WGREGT Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 5.81 gallons. That's what the svc. manual says I should be able to get in my 07 RWB. Yesterday, while riding to Palomar Mtn./Julian (my first trip!) I got 186 miles to a full tank, which was 36.6 MPG for me on that tank. 186 miles on a tank is by far waaaay beyond what I usually get on a tank. Usually @ 170 miles the last flashing bar has been on for a while and I'm to my personal comfortable point of "get gas NOW." Out there though, as some of you locals know, gas is few & far between. So, knowing that I was further "beyond the slash" (ala Kramer) that ever, I expected to fill up and have this bastard take the full 5.81 gallons, or damn close to it. Nope. 5.03 filled it. So maybe I still had some more miles to put on it before I had to push. Here's my question though: when I fill up (on all my bikes) I get it up to the neck, stop, and it then recedes a bit. So I put more in. And it recedes a bit. I do this a few times, and I run out of nerve before I run out of room, it appears. It keeps receding, and I stop, thinking that it's overfilling and draining into some unseen nether region somewhere that I'll regret. You guys ever fill up to a point that it stops receding and stays level at the top? Or is it just filling all the nooks, crannies, and odd shaped empty spaces in the tank, and I haven't QUITE filled it, though I think I have? Anyone ever gotten the full 5.81 gallons on a fill up? Now I'm thinking about buying/carrying a small 1 gallon plastic gas can and see what can actually get in there next time, and running it till dry. On another note, the air temp got up to 111F on the dash. I wanted to take a foto but we were moving. Man, was it ever hot. Like riding in a pizza oven. My hottest ride yet, easily. When I got back near civilization it dropped to 105F and stayed there for a bit before dropping to 101F on my way back home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFR4Lee Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 I just put the bike on the sidestand, pull back the black evap collector on the pump, and fill up to that metal strip that runs across the opening near the top, and I'm done. Don't think I've pumped 5 gallons many times, if ever. Maybe after the time I ran out and got a gallon from AAA to make it to a gas station. The air temp will start flashing at 120 something, at least on my 5th gen. Not that it was actually that hot, but park on the pavement for a few minutes on a hot day, and voila. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGREGT Posted September 7, 2014 Author Share Posted September 7, 2014 Metal strip that runs ACROSS the opening? Huh? I don't have anything that runs across the opening. I'm gonna need a foto of that. The 111F was while we were moving, at speed, and had been for a while, in Anza-Borrego State Park. Lots of long straight stretches around there. I'm sure it wasn't that high standing still though. Probably still above 105F though. I've put 5+ gallons in a few times, but never near the 5.81 Honda claims. Wondering if anyone has... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted September 8, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted September 8, 2014 Not sure with fuel injection you can run that low . Here there are to many hills. I have had my bike sputter and it took 5.2 gallons to fill . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarantzManiac Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Today my 5th gen (1999) went from 2 bars to "blinking" within minutes.... shot over to gas station and filled 4.3 gallons.... tanks holds 5.5 gallons so appears 1.2 gallon remained in tank??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFR4Lee Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Metal strip that runs ACROSS the opening? Huh? I don't have anything that runs across the opening. I'm gonna need a foto of that. Mine's a fifth gen remember. I have no idea what that is just inside the tank opening, assume it has some purpose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGREGT Posted September 8, 2014 Author Share Posted September 8, 2014 Man...what the hell IS that bar? how odd. Never heard of that before. You 5th gen guys never cease to amaze me....how DO you sleep at night? ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer landlover Posted September 8, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted September 8, 2014 Stand between bike no side stand or center, start filling when it reaches the top stop and move bike side to side and repeat. It will drop one bar on gas gauge five minutes after a fill up unless this is done. You get used to it after one or two times. It's not that bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFR4Lee Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Man...what the hell IS that bar? how odd. Never heard of that before. You 5th gen guys never cease to amaze me....how DO you sleep at night? ;) You tell me what that thing is. I dunno. I sleep fine at night, may get up once to drain off excess liquid. Sorry, no pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Cogswell Posted September 8, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted September 8, 2014 Man - this post read my mind. The "fill it up and it recedes, fill it up and it recedes . . . rinse and repeat" has been bugging the S#!T out of me. I almost always fuel on the center stand so the tank's level. I stand there thinking "WHERE does it keep going??" I'd love to know what's going on with that. Some of my rides are where fuel stops can be few and far between (the owner decided to take the day off as one example) so I like to get it "full" - whatever that is on a 6th gen. This summer I went 190 miles and had the last bar blinking for a while. No sputtering, but I pumped 4.9 gallons. Switchblade's experience would lead me to believe that the usable capacity is a bit over 5 gallons. Two fuel rules I try to live by are "if the group gets gas, I get gas - always". Secondly, my arse needs a break more frequently than my tank needs fuel so I try to make the two coincide - which has me filling up about every 100 to 150 miles if I'm riding solo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGREGT Posted September 8, 2014 Author Share Posted September 8, 2014 Glad to hear I'm not the only one, Cogswell. We are having the same filling sequence thoughts. I look around for a puddle, and usually lose my nerve. Next time I'm in Autozone or Pep Boys, I'm looking hard at gas tanks to figure this thing out. 190 is impressive. Nerves of steel, my friend. Nerves of steel... You mentioned "usable" capacity. Fill me in on what that means. If it says it holds 5.81 gallons, then....you're thinking that's not ACTUAL capacity? