Fuel tank capacity and float

[peperino]

Hey

As you may know, the bike tank capacity is not really the advertised, while every spec sheet you see will tell you that the bike has a 16L (4.2gallons) tank, in reality its capacity is 14L (3.7gallons).

Also, the fuel meter is not remotely accurate. In part this is for the way the fuel pump works, it needs to be soaked in fuel to avoid damage, so my guess is that Zongshen deliberately sets the indicator very pesimistic. That way you would refuel before you really need it and the tank would always have some fuel for the pump.

In my tests, when the fuel warning light blinks, you have only consumed about 7-8L (1.8-2.1 gallons) of fuel, so you have a lot of fuel remaining.

As my bike is carburated, no fuel pump involved, I decided to correct this indicator. To fix it, the idea is to take the tank off, remove the fuel float and bend it so it sits lower in the tank.

I think EFI users should also fix it so its not THAT pesimistic and a little more realistic, but just taking care of not draining the entiry tank when riding the bike.

I've made a step by step procedure, it is in spanish but you can easily google translate it (or ask me anything)

https://coltermoto.wordpress.com/triax-250/mecanica/tanque-de-combustible-flotante/

[Weldangrind]

As my bike is carburated, no fuel pump involved, I decided to correct this indicator. To fix it, the idea is to take the tank off, remove the fuel float and bend it so it sits lower in the tank.


If I had the carbureted version, I'd do the same thing. If I had the FI version, I'd leave it alone.

[peperino]

If I had the carbureted version, I'd do the same thing. If I had the FI version, I'd leave it alone.

Why.
Do you really think that the fuel pump needs THAT much fuel to work? We are talking half a tank here

[detours]

Excellent write-up! I intend to try this at my next valve adjustment.

[peperino]

Excellent write-up! I intend to try this at my next valve adjustment.

Feel free to grab the pictures and make a english step by step (or translate mine, whatever is easier for you) :)

[Weldangrind]

Why.
Do you really think that the fuel pump needs THAT much fuel to work? We are talking half a tank here

No, I don't think the pump needs that much fuel to function. I just think that more fuel for cooling is a good thing. I would simply get used to the range that is indicated by the gauge.

[peperino]

No, I don't think the pump needs that much fuel to function. I just think that more fuel for cooling is a good thing. I would simply get used to the range that is indicated by the gauge.

I understand.
Unfortunately you would be losing a lot of mileage if you refuel as soon as the indicator blinks

[SpudRider]

Thanks for posting a thread here on this excellent topic. :)

[peperino]

Ok so, I refueled 3L (+ 2.5 that were already in the tank) and the light didn't blink but I also didn't have any bars in the indicator. So far so good, but I rode 10km and it started blinking again.

I think I'm gonna lower a little bit more so it blinks when you really are low on fuel, the idea is that it blinks when there's about 3L left, just about to hit reserve (reserve is about 2-2.5L.

[peperino]

I'm thinking changing the float height to 30mm now

[keithmaine]

Very good info.

[pepelepua]

Great Job!
I supposed the problem was the gauge and my intention was to correct it with some resistors but you save me a lot of time with your post, the problem is totally mechanical !!! :hmm:
Now you should see what happens in the full part of the gauge, maybe you´ll have a full indication until the middle of the tank, anycase, I prefer to have accuracy at the bottom part so I´ll do the mod soon.
So many thanks for posting.
Maybe we could meet sometime in Buenos Aires jaja!

Aguante la Ingeniería Argenta!

[peperino]

Great Job!
I supposed the problem was the gauge and my intention was to correct it with some resistors but you save me a lot of time with your post, the problem is totally mechanical !!! :hmm:
Now you should see what happens in the full part of the gauge, maybe you´ll have a full indication until the middle of the tank, anycase, I prefer to have accuracy at the bottom part so I´ll do the mod soon.
So many thanks for posting.
Maybe we could meet sometime in Buenos Aires jaja!
Aguante la Ingeniería Argenta!

