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[JCZ]

On my bike, my guage stays on the full mark until I have about 70 miles on it.  At 95 miles I'm showing half a tank and at empty (the low fuel warning light comes on, on the dash) I'm usually between 124 and 129 depending on how I've been riding.  I rode from Sacramento to Lodi yesterday......I-5 all the way, at 85-95 miles an hour.

I had simular mis-readings on both of my Ultra Classics however, they didn't seem to be as far off as this bike.  

Do you guys find similar readings on you gas guage?   [smiley=nixweiss.gif]  Inquiring minds want to know [smiley=thinking.gif]

[jay]

My gas gauge reads much like yours, JCZ.  According to it, I get much better gas mileage on the first half of tank than on the second!

[Doc]

I agree.  The second half of my tank is much better for MPG.  I attribute it to less weight from the emptying tank. [smiley=xyxthumbs.gif]

Makes sense to me!

[the O`Fender]

This is a little bit off the suggect but does relate to gas gauges--- how far have you driven after the idiot (low fuel) light comes on? Is their supposed to be a gallon of gas left when that light comes on?  [smiley=worried2.gif]

[JCZ]

This is a little bit off the suggect but does relate to gas gauges--- how far have you driven after the idiot (low fuel) light comes on? Is their supposed to be a gallon of gas left when that light comes on?

[psycho]

I have begun to track miles on each new tank and calibrating to gas gage reading. Because I also fill right up to/slightly over the inner tank plate (in order to consistently monitor mpg) the gage remains on full for quite some time. When it finally starts to go--it goes! On those occasions in which I trusted the half to 1/4 markings I have run into the low fuel indicator in no time. Seems that the gage starts up at a lower reading than prior to shut down as well. I assumed that's why they have the multiple mileage settings on the bikes. I have yet to ride requiring multiple refuels in order to get to destination. I'm trying to calibrate when to get fuel comfortably (hard & easy driving) by monitoring miles driven in preparation for that eventuality.

[naitram]

having never met an accurate gas guage, i use my tripometer when i hit 160 i start looking for gas, gone as high as 185 and never run out, plus if i'm on a long trip i'm gonna stop after for a leg stretch prior to hiiting 160 and if i can swing it i'll gas up then

[ak]

having never met an accurate gas guage, i use my tripometer when i hit 160 i start looking for gas, gone as high as 185 and never run out, plus if i'm on a long trip i'm gonna stop after for a leg stretch prior to hiiting 160 and if i can swing it i'll gas up then

i go by trip meter,speed,wind,uphill or down  in a pinch leaning bike far to the right gets an extra 10 miles(some gas gets hung up on the left side)--ak

[jay]

A friend of mine is an engineer for a company which suppies various parts to auto manufacturers.  He says some automakers specify that the gas gauges read "optimistic" for the first half of tank of gas.  It's for the psychological advantage of thinking that you are getting really good mileage.  "I've done all this running around and the gas gauge han't budged off full yet!"

I doubt that Harley has speced their gas gauges that way from the supplier, but who knows.  My guess is the reason we don't see the gauge reflect our reality is because we are filling the tank fuller than what Harley has calebrated the gauge for i.e. what they think is full and what we thnk is full are two different levels in the tank.  The gauge doesn't start reading correctly until our full level comes down to their full level.  Hence the gauge reads full for a longer time.

[naitram]

i was thinking about this a bit on the ride in today, left the house with 160 miles on the tank and my kurakyn guage was reading just below a half tank, got me thinking its not the guage thats the problem it the sending unit, the guage only interprets the signal sent by that....

[gswcigar]

We just came off our annual Winston Salem to Key West (1015 miles one way) ride last week. My guage never fell below the half tank mark. It was slow coming off the full mark. We started looking at 150 miles for gas. The other bike in the group was a 2002 Dresses and it did not get good mileage.