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Cogswell Posted September 8, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted September 8, 2014 The 190 miles was due to me violating my first rule . . . one of the few times I ever have. Had to pound the lesson back in to my thick skull . . . By usable I mean that the fuel pump may not be able to pick up the entire volume in the tank. If for example sloshing causes the pump inlet to alternately become submerged and then not, it will draw air rather than fuel and not deliver continuous pressure to the injectors even though there's some left. This might be a good winter project - get it down to almost empty, run it in the garage until it stops. Siphon and measure what's left, then measure what it takes to refill to get the net amount. 5.8 vs 5.3 and it's sputtering - 1/2 gallon seems like a lot for Honda to leave on the table. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted September 8, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted September 8, 2014 The 190 miles was due to me violating my first rule . . . one of the few times I ever have. Had to pound the lesson back in to my thick skull . . . By usable I mean that the fuel pump may not be able to pick up the entire volume in the tank. If for example sloshing causes the pump inlet to alternately become submerged and then not, it will draw air rather than fuel and not deliver continuous pressure to the injectors even though there's some left. This might be a good winter project - get it down to almost empty, run it in the garage until it stops. Siphon and measure what's left, then measure what it takes to refill to get the net amount. 5.8 vs 5.3 and it's sputtering - 1/2 gallon seems like a lot for Honda to leave on the table. Great idea . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGREGT Posted September 8, 2014 Author Share Posted September 8, 2014 I'd say ANY amount is a lot for Honda to leave on the table. To me, 5.81 gallons should mean....oh...5.81 gallons. What if I was new bike shopping? If tank capacity was important to me, and I bought on that number, I'd be...not pleasant with my dealer about it. All the tanks I've seen dry pull from the lowest point in the tank. Anyone know what the inside of our tanks look like? What's in there, if anything? I know my 4th gen has a float & bracketry to light the FUEL light on the dash when it gets low, so I'm assuming ours has something to flash the last bar on the dash as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Here's my question though: when I fill up (on all my bikes) I get it up to the neck, stop, and it then recedes a bit. So I put more in. And it recedes a bit. I do this a few times, and I run out of nerve before I run out of room, it appears. It keeps receding, and I stop, thinking that it's overfilling and draining into some unseen nether region somewhere that I'll regret. You guys ever fill up to a point that it stops receding and stays level at the top? Or is it just filling all the nooks, crannies, and odd shaped empty spaces in the tank, and I haven't QUITE filled it, though I think I have? Yes, i was doing the same with my Dominator, but on VFR (6th gen) there is no point, because that volume that frees up is too small. Where that fuel goes? :) Gas tank of motorcycle is built so that we cannot fill it up to the neck in first attempt. Some air remains inside. If you ride right after filling up, then it's ok, but if you fill up much more than it wanted, do not leave the bike in sun ;). Air in tank is thing that can be compressed when fuel gets warmer and wants to expand. If there is no air/too less air left, then fuel will come out of somewhere when warming up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Duc2V4 Posted September 8, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted September 8, 2014 To add to the confusion of gas tanks, my 5 Gen has a plate that has a smaller hole that will only fit in unleaded gasoline nozzles, so it is hard for me to fill it up without having to move the nozzle away to look at the level. I normally just fill it up to just to the bottom of the plate. If I am really good, i.e. easy on the throttle I can get about 250 out of tank of gas on the 5 Gen. On my 6 Gen, I still only get ~200 on a good day and 180 on a "fun" day! I usually fill to the bottom of the lower opening in the tank on the 6 Gen. I usually keep the bike upright so that the level is based on upright riding position. On my Duc I have to be careful doing this as when the bike leans on the side stand, the bike starts to "mark it's territory". 5 Gen gas tank. Does anyone know if this inner plate is removable. It almost looks like a "knock out" piece that can be removed with a hammer and punch. 6 Gen Gas tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otaylor38 Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Stand between bike no side stand or center, start filling when it reaches the top stop and move bike side to side and repeat. It will drop one bar on gas gauge five minutes after a fill up unless this is done. You get used to it after one or two times. It's not that bad. Just to try n get this straight in my head. If i sit on the bike and fill it right to the top, then carefully sway it from side to side, i should be able to get more fuel in? I have noticed that when i fill, after 10 or 15 miles its dropped a bar. Then again, i never really know how much its got in because the fuel gauge moves soo much depending whether im going up a hill, down a hill, or whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Conedodger Posted September 8, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted September 8, 2014 I believe I have gone to 205 miles in the past. (About 5.4 gallons @ 38 mpg) 190 is usually my preffered gotta get gas now mileage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otaylor38 Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Here's my question though: when