Yes, now comes the fine tuning, I need to find what float height works better for me

[rtking]

Thanks for the excellent tutorial. (I'll have to translate, but the photos were great and I see exactly what needs to be done.) Looking forward to the final recommended height of the arm.

FWIW, I usually don't rely on the fuel gauge and, instead, look into the tank before each ride, and I check how many miles I've put on the current tank through the odometer / trip meter. I find that the "manual" method is more accurate. I guess it's a non-issue anyway since the bike will easily cover 3 hours of riding on one fill-up, but I'm ready to stretch my legs (and/or pee) after 2 hours.

[peperino]

Thanks for the excellent tutorial. (I'll have to translate, but the photos were great and I see exactly what needs to be done.) Looking forward to the final recommended height of the arm.
FWIW, I usually don't rely on the fuel gauge and, instead, look into the tank before each ride, and I check how many miles I've put on the current tank through the odometer / trip meter. I find that the "manual" method is more accurate. I guess it's a non-issue anyway since the bike will easily cover 3 hours of riding on one fill-up, but I'm ready to stretch my legs (and/or pee) after 2 hours.

Thats a very wise method keeping track your mileage, I also use it. My problem with the fuel gauge is that after consuming half a tank, I have a stupid light blinking at me for no real reason. That's basically why I wanted to fix it, not because I really needed the gauge :)

[ElectricCircus]

Yes, now comes the fine tuning, I need to find what float height works better for me

Suggestion:
I saw you have a multimeter in the toolset: measure the floater resistance with the tank full of gas, an same thing when empty (or at 2-2,5lts near the reserve limit). Next time you disassemble the tank also play with the float position against the LCD indication, measuring with the meter the resistance at Full and Empty limits.

That way you'll have a good reference to find a proper position/response of the float lever.

[peperino]

Suggestion:
I saw you have a multimeter in the toolset: measure the floater resistance with the tank full of gas, an same thing when empty (or at 2-2,5lts near the reserve limit). Next time you disassemble the tank also play with the float position against the LCD indication, measuring with the meter the resistance at Full and Empty limits.

That way you'll have a good reference to find a proper position/response of the float lever.

Thats a good idea, I will try and take note of each limit OHM readout vs LCD indicator and post it in my article :)

[peperino]

I have updated my article, and added the value of resistance for each bar on the gauge.

After trying a bit, I decided to go for 30mm float height, as 42 is not enough. I changed it and so far is working as intended, I have 4.5L left in the tank, 0 bars in the indicator but still not flashing. I hope it starts flashing when I have between 3 and 4L left in the tank.

[Riceburner]

Thought I'd update my fuel tank capacity for you, I have run my tank to empty three times now and each refill the max I can get in is 13 liters, not 16 as advertised. :tdown: I'd like 16 liters.

Has anyone else done a from empty refill and actually gotten 16 liters? :shrug:

[peperino]

You can fit 14 if you really go to the very top.
Tank doesn't hold 16, confirmed.

I have contacted Zongshen via facebook and they told me they will inform their staff about it. I find it hard to believe that nobody at Zongshen checked its capacity. I believe they knew they were lying when they published the specs :D

[peperino]

I have a carburetor model, and this is not about fuel pumps, is about Zongshen lying about the fuel capacity in the published specs.

[pete]

I have a carburetor model, and this is not about fuel pumps, is about Zongshen lying about the fuel capacity in the published specs.

sorry.... it was NOT my intention to up set you...
i will delete all the above info...
again...sorry...

[Ipatters]

Most I've got in is 14.3 litres and bike was spluttering, ie just about empty.

[keithmaine]

Has anyone done this mod / or adjustment to a fuel injected model?
I am also wondering if anyone has actually confirmed fuel tank size it seems on this post that 14L or 3.6 gallons is max. that is a far cry from 15.8L or 4.2 gallons tat is basically 30 miles of travel. I went 149 miles with the last 9 miles blinking away at me. It took 2.3 gallons of fuel. It would be nice if it did hold 4+ gallons we could use 3.0 of them before low fuel warning. I hoping I was getting away from carrying extra fuel containers.

