2007 GS500F Range

[lexiyntax]

I've gotten around 260 miles on a tank on my 2007 GS500F a few times and have never hit reserve; by then I'm nervous about running out and end up filling up. Is that a reasonable range to get with this bike, or is it likely my petcock reserve is not working and/or hooked up wrong?

[Suzuki Stevo]

Depends on your right hand, how far you wind it (unnecessary Rpm will kill any bikes mileage) and what kind of riding you do. I use to go around 200 miles before reserve. Not in town, more open road type riding.

[Big Rich]

When you get gas, flip your trip odometer back to zero. When you get gas again, compare how many gallons you put in to the mileage on your trip odometer. Then you'll know what kind of MPG you're getting.

[lexiyntax]

I do flip my odometer to zero each time I fill, and I try to always refill to the same place. On the last tank where I got 263 it took 4.3 gallons to refill. That works out to about 61.2 MPG, which seems reasonable. Most of my riding is a leisurely pace on back roads. How much of the rated 5.3 is actually possible to get in the tank and at what point is petcock supposed to need switched to reserve? I fill on the side stand until the fuel reaches the bottom of the middle of the filler neck.

[gsJack]

I have an 02 with with same 5.3 gal tank and have gone 160 miles before going to reserve a few times out of many many tankfuls.  More often I'm getting gas around 240 miles shortly after hitting reserve and putting in about 4 gal for about 60 mpg overall. 

It would take 65 mpg to go 260 miles on 4 gal so maybe you're not OK.  Check out the lines between the tank petcock and the frame petcock to make sure they are connected right and make sure the tank petcock isn't turned around.  The longer tube which the reserve hose connects to should be towards the front of the bike.  And then fill it up and go for it.

[Suzuki Stevo]

I do flip my odometer to zero each time I fill, and I try to always refill to the same place. On the last tank where I got 263 it took 4.3 gallons to refill. That works out to about 61.2 MPG, which seems reasonable. Most of my riding is a leisurely pace on back roads. How much of the rated 5.3 is actually possible to get in the tank and at what point is petcock supposed to need switched to reserve? I fill on the side stand until the fuel reaches the bottom of the middle of the filler neck.

If you "Convenience Fill" (I just made that up) you don't need to use reserve, but if your out on a long ride and can't get to a gas station your bike will die...this is when you use reserve. It's basically a safety net so you don't just run out of gas. What's more important than using reserve is...taking it OFF reserve when you get gas, failing to switch back to "On" gives you no reserve to fall back on.

Many ride until their bike starts to sputter, then at that point they switch to reserve and fill up as soon as possible.

[gsJack]

My 1st new car after a couple old jalopies was a 1960 VW Beattle and it had a reserve gas lever in the middle down by the feet and no gas gauge just like our bikes.  I decided to just fill it every 200 miles and not bother with the reserve feature.  Then one time after a couple winters I needed the reserve and the lever was stuck rusted in place and wouldn't budge.

The habit carried over into biking years later and I've gone to reserve almost every tank of gas for the 30 years and 400,000 miles I've ridden year around here in NE Ohio.  Doubt the petcock would freeze up on the bike like it did on the VW but it's still a good habit.  I automatically turn it back to on when I turn the trip odo back when filling up.  Also if I'm near home when I switch to reserve and want to wait till morning to fill up I turn the lever back to on after parking so if I ride off in the morning forgetting I need gas the bike will sputter in a block or two and I can go to reserve and go fill up.  Works for me and works even better as you get old and more forgetful.   

[Suzuki Stevo]

I know I am not the only one here that practiced switching to reserve while riding without looking down 

[ShowBizWolf]

Haha Stevo you certainly are not the only one... just did it this past Thursday on my way home from work 

[Atesz792]

I do flip my odometer to zero each time I fill, and I try to always refill to the same place. On the last tank where I got 263 it took 4.3 gallons to refill. That works out to about 61.2 MPG, which seems reasonable. Most of my riding is a leisurely pace on back roads. How much of the rated 5.3 is actually possible to get in the tank and at what point is petcock supposed to need switched to reserve? I fill on the side stand until the fuel reaches the bottom of the middle of the filler neck.

You can get all 20 litres in the tank, but the bike needs to be on the centre stand, and you got to be real patient, because the last ~2 litres go in real slow.. and i mean slow. Like so slow they need more time than the previous 18 did. I do fill her full each time, because it gives me somewhere between 50-100 km's of 'additional' (it's not really additional, is it? just compared to the 'lazy' method) range.

I know I am not the only one here that practiced switching to reserve while riding without looking down 

Guilty as charged... I do it before each fill-up

[gsJack]

Anyone who can't reach down and switch to reserve without looking should hang up their helmet.

[Rallyfan]

I don't understand what it means to say the last 2 litres go in slow.

If you fill to the edge of the tube ring, do you then wait a minute and resume filling or what?

[Big Rich]

Not exactly relevant to the topic at hand, but Jack and Steve reminded me: wasn't it Adidasguy that said crud can build up in the reserve line? I think he said he would flip it to reserve periodically just to "flush it out" before it became an actual problem......

Ok, carry on.

[Suzuki Stevo]

Not exactly relevant to the topic at hand, but Jack and Steve reminded me: wasn't it Adidasguy that said crud can build up in the reserve line? I think he said he would flip it to reserve periodically just to "flush it out" before it became an actual problem......

Ok, carry on.

Yes I believe that is a legitimate concern, and it was Pat 

[Atesz792]

I don't understand what it means to say the last 2 litres go in slow.

If you fill to the edge of the tube ring, do you then wait a minute and resume filling or what?

It means exactly what it reads. So let's assume the level's just at the edge of that tube ring, and the bike's on centre stand. You can continue filling, but don't wait, just reduce the velocity of fuel flowing into the tank. Like it should flow even slower than one might pee.. sorry, no better term at hand right now That should allow about 1 or 2 more litres, depending on how patient you are
This goes for the 20 litre tanks, earlier than that I have no experience with.

[Rallyfan]

Thanks!

[Atesz792]

Thanks!

[Suzuki Stevo]

Anyone who can't reach down and switch to reserve without looking should hang up their helmet.

This is why all my bikes are EFI now, just watch the gas gauge 

[gsJack]

Anyone who can't reach down and switch to reserve without looking should hang up their helmet.

This is why all my bikes are EFI now, just watch the gas gauge 

EFI?  What's that, this is a GS500 forum.   

OK, Anyone who can't reach down and switch to reserve without looking needs a more advanced bike than a simple GS500 to take care of them.

OK?

Seriously, thinking of a low cost basic bike like the TU250X for example which has only a speedo with a fuel warning light to rely on a rider could have a long walk if the bulb burned out.  Ones with a fuel guage and warning light might work it does in the car.  You'll be amazed at how many little details you start forgetting when you get past 80.    

[MarkB]

Not exactly relevant to the topic at hand, but Jack and Steve reminded me: wasn't it Adidasguy that said crud can build up in the reserve line? I think he said he would flip it to reserve periodically just to "flush it out" before it became an actual problem......

Ok, carry on.

Yes I believe that is a legitimate concern, and it was Pat

As I understand it, the practice of regularly using the reserve setting is based on the fact that any water that gets in the tank tends to settle to the bottom.  If you don't switch to reserve periodically and burn it off, enough water/fuel mixture may accumulate to the point that the engine won't be able to run on the mixture at the bottom of the tank and you'll be stranded if you have to switch to reserve for real.