Running out of gas? Handy GT tip ....

Delray

Well-known member
Want to know how many miles until you run out of gas? The BMW C 650 GT has a built-in feature that tells you.

It's not a direct, "78 miles of range" reading that works anytime like my Prius. But with a few calculations, you get the same result. I'm on my third GT and didn't realize this until now (I can be a bit slow on the draw sometimes, so apologies if I state the bleeding obvious -- but I'm sure some people don't know this).

Here's how it works ....

When the yellow gas pump icon lights up as a low fuel warning, a special odometer appears. It's not TRIP A or TRIP B, it's just TRIP. and it points to another gas pump icon. I noticed this before but figured I brushed the TRIP switch and cycled it back to the main odometer.

This special TRIP odometer measures miles traveled since the low fuel warning appeared. Last time this happened, I was right next to a gas station, so I filled up and noted exactly how much fuel the bike took. I subtracted that amount from the bike's total capacity, 4.2 gallons, to determine that I had around 3 quarts of gas left when the low fuel warning appears.

At 45 mpg, that's around 11 miles per quart, or 33 miles to go before I'm walking. So if that special odometer gets up to around 20 miles, I figure I'm starting to live dangerously and it's time to find gas.

That's the good news. The bad news is the MPG reading on my dash seems forever stuck on 48.9 mpg. Plus, my tire pressure monitors regularly show 3 pounds less-than-actual for the front tire and 6 pounds less-than-actual for the rear. At least they're consistent. Mostly I like turning on the bike and knowing I didn't lose air pressure since the last time I rode.

IMG_5438.jpg
 
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EvilTwin

Active member
Interesting. I've had the gas light come on once or twice so far, but never noticed the icon in the LCD. Will have to check it out.

My TPMS seems pretty accurate, but I do notice the front looses about a lb a week and has since new. And these wheels are not the easiest to top off with air, I had to get a real short inflator to get the right angle to the valve.
 

Delray

Well-known member
I've had this bike for two months and haven't lost a pound of air in either tire. Before I replaced the rear sensor with a Chinese sensor, both tires were always 3 lbs. less-than-actual (as measured by three tire gauges).

The Chinese sensor made the rear 6 psi low. Like I said, at least they're consistent. I can adjust in my head: a reading of 33/35 really means 36/41, so I'm good. Wish I could figure out why my mpg reading is always unchanged at 48.9 (photo).
IMG_5439.jpg
 
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Ceesie76

Active member
I believe you can reset the average mpg by just holding down the selector button until it resets? Something like that. Maybe that will wake it up. And how you describe the 'miles left' is also how I do it, that does work.
 
When the reserve light system works, it's great, but I noticed that the fuel gauge/reserve system can drift a little over time. The worst of it for me was that once I had to push my 2014 C600 the last 1/8 mile into a rest stop on the highway, out of gas, with the reserve light having just come on 8-10 miles back.

What's more, when I *did* run out of gas that time, I took that opportunity to fill it as much as I possibly could. 4.02 gallons was all I could squeeze in, so I now use that as my baseline for fun fuel-math while riding.

I prefer to use Tripmeter #1 to track distance since last fill-up (zeroing it each time I get gas), and if Tripmeter #1 gets above 160, it's time to fill up -- don't mean maybe.

I also use Fuelly to track my recent MPG, and enjoy that as another helpful tool.
 

EvilTwin

Active member
Was out this last Sat and the light came on. Noticed that it said about 1.8 or 2.0, so I guess that was how far I traveled before I stopped for gas. I will say that since I have had the bike, I don't always seem to get it all bars full to the top. On this last fillup, I was at least one bar down from full, even though the pump wouldnt go anymore. My average mileage seems to be around 52. I'm a bit heavy handed on the throttle. Why not, that is what makes this bike special.
 

Delray

Well-known member
"On this last fillup, I was at least one bar down from full, even though the pump wouldnt go anymore."

I've had one bar unfilled, which is mildly frustrating. I mean, no one WANTS to stop for gas more often. For me, putting it on the center stand gets all the bars filled. When I fill up with the bike on the side stand, it never takes as much.

"My average mileage seems to be around 52. I'm a bit heavy handed on the throttle."