[Danimal]

Same boat as you Keith. That difference is substantial considering the low 60s mpg I am seeing.
Now I gotta stop bragging about 4.2 gallons.....as that IS a selling point.
So when Zongshen sends out free 4.2 gallon tanks I want to be first in line:shrug:

[keithmaine]

Same boat as you Keith. That difference is substantial considering the low 60s mpg I am seeing.
Now I gotta stop bragging about 4.2 gallons.....as that IS a selling point.
So when Zongshen sends out free 4.2 gallon tanks I want to be first in line:shrug:

That is true KLR650 claims 6 gal. they get 5.5 - 5.8 usable. My TW200 has 1.8 and I had 1.5 usable.

Now I am going to have to drain the tank and see how much actually fits in there. Unless someone has already done it. And it is a big selling point.

This bike is great, but if only 2 gallons are usable we need to be honest. I though it would get an easy 200 mile per tank. On the first voyage I averaged 65 mpg (even at 3 gallons that would get me 195 miles)

[SpudRider]

It would be nice to have the advertised, 4.2 gallons. However, 3.7 gallons is still a nice quantity of fuel. I ran out of gas once, and the trip odometer read about 255 miles.

I average about 68 mpg. You should leave about 1/2-gallon in the fuel tank to prolong the life of the fuel pump. Therefore, I know I can ride about 210 miles before I refill the fuel tank. That's a pretty good range. :)

[SpudRider]

That is true KLR650 claims 6 gal. they get 5.5 - 5.8 usable. My TW200 has 1.8 and I had 1.5 usable.

Now I am going to have to drain the tank and see how much actually fits in there. Unless someone has already done it. And it is a big selling point.

This bike is great, but if only 2 gallons are usable we need to be honest. I though it would get an easy 200 mile per tank. On the first voyage I averaged 65 mpg (even at 3 gallons that would get me 195 miles)

You actually have 3.2 gallons of usable fuel before you even begin to uncover the fuel pump. You can run the fuel tank dry, using all of the 3.7 gallons, and you won't fry the fuel pump. However, you will prolong the life of the fuel pump if you fill up every time you consume 3.2 gallons. This will ensure you always have at least 1/2-gallon of fuel to submerse the fuel pump. :)

[keithmaine]

So if I were to adjust the float to read empty at 3 gallons, I would be satisfied at that. Of course normally when I would refill at 1 bar. But knowing I can get to 200+ is comforting. Thanks Spud once again you come through for us.

[SpudRider]

You're welcome. The following link was provided in the first post of this thread.

https://coltermoto.wordpress.com/triax-250/mecanica/tanque-de-combustible-flotante/

The original poster (op) said the original float height was 65 mm. He thinks the empty fuel tank, warning light will begin to flash after using three gallons by setting the float height to 30 mm.

https://coltermoto.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/dsc_3628.jpg?w=770&h=510

[keithmaine]

You're welcome. The following link was provided in the first post of this thread.

https://coltermoto.wordpress.com/triax-250/mecanica/tanque-de-combustible-flotante/

The original poster (op) said the original float height was 65 mm. He thinks the empty fuel tank, warning light will begin to flash after using three gallons by setting the float height to 30 mm.

https://coltermoto.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/dsc_3628.jpg?w=770&h=510

Yes, the reason why I brought this up was the op rx3 was carbed I believe.

[SpudRider]

Yes, the OP has an RX3 with a carburetor. ;) However, the 30 mm float height should work the same for a bike with fuel injection.

[keithmaine]

Yes, the OP has an RX3 with a carburetor. ;) However, the 30 mm float height should work the same for a bike with fuel injection.

Awesome again. :thanks:

[Danimal]

3.2 x 60 is 192.
So.....looking for fuel just under 200 miles for me. JUST a tad better than the SV's range at it's far side, which I know intimately. So I guess I can live with that.
And.....if you have no problem farkling the hell out of a $3500 bike, a Rotopax and mount looks to me to mount perfectly on the rear of the stock luggage. IIRC there was a large group tour somewhere (not US) and the RX3's on it had dual 1 gal Rotopax on the rear of the stock bags.
In fact now that my mind is on it, I'd rather spend a shit ton modifying a sub 4K bike than a full tilt GS1345Wc Beemer or Katoom1446v4 adventure. Makes more fiscal and perpetual sense.

