheel. Luckily the only person behind me was in the next lane over because if she was right behind me it probably would have went through her face.

I has a similar experience. Within 1 month of getting my license I soloed to FL. I got behind a rig for a little break form the regular wind. The rig picked up a blown tire and it lifted up directly over my head. I tried to get as small as I could. Thankfully it missed me. It had to of been inches. There after I don't draft with the bike.

[TheIglu]

Geno, the real question is why on earth do you push your reserve all the way to 0??? .2gallons? My fuel light came on during the ride to the same meeting. I stopped for gas instead of trying to make it to the classroom on fumes. I arrived a few minutes later than expected, but didn't need to push my bike anywhere!

+1

I've used reserve twice during the last 5 years. Once on the KLR, once on the ZRX. Time to full up every 100 miles there G-Know.

[SteveM]

Geno, the real question is why on earth do you push your reserve all the way to 0??? .2gallons? My fuel light came on during the ride to the same meeting. I stopped for gas instead of trying to make it to the classroom on fumes. I arrived a few minutes later than expected, but didn't need to push my bike anywhere!

Like Kramer, he wants to see if he can get "beyond the line."

For most people, myself included, having this happen once is more than enough.

[nt650hawk]

I was looking for the next station as soon as I hit reserve. It was .75 miles too short.

[drop]

I was looking for the next station as soon as I hit reserve. It was .75 miles too short.

what about the one you passed 3 miles before you went on reserve.

[OreoGaborio]

One says that they will turn around, Thanks Jane.

HEY HEY HEY!!! I said I'd turn around but you said you were gonna call Jane! I told you to call me back & you never did

[nt650hawk]

what about the one you passed 3 miles before you went on reserve.

I was not on reserve at that time.

See Precursor.

HEY HEY HEY!!! I said I'd turn around but you said you were gonna call Jane! I told you to call me back & you never did

Jane was closer +

[rbrais]

Don't forget, catch the draft of a big rig.

That ain't easy. They produce a LOT of turbulance unless you get REALLY close. Truckers hate that.

[Jim]

didnt you have a similar story last season where you forgot your wallet blah blah blah, and just rolled into a gas station on fumes?

[drop]

I was not on reserve at that time.

See Precursor.

i know this. i'm simply busting balls.

besides, there's definitely some strange high you get after pushing a tank way too many miles and still somehow making it to the gas station running purely on "come on" chants and false "if i make it, i swear i..." promises to a higher power.

[fjrrider RI]

I still want to know what happened to the .2 gallons when you filled the tank- has to be a misscalculation on your part or still could be something floating around in there. I got stuck out in the block island sound when the anti-reverse little piece of plastic got stuck in the fuel line every time I ran it.

[BostonSVkid]

I had my bike die coming out of the tunnel in boston RIGHT before the top of the hill on the bridge. Had to push it all the way to the somerville exit. That SUCKED! and it was 100 out that night.