I like smoothness and ride that way 90% of the time. I got 45 mpg recently. Maybe I need to be more heavy handed to get better mileage! I recall reading an interview with a Japanese engineer who worked on the Honda Silver Wing, and he said (I paraphrase): "You need to ride the heck out of this bike to get the best performance."
 
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Greg goes wild

Active member
I had the gas light come on once and when that light comes on i go fill up. I do NOT like to wait til the reserve
light comes on. I have been getting 48.9 mpg I like this bike better the the Silver wing.
 

Delray

Well-known member
When the 650 GT and Sport were introduced, BMW published a manual for dealers called "Technical Features in Detail." It says the gas pump icon lights up "when the fuel reserve is approximately .8 gallons." I estimated 3/4 of a gallon so I was close. Basically, when that icon lights up, you have a little over 30 miles before you're out of gas, and the special TRIP odometer next to the icon gives you a running tally of those 30+ miles.

Here's a link to the pdf of the technical manual ... interesting stuff.

 
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Greg goes wild

Active member
When the 650 GT and Sport were introduced, BMW published a manual for dealers called "Technical Features in Detail." It says the gas pump icon lights up "when the fuel reserve is approximately .8 gallons." I estimated 3/4 of a gallon so I was close. Basically, when that icon lights up, you have a little over 30 miles before you're out of gas, and the special TRIP odometer next to the icon gives you a running tally of those 30+ miles.

Here's a link to the pdf of the technical manual ... interesting stuff.

Very good info to know i think the Silverwing also could get 30 miles on the reserve. ? Many times on the
Silverwing i had it blink on the reserve knowing i had enough fuel to last.
 

Greg goes wild

Active member
"38 miles on reserve today"

Man, that's either devil may care or the Good Lord is watching over you. I wouldn't want to test the reserve like that. I'll be doing bike travel this summer and may invest in a one-gallon tube of gasoline to carry along.
Especially IF you are on a long trip and the next gas station is 50+ miles away. You would def. be pushing
the bike. I don't think so i would test that.
 

EvilTwin

Active member
Interesting read. I wonder how much changed over the years. They quoted seat height at 30.7 for the GT, I wonder if that was with the low height seat as the standard equipment.
 

Delray

Well-known member
"38 miles on reserve today! Tested by accident!"

Curious, after the gas pump icon lights up, are there additional warnings? For example, with the Burgman 650, the gas pump icon lights up with one gallon left, then starts BLINKING with half a gallon left.

Anything blinking in the nether regions of 38 miles into the reserve? Did it stay on one bar or did all the bars disappear?
 
"38 miles on reserve today! Tested by accident!"

Curious, after the gas pump icon lights up, are there additional warnings? For example, with the Burgman 650, the gas pump icon lights up with one gallon left, then starts BLINKING with half a gallon left.

Anything blinking in the nether regions of 38 miles into the reserve? Did it stay on one bar or did all the bars disappear?
Based on my 1 experience of completely draining the tank on my c600 -- no, no additional warnings.

Light goes on, odometer/tripmeter begins its count-up from reserve trigger, then you sputter to a stop when you're out of dinosaur juice.

No tense music plays, or additional blinky-lights. Typical German engineering. :D
 

Delray

Well-known member
"No tense music plays, or additional blinky-lights. Typical German engineering."

Haha, I bought a 2002 BMW R1150R based in part on the advertising campaign: "Everything You Need. And Not A Single Thing You Don't."
 

Loudy331

New member
"38 miles on reserve today! Tested by accident!"

Curious, after the gas pump icon lights up, are there additional warnings? For example, with the Burgman 650, the gas pump icon lights up with one gallon left, then starts BLINKING with half a gallon left.

Anything blinking in the nether regions of 38 miles into the reserve? Did it stay on one bar or did all the bars disappear?
All bars disappeared at about 30 miles! It was squeaky bum time after that last one disappeared :0)
 

Stevew

Member
I’m with you on the mileage -gallons per mile. Always seems stuck.

When I get a new bike I I try to run it dry to check actual miles achieveable from full to dry. I take it out with a plastic jerrycan of fuel and find out.
 
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