The Case of the Missing Gallon (2012 R1200GS)

[ebell]

Don't overthink, follow advice of Omega Man

Just my opinion as I come riding motorcycles with no gas gauge- I only trust it as an estimate. I would ride the bike until It took around 4 gallons to fill, make a mental note that when you hit that point on your trip meter, it's time to look for gas.
OM

I have a 2012 GS, fill it on the sidestand because I almost lost it a few times when loaded-up & on the centre stand. When I get to about 8 miles showing on the gauge, I reckon I still have around 25 miles left in the tank. I also top up as much as I can. Fill consistently, take note, and you'll not be stranded… most of the time.

 

[martyhill]

Very simple. Your not filling the tank. If you put it on the center stand and really fill it after the click off the capacity will be as stated in the manual. Your methods are leaving at least a gallon back at the gas station.

 

[Omega Man]

I have a 2012 GS, fill it on the sidestand because I almost lost it a few times when loaded-up & on the centre stand. When I get to about 8 miles showing on the gauge, I reckon I still have around 25 miles left in the tank. I also top up as much as I can. Fill consistently, take note, and you'll not be stranded… most of the time.

Welcome to the forum!
Gary

 

[ebell]

Ymmv

Thanks for the welcome.

 

[ebell]

I don't think a whole gallon gets left at the pump

Very simple. Your not filling the tank. If you put it on the center stand and really fill it after the click off the capacity will be as stated in the manual. Your methods are leaving at least a gallon back at the gas station.

To the OP.
One way to see how much fuel you're leaving at the gas station is to fill up the tank, bike on the side stand, top up as much as you can, to inside the filler-collar. Then get on the bike or put it on the side stand, look down the filler hole and see where the level of the fuel ends up. Then draw your own conclusions as to how much is being left in the pump.

 

[bobframe]

I am puzzled by the description of filling until the auto-shutoff clicks the nozzle off. The reason I am puzzled is that I can usually stick at least 3 to 4 inches of the nozzle down into the tank. That 3 or 4 inches accounts for at least one gallon and maybe as much as 1.5 gallons which can be added after the nozzle clicks off. I'm describing traditional tanks as on my K75s and R1150R. But even on the underseat tanks on my F650 single and Voni's F800S I could add at least a gallon after click-off. So what is the logic of quitting when it clicks off instead of filling the tank?

FWIW, here's my answer.

Other than the pump click off...there is no indication (that I'm aware of) that you have filled the tank other than seeing it. In order to be sure that the tank doesn't overflow, I would need to eyeball the fuel level as I was pumping and cut the pump off manually when my brain said "that's enough, if you add anymore it will overflow". In order to see this, my face would have to be positioned above the filler hole and close enough to see how full the tank was in the very low light available. In my experience, seeing the fuel level while the gas pump is in the filler hole is tough to do, so I have to play "splash some fuel, stop filling , pull out the nozzle, check the level, then repeat".

Pretty tedious to get, best case, an extra 45 mile of riding and, worst case, make a mess or splash gas on myself or the bike. Just doesn't seem worth it and if that's what I have to do, I'm out...unless it was a "last chance" gas station and the extra 45 miles meant something.

 

[martyhill]

To the OP.
One way to see how much fuel you're leaving at the gas station is to fill up the tank, bike on the side stand, top up as much as you can, to inside the filler-collar. Then get on the bike or put it on the side stand, look down the filler hole and see where the level of the fuel ends up. Then draw your own conclusions as to how much is being left in the pump.

You need to go back and read what he said. He is leaving a gallon in the pump because he is not close to filling it on the side stand either.

 

[ebell]

You need to go back and read what he said. He is leaving a gallon in the pump because he is not close to filling it on the side stand either.

Nice grammar.

 

[martyhill]

Nice grammar.

Good catch and so very important. What really matters is that I'm right.

 

[khathaway]

I have a new-to-me 2012 1200GS and I'm perplexed with the fuel fill up process.

The owner's manual (didn't get one with the bike...so I downloaded one) lists the bike's fuel capacity at 20L or about 5.3 US gallons. When my "low fuel" warning system comes on it advises that I have about 45 miles to empty. When I fill the tank I consistently add about 3.0-3.5 gallons, at which point the gas station fuel nozzle clicks off. I never add fuel beyond this.

