F800GS Outta Gas

[ToadRide]

Decided to test the accuracy of the computer yesterday. Warning light came on, said I had about 80kms to go. Was about 60 from home so I happily cruised away, watching the kms count down. Pulled up to my garage with 8kms showing and....stutter, fart, stutter, and she died. Wouldn't refire. Totally out of gas. Talk about horseshoes! Bottom line is; Read your computer with a big grain of salt. I won't let mine drop below, say, fifteen from now on.

[Fav]

Well you took a chance all on your own, no ? Even if the computer is off slightly (expected) Did you plan to refuel at your house ?  There are variables in that could effect the last few miles of fuel use(terrian, angle of bike, the actual fact the fuel pick-up might not be low enough to use the last bit of fuel etc. I've pushed it(not literally but never til the last bit....and I have no computer just time, experience and mileage calculations on the same bike.

You live. You learn

[jsanford]

Decided to test the accuracy of the computer yesterday. Warning light came on, said I had about 80kms to go. Was about 60 from home so I happily cruised away, watching the kms count down. Pulled up to my garage with 8kms showing and....stutter, fart, stutter, and she died. Wouldn't refire. Totally out of gas. Talk about horseshoes! Bottom line is; Read your computer with a big grain of salt. I won't let mine drop below, say, fifteen from now on.

How many miles on your GS?  My understanding is that the computer has to "train" to guess the countdown.

[ToadRide]

That may be true, J. Just 600Miles on her now.

[mtrider16]

So how many miles/kms did you have on that tank of gas?

David

[servicerifle]

Roughly converting, and guessing the range of the 800GS to be something like 215 miles...

You're expecting the "distance to empty" to be within 1% accuracy?  That's unrealistic.

[motoguy128]

I tend to agree with others.  I don't know how accurate you expect the fuel strip to be on a $12,000 machine.  If oyu want better accuracy, you'll need a fuel strip with higher resolution that would probably cost $500 or even 1000.  The strip they use instead probably costs around $50.

As a good rule, when the light comes on, you should assume you have 0.5 gallons (reserve).  on my RT it's 1.0 gallons.  

I did the same thing as you and ran it down within "12 miles remaining".  It was a little too close for comfort.  I even slowed down a little and lowered the windscreen a little to help conserve fuel.

Also keep in mind that the accuracy of the srips change somewhat with temperature.  It may be very accurate at 75F at the temp it was calibrated, but at 60F or 90F, it might be a little off.  I notice that after I stop and the radiant heat from the engine warms the fuel in the tank, the level will read much higher, then slowely come back down.  IT could be that the fuel level actually increased from temperature related expanions, but I think the sensor is sensitive to temperature.


Overall, I'd be pretty impressed at how accurate the fuel gauge is.  8km, represents maybe 200ml of gasoline.  Also keep in mind that you may have been on a slope (driveway) when it sputtered and died.  On the road, you might have made it a couple more kilometers.  Although running a fuel pump dry is a bad idea.  Running it much below the last 1/2 gallon can damage the pump.  The fuel is used to cool the pump.

[ToadRide]

The driveway was dead flat. I realy believe it used up every drop of fuel. All switches off right after it died. No damage incurred. Odd thing was how the computer acted after I put a couple of pints in to get me to the station a mile away. It went from 8kms. to 4 over that distance. Dropping like a stone. But, I am aware of the damages that could have incurred. I'm just a big boy playin with his big boy toy. Lesson learned. No more running out of gas.