[keithmaine]

3.2 x 60 is 192.
So.....looking for fuel just under 200 miles for me. JUST a tad better than the SV's range at it's far side, which I know intimately. So I guess I can live with that.
And.....if you have no problem farkling the hell out of a $3500 bike, a Rotopax and mount looks to me to mount perfectly on the rear of the stock luggage. IIRC there was a large group tour somewhere (not US) and the RX3's on it had dual 1 gal Rotopax on the rear of the stock bags.
In fact now that my mind is on it, I'd rather spend a shit ton modifying a sub 4K bike than a full tilt GS1345Wc Beemer or Katoom1446v4 adventure. Makes more fiscal and perpetual sense.

You bet it does :)

[Jay In Milpitas]

3.2 x 60 is 192.
So.....looking for fuel just under 200 miles for me. JUST a tad better than the SV's range at it's far side, which I know intimately. So I guess I can live with that.
And.....if you have no problem farkling the hell out of a $3500 bike, a Rotopax and mount looks to me to mount perfectly on the rear of the stock luggage. IIRC there was a large group tour somewhere (not US) and the RX3's on it had dual 1 gal Rotopax on the rear of the stock bags.
In fact now that my mind is on it, I'd rather spend a shit ton modifying a sub 4K bike than a full tilt GS1345Wc Beemer or Katoom1446v4 adventure. Makes more fiscal and perpetual sense.

With all the standard features CSC specs our bikes with, I tell folks to not think of it as a $3500 bike, but as a $4500 bike with a $1000 head start.

Using mine for mostly commuting (50/50 freeway & surface street) I've conditioned myself to ignore the blinking fuel bar and dim flashy thing and just use my trip meter. 180-210 miles and I put 3-ish gallons in. Stock 14-44 gears & tires.

[RedHawk47]

Hey
As you may know, the bike tank capacity is not really the advertised, while every spec sheet you see will tell you that the bike has a 16L (4.2gallons) tank, in reality its capacity is 14L (3.7gallons).


I had read this comment by the OP but unfortunately had forgotten it.

I confirmed his comment this past week, the hard way. I had figured that with a 4.2 gallon tank and 60+ mpg on the first two tanks of fuel that I could get 240+ miles on the tank. So I was scheduled to pull into my local station that sells E0 at 220 miles.

Well, at 205 miles the engine started missing, and at 206 it was done. After an aborted attempt to get fuel from AAA - they sent the guy to the wrong county - I was able to get ahold of my wife. I asked her to bring me exactly one gallon, which she was able to do. More good news - the bike started up right away. It stumbled a bit the first few miles and then ran normal.

After 14.6 miles I was at my E0 gas station and filled up with 2.815 gallons. That works out to 55.6 mpg. I realized that I was probably easier on the throttle during early break-in, and more aggressive now. Figuring in the fuel I burned getting to the gas station it works out to a 3.6 gallon tank - with (important) the way I fill it. There is a tube in the filler neck; I usually fill such that the fuel is about one half inch below the bottom edge of the tube. (Next time I fill I will try to see how much more it takes to fill to the bottom of the tube, and post an update.)

Edit: I remembered that I did this last fill-up with the bike on the centerstand, usually I do it on the sidestand. So I went out and checked - the fill level was about the same both ways. I think that if you were to want to get as much fuel in the tank as possible filling while on the sidestand would get more because the tube is angled and therefore higher on one side to let more air out/fuel in.

[SpudRider]

Thanks for posting the update, Dan. :)

[adriansk8]

good afternoon,

when I had a problem with the fuel tank float , I think this is because I mark on the tachometer reserve fuel since yesterday , when in fact the tank is full .

[Eco Mouse]

You can do this mod without taking the tank off. The problem with the float is the length of the arm is too short. Yeah, you can bend it down, but it will only reach so far. I ran the tank almost empty, with the fuel pump exposed.

