3.954 U.S. gals at fill up this morning

[Rolls_imp]

Well, I knew I was cutting it close making it to a gas station this morning. It took 3.954 U.S. gals at fill up, and I rode it off the interstate and in to the gas station under its own power.

The tank on the CB1100 is a little funky. I find you can fill it up to within a few mm of spilling over, then after a second or two, it will settle down below the filler neck. It seemed you could play this game almost indefinitely, but I'd alway lose interest or run out of time after 4 or 5 iterations.

It was only 177 miles since the last fill, which is not my highest, but iirc, I didn't play the silly filly game on the prior fill, which is good for about .4 or .5 gallons. In fact, my highest mileage on a tank was 184 mi., after which it took only 3.3 gallons.

Anyway, good to know it can hold that much.

 

[Randy B]

If you read the owners manual is says the tank is "full" when fuel reashes the bottom of that lip in the filler and NOT to fill passed that. I'm not saying that I don't do that, it's just that that's what the manual says. That's why you filled it to over capacity.

 

[Rolls_imp]

Ah, but even the last top off in the silly filly game settled down to the bottom (more or less) of the filler neck. I cant imagine how you'd ever get 3.9 in if you didn't let it settle, though. Mind you, running the tank this low is not recommended for anyone, including me!

Also, I would caution against being too aggressive in topping off if you're not sure you're getting right back on the road and burning off a bar or more of fuel (never a problem for Randy!). That's usually nice cool gas from underground and it will expand if you park that topped tank in the sun.

 

[Greg_imp]

I've put in very close to 4 gallons too, and my highest mileage on one tank is 175, but that included a sprint to just over 100 mph and fairly aggressive throttle the rest of the time.

I now know not to panic when the red bar starts flashing at 135 miles even if I've been cranking it, and think if I had to, I could probably go 200 easy miles on level ground.

 

[the Ferret]

I was wondering if you could actually get 3.9 in the tank. My record was 179.9 miles on if memory serves me 3.2 gals giving me the indication that I still had over 1/2 gallon or another 25 miles of gas. I hadnt played that gas filling game though, only filled it to the neck.

Are you filling on the centerstand or side stand?

 

[HikerToo_imp]

Approx. how far after the bar starts flashing can I expect to go before running out of gas?

 

[the Ferret]

Hiker... I have gone 33 miles and like I said supposedly still had 1/2 gal gas left in tank. If like me you are averaging 50 mpg plus ( have not gotten less than 50 mpg since tank #3.. Have gotten as high as 56.8 mpg) and the bar starts flashing according to Honda with .8 gal left in tank, then theoretically, one could go at least 40 miles on flashing reserve.

 

[Rolls_imp]

Ferret, I always fill it while sitting on the bike, with the pump to my right (I'm right handed), so the bike is standing straight up, as if it were on the center stand.

Hiker, I'm not sure how consistent the amount of gas left in the tank is when the last bar starts flashing on my bike, much less from mine to another, but I count on 25, get pretty nervous at 30, and have gone as much as 40 miles.

Don't go by my numbers, though. Stopping to fill up can actually be kind of enjoyable, if a guy looks at it that way, but it'd be no fun at all to push this bike along the side of the road.

 

[veech_imp]

I think I must be goosing it too much, but I have been getting much less. My calculations are almost always around 42-47 mpg and I go by the odometer not gas gage. That's why I was confident that I should get at least 175 mi to the tank. Imagine my surprise when I ran it bone dry at 154 miles!!! Haven't done this in at least 25 years...guess I'm just having way too much fun with the new ride.

Ended up pushing it over a mile and a half to the nearest gas station. I just kept reminding myself that my Harley literally weighs 300 lbs more and was glad it was the Honda. Got a lot of funny looks from all the dog walkers, baby strollers and joggers...told them I like pushing it around for exercise.

