[notacop]

" I put well over 6 gallons in a 5.3 gallon tank. "
I used to go to the corner gas station with the gas in the float bowls and fill the tank. Then I knew exactly how much gas the tank held. Harder to do with the FI bikes. I do the calculator trick with my fill-ups and reset the ODO's I watch the idiot lights too and often when the flashing warning light has come on once I find a station I still have 1.4 gallons left. The system is very conservative as to running out.

 

[Philbytx]

Why even bother with it🙄.....just ride and enjoy😉.

 

[Solarguy]

From the OPs post, it appears that they are familiar with calculating fuel mileage. He is looking for real time fuel flow data, perhaps monitoring the ECU as you can do with cars.

Exactly! Been doing it the traditional way since 1976. But yeah, what does the ecu know that I could get at?
No biggie, but if there was an easter egg trick that would have been nifty. I have been hypermiling both cars for a decade, and refining your driving technique for best fuel economy is made easier if you can see the instantaneous mpg.

 

[Solarguy]

Why even bother with it🙄.....just ride and enjoy😉.

Because I am a data nerd. Who would not want more data? That's just crazy talk.

 

[tomstromr]

The modern DL's will display current l/100km and probably mpg. It's a mode setting (somewhere), along with battery voltage and temperature

Sortof useful if you want to know what the most economical gear and speed is for a particular bit of road. Certainly tells you that taking R1's at the lights is expensive.

I found it useless, but I'm and old fashioned x miles/ x gallons.

 

[Munch75]

Why even bother with it🙄.....just ride and enjoy😉.

I'm with you on that. My thing to is being a mechanic I can't tell you how many times people get charged $250+/- for a tow and diag because they thought E meant "extra mile". Or, worse, they come in with - "my -to empty gauge is off- it said I had X miles left and I went half that and almost left me stranded! Can you fix it?!" Ugh.

 

[Pirate650]

I used to own a 1974 T-bird with a 460 V-8, 4-barrel. I'd floor it, and if the fuel gauge moved as fast as the second hand on my watch, I knew all was well. Every 200 miles.....25 gallons of gas and a quart of oil.

I once encountered a young woman cranking the daylights out of her Camaro engine, unsuccessfully. I asked her if she might be out of gas, as I looked in the window and could see the gauge was pegged dead to the far left of the "E". Her reply was classic: "Well, it shouldn't be out of gas....I've been driving all week on this tank!"

Sorry, I know this doesn't help the OP, just saying.

 

[theayn]

My bmw f800gt would count down miles on tank and then switch with the low fuel light to counting miles up. Threw me off every time. Aggravating engineers.

We had a Kawasaki ER-6N that would shut down the range display when it got below 80km, and then just said low fuel. I get it, it's got to be filled, but isn't the last bit of the tank when you most need to know the range left?

 

[PeteW]

I found it useless, but I'm and old fashioned x miles/ x gallons.

It's not useless just performs a very limited function, it's short term fuel use based on the i injector on times. So, if you want to know whether you should take this long climb at the legal limit in 3rd, 4th or 5th it'll tell you that.

 

[Jimding]

I don't tend to find such readouts particularly helpful or interesting. A fuel gauge usually tellls me what I need to know. I rarely change driving habits to maximize mileage. In general, the less you twist the throttle, the better your mileage. But what's the fun in that? Most of my vehicles, most of the time, get about the same number of miles per tankful. I could ignore the fuel gauge and predict when it needs gas based on the trip odometer. On a couple of them, that's what I do, as the OEM fuel gauge tends to read high for quite a while, then drops drastically on the bottom half of the tank.

If the bike doesn't have such a readout, probably need to tap into the injector signal, and the speedometer signal, do some calculating on a Pi or other computer on a board, spend some time calibrating, and devise a readout. Not sure it is worth the trouble. For a big-bucks solution, you can get an airplance fuel-flow system, tap into the gas line, and directly measure fuel consumption, although the flow rate is so much less on a bike than a plane that you might be outside the accuracy range of the sensor.

