Week of adventure (on my Nomad) ends adventurously

[bobhamlin]

One of my earliest postings asked when does the fuel Gauge's "E" mean empty for real.

Last weekend I posted a question about gas seepage from the fuel cap.

My mind is an "auto-pilot" kind of processor in the early morning darkness, especially "bc" (before coffee).

That sets the stage for this morning's drive, which, like most Friday's has far less traffic (flex days, I guess).

On the bike's stand this morning, I thought I saw the gas gauge bars above a half tank.

About halfway to work, I looked down to check the time and noticed the yellow warning light and one bar. My full-face helmet, assisted by my Pillsbury doughboy clothes, obscures the gauge unless I intentionally tilt down, so I wasn't sure which cycle of the yellow light I was seeing--one of the short-duration, attention-getter yellow lights or the bottom-line, "I'm serious, here" yellow light.

I pushed the gauge's mode button to see my trip-meter--112 miles! What happened to my gas? I comfortably get 3 legs of my commuting route (44 miles each) on a tank.

Then I remembered last week's fuel seepage. While waiting for the O-ring (when I will also "fix" the cap), I've not been filling the tank to the splash guard. Also, at my last fill-up, I didn't put the bike on the side stand, either. OK, I was legitimately low on gas. (morning, bc)

Now, which yellow warning light cycle was I on? I don't like filling the tank in the dark in general, and my wallet was under my overalls, I'd have to remove my mittens, I wasn't sure in which pocket I put my Nomad key, and, if I got off this light traffic highway, someone was going to cause an accident up ahead and back things up, and ... but I didn't know which yellow light cycle I was on and, frankly, running out of gas on I-270 also has its inconveniences.

I took the next exit and, as I curved down the exit ramp, the light wnet out. I wasn't on my last warning yet! (Back to the wallet under the overalls, etc. mode)

I got right back on the highway. Eventually the light came on again. Was THIS the last light? I checked my mileage and did some math trying to calculate the 1/5 of a tank (rule-of-thumb for reserve) mileage. I should be able to make it to work. The yellow light went out again. If my math was right, I could make it to the stations around work. The final yellow light came on -- but I wasn't not worried now. Attentive, but not worried.

Then, two miles before my exit, as I was riding in the left lane in heavy traffic, I felt it. Slight, but noticeable. That little hesitation. Friends, if you've ever run out of gas, you know that little loss of combustion. It gets your attention like that little curiosity bump that Jaws gives to help decide if you are to be lunch.

Running out of gas in the left lane of rush hour I270 would indicate Darwin-ism candidacy, so I immediately started moving right. A couple more hesitations, but I made it all the way over. I could walk for gas if I had to. Oddly, the hesitations would come and go--but I was getting the message. I took the first available exit and, feeling the ever moe foreceful hesitations, missed the turn to my destination gas station.

I ended up making it. Getting to know the limits of a new bike is thrilling. Right now, I'm not liking the digital gauge. There's a lack of precision that my Classic's analog gauge provided. I could look down and, when the needle was COMPLETELY over the "E," I had about a quarter gallon left.

I'll eventually learn, but, in the morning dark--bc-- retrieving lessons can take a while.

[dogdoc]

Glad you didnt have to PUSH the beast. Wouldn't that be fun. :-)

[Top Cat]

There's a gas guage on the Nomads ???
Seriously, I Don't ever pay attention to the gas guage, it is usless as far as I can determine.
I use the Trip meter, the one on the bike that keeps track of my milage. Not the meter that tells how popular or unpopular the founder of this site is

[bobhamlin]

Originally Posted by Top Cat (TC)

There's a gas guage on the Nomads ???
Seriously, I Don't ever pay attention to the gas guage, it is usless as far as I can determine.
I use the Trip meter, the one on the bike that keeps track of my milage. Not the meter that tells how popular or unpopular the founder of this site is

Commuting is a little different beast. Sometimes the running engine gets me home in 45 minutes, sometimes it might be 90 minutes. I need "sloshing" and liquid amounts to be accurate.

As far a pushing. Only if downhill.

[dandolfn]

Whether I have one bar or two, I seem get that "I need gas" feeling with about 130 miles on my trip meter.

[MarkG]

However there is a time worn question on this forum, in other threads, that was not answered. ;) Everyone always wants to know how much gas is really in a full tank. Since your tank was empty, how much gas did you actually put in to fill it? :) Inquiring minds want to know!

