When do you refill your tank?

[007brendan]

I hear that the GS tank holds 5.1 gallons, but how much of that is actually usable with the petcock on normal?  On reserve/prime?  I feel like i need to fill up at around 2.8-3 gallons.

[adidasguy]

About 1 gallon is the reserve. When you know your MPG, you can estimate when you are going to hit reserve.
With 1 gallon reserve, you've got 40-60 more miles before you have to push it.

I generally fill up after 100 to 160 miles. Whenever convenient in that area.

It is a good practice to flip to reserve every couple of months so the reserve fuel line doesn't get filled with crud and water. Often I do it after a fill up then switch back when I get home. It only takes a mile or two to move all the gas through that line. 10-20 miles really gets it clean.
If you ever run out and need reserve, you don't want a clogged reserve line that pours crud into the carbs.

[yamahonkawazuki]

TBH I would often ride with it set on reserve. and start looking at 120. a tad lower on my hd.

[Zookmang]

I'll generally run mine for about 350km (217 miles) before hitting reserve. At 4L/100km (58.8mpg) that's about 14 litres (3.7 gallons) before reserve, leaving 3 litres(0.80 gallon).

[Suzuki Stevo]

Around the 200 mile mark, my GS500F was ridden primarily on long day rides, I generally got between 60-65 Mpg without even trying, I was filling up long before I would have needed to use Reserve.

[Dr.McNinja]

I leave my bike on reserve all the time (because gravity) and fill up between 160 - 200 mi. depending on when I realize I'm within that range.

[weedahoe]

I top mine off all the time. I never know where I will be and even though bikes get great mileage, I still like to keep it full. Same goes for my truck

[JAS6377]

I tend to start looking for gas at around 120-150 miles, depending on where I am, and generally before I go out for a joy ride. I don't really get nervous until I hit around 180-200 miles. I had to run 20 miles home on reserve once and was flipping out the entire way lol.

[yamahonkawazuki]

About 1 gallon is the reserve. When you know your MPG, you can estimate when you are going to hit reserve.
With 1 gallon reserve, you've got 40-60 more miles before you have to push it.

I generally fill up after 100 to 160 miles. Whenever convenient in that area.

It is a good practice to flip to reserve every couple of months so the reserve fuel line doesn't get filled with crud and water. Often I do it after a fill up then switch back when I get home. It only takes a mile or two to move all the gas through that line. 10-20 miles really gets it clean.
If you ever run out and need reserve, you don't want a clogged reserve line that pours crud into the carbs.

on gravity fed tank many times if it looks like it has plenty, engine will sometimes act like its out

[GS500F2004]

I get 300km out of my main tank (187.5 miles), sometimes about 10 - 20km more. Given that the main tank is 15L and the reserve is 5L, it means I'll probably get 400+ km out of the full tank.

I usually fill up around 375km though (234.4 miles)

[codajastal]

I usually fill my tank when it needs fuel

[adidasguy]

I leave my bike on reserve all the time (because gravity) and fill up between 160 - 200 mi. depending on when I realize I'm within that range.

Actually the gravity is the same. Since both fuel lines exit the tank at the bottom - both have the same column of fuel above them. Actually, since both go to the same petcock and to the same carbs, even if the tubes exited the tank at different heights they would have the same column and weight of gas on them until the fuel level got below the intake for the main line.

[Janx101]

I ride till it starts to stutter on main line... Reach down and flip to res ... Then if I'm nearly home I leave it ... If I'm still riding further I look for a filling station .. Within about 50km usually ... I know it has more than that but 

[GS500F2004]

I ride till it starts to stutter on main line... Reach down and flip to res ... Then if I'm nearly home I leave it ... If I'm still riding further I look for a filling station .. Within about 50km usually ... I know it has more than that but 

Yea...you can never be sure lol.

Once, my bike stuttered, I put it on reserve. I had done about 20km on reserve. I was heading down towards the M5, then I saw signage saying there was an accident on the M5 and delays. I saw the huge line, and I thought screw that. I don't want to run out and have to push the GS500 down the M5 tunnel! Took a quick left exit and went and filled up.

[DrtRydr23]

I ride till it starts to stutter on main line... Reach down and flip to res ... Then if I'm nearly home I leave it ... If I'm still riding further I look for a filling station .. Within about 50km usually ... I know it has more than that but 

Agree, I always waited until I had to flip to reserve before filling up.  I used to practice turning the petcock while riding so that it was second nature and a quick maneuver.  If you are going interstate speeds you don't have much time between when it starts to sputter and when it will cut out, so you've got to flip it quick.  It was usually between 150 and 170 miles before I had to switch.

[Dr.McNinja]

I ride till it starts to stutter on main line... Reach down and flip to res ... Then if I'm nearly home I leave it ... If I'm still riding further I look for a filling station .. Within about 50km usually ... I know it has more than that but 

Agree, I always waited until I had to flip to reserve before filling up.  I used to practice turning the petcock while riding so that it was second nature and a quick maneuver.  If you are going interstate speeds you don't have much time between when it starts to sputter and when it will cut out, so you've got to flip it quick.  It was usually between 150 and 170 miles before I had to switch.

Or you could just leave it on reserve and just know how much fuel you have before you're out.

[Janx101]

I ride till it starts to stutter on main line... Reach down and flip to res ... Then if I'm nearly home I leave it ... If I'm still riding further I look for a filling station .. Within about 50km usually ... I know it has more than that but 

Agree, I always waited until I had to flip to reserve before filling up.  I used to practice turning the petcock while riding so that it was second nature and a quick maneuver.  If you are going interstate speeds you don't have much time between when it starts to sputter and when it will cut out, so you've got to flip it quick.  It was usually between 150 and 170 miles before I had to switch.

Or you could just leave it on reserve and just know how much fuel you have before you're out.

.. you what? ... with variable throttle use and terrain covered .. how much or less than normal a tank gets filled? ...

maybe for 'norman the numpty hypermiler' bro!! .. 

theres a term for 'just knowing' how much fuel is in the tank .. its ... "so i ran out of gas" .. 

no one persons version of switching and filling is correct of course... and many folks have breathed a HUGE sigh of relief when they have coasted into a filling station on fumes...

look up how many threads mention 'my bike just stuttered and died on me... but theres plenty of gas in the tank!' .. and thats just on main setting...

no... i'm sorry .. to the corner with you and your wild ideas of 'just knowing' .. 

[slipperymongoose]

Just to add a Smartass flavor to this thread. I refill when my fuel light comes on around 300-310 but I usually stretch it to 350ish.

[GS500F2004]

The smart ass response will state but there's no light.

[radodrill]

When I got my last bike, unbeknownst to me the PO had rebuilt the petcock and not put it back together correctly; as a result it was always open drawing fuel from both taps.  Needless to say, I ran out of fuel twice until I rebuilt it correctly.

I generally try to refill close to the time I'd have to switch over to the reserve.