Fuel filling and gauge question

[nighthawk700]

I'm still waiting for my MOM - Motorcycle Owner's Manual (the person I bought the bike from didn't have it). So I might as well ask here.

When I filled up for the first time, I filled up to the metal thing (not sure what it's called) under the gas cap, seemed like it was about 6 inches below the cap. Are we supposed to fill up over that, or is that as high as we are supposed to go?

I got about 16 miles on the trip odometer (zeroed out when I filled up) and the first bar on the fuel gauge went out. Is that normal? (a 2007 if that makes a difference)

I still have a lot to get used to on the bike, but I'm enjoying it so far. Just hope the MOM gets here soon, I'm the type who really does sit and read through the manual, motorcycle, car, etc. Heck, for the first week, I thought it didn't have a fork lock. It wasn't until I was showing the bike to a co-worker and stood on the right side of the bike that I saw it. ::) I use a disc lock anyway.

[ringadingh]

I fill mine over that metal peice in the tank but only if Im going to drive it a few miles right afterwards, or else it will leak out the overflo onto the garage floor. I generally go by the trip meter rather than the fuel gauge. I generally fill up at about 180 miles.

[caddman11]

I've got an 07 and fill until the metal is just covered, usually about 4 gal at fill up. I know that I need to get ready to fill at about 140 miles or so, at this point the yellow warning light is usually on solid. I think I get more than 16 miles before I loose the first bar, I want to say high 20s, but then again the a fill height has everything to do with it.

[Todd]

Wait...you can loose the first bar for real...I have never done that and gone 30+miles with the light on and put 4.9 gals in.

guess I read from left to right..........different from the rest...lose the "1st" light @ 50....go 180 to 200 generally on a tank

If you fill the bike with it straight up you will lose the first bar quicker or it may not even come on at all. Fill the bike with it on its kickstand.

[ells]

The "last" bar before empty never seems to go out. The "first" one that goes out after filling using goes after 40-50 miles. I think of each bar as a gallon at the beginning of the sequence -hate that as a gage though, use the trip meter. Nighthhawk, you should have got much more before the first bar goes out after filling. Was the bike on the stand when you filled, it should be. I usually go a little ways, 1/2 to1 inch, above the bottom the metal thingy (cup) with no problem, others have had leak or overflow issues at about that point or higher, some have filled all the way to the top but there can be vent issues at that point. See what happens next time.

[nomad1600]

I fill to the bottom of the cup or maybe just a little above. I usually fill up at around 175 on a trip the yellow light is on but there is still some fuel in the tank. I will check again but I think my fuel bar doesn't move until I get around 50 miles or so. I went 196 miles on one tank and filled it up and it took 4.3 gals. But the bar does stay full till I hit about 50 miles.

[pirate]

The first bar on the fuel gauge on my 08 usually goes out after about a gallon (or so I figure.) I usually get about 40 highway miles on after a fill when the first bar goes out, 80 miles for the second bar, etc. But like others have said, I use the trip meter as my fuel gauge, as I know the actual "fuel gauge" isn't 100% reliable.

[nighthawk700]

Thanks for all the comments. I did fill the bike on the side stand (I'm not dexterous enough to try filling while sitting and holding the bike upright). Maybe I didn't get it as high up as I thought I did. Maybe the gauge reads a little low.

Anyway, I'll keep an eye on it for the next few fillups and all, and see what happens.

[ccmjr77]

I always fill up when the bike is on the side stand and I am off the bike. I fill to just above the metal piece. My warning light usually comes on around 150-160 miles. I usually get gas around 170-180 and it takes 4.2-4.5 gallons.
First bar usually goes away at around 35+/- miles.

[spirello]

Next time you fill it up just cover the bottom of the cup then stand your bike up it will blow you mind how far up it comes. When i first got my 06 i filled it up above the cup on about a 100 degree day while ridding down the road fuel was belching out the fuel cap. Ugly.

[flightdoc]

I fill mine so it touchs that lower metal peice. My first bar on the gage goes out around 33 miles. Maybe 38-40 if I'm driving strictly highway. My low fuel light goes on at about 140 or so. I normally fill up at about 160 miles and usually takes about 4gal.

[bobt]

I usually fill it up as close to the top as possible, never had a leak out problem but I usually ride 30 miles to work after fill up. My first line go's out between 59 and 63 miles and my low fuel light starts to flicker around 180 miles. At 180 miles I usually put around 4.5 gals in.

Bob

[skeeter]

I fill mine over that metal peice in the tank but only if Im going to drive it a few miles right afterwards, or else it will leak out the overflo onto the garage floor. I generally go by the trip meter rather than the fuel gauge. I generally fill up at about 180 miles.

If I'm fillin up I'm not stopping anytime soon.