I guess it depends on how badly you want it.

 

[JBNY]

It bases its range over the last 15 km of riding. If you had been riding aggressively it will show a shorter range. If you start riding gently at lower speeds the range can stop decreasing or even start increasing. This is most likely what you are seeing but if it just stays at 35 miles (or whatever miles) forever something is wrong.

..Tom

I just fill up at around 230 to 260 miles .
Never trusted it after the first time it stopped counting down.

 

[V-Tom]

I just fill up at around 230 to 260 miles .
Never trusted it after the first time it stopped counting down.

Knowledge is power. Understanding how it works and it's shortcomings can be very helpful.

If you are slabbing along the interstate at 80 mph into a headwind you might be lucky to get 180 miles out of a tank (on my 2015 DL1000 for example.) 220 to 240 miles was doable at lower speeds. Seeing the range change while riding meant I could stop earlier than planned or slow down to stretch the range if that meant not stopping before getting to my destination for the day and gassing there.

..Tom

 

[Webfors]

The modern DL's will display current l/100km and probably mpg. It's a mode setting (somewhere), along with battery voltage and temperature

Sortof useful if you want to know what the most economical gear and speed is for a particular bit of road. Certainly tells you that taking R1's at the lights is expensive.

I use it when I'm trying to get the best mileage... really helpful.

I have to drive my V like a moped if I want to see really good mileage

 

[TinMan88]

I don't tend to find such readouts particularly helpful or interesting. A fuel gauge usually tellls me what I need to know. I rarely change driving habits to maximize mileage. In general, the less you twist the throttle, the better your mileage. But what's the fun in that? Most of my vehicles, most of the time, get about the same number of miles per tankful. I could ignore the fuel gauge and predict when it needs gas based on the trip odometer. On a couple of them, that's what I do, as the OEM fuel gauge tends to read high for quite a while, then drops drastically on the bottom half of the tank.

If the bike doesn't have such a readout, probably need to tap into the injector signal, and the speedometer signal, do some calculating on a Pi or other computer on a board, spend some time calibrating, and devise a readout. Not sure it is worth the trouble. For a big-bucks solution, you can get an airplance fuel-flow system, tap into the gas line, and directly measure fuel consumption, although the flow rate is so much less on a bike than a plane that you might be outside the accuracy range of the sensor.

I guess it depends on how badly you want it.

Anyone use a "vacuum gauge?

 

[Solarguy]

I use it when I'm trying to get the best mileage... really helpful.

I have to drive my V like a moped if I want to see really good mileage

Yeah, it's a whole other metric for "performance".

As a nice side benefit, when driving for max fuel economy it encourages me to ride gently and thoughtfully and monitor the road way ahead to anticipate the need to slow or brake. All good skills.
I don't ride like a slow poke all the time, but it does give me a certain satisfaction to actually exceed the EPA rated fuel economy. I routinely get 24+ mpg on my Toyota Tacoma 4wd.

 

[dravnx]

You guys are missing the point. Data nerds are data nerds. It's kinda like being OCD.
I've ridden in places where accurate fuel range would have been very handy. I've bought gas from the barrel guys in Baja. I've also had to use my extra gas when the ag workers were protesting and blocking roads and not allowing the gas trucks in. It was touch and go a couple of times but luckily, I never ran out of gas. Knowing my real range would have been less stressful. Not everyone rides within 25 miles of a gas station.

 

[V-Tom]

@drav

I'm certainly a data Nerd! Have recorded over 600,000 km of fuel fill since starting riding Stroms. Of course have graphed an ld analyzed it a dozen different ways.

For me it's another fun way to enjoy riding.

..Tom

 

[Philbytx]

I don't give a rat's arse about fuel economy, only my range. I am in it purely for the "joie de vivre" 😉.

 

[ZagiFlyer]

. . . I put well over 6 gallons in a 5.3 gallon tank.

How???

 

[PerazziMx14]

How???

Easily...with the nozzle on the fuel pump.