Road Glide banner

Fuel capacity/range observations

5K views 24 replies 17 participants last post by  h-donut 
#1 ·
I just wanted to post about what I've noticed on my 2011 RGU's fuel capacity. I guess this is as good of a forum section to post it in.

First I'll let you know that I have the factory centerstand in addition to the jiffy stand. For the first few months I used the centerstand just when the bike was stored in my garage but then when I was planning my recent Ironbutt ride I thought about fueling up on the centerstand and wondered how much difference I'd see in fuel capacity (and range).

My routine when gassing up had been to use the jiffy stand and fill to as close to the top as possible while still leaving a bit of an air gap. When I did this the remaining fuel display on the odometer always indicated about 240 miles and my actual range to low fuel light was about 215 miles. The most I ever added was a bit over 5 gallons.

When I switched to using the centerstand the remaining fuel display read about 280 miles and my actual range jumped to a bit over 250 miles!

These distances were noted on freeway driving from 65-75 mph 6th gear just under 3000 rpm.

For anyone looking to boost their range a bit a centerstand is a relativly low cost option. However, the factory stand is a PITA to use with the passenger footrest in place and you do need to adjust the height so that the bike is stable yet it doesn't take too much effort to get it on the stand.
 
See less See more
#3 ·
Same thing I do. Just be sure you have a pump that you can regulate slowly, or you'll end up with gas in your lap...
 
#5 ·
you cant be in a hurry topping it off , like FLTRI sez , if it is difficult to regulate slowly , can be a PITA .. And cant do it all at once , maybe 10-15 mini shots ..

I forget exactly , but it is between .4 and .5 gals or so to the black ring

JtB
 
#9 ·
5 gallon tank on my old ride. I'm ready to get off and stretch when the light goes on anyway. Usually about every 175 miles. Call it old bladder syndrome but I don't need a three hundred mile range.

RT
 
#13 ·



Most of my rides are less than 300 miles round trip, so a 300 mile range means I only have to fill up before I roll out. Any of the others I just stop around 175 - 225 to fuel up and stretch my legs a bit. Besides, I like to know I have enough fuel to get to the next stop. On a distance trip, you don't always know where the next gas is going to be located.

my mod is cheeper than that , I just stay on the bike and stand it up and fill up to the bottom of the cap and it shows 280 miles as well :D

fwiw you get about a half gallon more after pump shutoff to full

JtB
I've been using that trick for years, even on bikes with a center stand. Not all of my bikes have a long range tank on them.

My '62 Ironhead only has a 3 gallon tank. If I want to ride it with The Boys, I have to get every last drop I can in it before we roll, because I will be the limiting factor for distance.

 
#11 ·
I'd like to know who thought the current fill neck arrangement was a good idea, and if they even tried using it before putting it into production?? Can't see the fuel level, splashes back at the slightest hint of any gas flow, never seems to get really full.
Somebody could have done a better job on that one..........
 
#12 ·
I'd like to know who thought the current fill neck arrangement was a good idea..........
You can thank the Federal government. It is an EPA design.
You know that they know better than any of us what is good for us. :eek:
 
#14 ·
I ride with guys who squeeze every last drop into their tanks. Guess what... we end up stopping for fuel before that becomes a factor every time.
Now, if the route I'm riding may not have fuel available (a rarity), I'll stand her up and fill the tank. But I haven't seen a reason to do so otherwise.
YMMV.
 
#21 ·
You guys are getting amazing range out of your tanks. I just filled up today and it showed range to be at 258 miles. I typically can only get about 180 miles before the light comes on. I stretched it to 210 once, the countdown Fuel indicator was at 5.0. I'm not THAT hard on the gas. Maybe its just the lousy fuel we have down here in SoCal.

BG
 
#22 ·
When riding local (SoCal full freeway traffic or surface streets), my "Miles Left in Tank" reading is usually 220 miles. When I ride to San Diego, Laughlin or Las Vegas with the Cruise set at 75 MPH, it will read 260 miles. I have had it read as high as 290. But I had the Cruise Control set at 65 MPH for the entire tank before fill up.

I usually don't look for a gas station until the "Miles Left" reads Lo. Then I look within the next 20 miles. I still only take 5 gallons (or maybe a little more) to fill up. The light must mean that there is still over a gallon left.
 
#23 ·
I guess I'm one of those anal retentive types. When I stop for fuel I have to get every last drop in the tank that I can. Fuel range usually shows about 260 miles but I've gotten as high as 290 miles on longer trips where I've averaged 65mph.
 
#24 ·
Normal riding when filled from the jiffy stand, I see around 240-250 remaining on the gauge. Recently I saw close to 310! This was after riding an entire tank on back roads, no traffic, no stopping, and running around 55-65mph. On the next fill up, I was telling me 310 to go. I think I ended up pulling around 250 before I felt the need to stop though, as that next tank of gas I changed my riding habits up.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top