I fill up (on all my bikes) I get it up to the neck, stop, and it then recedes a bit. So I put more in. And it recedes a bit. I do this a few times, and I run out of nerve before I run out of room, it appears. It keeps receding, and I stop, thinking that it's overfilling and draining into some unseen nether region somewhere that I'll regret. You guys ever fill up to a point that it stops receding and stays level at the top? Or is it just filling all the nooks, crannies, and odd shaped empty spaces in the tank, and I haven't QUITE filled it, though I think I have? Yes, i was doing the same with my Dominator, but on VFR (6th gen) there is no point, because that volume that frees up is too small. Where that fuel goes? :) Gas tank of motorcycle is built so that we cannot fill it up to the neck in first attempt. Some air remains inside. If you ride right after filling up, then it's ok, but if you fill up much more than it wanted, do not leave the bike in sun ;). Air in tank is thing that can be compressed when fuel gets warmer and wants to expand. If there is no air/too less air left, then fuel will come out of somewhere when warming up. Makes sense. I'll try this before a run :). My car does a similar thing. Its got a seperate expansion tank and a little button in the filler neck. When this button is pressed it allows the expansion tank to be filled and you can get an extra gallon of fuel in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Lorne Posted September 8, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted September 8, 2014 I'd say ANY amount is a lot for Honda to leave on the table. To me, 5.81 gallons should mean....oh...5.81 gallons. What if I was new bike shopping? If tank capacity was important to me, and I bought on that number, I'd be...not pleasant with my dealer about it. All the tanks I've seen dry pull from the lowest point in the tank. Anyone know what the inside of our tanks look like? What's in there, if anything? I know my 4th gen has a float & bracketry to light the FUEL light on the dash when it gets low, so I'm assuming ours has something to flash the last bar on the dash as well? That's a bit harsh. Most fuel tanks have some amount of unusable fuel. Besides, it's doubtful that you can refuel to exactly the same level every time - plus or minus a couple of tenths is more likely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beck Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Metal strip that runs ACROSS the opening? Huh? I don't have anything that runs across the opening. I'm gonna need a foto of that. Mine's a fifth gen remember. I have no idea what that is just inside the tank opening, assume it has some purpose. 100_7727.JPG That bar's what you balance and tighten the gas with .....torque values are listed on the Honda common service manual......strange but it's SAE not metric..... :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFR4Lee Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Metal strip that runs ACROSS the opening? Huh? I don't have anything that runs across the opening. I'm gonna need a foto of that. Mine's a fifth gen remember. I have no idea what that is just inside the tank opening, assume it has some purpose. 100_7727.JPG That bar's what you balance and tighten the gas with .....torque values are listed on the Honda common service manual......strange but it's SAE not metric..... :rolleyes: I'll do that right after I change the blinker fluids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer landlover Posted September 9, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted September 9, 2014 Stand between bike no side stand or center, start filling when it reaches the top stop and move bike side to side and repeat. It will drop one bar on gas gauge five minutes after a fill up unless this is done. You get used to it after one or two times. It's not that bad. Just to try n get this straight in my head. If i sit on the bike and fill it right to the top, then carefully sway it from side to side, i should be able to get more fuel in? I have noticed that when i fill, after 10 or 15 miles its dropped a bar. Then again, i never really know how much its got in because the fuel gauge moves soo much depending whether im going up a hill, down a hill, or whatever. Yes. Burp it. Silly but the truth. Five minutes after a fill up it would drop a bar and posted the same question a few years ago and that was the reply. Is it worth the time depends on you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGREGT Posted September 9, 2014 Author Share Posted September 9, 2014 My next time out on this bike I'm filling this mother up until my boots are wet, no matter how long it takes. And to me if it lists 5.81, then I expect 5.81. If it's less, then list it as less. Not harsh to expect some truth in something like this. Not sure how "burping" it changes anything. Wouldn't liquid find the correct level as it goes in? And how come: two 5th gens...one WITH the bar across the tank, and the tapered hole, and one without? Huh? I believe I have gone to 205 miles in the past. (About 5.4 gallons @ 38 mpg) 190 is usually my preffered gotta get gas now mileage. 205 on a tank is....astounding to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MarkDetroit Posted September 9, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted September 9, 2014 My next time out on this bike I'm filling this mother up until my boots are wet, no matter how long it takes. And to me if it lists 5.81, then I expect 5.81. If it's less, then list it as less. Not harsh to expect some truth in something like this. Not sure how "burping" it changes anything. Wouldn't liquid find the correct level as it goes in? And how come: two 5th gens...one WITH the bar across the tank, and the tapered hole, and one without? Huh? I believe I have gone to 205 miles in the past. (About 5.4 gallons @ 38 mpg) 190 is usually my preffered gotta get gas now mileage. 205 on a tank is....astounding to me. I bet the tank would hold 5.8 if it did not have the pump and filter stuff in it also. It's likely the displaced volume of the mechanical stuff is at least 1/4 gallon - if not more. I had a 2001 VFR before my 2006 and that little fill hole was a real oddity. I never understood it and never liked it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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