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Cruiser
Posts: 205
| Hello. I recently got my tank very low, the distance on the computer said 8 miles, and it was time for gas. When I filled it to the brink it took 5 gallons. Where is the entire 6th gallon?
These are 6 gallon tanks right? I have an 09 (brand new...500 miles now). Is there anything I should have calibrated?
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Tourer
Posts: 311
Atlanta Area | You have a 6 gallon tank. It takes quite a bit of time for gas to flow through the crossover tube to the left tank. You may not have gotten a full tank in there.... |
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Cruiser
Posts: 205
| You mean when it fills to the top of the hole, it will actually (slowly) recede as it fills over to the other tank? I was watching (for a quick moment) and did not see movement. Next time I will sit there and monitor. Thanks. |
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Tourer
Posts: 447
Cleveland, GA | Or try shaking it a little to help it. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1158
Richmond, Virginia | I have found that if you re-fuel when the tank is close to empty and put the nozzle as far down in the tank as it will go, it seems to push
the fuel into the crossover side faster. granted you will have to retract the nozzle to keep it above the fuel level or the pump will cut off,
but practice is easy. also agree if you rock the bike a bit it will help crossover too. Finally, if you fuel the bike while you are sitting on it and its level, you will notice that it fills much better and crosses over fast too. just some tips |
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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | I shake Sparks with my right foot on the right floorboard while filling it up. Buuurrrrrppppp. Then it takes some more gas.
Ride Safe
Edited by radioteacher 2009-08-16 10:51 AM
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Cruiser
Posts: 205
| Ok. I appreciate the advice. My dad always tells a story of a friend who was filling his Harley while sitting on it, some ran down the side, caught fire....dropped the hose.....more fire.... major problem.... All of it on work, on duty, as a motor officer at the city garage.... hahahaha
I think I will have to stand next to it, but I will be more patient and see what happens.
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Cruiser
Posts: 60
Denver | The other side of the coin is.... I recently had 56 miles left according to the computer so I wasn't "empty" but I still put 6.3 gallons in the tank... I asked the attendant if the pumps were calibrated correctly and she just looked at me and said "who calibrates them?".. I just left and decided not to go back there...
Willy |
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Visionary
Posts: 1290
Ruskin, Fl | Most I ever got in was 5.96 gallons. I normally fill up when the low fuel warning hijacks the display. Pretty close to 5 galllons if you fill as soon as the warning light comes on. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 721
| There is one big pain in the ass part of the gas tank arrangement, Victory put the fuel gauge sending unit and fuel pick-up in the right side gas tank, with that location I really hate having my low fuel light come on until I stand the bike upright when I really have just under half a tank left. My BIG worry though is that someday I'll be riding with the low fuel light on, trying to make it to a gas station and have to go through a left hand curve where the bike is leaned to the left and suddenly the engine quits due to fuel starvation, I've already had it where I had to stand the bike upright and off the sidestand just to get it started.................. |
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Tourer
Posts: 332
Dale, Indiana | 2 weeks ago in Wisconsin the low fuel came on and I misjudged my exits 30 miles later.
I was on empty (gage hit bottom) and still going. Windshield down, wife and I ducking down, and going 45 in a 70 zone. Went off the ramp and into the first gas station.
5.6 gallons
I shook it to (bike not my thingy).
Least now I know if the gage is bottomed out I still can go a little farther.
Most I ever put in it in the past was 5.2 gallons |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 965
New York State | I try to fill up at the half tank point on the guage.I put bike on stand turn front wheel to lock position and fill up I always get a full tank of Sunoco Ultra. 
Edited by Trekwolf164 2009-08-17 8:12 AM
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Tourer
Posts: 550
Tacoma, WA | My Vision has approx. 1 gallon left when the guage reads empty. The low fuel light comes on at 1/8th tank. -------Metalguy |
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Tourer
Posts: 340
Regina Saskatchewan Canada | It is recommended that the Vision be filled on the kickstand otherwise you will not get it completely full. I gently shake the bike as I am filling the last of the tank. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 141
| My bike has about 1.3 gallons left when the light comes on. When the needle hits the absolute bottom of the fuel gauge lines it still has .7 gallons left (according to a 6 gallon maximum, have never filled more than 5.7). The gauge is not all that great...But better than some. The mpg gauge is sometimes pretty close, but sometimes really off. Typically it is about 8% high, as in, 40 mpg on the gauge is really 37 in reality....The worst I have seen was 44 mpg on the gauge, and 35 mpg in reality....That was a mix of riding for fuel economy, then riding like an idiot all in the same tank and reset....The first gallon used hardly dips below the full mark. The next gallon gets you below a quarter tank. Under a half on the gauge is still 3 gallons left. Under a 1/4 tank and the gauge sucks....The best thing is to get to know your gauge and bike, then you always know what is going on. After 24,000 miles, I can tell excactly how much, how far, what mpg, and all that stuff I can expect or get if need be. Lots of miles to think about it all.. 
