Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Why no gas gages on most bikes? It doesn't cost that much.Why ck odometer and peek in tank. I thought these thing were modern. The 750 Vulcan for example has one?????

Because they are easy to break and highly innacurate.

I've got a gage, the bike shuts off when it's empty.

Actually, a reserve bar of lights comes on and slowly goes down as my reserve empties, but it's really inaccurate. I just fill up every 140-160 miles or as soon as my reserve lights come on.

Also keeps the costs down.

but they all don't have reserve lights do they?

Brent wrote:but they all don't have reserve lights do they?

nope. My KLR doesn't have a guage or a reserve light. I know I have to switch to reserve when it starts to lurch and sputter, and if I'm quick enough I can reach down and turn the petcock over to reserve before the bike dies on me and I have to pull over.

my gas gauge isnt accurate, it lets me know when the gas is getting near to be low. but when its on empty i still have(usually) 1 gallon or maybe half left, thats hardly empty to me.

does anyone know how the gauges work though, ive always wondered about it.

Maybe because I have been doing it for so many years that I am unable to understand what is so tough for a group of "Bikers" to unscrew/unlock the gas cap and look inside when you first start your scoot and it's warming up , and see exactly how much gas is in there . Come on peeps , what's so hard about that?
Wizzard

The point is, in this era you should not have to do that. They arent your father's lawnmower engines. I suspect they work as a float inside the tank. They at least should have a "low fuel" light.

Wizzard wrote:Maybe because I have been doing it for so many years that I am unable to understand what is so tough for a group of "Bikers" to unscrew/unlock the gas cap and look inside when you first start your scoot and it's warming up , and see exactly how much gas is in there . Come on peeps , what's so hard about that?
Wizzard

Because, Wiz, I can only see maybe an inch below the filler neck...my tank slopes toward the back! And on the C90, the filler is in the traditional location, but a hose carries all the fuel to the tank under the seat.

Incidentally, my bike has a low-fuel light that comes on when there's 1.5 gallons left. At 38mpg, I have 57 miles to find a station or start pushing.