11-05-2017, 02:15 PM
I did quite a bit of back road touring this year. The only times I really worried about my fuel situation was when a gas station was not where it was supposed to be. I typically plan for 150 miles to between gas stops if I'm riding typical back road speeds (55-65 mph) which means the gauge will start flashing about 5 - 10 miles before my gas stop.
On my last long trip, I did have a few fuel scares. The first was when I had a planned stop off an Interstate and the exit was closed for repairs. The next exit was another 8 miles down the highway, then an additional 7 miles from that exit to the nearest station. I arrived pretty close to empty. The following day, I mistakenly assumed that there would be a gas station at the junction of two Interstate highways. You know what happens when you assume?
I got to the junction and there was nothing there. Ended up riding another 24 miles with the gauge flashing before reaching a little town a small gas station/convenience store.
My rule of thumb is that when the gauge starts flashing, you have at least 20 miles left. Anything beyond that you can attribute to luck or clean living.
On my last long trip, I did have a few fuel scares. The first was when I had a planned stop off an Interstate and the exit was closed for repairs. The next exit was another 8 miles down the highway, then an additional 7 miles from that exit to the nearest station. I arrived pretty close to empty. The following day, I mistakenly assumed that there would be a gas station at the junction of two Interstate highways. You know what happens when you assume?
I got to the junction and there was nothing there. Ended up riding another 24 miles with the gauge flashing before reaching a little town a small gas station/convenience store. My rule of thumb is that when the gauge starts flashing, you have at least 20 miles left. Anything beyond that you can attribute to luck or clean living.