The furthest you can bend the wire will still leave the fuel pump covered with 3 inches of fuel. More than enough to consider as reserve and coverage. I measured with a wooden stick, while conducting this experiment.

If you want the float to go lower, then you'll need to take the sender unit out and fashion yourself a new longer wire. If you do that, then you can have a more accurate reading up towards the top all the way down to a considerable reserve.

If fact, if I were to do this, how it's pictured, in the above instructions, I'd bend the wire to get the float even with the bottom of that sender. Not 30mm above. Because the fuel pump sits way under that bottom plate in the lowest sump of the tank. Again, about 3 inches below.

[Ipatters]

The most I've ever done is 210 miles and the tank took 14.3 litres.

The engine was spluttering.

66.5 mpg UK

[Eco Mouse]

How do you know you got 66.5 mpg exactly? The odometer rolls on 1 mile for every 10 actual miles driven. And that's with a 19" wheel. :doh:

[jbfla]

How do you know you got 66.5 mpg exactly? The odometer rolls on 1 mile for every 10 actual miles driven. And that's with a 19" wheel. :doh:

I will need to pay closer attention.

When I use the GPS to track my trips, I wasn't aware of a great difference between the odometer and the GPS.

On tomorrow's ride I will check the difference.

jb

[jbfla]

How do you know you got 66.5 mpg exactly? The odometer rolls on 1 mile for every 10 actual miles driven. And that's with a 19" wheel. :doh:

I think it would be a good idea to get your odometer checked....it's covered under warranty. ;)

My GPS doesn't show tenths of a mile, only whole miles.

So as soon as the GPS turned 100 miles, I stopped the bike immediately to take a photo, not my best picture, but good enough to see.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/mascioj/CSC%20Motorcycles/Speedometer-Odometer/100%20miles_zpse1j0idja.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/mascioj/media/CSC%20Motorcycles/Speedometer-Odometer/100%20miles_zpse1j0idja.jpg.html)



The miles were all ridden on the straight and level, when a GPS is most accurate, and in an east-west or north-south direction.

That's one thing about Florida, there's lots of straight and level.

At the same time I took a photo of the RX3's odometer:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/mascioj/CSC%20Motorcycles/Speedometer-Odometer/105%20miles_zps8kiofjcp.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/mascioj/media/CSC%20Motorcycles/Speedometer-Odometer/105%20miles_zps8kiofjcp.jpg.html)

It shows 105 miles. Five miles greater than the GPS reading.

By my math that is a 5% difference.

The only road nearby that has mile markers is the Interstate.

And I don't ride interstates on the RX3.

jb

[Jay In Milpitas]

I think it would be a good idea to get your odometer checked....it's covered under warranty. ;)

My GPS doesn't show tenths of a mile, only whole miles.

So as soon as the GPS turned 100 miles, I stopped the bike immediately to take a photo, not my best picture, but good enough to see.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/mascioj/CSC%20Motorcycles/Speedometer-Odometer/100%20miles_zpse1j0idja.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/mascioj/media/CSC%20Motorcycles/Speedometer-Odometer/100%20miles_zpse1j0idja.jpg.html)



The miles were all ridden on the straight and level, when a GPS is most accurate, and in an east-west or north-south direction.

That's one thing about Florida, there's lots of straight and level.

At the same time I took a photo of the RX3's odometer:http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/mascioj/CSC%20Motorcycles/Speedometer-Odometer/105%20miles_zps8kiofjcp.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/mascioj/media/CSC%20Motorcycles/Speedometer-Odometer/105%20miles_zps8kiofjcp.jpg.html)
It shows 105 miles. Five miles greater than the GPS reading.

By my math that is a 5% difference.

The only road nearby that has mile markers is the Interstate.

And I don't ride interstates on the RX3.

jb

19 or stock 18" front wheel, JB?

[rickosuave1987]

I have the stock 18"front wheel and my odometer is consistently 5% over.

[jbfla]

19 or stock 18" front wheel, JB?

18" wheel.

jb

[Eco Mouse]

Just did my first fuel up after bending the float arm. I basically got 183 miles before it started blinking, and just decided to go to 200 miles before filling up.

