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Fuel strip poll

Have you had at least ONE fuel strip fail?


  • Total voters
    835
So ................. with well lover 600 respondents, 65+% have experienced fuel-strip failures.

Curious? Has BMW returned to the less-techy float system?

After all, we're not operating aircraft that will fall out of the sky and kill us if we suffer 'catastrophic fuel starvation.'

In my world, 'reliable' trumps 'hyper-techy' every time. :dance
 
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So ................. with well lover 600 respondents, 65+% have experienced fuel-strip failures.

Curious? Has BMW returned to the less-techy float system?

After all, we're not operating aircraft that will fall out of the sky and kill us if we suffer 'catastrophic fuel starvation.'

In my world, 'reliable' trumps 'accurate' every time. :dance

The '09 K12S and '10 GS returned to the float system. More models, maybe all, but I know about those two.
 
2008 R1200R questionable fuel strip

While mine has not outright failed, I have been left stranded twice with a dry tank and the fuel gauge indicating over 150 miles worth of fuel remaining.
 
Ditto----had the fuel strip replaced (23,000 miles, '10 Rt). The new one is way off, but at least shows fuel when I fill the tank!
 
The dealer replaced mine with the same part. Doesn't make much sense to me.

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
 
With 650+ respondents, the nearly 66% that experienced either one or multiple failures of the fuel strips is a statistic worth noting.

:banghead
 
With 650+ respondents, the nearly 66% that experienced either one or multiple failures of the fuel strips is a statistic worth noting.

:banghead

It's actually probably a bit higher than that - I did the poll back quite a while ago, and didn't include the later R1200R's - which continued using the fuel strips until the water-cooled one was released. I've had one fail so far on my 2012 R1200R.

The real significance of it is - there are a LOT of failures, and they haven't stopped even when the secret word from a dealership has been that the "new" ones from BMW work/last better.. (sort of like "I heard Jaguars have improved their reliability.." - wishful thinking..)
 
It's actually probably a bit higher than that - I did the poll back quite a while ago, and didn't include the later R1200R's - which continued using the fuel strips until the water-cooled one was released. I've had one fail so far on my 2012 R1200R.

The real significance of it is - there are a LOT of failures, and they haven't stopped even when the secret word from a dealership has been that the "new" ones from BMW work/last better.. (sort of like "I heard Jaguars have improved their reliability.." - wishful thinking..)

Never returned to a float system?
 
Saw the light come on the Adventure as I was chasing H this AM. Said 40 to go...all good.
She had fueled in town and I passed on the 85 regular she put in her Thumper...would get mid grade in the next town after parting ways with her.
I'm on third strip in 125K, newest came with the new fuel pump plate replaced on the recall last year...well, saw her pulling away from me as I coasted to the shoulder laughing...24 to go and out...even the major wig wag move only got me another 1/4 mile and one restart. Her mirrors must be dirty:ha:ha as I got a phone call as I was pumping fuel asking where I was...told her glad we were not water skiing with me waving my ski in the air:whistle

KIMG1257.jpg
Yeah, empty!

I carry a fuel bottle for my 5 gallon tanked friends( Chuck and H)...I have only run out once before on the original strip...it wasn't bad, said I had 3 to go and fuel was 1 mile away. I poured it in and rode a mile to the station.

It is what it is...not an exact countdown on any model we have as we have both ridden 20 miles on a zero reading on our K12S's and once 30 on my 05RT( hurricane had all my planned stops closed). Depending on it to be 99% accurate is wishful thinking.

I had reset both trips as we started this morning since we were fueling in 5 miles...so I was the problem not having my usual odometer range to realize how empty I was when she fueled.

As the receipt says...I still had a nice day and nobody to blame but me.
Two times in 125K is no biggie in my world.
 
Just had my replacement fuel strip replaced 10 months after the first replacement. So far, not showing actual fuel amount in tank. Guess I will be getting a third shortly. Too bad the survey above only allows one entry per user despite the time that has elapsed.
 
Things have changed. Strip replaced Oct. 2014. Fuel pump fix also. New strip not much better, when I fill the tank it says there is 470 miles to empty.

I also voted to early, so add one more to the dead zone. I have now mounted two Optima gas bottles as my reserve. Mine seems to run out when it says 40 to empty. I know your thinking I should use the trip meter, but hell if I can remember all that. With the Norton you can at least look in the tank while riding or at a light.
 
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