Fuel Guage

[oldyaler_imp]

My Yamaha XS850 didn't have the luxury of a fuel gauge so a tap on the side of the tank to hear the dead space/air or open the tank up and slosh. After a while though you learn the mileage to go by between fill ups and I am sure I will be doing the same thing with the CB1100...

That's the way I've always done it. I can't understand why it seems so difficult to make a fuel gauge that reads accurately. The ZR7s I owned had an analog type gauge that was almost useless too but a member of the ZR7 forum discovered a simple fix- he installed a resistor between two posts on the rear of the gauge and Voila!, the gauge was dead accurate. Maybe if someone here has or knows someone with an electronics background could come up with a solution?

[The Spaceman_imp]

It doesn't work too well. Just use your trip odometer to be sure.

Suit yourself, bu I don't think that's good enough for a $10k motorcycle from Honda. Maybe a $4k bike from China, but I expect more from this bike.

[the Ferret]

It doesn't work too well. Just use your trip odometer to be sure.

Suit yourself, bu I don't think that's good enough for a $10k motorcycle from Honda. Maybe a $4k bike from China, but I expect more from this bike.

Suit yourself, bu I don't think that's good enough for a $10k motorcycle from Honda. Maybe a $4k bike from China, but I expect more from this bike.

The one on my $17k Honda motorcycle, my $19k Honda car or my $ 35k Honda truck doesn't work much better. None of them are linear. On the 4 wheelers it stays on full forever, then drops like a stone. On the bikes just the opposite.

Can't compare it to much else, about all I drive are Hondas's. The vehicles are so good I will forgive them for goofy inaccurate fuel gauges.

[oldgoat01_imp]

I always thought the trip odometer WAS the fuel gauge.
I guess watching the odometer comes from once having a car with a broken gauge. Add to that, being broke and trying to get every last mile before putting $2 in the tank (yes $2 would get you a half dozen gallons), and I became conditioned to the odometer as fuel gauge routine (and why I thought the invention of the trip odometer as a godsend as I must admit running out a couple of times). Heck, I still reset the trip odometer on my car when I fill up.

[Buffalohead_imp]

I always hold a match down at the gas filler so I can see how much gas is in the tank! ;-)
It works well but you can't do it very often.

[_imp]

I always hold a match down at the gas filler so I can see how much gas is in the tank! ;-)
It works well but you can't do it very often.

I was with a guy who did that to see how much water was in my car's battery; this was almost 40 years ago. The battery blew up in my face (no sh*t). People actually do that kind of thing. I didn't know any better at the time.
I wonder if the gage is self-calibrating. I was told my new little Chevy Sonic's six-speed automatic tranny would actually pay attention to how I drive and "learn" my driving style to optimize shift points. Since it's electronic and the bike has a main computer (remember the "check engine" light) like a car, that capability could well be there. I am pretty sure that the gage is now reading much more accurately after the second fillup.

[CB1100dan_imp]

Mine starts to flash with over a gallon left in the tank. I have yet to put three gallons in the tank on a fill up. The gauge seems to consistent if not very accurate.

[soggybottom_imp]

I have owned many, many motorcycles and cannot remember any that had a gas gauge that worked even close to accurate. Cars and pickups aren't much better. I always used the trip-0-meter. But inaccurate speedo's really get my goat and I don't think I ever had an accurate speedo on a bike except for a BMW K75 and a few later model Harleys, most are 3% to 5% optimistic.

[flynrider]

I have owned many, many motorcycles and cannot remember any that had a gas gauge that worked even close to accurate. Cars and pickups aren't much better. I always used the trip-0-meter. But inaccurate speedo's really get my goat and I don't think I ever had an accurate speedo on a bike except for a BMW K75 and a few later model Harleys, most are 3% to 5% optimistic.

With the old mechanical speedos, you were lucky to get within 3% at higher speeds (i.e. above 70 mph). I tested the CB11's sensor driven speedo up to 100 mph with a GPS and it was right on the money the whole time.

[soggybottom_imp]

My NC700dct is on the money, I forgot about that one, I'm happy to hear my cb should be also. The electronic speed checkers are all over N. Scottsdale now and are usually followed by a picture taker. But the checkers seem accurate at least.