'05 GS500F fuel capacity. 5 gallons?!?

[phire]

The owners manual claims the tank holds 5.3 gallons of gas. Alrighty, here's what I'm wondering wtf... So, I've been doing some testing lately by running the fuel completely out until I have to kick over to the reserve so I can get a better feel on what fuel gives better mileage and just how many miles a tank will *really* go. Anyhoo, about 215 miles I can go on a tank, but the weird thing is I can only squeeze in 3.5 gallons. The manual says 5.3 gallon fuel tank with 1.1 gallons of reserve. If we assume 1.1 gallons into the 5.3 total fuel, that leaves 4.6 gallons of fuel in the tank with 0.7 gallons of fuel that I can't get in the tank. Anybody know WTF?  

[calamari]

i bet I can squeeze some 200 miles before hitting reserve (CA model with 5.0 gallons total), but only if I stay below 5000rpm.

maybe you bougth the bike from a CA owner?

[ballyhoo]

I've been getting 75 mpg since I bought a 2001 used in '03. I have hit 300 miles on a tank and have never had to switch to reserve. First, the bike is completely stock, except for a K&N air filter that was on the bike when I bought it. Next, I think it is exceptionally well-tuned. It never stumbles or runs weird, has great acceleration, and doesn't run hot. Most of my riding is on narrow, two-lane, twisty roads in rural West Virginia. Otherwise I'm on local highways, rarely on the interstate.

It sounds like you're sticking the fuel filler hose too deep into the tank. Try keeping the nozzle just inside the top and keep an eye on it. Fill it all the way up to the bottom of the filler neck in the tank.

[phire]

It sounds like you're sticking the fuel filler hose too deep into the tank. Try keeping the nozzle just inside the top and keep an eye on it. Fill it all the way up to the bottom of the filler neck in the tank.

Ya, that's what I do. Bike is on the sidestand but I still get it as close to the bottom of the filler neck as I can. Actually, I do stick the nozzel of the hose way down in there until it auto-stops just to avoid splash. But once it click stops I pull it back a tad and keep filling until it gets to the bottom of the filler neck.

Weird isn't it? :dunno:

maybe you bougth the bike from a CA owner?

I don't think so, I bought it from a local dealership in Iowa. If it is a CA model, I'll be pissed.  :guns:

[flyingbeagle71]

When I first got my bike I ran if with the fuel switch in the Primer position.  I know, really dumb, but I forgot about the switch and that is what the previous owner had set it too.   :dunno:  I haven't been riding for quite a few years.  Anyway, I was getting 350 miles per fill up and was putting 5.1 gallons in each time.  Now I'm going about 200 miles and putting about 3 gallons in each time.

[Alphamazing]

[Ya, that's what I do. Bike is on the sidestand but I still get it as close to the bottom of the filler neck as I can.

There ya go, that's probably it. Since you've got it on the sidestand the angle of the bike doesn't allow you to fill it up to it's m aximum level. The area where you can fit the most fuel is in the top of the tank because it's so wide. When it's at an angle that wide surface area is changed as the fuel is slanted towards the right.

Make sense?

Try putting it on the centerstand.

[FedExMike24]

Id like to try putting it on the centerstand when fueling.. But its such a pain to get it on there. Cause I can only ever sqeeze in about 3.5gals also.

[Alphamazing]

Pain to get it on the centerstand? It's not THAT hard! Even so, you can sit on the bike to hold it perpindicular to the ground and just fuel it like that.

[porsche4786]

Yeah, I've got the same kinda thing with my bike, I can get like 190 miles just riding around town before reserve, and when I go to fill up I'm not having to put as much in as i thought.

[Badger]

I now pull up to the pump, put the sidestand down, deal with the pump and then hold the bike up straight while filling, set it back on the sidestand and put the pump away.  Takes just a minute, I take off one glove (to make it easier to grab the credit card), and never have to get off the bike.

It did take me a couple of tries to realize that you want to pull up on the right side of the pump when doing this so that you don't have to lean away from the sidestand to do the credit card thing.  Also, to make sure my credit card was readily accessible, and not in in a pocket of the pants underneath my overpants.

[porsche4786]

Where I live we have attendants, I hold sit on my bike and have it straight up when filling also, but it still doesn't take as much as the manual says. I think I have more than 1.1 gallons on reserve.

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

not only do you want the bike on the centerstand, but you need to rock the bike side to side to get the maximum amount of gas in it, do a search, you'll see others have had this same discussion,but it seems that to hit manufacturer specs you have to keep it standing straight up, and rock it side to side to fill it...

[porsche4786]

I fill mine all the way to the neck, well, just above the neck, so I know it is full.

not only do you want the bike on the centerstand, but you need to rock the bike side to side to get the maximum amount of gas in it, do a search, you'll see others have had this same discussion,but it seems that to hit manufacturer specs you have to keep it standing straight up, and rock it side to side to fill it...

[phire]

[Ya, that's what I do. Bike is on the sidestand but I still get it as close to the bottom of the filler neck as I can.

There ya go, that's probably it. Since you've got it on the sidestand the angle of the bike doesn't allow you to fill it up to it's m aximum level. The area where you can fit the most fuel is in the top of the tank because it's so wide. When it's at an angle that wide surface area is changed as the fuel is slanted towards the right.

Make sense?

Try putting it on the centerstand.

I'm so short that I have a very hard time getting my bike up on the centerstand.  :x Takes me a lot of swearing and yelling and close calls to dropping it to get it up there.

[orlan5]

Don't even bother putting it on the centerstand. You don't even have to get off the seat to fill it up. I just pull up to the pump, stay seated, and keep the bike upright to fill it. Of course, this only works if you use a credit card to pay at the pump.