Managing your fuel supply on long dry stretches

[richardus]

How do you all do it exactly? I see some great touring vids and some of the stretches with no gas available are as much as 400km or more, such as the recently famed Trans Labrador Highway trip. Lots of vids on youtube but nobody has explained how they do it. My bike does around 200km on a full tank, more or less, and I can fit a small gas can in the top case but it would only hold about 10L or so, which still would not be enough. Do I have to strap multiple gas cans all over the bike to make it?
Any tips?

 

[akbeemer]

What is your best guess about how one should conserve fuel?

 

[richardus]

What is your best guess about how one should conserve fuel?

Yes, exactly. That was my question.

 

[Omega Man]

I've always avoided putting containers of fuel inside any other container (side-case) that had other items in it. It seems there is a hint of gas that rides with everything it touches from the fuel cans. If you have a spot to mount something, the Rotopax line of containers work great.- https://rotopax.com
On my TW200, I have two "tool tubes" that have a refilled Sea Foam bottles with spare gas.
If you suspect "iffy" gas, you can bring a paint strainer with you as a filter for the larger particles.
OM

 

[Friedle]

managing fuel supply

What is your best guess about how one should conserve fuel?

Are you trying to suggest not "travelling 90 miles per hour down a dead end street" ???

Friedle

or maybe get a bigger gas tank ???
or maybe a different motorcycle ???

 

[akbeemer]

Are you trying to suggest not "travelling 90 miles per hour down a dead end street" ???

Friedle

or maybe get a bigger gas tank ???
or maybe a different motorcycle ???

I thought the OP could answer his own question with a bit of introspection.... evidently I was wrong.

 

[beemerphile]

Since you can't predict your fuel economy, relying on hyper-miling techniques to "get there" would be unwise. Carry more than you think you need, or don't go. Otherwise, you become a wet kitten that someone else has to save from their own poor planning. Slugging through mud in lower gears will net you the fuel mileage of a Corvette. Having said that, I once decided to go check out the Arctic Circle sign on the Dempster Highway after checking in at the Eagle Plains Hotel but I forgot the detail of gassing up first. My bike carries ten gallons, but out of fuel is out of fuel on any bike. So on the way back I ran at best economical speed where possible and turned the motor off on the long downhills. Though I made it back, I would never PLAN my fuel load by considering extreme fuel economy techniques.

Plan for the worst and hope for the best.

 

[AntonLargiader]

If you're only getting 200km on a tank you have something other than a normal Oilhead GS, so start by telling us what you're riding.

 

[Omega Man]

I read this as “what do riders do for fuel” when riding in areas that may be short on fillin’ Stations.
OM

 

[akbeemer]

I read this as “what do riders do for fuel” when riding in areas that may be short on fillin’ Stations.
OM

His post is very clear in asking for tips on managing fuel to extend his range. So, okay, I'll bite.

Reduce speed.
Inflate tires to the maximum pressures specified on the tire.
Easy on the throttle; no "jack-rabbit" starts.
Keep the bike as light as possible.
Coast when possible and safe.
Do not reduce speed more than required for safe riding in corners (you've already paid for the speed so don't give it away)
Google hyper-mileage techniques. The info will be targeted at cars, but will be mostly applicable to a scooter.

 

[m_stock10506]

If you're only getting 200km on a tank you have something other than a normal Oilhead GS, so start by telling us what you're riding.

Exactly. That range works out to a fuel capacity of around 3 gallons maybe less. Or there’s something seriously wrong with the motor. Sounds more like the OP is trying to use the wrong tool for the the job he’s trying to get done.

My RT will easily do 400 km (240 miles), unless we’re going hyper-legal speed. If I was concerned about finding my next fill-up and I rode conservatively, I could stretch it to 300 miles but I couldn’t sit for that even with my RDL seat.

 

[52184]

OP needs to either get a different motorcycle with sufficient fuel range, or look into mounting a fuel cell on his present ride. Lots of info on fuel cells available on the inter-webz.

A bike with only 200km range is unworkable in many areas of the western US, where 200 miles is considered an acceptable minimum range, especially at night. I’d expect parts of CA to be the same or similar.
Best,
DG

 

[BlueWaterCooled]

Warning: Use this technique at your own risk.