I was at 3.2 gallons, and there was plenty of fuel over the fuel pump.

I probably could have gotten more miles, but the majority of the 200 miles were 2-up, and when we each had our own turn by ourselves, we flogged the hell out of it. Plus, we've got the 13t/45t sprocket combo.

We basically got 62.5 mpg (based on the odometer reading) and we are OK with that. So, now we will just ride 200 miles, then fill up.

[SpudRider]

Just did my first fuel up after bending the float arm. I basically got 183 miles before it started blinking, and just decided to go to 200 miles before filling up.

I was at 3.2 gallons, and there was plenty of fuel over the fuel pump.

I probably could have gotten more miles, but the majority of the 200 miles were 2-up, and when we each had our own turn by ourselves, we flogged the hell out of it. Plus, we've got the 13t/45t sprocket combo.

We basically got 62.5 mpg (based on the odometer reading) and we are OK with that. So, now we will just ride 200 miles, then fill up.

Thanks for posting the report. :)

Did you lengthen the wire, or merely bend the wire to make the float even with the bottom of the sender?

[Eco Mouse]

The wire has a 90° bend in it, so by straightening that just a smidgen, gives you a wee bit more length... but ultimately just bending the wire down is all I did. Because you can't really do too much to the wire with just a push stick down through the filler opening.

I took a metal rod, cut a notch out of the end so it wouldn't slip off the float wire, and just reached in and pushed in a few key areas on the wire until it was down about as far as you can go.

[SpudRider]

Thanks, EM. :)

I will soon be removing the fuel tank of my RX3 to repaint it. At that time I will drain all the fuel, and remove the fuel gauge sensor. I will bend the wire before I replace the sensor. :)

[Eco Mouse]

Don't forget to check for rust. I've got rust inside mine, and when I got it, there was only 350 miles on it.

I'm going to spray some naval jelly or rust converter down there next empty tank.

But I'm going to order a whole new tank, so I can enlarge it by welding on extension wings, instead of those non functional plastic pieces.

[SpudRider]

Thanks for posting the tip. :) I certainly will check for rust while I have the fuel tank removed. ;)

[SpudRider]

I completed painting the fuel tank, and the rest of my RX3 motorcycle. I did not find any rust in the fuel tank. :)

While the fuel tank was removed for painting, I removed and adjusted the fuel gauge. I bent the float wire of the fuel gauge until it was level with the bottom of the gauge. The fuel gauge now flashes the yellow warning light after I have used 2.9 gallons of fuel. :tup: I am happy with this adjustment. :)

http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq146/spudrider/Zong%20Mud%20Flap/GEDC2266_zps1uula0js.jpg

[Eco Mouse]

I'm starting to tinker with the idea of buying an RC3 tank (a supposed 5 gallon tank) and seeing if it could be retrofitted to the Cyclone.

Where I'm planning on riding, I need 300+ miles minimum on a tank, fully loaded down. Carrying extra fuel should be a last resort.

Many years ago during a forum-wide MPG challenge, I rode 371 miles on my KLR. I ran out of fuel twice, and had to tip the bike to the side to get the bit of reserve to the other side to the fuel line side. I still believe that I could have milked more miles if I made a specific ride loop using my hyper-milage driving tactics. Instead the 371 miles were achieved with some off-road dirt play, commuting to work, then a long trip in the mountains before I finally coasted into a gas station.

[Lee R]

My Stelvio if ridden responsibly gets mpg in the 40s, 46 as the highest for me with an 8.5 gallon tank, 391 miles are possible. I plan 300 mile intervals on long trips and it's got the comfort to pull that off. The RX3 needs more fuel capacity imo.I fill up at 150 miles.

[SpudRider]

My Stelvio if ridden responsibly gets mpg in the 40s, 46 as the highest for me with an 8.5 gallon tank, 391 miles are possible. I plan 300 mile intervals on long trips and it's got the comfort to pull that off. The RX3 needs more fuel capacity imo.I fill up at 150 miles.