Almsot forgot...As stated above, the gauge pick up is on the right side of the tank which is a good thing in a way because it doesn't allow you to forget about your level while on the stand. And also a bad thing as stated above as I have had to upright my bike to even start it when it has a gallon left in it...
Edited by golfer 2009-08-18 12:42 PM
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 8
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Bar Hopper, I'm kinda new to this site, but here's what happened with the fuel question on my new o8-vision, hope this helps. After about 800 miles on the odometer, I noticed, regardless of tank level and, while burping, and shaking, the gauge would never show more than about 5/8 of a tank. Took it too the dealer and after talking to them about this problem, They checked the OHMS reading from the fuel sending unit. It was totally out of whack, and if I remember right, it should have read 50 OHMS, with a full tank, but it was shwing 90. Long story short, they replaced it, and 9,000 miles later, works like a charm. as I said yhis may not pretain to your problem, but just maybe. By the way after checking fuel range left, and fill ups, it's almost on the nut. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1324
So Cal | When the light comes on with the bike uprtight, I can count on at least 4.5 to 5 gal. On the side stand, the light will come on at 1/4 tank. |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 35
St. Charles, MO | I had a different issue with mine. I was at about 230 miles and the gauge was showing 1/4 tank left. No low fuel light, it just died. I checked a few things, then had my bro bring me some gas. It started right up and ran fine. It had run out of gas. |
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Tourer
Posts: 548
Mount Vernon, WA United States | I'm not sure anyone has mentioned this, but I asked about the gas tanks in general while at the AVR. By EPA/law/standards, they are required ot have a 5% "expansion" area for gas. So if you fill it on the kickstand (like is recommended) you will get 5% less than the capacity. I was also unofficially told, that if you top it off by holding the bike upright.... as long as you drive away shortly after filling... all will be fine. However, and I have done this (once) if you top it off upright to fill the tank, and then put it on the kickstand... especially if it's warm out, it will start spouting out the drain. I had this happen once, so I only fill it up upright, when I'm ready to roll.
At first I was pleased to see the offset tank caps on the new Cross bikes... but then was told, if you try to fill it with the bike upright, you'll actually get less in on those.  |
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Tourer
Posts: 548
Mount Vernon, WA United States | Just for the record... the tanks from victory, to me... make NO SENSE WHATSOEVER !!!!
Ok... my "cruiser" has a 5 gallon tank. Ok... fine.. I suffered on the trip to AVR where I measured time in gas stops. These bikes are made near a route where there can easily be more than 50 miles between gas stations. That means never going below 1 gallon in the tank or you could be walking. I stalled pulling into stations twice last weekend.
Moto Guzzi Norge = 6 Gal tank, 50+ MPG
BMW 1300 = 6.3 gal tank, 60+ MPG
Goldwing = 6.6 gal tank, 50+ MPG
New Cross Country and Cross Roads.... 5.8 gal tank, 50 mpg ????
Vision = 6 Gal tank, 40-ish mpg ????
The biggest, heaviest, most powerful bikes designed for touring.... with the smallest tanks... I just don't get it.
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | hmmm, maybe i should stay out of this.... naw! well Miles I'm not following your course there though I understand your point. I think from an engineering stand point with aesthics applied it MAY have been the best victory could do. i think we're comparing apples to oranges but i'm not a botinist so i don't know. goldwings and the other "touring" boxes, i mean bikes are more bulking in appearance. the vision is sleak and lean. so do i want fat and bulky or sleak and lean. i'm curious on the mpg as i would like to see 50mpg on a vision. but for the most part, after 3 hours of riding i'm usually have to take a bladder break, but in all honesty i'm enjoying the ride so much the yellow light sometimes doesn't get my attention. i would opt on occassion for in-ride refueling.
not sure where we lose the mpg as we have a v-twin compared to the boxer bikes, but hey, the new cross-dressers get 50mpg?? is that because they don't have the wind tunnel fairing, don't know.
oh, and one more point, i never sit on my bike and fuel it, it is always fueled on the kick. my passenger gets off as well, as it would not want them sitting on top of an ignition point for one of the lowest flash point liquids on the planet. i've seen what it can do when you least expect it.