Last year, I started across a stretch of the Sonoran desert in Northern Mexico without really thinking through my gas situation. About 20 km past a gas station, I saw a sign that said 138 km to next gas. The computer on my bike was indicating something like 150 km of gas left. I made a bad decision to go ahead rather than riding back to the last gas station. As I proceeded I continued comparing the estimated-kilometers-remaining to the mile posts and saw that the estimate of how many kilometers I had available was going down substantially faster that the count of how many kilometers remained to the next gas station. There was very little traffic in either direction of this stretch of two-lane blacktop and no cross roads, just a few dirt trails going off into the desert. I came up behind a large truck. Instead of passing it, like I had all the previous trucks, I dropped my speed to match that of the truck and stayed about one or two bike lengths behind it. Obviously, a pretty risky position, but there was little chance for cross traffic or much happening that would cause him to brake unexpectedly. I stayed on his tail for about 50 km. At first he waved me to pass him, but finally he figured out that I was not going to. Riding behind the truck, my gas usage dropped about in half. With every kilometer marker I passed the range estimate got more favorable until eventually I had a cushion of about 50 km. Finally, when I neared the next town, I passed the truck and arrived at the gas station with about 50 km to spare.

The bike was fairly new to me at the time of this incident and I had not figured out how to use the gas consumption displays. I have since figured out how they work and have used them to compare my consumption under various riding conditions all on straight stretches with a constant speed. Normally the bike indicates a consumption of about 4.5 l/100 km (52 mpg). With a strong headwind, I have seen it go to 7 l/100 km (30 mpg). Drafting behind a truck, consumption can get to 3 l/100 km (80 mpg).

As I said at the beginning, I don't recommend this as a routine way to extend range. Would I have been safer running out of gas in the middle of the desert on a deserted stretch of road? I don't know, maybe. If I had run out of gas, I would have had to leave the bike, and hitchhike to the gas station and back. It might have been a better idea. I was traveling with a fair amount of gear that I would have had to either leave with the bike or lug with me. A far better solution all around would have been to think about gas ahead of time, or in this case, turned around and gassed up before starting across the desert. Since this incident, I am much more conservative in refueling. Almost all of my riding is in cross country trips with multiple gas stops per day. With a full tank, the estimated range is about 400 km. I have only seen the yellow fuel warning light once or twice and normally never get near it. When the fuel indicator drops to half and the range estimate drops under 200 km, I refuel at the next chance.

 

[weschmann]

For auxiliary gas tanks, I always carry along a 1 gallon Rotopax fuel cell. The tanks come anywhere from 1 to 4 or so gallons, is fairly flat, and can be secured to a number of places on the bike. I have a capacity of 6 gallons on my bmw 700 gs, which has a auxiliary Camel tank nested permanently under the right side pannier rack, but still find it important to bring along the rotopax 1 gallon on long trips where I am unfamiliar with the area. Last year was the first year that I didn't follow my own advice, riding home from the Utah National rally, and found myself in a pickle when my low fuel light came on at 165 miles instead of the usual 225 or so that I am used to when riding the slab at 80 MPH. Apparently I had not paid attention at my last fill-up and not gotten completely topped off. I pulled up gas stations on my GPS and found one off the beaten path about 10 miles in a small town on what looked like a fairly deserted 2 lane backroad, (which I thought might be a little iffy since it was a Sunday, or trying to make it 30 miles to the next gas station listed on the interstate. As luck would have it, the small town station was open, but it sure would have been easier to just stop and pop in that extra gallon and 50 miles of fudge factor than worrying all about the back road walk I was going to have to endure if that station wouldn't have been open. So, from now on the rotopax goes on even though I probably may not need it. Might help someone else out though down the road.

 

[WooDmEn]

Quoting Stoner

West of the Rockies, don’t pass gas.

 

[jkjohnson]

Formerly had a 200 km range bike

I formerly had a nominally 100 mile range bike (Honda 600 Shadow; later a 15 F800GT, now have a 17 R1200GS.) The Honda would get between 90 and 125 miles range, depending upon wind, speed, and the usual factors, but usually around 100. I typically ride with a guy who has an RT, so there was always a huge disparity in range, but he was desperate for a riding buddy so he put up with me (and continues to do so.) We often liked to ride in the Nevada desert and were determined to continue to do so, so my (our) work-arounds were (besides the obvious solution, upgrading to a more suitable bike

1) Make sure the tank was full before traversing lonely stretches. Been mentioned . . .