But you cover those 150 miles very quickly. :) I average 68 mpg with my RX3, but I am gentle on the throttle. ;) Therefore, I fill the fuel tank after I ride about 200 miles, and I still have 0.7 gallons in reserve to bathe the fuel pump. :)

[dpl096]

Excellent write-up! I intend to try this at my next valve adjustment.

Im anxious to see your results ...... Did you bend it down ?

[detours]

Im anxious to see your results ...... Did you bend it down ?

Yeah, I did my valves on Sunday and while the tank was off I followed the steps to bend the float wire down to the level of the platform.

It's really tight clearance to remove the unit. Both the switch and the float are the exact dimensions of the oval mounting hole. So you have to gently twist the unit to line up the float and slide it out. Then it's an easy bend and reverse steps to re-install.

I should have filled the tank in one gallon increments and tested the float, but I was on my way to do LED testing and didn't think about it. I'll run the tank down soon enough, but I'm sure I'll have the same results as others here.

[SpudRider]

After performing this modification, my fuel gauge still reads full after burning a gallon of fuel. :shrug: However, the yellow warning light flashes after I have consumed 2.9 gallons of fuel, and that is the most important factor for me. ;)

[kumatae]

Excellent tutorial! Hope CSC takes a note and does their future tutorials like this!

[madsocial]

My husband and I did the same adjustment to the floater. This week was the first week that I rode with a full tank since the adjustment, in order to really test how the change even worked.

The outcome: I rode for 134 miles and it still registered a full tank. Then when it hit the 160 mile range it all of a sudden dropped to 3 bars. Then when it got to 180 it dropped to the Empty bar and when I hit 187 it started blinking empty. LOL So I rode for 2 full days with no changes and then on the 3rd day the fuel gauge dramatically made changes.

[pete]

Why.
Do you really think that the fuel pump needs THAT much fuel to work? We are talking half a tank here

he's 100% correct... the pumps needs to be under fuel to keep it cool...

why that much fuel... because some joe avarage's are dick heads
just zongshen playing safe... as do most of the other companys...
the standard XT tank had a 150km left in it when the fuel light & fuel
trip counter came on..



...

[fjmartin]

Today I followed the great instructions provided to adjust the float arm on my RX3. I've not liked that my bike will be flashing empty and if I go fill it up it only takes about 2.25 gallons. So today I adjusted it. Now I'll monitor when it goes from full to 3 bars and so on to see how it works. I believe it will start flashing empty at me with about 1 gallon left but won't know until I run it down. Will adjust as needed so I don't ruin the fuel pump. Thanks again for the help!

[fjmartin]

I got a change to test my changes and it worked great. Previously once the bike started flashing E I would continue to drive for another 90 miles or so before filling it up and then it would take 2.7 gallons to fill. Now, the bike goes from full to the next bar after about 60 miles and then goes down till it flashes E and when I stopped immediately to fill up it took 2.45 gallons to fill leaving 1.25 remaining since the tank is actually only 3.7 gallons. That's much better for me. Leaves enough fuel to protect the fuel pump but doesn't drive me nuts saying it's empty so quickly. Nice mod and thanks again for such great instructions!

[Caribbean Rider]

I am wondering if my tech re-installed the fuel sender correctly, because our bikes have a fuel level problem that is not easily explained.

The basics: which direction does the float go? Forward or backwards?

[Thunder]

The float arm goes towards the rear of the bike.

[Gaijin]

Just an update on this, something I got from Joe Berk's blog: the tank is 4.2 gallons. If there was nothing else in the tank, it would hold 4.2 gallons. But there's a big ol' fuel pump and float in the tank, and those take up space, so the USABLE capacity is more like 3.7 gallons.


And I will be leaving the float alone, as I ran out twice. Yes it comes on very early, but it's not that big of a deal. If you ride in town, and you keep your habits consistent, you'll know your average MPG and you can fill up based on the odometer. If you are riding long distances and you don't know what MPG you're getting, you might be shocked to find out it could be as low as 44 MPG (that's what I got on a long ride, full throttle, with a headwind). So my new practice is: when the dang light's flashing, fill it up. It beats pushing the bike on the side of a highway.