Edited by varyder 2009-08-21 12:14 PM
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Cruiser
Posts: 141
| Miles - 2009-08-21 12:00 PM
Just for the record... the tanks from victory, to me... make NO SENSE WHATSOEVER !!!!
Ok... my "cruiser" has a 5 gallon tank. Ok... fine.. I suffered on the trip to AVR where I measured time in gas stops. These bikes are made near a route where there can easily be more than 50 miles between gas stations. That means never going below 1 gallon in the tank or you could be walking. I stalled pulling into stations twice last weekend.
Moto Guzzi Norge = 6 Gal tank, 50+ MPG
BMW 1300 = 6.3 gal tank, 60+ MPG
Goldwing = 6.6 gal tank, 50+ MPG
New Cross Country and Cross Roads.... 5.8 gal tank, 50 mpg ????
Vision = 6 Gal tank, 40-ish mpg ????
The biggest, heaviest, most powerful bikes designed for touring.... with the smallest tanks... I just don't get it.
I don't agree with the above gas mileages, especially the Goldwing. Speed for speed I would wager the Vision is the same as the Goldwing. That is to say, if a Wing and a Vision rode side by side on the highway, the mileage would be almost the same. I have asked a few Wing riders about their gas mileage and all said 30's to 40's depending on speed...As a better comparison, put a Vision against an Ultra. The Vision will keep going long after the Ultra has run out of gas. Especially at 85 mph +....My Vision gets anywhere between 32 and 50+ mpg. That means worst case scenario I go 192 miles without needing gas. And that would be going about 110 mph average to suck that much fuel....If I needed to go far between stops and set the cruise on 70 mph, I could probably go 250 + miles....Any of those distances are very admirable for a motorcycle....Sure, I would love a 10 gallon tank, don't get me wrong. I would also like side bags twice the size of the current ones. I would even like racks for the outside of the side bags so I could strap stuff there as well.
But to your logic in having a "cruiser" with 5 gallons and a "dresser" with 6.....Yes, it is kinda weird...But I guess they can only fit what they can fit. And I bet the bigger driver on what size that fuel tank is would be dictated by the "average" riders stopping habits. I go until I am going to run out of fuel, but I am rare...I bet 75% of riders stop more frequently than they actually need to, just due to wanting to stop. So Victory as well as all the other manu's look at it from that perspective. They are satisfying most of the people, while making it easier to design while still keeping looks in the picture....Dang I would love a 10 gallon tank though!
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Tourer
Posts: 548
Mount Vernon, WA United States | Thanks for talking me down golfer... you are right.. I'm still pissed that I was stopping every 100-110 miles for gas on this last trip. At high speed I only get 31 mpg. Partially due to the "high speed" aspect, partially due to the nearly 300 lbs tub in the drivers seat (me), partially due to the crap I have on the back, and partially due to the windshield I have. Unless I wanted to hold the bike up at gas stops, I can only fit 4.6 into the tank. Gas stations were in many area's more than 50 miles apart, but usually around 30... so that left about 3 usable gallons. That works out to 90+ miles. Even at 40mpg, that's still only 120 miles, and as I had to stop where there was a gas station, NOT just based on how much gas was left... well... it got downright annoying... Of course this wasn't on a Vision, but I got to thinking how really pissed I'd be if I had to stop even every 150 miles if I had a Vision. All that luxury and comfort, and still spending way too much time at gas stations.
It wasn't so bad on the east coast. On I-95, 84, 81, 76, 15 etc... I doubt there is an exit without a gas station, and there's an exit every 10 miles. I routinely would just wait for the "lofuel" warning to come on before even looking for a gas station. With speed limits all below 70mph, 150-170 miles between stops was normal. Cross country, with even the speed limit at 75... average cruise at 85... yeah... sign me up for the 10 gallon tank as well. Maybe it's time for one of these.. http://digg.com/u3BANv |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | having been around the iron butt-ers on there was one wing who a fuel pod on the pillion. i might not like the idea of being surrounded by that much fuel, but he could run a good distance as it looked to be about a 4 gallon giddyup. he also had his hydration system too as well. golfer could say it better than i could, well, my two year grandbaby could say it better, but that was for the most point i was making on the trade offs. anyone really wanting to spend more than an hour on a motorcycle is a rare breed, two hours you're tough, three, you're an iron man to most. I'd rather sit on my vision toolin' down the highway than on my living room couch. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 721
| If you need to carry more fuel:
http://www.tourtank.com/tourtanks.html |
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Gas Tank capacity question.