2) I sometimes carried extra fuel in a plastic gas can, if warranted. Often, a "mere" 1 extra gallon will get you to the next station. (Rotopax is nice and rugged--I bought one eventually) However, carrying extra external gas is a nuisance, and perhaps a safety concern, and it can be hard to attach spur-of-the-moment gas can purchase to your moto. If you need it, recommend getting a Rotopax and hard mounting it in your leisure time.

3) I carried (and still do, on the GS) a siphon apparatus to suck gas from my friend's RT, if it came to that . . . and it did, occasionally. I could siphon it into an empty water bottle to transfer to my tank.

4) In an emergency, reducing speed to 35 mph in high gear about doubles your remaining range (though really exasperates the guy on the RT)

5) Best advice of all: Ride with a buddy whose bike has more gas and range than you do (so he can ride off and get gas if you run out, or share some gas.)

Due to paranoia on the Honda, I carried a Rotopax 1 gallon plastic tank on my F800GT for a while, but I never really used it, so eventually stopped carrying it (I still had my friend on the RT with "surplus" gas . . .) The F800GT would get 180-240 miles range. The R1200GS seems to have a little more range so haven't been as concerned about fuel with it. But having had the short-legged motorcycle taught me not to skip filling up, if I get the chance.

Now that I have a '17 GS, I notice that my riding buddy's '16 RT uses about 5% less gas for the same distance, I presume due to better streamlining.

Three of my riding friends took a really long ride--26000 km, Brasil to Alaska-- with a GS, a GSA, and a Triump Tiger 1200 Adventure. The Triumph ended up being the shortest range bike, and therefore set the pace for the others. So, while you may have a GSA, if your riding buddies don't, then you are limited by their equipment and your lot in life is to be a tanker for them. ha ha

 

[akbeemer]

West of the Rockies, don’t pass gas.

There are plenty of people passing gas out there.

 

[irish]

Rotopax mounting suggestions?

What I was shopping for wetheads I was trying to decide between a GS and a GSA. I really didn’t want to have the extra weight of a GSA, especially since I would almost never need to use that much fuel capacity. I figured if I was somewhere where it was longer between gas stations I would buy a Rotopax. I haven’t gotten one yet, wondering what’s worked for people as far as mounting it? I have the Vario cases. Are they rugged enough to mount a gallon of gas to? I think the one gallon size would be plenty, could do one per case if needed. Any other mounting solutions that work well?

 

[mceder]

Rotopax or Touratech 2 gallon gas jug with pannier mount.

I ride a GSA and tossed the passenger saddle, and replaced it with a Black Dog Heli Pad. You can put two rotopax mounts on that.

I also have the Touratech 2 gallon jug with pannier mount.

Both works great. Although with the GSA it is hardly needed for myself but sometimes other riders in the group need some extra fuel.

Don’t worry about the extra weight on the GSA. After all you are not going to carry it. And it’s fine to pick up when it goes down in the sticks. (Just don’t do it to often)

I would not recommend the using vario cases. Get a real pannier instead.

 

[flyhi2cfar]

Many miles & many uses (12-15 estimated)....

during 2017 summer trek (15' R12GS) across western Canada Provinces and AK, using the typical red 1.25 gallon gas can found at Meijers, Menards, Tractor Supply, even Wally's World, ect. (These containers have been improved lately from what I remember a few years back. Strength/thickness & nossel/venting)
Mounted using the riders left side passenger foot peg and two (correct length for application) rubber tarp straps. These have minimum stretch capability and the metal "S" hooks. By using two straps, I found that one secures forward/aft movement when routed through the can handle & under the peg. And the second pulls inward toward the frame and reduces downward pressure on the peg. I wrap a microfiber shop towel around the peg for a little more padding from shock/vibration force, and that is handy for cleanup ...especially when wet from rain. Don't ask me how I know!
Practice the attachment routine/strap routing and use a couple wraps of gorilla duct tape on the frame for abrasion protection.

Another nice thing... the container is sitting there for easy fill when its empty, and doesn't require removal as you fill-up the bike.`
There's still some added risk here and this is would not be for real off-road use.
I saved a few extra stops and had piece of mind when riding at the limits of normal operating distances.

"travel'n" john
2015 R1200GS