today on a ride, my 500 started chocking (like it wasn't getting gas)..... i pulled over, openeed the gas tank - saw gas still there, started no problem and went on my way..... about 5 maybe 10 minutes later same thing.... so figured I go to the gas station to fill up just in case... I was able to put only 3.082 Gallons of gas in there before it hit the neck!!! WTF!!! don't these hold 4.8 gallons as per the spec sheet??? should there be a light that says you're low on fuel on the California models??? (from the manual)

anyways, I only had a little over a 100 miles on it when it happened!!! wierd, if it holds 4.8 gallons, and I put only 3.082, where is the rest (the reserve is less then 1/2 a gallon, doens't add up!!!!

any help or input??? i'm new to the riding thing so bare with me if I'm over-looking a simple thing!!!

[X(]

 

I think someone said the california models were 1 gal short. so its like 3 gallons and .8 in reserve? = 3.8? something like that.

that happened to me while I was on the freeway.

another weird thing I've noticed is, somtimes I'll pull off into the gas station and I get different mpg calculations. might be because I use different gas stations

 

Same thing happened to me after I bought my used Ninja. Don't know why, 'cause it ran fine for the first few runs and then it started choking up on me while riding at highway speed(sort of convulsing and then stalling out). The guy I bought it from said it had been garaged for the past 3 or 4 months but, like I said, it ran just fine for the first few runs. Anyway, I wound up taking it into the shop and they said it was the carbuerator that probably needed cleaning. Cost me a bit(2 or 3 hours of labor) but they said they cleaned the carbuerator and tuned it up and its run perfectly ever since. I'm no mechanic by any means. I can change the oil and basic stuff like that, but you learn as you go along with this stuff I guess. At least I hope I do. Hope this helps.

 

My 250R does the same thing sometimes. It's also a "4.8 gal" tank. There is some fuel that will never get out of your tank since this fuel is below the tank's petcock valve. They do this to keep sludge and dirt out of your lines.

 

your different MPG is because of your aggressive or non aggressive driving habits, its all in the wrist baby

 

wow, I am right at 140 miles to the tank before reserve on my other ride(06 10r). That was an average after a 2000 mile ride.

 

So if in fact it is 3.8 Gallons for California models, then it would make a lot more sense.....
especially since after putting gas in it ran fine the rest of the day....

 

I intend no offense here, but did you switch the petcock to RES? (For Reserve?) It's the little lever/switch just below the fuel tank on your left.

While the CA tank is a different part number than the 49-state, I'm pretty certain you don't lose an entire gallon of fuel capacity.
I just checked the General Information chapter in the service manual and while they're pretty particular in identifying the weight differences and other specifications between the two models, it lists both tank capacities as 18 liters.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.
-CCinC

P.S. Try to avoid overfilling the tank on the CA-model. The overflowing gasoline can spill into your fuel-evap canister, and if that fills up your bike will either run like crud for a little while or it might stop running until you drail the canister. I've known several bikes from several manufacturers to do this, so it's not a big deal.

 

yes, i did and still seemed like it didn't want to go.... so wierd....
yes, i just checked my manual as well and says 18L (4.8 gal) and the dry weight is only different by .5kg (1lb)... so WTF!!!

and also I have read about the overfiling it, and was very carefull on fill up not to do it incorecctly!!! Thanks

 

Based solely on the information you've provided, there are two alternate possibilities I can think of:

1) The petcock may possibly be fouled after the gasoline sat in the tank a long time. This is not too likely, but it's possible. Any idea how long the bike sat in the dealership before you bought it? They probably had a nominal amount of fuel that possibly could have turned to varnish and gummed up the reserve circuit of your petcock.

2) A new bike is not going to be as fuel-efficient as one that is properly broken in. Because the engine's internal parts are being finished by wearing against each other, we can assume that your engine will be more friction-prone and less efficient than a properly broken-in engine. BMW engines typically take 10,000 miles to break in, then they stop consuming oil and their fuel economy improves.

Either way, I would just log your mileage (write down how many miles are on the tripmeter everytime you fill up, and how much gas it took), and I'll bet your mileage will get better. And if it's the petcock, a few tanks of gas are likely to dislodge any varnish/crud in the petcock too.

Good luck with that new bike and let us know how it goes.
-CCinC