I would think that with 45 miles remaining, that is, approximately one gallon fuel still in the tank (assuming 40-45 mpg), and a total tank capacity of 5.3 gallons, I should be able to add 4.3 gallons or so...yet I never can add more than about 3.3 gallons. Am I not really "filling" the tank, i.e., is there a gallon of air still in the tank? Or if 3.3 really does fill the tank, then does this mean that there was actually 2 gallons still in the tank, meaning that my range was more like 80-90 miles?

Which is it?

I can only answer in relation to my '09 1200GS, but according to the dealer I go to for service (and this has proven itself correct repeatedly); when you get the low fuel warning light it is indicating you have one gallon to go until you start using the one gallon reserve. In other words, when your range read out hits zero (------) you have one gallon to go. If you fill up as soon as your low fuel light comes on you still have roughly 2 gallons in the tank. To test this, ride until your range read out is at "-----" and then get gas, you will only be able to put in 4.3 gallons.

To caveat this; if you really, really want to test this to extremes DO NOT go by the mpg average your onboard computer gives you, you WILL run out of gas. Although mine says I get 43.something miles to the gallon (which suggests I "should" get at least 225 to the tank), I know for 100% certainty that I can only reliably get 210 miles to a totally empty tank. DAMHIKT!

Cheers!
Kharon

 

[jayjay]

I can only answer in relation to my '09 1200GS, but according to the dealer I go to for service (and this has proven itself correct repeatedly); when you get the low fuel warning light it is indicating you have one gallon to go until you start using the one gallon reserve. In other words, when your range read out hits zero (------) you have one gallon to go. If you fill up as soon as your low fuel light comes on you still have roughly 2 gallons in the tank. To test this, ride until your range read out is at "-----" and then get gas, you will only be able to put in 4.3 gallons.

To caveat this; if you really, really want to test this to extremes DO NOT go by the mpg average your onboard computer gives you, you WILL run out of gas. Although mine says I get 43.something miles to the gallon (which suggests I "should" get at least 225 to the tank), I know for 100% certainty that I can only reliably get 210 miles to a totally empty tank. DAMHIKT!

Cheers!
Kharon

Kharon - that's the way it's supposed to work, and for the first couple of years did in fact work that way on my original fuel strip. But when the strip started failing, and with all the replacement strips, I have found that not to be true, it's all over the place. The best way to avoid running out of fuel is to know your bike's average range (in my case around 275-290 miles), be able to add or subtract on the fly for conditions (headwind, tailwind, hill up/down) and go my "miles traveled" (I fill when I've gone 250-265 miles).

JayJay

 

[Moto316]

I have a new-to-me 2012 1200GS and I'm perplexed with the fuel fill up process.

The owner's manual (didn't get one with the bike...so I downloaded one) lists the bike's fuel capacity at 20L or about 5.3 US gallons. When my "low fuel" warning system comes on it advises that I have about 45 miles to empty. When I fill the tank I consistently add about 3.0-3.5 gallons, at which point the gas station fuel nozzle clicks off. I never add fuel beyond this.

I would think that with 45 miles remaining, that is, approximately one gallon fuel still in the tank (assuming 40-45 mpg), and a total tank capacity of 5.3 gallons, I should be able to add 4.3 gallons or so...yet I never can add more than about 3.3 gallons. Am I not really "filling" the tank, i.e., is there a gallon of air still in the tank? Or if 3.3 really does fill the tank, then does this mean that there was actually 2 gallons still in the tank, meaning that my range was more like 80-90 miles?

Which is it?

My 07 does the same thing. You probably have 2 gallons left in the tank. I had the fuel strip replaced twice, it still does not work. I can run the bike until the instrument gauge says that I have no gas, 0 miles to go and I still only put about 4.3 gallons in. Set your trip meter and use that as a gauge not the "low fuel" warning light.

One other thing, make sure the bike is on the center stand and NOT the side stand when you fill up.

 

[cookie]

Very Frustrating

I showed 112 miles to empty while going home one night on my 08 RT. Yep, I ran out of gas.
The BMW official brochure states, "7.1 US Gallons fuel capacity".
I had the bike towed home assuming I had some mechanical failure. I put one gallon of gas in and it started right up. I went 3 miles to the gas station and topped it off and it took 4.3 gallons.
Hhmmm, 1 + 4.3 = 5.3 not 7.1.
Yep we all have issues.
I did not choose to have the fuel strip replaced because I will never trust it.
I am a trip minder filler upper. When I get around 200 miles I fill it up. Usually takes 4-5 gallons.