[jd01]

That was an interesting story, Bob. I can imagine how you must have felt when that "hesitation" started! Been there, done that! I have the 2001 1500 with the analog gauge, and mine also gives about the same amount of gas left when the needle is completely over the "E", but I also kinda keep an eye on the trip gauge knowing how many miles I can go before that ole "hesitation" feeling. Not sure about the newer Nomads, but my year has the reserve toggle that I can switch over for an additional several miles. Don't have the low light feature.
Glad you made it to the gas station, though!

[rlfaubion]

I've been bone dry and took on 5.2 gal gas. The tank holds 5.3 gal, but will choke up at about 4.7 or 4.8 and then you better get somewhere fast by rocking your bike back and forth sloshing the gas around, or just carry one of these.

[01nomad]

Because of that $500.00 electric fuel pump, I don't ever go beyond 130 miles. (gas is used to cool the pump) That has dropped. I use to do 150 miles between fill-ups. Guess I ride it harder than I use to.

[cheriann]

YIKES! I can only imagine how you felt being on such a busy interstate and about to run out of gas!

Hubby just experienced this last weekend!!! We were leaving to pick up my bike from a shop and my mother and I were following behind him in the car. He told us at the house that he would need to get gas, that he was at one bar, but felt SURE he could make it across the bridge (into VA) where the gas is cheaper. This bridge is about a 15 minute ride from our house. He passed TWO gas stations when we left the house!!! We got onto a back road and suddenly my mother and I see the Nomad wobbling back and forth!!! It scared us to death!!! It looked like it was going to go over on hubby. Then he would ride straight for a few minutes....then it would wobble again! FINALLY at the end of that road, he turned in a small mom and pop gas station.

Turns out, the bike was literally running out of gas on him and trying to stall. The wobbling was done intentionally by him to move around what little bit of gasoline might be left!

Now I know for a fact that hubby likes to fill his tank way over that spill ledge, as close to the top as he can. His bike took 5.4 gallons!

[bobhamlin]

Originally Posted by markg

However there is a time worn question on this forum, in other threads, that was not answered. ;) Everyone always wants to know how much gas is really in a full tank. Since your tank was empty, how much gas did you actually put in to fill it? :) Inquiring minds want to know!

I can't fill it to the splash guard until I install that O-ring and fix the gas cap.

However, when I was taking the bike apart for the painter, I had a devil of a time getting all the gas out gracefully. I had the removed the front and back vent tubes (I think that's what they are), the fuel line, and float assembly, couldn't empty the tank no matter how I turned it. I ended up taking it out on my driveway and shaking it to remove as much as I could. Had to drive 3 hours with my windows open becaue of the smell of gas.

This FI stuff is a mystery to me.

When I re-assembled the bike, I put about a 1/3 gallon in the tank, thinking "This will get me to the gas station." I went about 200 yards and stalled, started it, went 10 yds. and stalled, turned it around with my feet to head back to the house, it started and I drove it, sputtering and spitting back to my driveway, drained about a gallon out of the Classic as the workaround.

It doesn't apparently USE all the gas it can store.

[spazz]

As the wife was saying about our trip last weekend. When I got on the bike and saw only one bar the fuel light was not on. But as luck would have it, I had to shake my bike for 5 miles until I got to the gas station. I don't about anybody else when they fill their tank. But the entire displacement of the inside of the tank is what I consider to be what is meant when talking about how much a tank holds. When I fill my bikes, I always bring the fuel up the neck until it is about one inch from the top. I utilize all the space possible. I stop there because of the overflow. When I finished filling my bike at this point. The pump read that I had put 5.4 gallons of fuel into my tank. I have read elsewhere that people have gotten as much as 5.8 gallons into their tanks from bone dry.

I also average between 41 and 45 miles to the gallon depending on how much I play with the throttle. Normally when I hit 165 miles I start looking for a station.

[bobhamlin]

Originally Posted by CheriAnn

Hubby just experienced this last weekend!!!

<<snipped>>

Turns out, the bike was literally running out of gas on him and trying to stall. The wobbling was done intentionally by him to move around what little bit of gasoline might be left!

!

Tell hubby thanks. I'll have to practice my wobbling technique. Does Dan Lund have some videos of this? ;)

[cheriann]

Originally Posted by bobhamlin

Tell hubby thanks. I'll have to practice my wobbling technique. Does Dan Lund have some videos of this? ;)

LOL!!! Actually, I had a digital camera in the car....I should have taken video!!!!

[waterman]

Spazz,

Glad you did find a gas station. Out here, you don't take chances. If you think you need gas, put gas in.