 

[dBuster_imp]

Boy I want your bikes!!! I get to a flashing after only 103 or so miles! Maybe I have a smaller tank?! Or something... Sad thing, I have yet to put in more than 2.8 gallons of gas at a time, i believe... And each time I am showing to be full bars on the fuel display.

But I do not think I could get 150 miles... Sad... But then again I am all city commuting miles and no really long trips. But still my mpg suck right now!

 

[veech_imp]

Boy I want your bikes!!! I get to a flashing after only 103 or so miles! Maybe I have a smaller tank?! Or something... Sad thing, I have yet to put in more than 2.8 gallons of gas at a time, i believe... And each time I am showing to be full bars on the fuel display.

But I do not think I could get 150 miles... Sad... But then again I am all city commuting miles and no really long trips. But still my mpg suck right now!

Most of my driving is city/suburb daily commute as well. Mine starts flashing usually between 110-120. I start getting nervous and get gas around 130ish at this point. I can tell you riding it under it's own power is MUCH more fun than pusing it!

 

[Firstfour_imp]

Boy I want your bikes!!! I get to a flashing after only 103 or so miles! Maybe I have a smaller tank?! Or something... Sad thing, I have yet to put in more than 2.8 gallons of gas at a time, i believe... And each time I am showing to be full bars on the fuel display.

But I do not think I could get 150 miles... Sad... But then again I am all city commuting miles and no really long trips. But still my mpg suck right now!

Hmm, that does seem low. The worst I've seen in total stop and go, 2 mile segment trips is 42 mpg. You must be showing it the whip! :excited: It does, though, make a big difference from what it gets on tanks that include at least some "highway" miles.

 

[the Ferret]

Most of my riding is just riding in the country 45 to 60 mph. Not many stops and starts, just cruising where there are no people, no cars, no traffic. 5 th. gear, 3000 rpms or less. Just riding.

 

[Firstfour_imp]

Most of my riding is just riding in the country 45 to 60 mph. Not many stops and starts, just cruising where there are no people, no cars, no traffic. 5 th. gear, 3000 rpms or less. Just riding.

I'm so jealous! :worship: Someday...

My parents have a house in Tryon, NC which is close to those kinds of roads. I need to get up there with the bike for an extended stay.

 

[Jim21680_imp]

Keep in mind, all, that you should always see a recent "Weights & Measures" calibration sticker on the pump. That's really the only way you can reasonably assume that the "gallon" you just pumped in really is a gallon. Otherwise, this whole business of mpg-tracking is senseless.

 

[veech_imp]

Hmm, good point-never really thought about that. Guess I just assumed it would be illegal to falsely advertise an incorrect amount. Of course human nature has proven that if people can get away with something they usually will...

 

[XeNoSCR_imp]

The reason that the gas "settles" could be that the over-fill is draining down the evaporation tube into the EVAP canister. just around the bottom of that tube in the filler cap area there is a shelf with a hose that sticks up out of it. It's part of the Evaporative Emission Control System for the US bikes. That's why the manual warns to not over-fill the tank. If you have a copy of the service manual you can see a diagram of the system on page 1-33.

XeNoSCR

 

[the Ferret]

Hmmm see that in the diagram. Wonder how much that little canister will hold? And how much gas can vaporize thru it.

 

[Rolls_imp]

Good info, XeNoSCR. I like a full tank as much as the next guy, but I don't want to douse any pollution control equipment. I don't have my service manual yet, but I'll definitely want to study the EECS diagrams when I get it.

Thanks!

Rolls

 

[Rolls_imp]

Update: Got 197.2 miles out of that tank and I could still hear at least some sloshing before filling up today. With about four fill and settles, it took only 3.36 gallons. I wonder how accurate the pump was at the previous station where it took 3.95 gallons, though being off by 10% would be *hugely* out of calibration for a gas pump, I'd think.

In any case, breaking 200 miles on a full tank seems doable. My riding was neither hard nor thrifty - a lot of 40 - 80 mph riding, but definitely hilly terrain and some windy conditions.