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Miles Per Tank?

Kzoo, I have an 04 Heritage FI Stage 1, on the road I get 45 mpg and my low fuel light comes on at 130 miles like clockwork, and if I get gas right then it will only take 3 gal. Now supposedly I have a 5 gal tank but just looking at it it sure don't look like it's the same size as a 5 gal gas can. Just for my own piece of mind whenever my low fuel light comes I know I need to stop and get gas reasonably soon but it's not an emergency. I have run up to 160 170 miles with no problems, I reset my trip meter at every fillup and rely more on it than my fuel gauge. One thing I've allways wondered is it a 5 gal tank before or after they cram the fuel pump and filter in there. I'm not one for pushin so I choose to maybe get gas a little sooner than I actually have to. With no reserve on a FI bike you're pretty much done once it chugs.
 
I've got a 2000 Heritage. Stock CV carb. 5 gal. tank. Gets about 38-40 mpg. My tank has 1/2 gal. reserve. So if I have to flip the reserve on I better get gas within 20 miles or I'll be pushing. I like to fill up way before I need the reserve. I reset the trip odometer when I fill up, and refuel no later than 160-170 miles on a full tank, if possible. I'm too old and the bike is too heavy to push, and I don't want it sitting on the side of the road while I'm walking to the gas station. :newsmile071:
 
After a fill-up I can usually get 160 -180 miles before the low fuel light comes on, pushed it one time, just to see, and got 220, must have been on vapor, but there were plenty of stations around.
 
When did they start putting on the low fuel light??? My bike doesn't have one. And the fuel gauge is totally worthless. I'll have a half tank left and the gauge shows almost empty. Been thinking about getting one of the LED gauges that also show battery status. Has anyone put one of those on their bike yet, and if so, was it a tricky install?
Thanks.
 
When did they start putting on the low fuel light??? My bike doesn't have one. And the fuel gauge is totally worthless. I'll have a half tank left and the gauge shows almost empty. Been thinking about getting one of the LED gauges that also show battery status. Has anyone put one of those on their bike yet, and if so, was it a tricky install?
Thanks.


I had a light on my 2001 Heritage Softail. I put one of those LED gauges on that bike... was very simple to install. Hardest part was getting the old analog gauge out of the tank, and that wasn't all that difficult.

My 2004 Ultra also has the light; however, I don't trust that gauge at all! LOL. Miles on odometer... I usually start looking at 150 miles. That's about when I start getting saddle sore and need to stretch the legs too!

:small3d006:
 
When did they start putting on the low fuel light??? My bike doesn't have one. And the fuel gauge is totally worthless. I'll have a half tank left and the gauge shows almost empty. Been thinking about getting one of the LED gauges that also show battery status. Has anyone put one of those on their bike yet, and if so, was it a tricky install?
Thanks.

Hey Glazier
If you have the same gauge as me (std float type), you can adjust it by bending the steel wire holding the plastic float. As yours show empty too soon, you need to bend it down making the float 'sit lower' in the tank at a given fuel content (actually, it's the potentiometer or whatever sitting higher, but doesn't matter).
It's easy, but I had to do a few iterations until I got it where I like it...

I might even have a picture of it

- - - search - - -

found it:

FLHR Fuel Gauge & Sender.jpg
 
I had a light on my 2001 Heritage Softail. I put one of those LED gauges on that bike... was very simple to install. Hardest part was getting the old analog gauge out of the tank, and that wasn't all that difficult.

My 2004 Ultra also has the light; however, I don't trust that gauge at all! LOL. Miles on odometer... I usually start looking at 150 miles. That's about when I start getting saddle sore and need to stretch the legs too!

:small3d006:

Thanks for the info. I think I'll get one of those LED gauges. I'm new to this forum, but it looks like a great place to share some info and so far seems to have some great people sharing great ideas.

"When in doubt, fill er up"!!! :bigsmiley12:​

Hey Glazier
If you have the same gauge as me (std float type), you can adjust it by bending the steel wire holding the plastic float. As yours show empty too soon, you need to bend it down making the float 'sit lower' in the tank at a given fuel content (actually, it's the potentiometer or whatever sitting higher, but doesn't matter).
It's easy, but I had to do a few iterations until I got it where I like it...

I might even have a picture of it

- - - search - - -

found it:

View attachment 9623


Thanks Karl. But as long as I'm gonna remove the stock gauge, I might as well replace it with the fancy LED one. Probably looks cool at night too. :D
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have no idea how many miles I get to a tank. When the gauge gets to 1/2 I stop at the next gas station and fill it up. That usually happens at around 100 miles give or take. Sometimes at 1/2 tank I am pretty far from the nearest station.
But then again I do the same with my truck. It is a habit I do not want to stop.
 
Hey Glazier
The question is if how the LED gets its signal - if it is only a replacement for the stock gauge itself, the signal will still come from your float. If that is the case, you will gain nothing (other than having a cooler wrong reading;).
 
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