Triumphrat

InParkSlope · 08-07-2005

I'm cruising at 50mpg and the low fuel light has been on for some time, but I'm not worried because it is less than 30 miles to home and the display reads over 50 miles to go, and has only just switched to 1 bar.

10 miles later it reads 40 miles to go and it is still 1 bar.

Then 2 seconds later it reads "---" miles to go and 0 bars!!, and I'm still like 15+ miles away from a gas station.. Since it is mostly gently downhill, and there are SUVs to hide behind, I continue, freaking out quietly, then drift into a gas station 15 miles and 15 minutes later... unfortunately i didn't have enough cash to fill it up completely, so i couldn't see how much I could fit.

But I just want to point out that it seems when you are cruising at high mpg, at 1 bar on the fuel display, the computer just gives up, and switches to a blank reading, rather than counting down from 30-40 miles to 0 miles..

however, if you are around town and averaging 20mpg, it definitely counts down to 0 miles to go...

confusing and annoying, but at least I know now.

huc · 08-07-2005

That's interesting...

I just came off a ride with my wife on the new 06 Sprint ABS. The bike is only a few days old and I haven't had time to really put the computer thru it's paces.

However, today I started to push that envelope. The Miles to Empty reading was showing about 58 miles remaining with two bars. Then 50 miles with one bar once the fuel light came on. I ran until it read 39 miles to go with one bar showing. Being nervous riding two up and never having tested the trip computer, I elected to pull over and fuel up.

I took ±4.8 US Gal. and the trip computer was showing 36 miles remaining. Based on that calc I would have made it home easily. And the 36 miles remaining with one bar showing seemed pretty reasonable - in fact my guess is it was on the conservative side.

I did notice a sharp drop in the Miles to empty calc. when we stopped and got off the bike. It had read over 90 miles to empty, then after starting again 75 miles. That calc. of course could easily be off due to the different riding pattern through town after stopping for bit. IT remained consistent at 75 miles for quite some time which again seemed reasonable.

I'll be doing another test one up and with an extra litre of fuel strapped on to double check all that but thus far the computer seemed pretty close --- definitely different than what you experienced.

I'll post any interesting comparisons i find here after running more tests.

Cheers
Huc
Brian Huculak

(ps - it sure is nice having all that stuff -- after riding so many years with nothing but a trip meter on my Tiger it sure is a blessing! Of course, my Tiger is in KM (Canada) and I have to convert to Miles on the fly now that I've moved to the US.)

ST · 08-08-2005

it calculates the miles left by doing maths with your average MPG / speed reading.
So if you change your riding style for faster / slower you will get a differrent reading. the most reliable way is to fill up when the light comes on as you know there is only about 1 gallon left till empty.
On my bike with 1 bar showing on the guage and 40 - 50 miles left on the countdown i usually manage to get a touch over 4 (UK) gallons in the tank.

My car has a similar computer system which you can cheat with. The miles left in tank may read 100. If you then coast down a steep hill at say 70 mph the miles left will then increase to say 110. this is down to your computer thinking the economy and average speed have increased so the computer thinks you will be able to go further on the same aount of fuel left.... once you drve normally again the mpg and ave speed drops and so does your range.. Same as the ST.

InParkSlope · 08-08-2005

doesn't explain it, because my MPG was constant as was my speed and riding style. Nothing changed in instantaneous or recent average consumption but the computer rolled from 40 left (almost a gallon) to 0 left.

I think when MPG is economical (steady speed and top gear) and the tank is getting low, the remaining fuel is no longer enough to tweak the sensor at all, so the computer gives up.

mercator · 08-09-2005

I've had the same at 1 bar and 40 miles, its spot on 4.6 US gallons. My overall average is over 40 mph, so the computer isnt too far off.

I ride distances, so I havent had the desire to test out the zero bar distances yet. I watch the 'spot' mpg sometimes, and it will vary wildly from 80 to 10 in town. On the road, I am pretty steady at 50-60 mpg except when I am accelerating and decelerating.

neil1052 · 08-09-2005

Just filled up today with 0 miles to go & NO bars on the fuel guage...
for the last 5 miles...

Then got 21 Litres in the tank on fillup.....
to say 5mm up the filler neck

ok I was finally 1/2 mile from home at the end....

Only dared do that after being caught out last time....
Then I did that I did 10 miles on the 0 miles to go running it at 1500 rpm in top

CLOSE or WHAT ?

:razz:

[ This message was edited by: neil1052 on 2005-08-09 16:50 ]

2dogs · 08-10-2005

Personally, I don't trust any of this computerised malarkey and I think it's unnecessary complication. Sure, a fuel gauge is handy, but the rest of this info (mpg, avergae mpg, miles to go, etc) is just a waste of time.

I always tend to fill up at the start of a journey and then again when I need a break, say after about an hour and a half in the saddle or around 150/170 miles.