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Fuel gage accuracy

My 07 Fatboy and wife's Deluxe is very accurate...the most I have ever put in was 4.4 gallons in a 4.5 gallon tank. That was too close and try not to get close if I can help it. Most of the time when the low fuel light comes on I can only get 3.5 gallons in.
 
I see a lot of replies that state "I don't use the fuel gauge much". I don't think that's the point of this thread. The 2009 RKC starts at $18,000. At that price you would think "if" Harley Davidson was going to include a fuel gauge that you would not have to push it to a gas station when the gauge says half full "if" you were only relying on the the gauge. I don't know anyone who relies solely on the gauge when they ride, in fact "everyone" I know, knows about how far they can go before they need to fill up.
I think the point of this thread is that on an $18,000 motorcycle the fuel gauge should read fairly close and you shouldn't get a line of bull from the tech at the dealer saying that "The gauge is mainly for looks, just ignore it and use your odometer 'cause we're too lazy or not good enough mechanics to fix it"
 
When I picked up my 06 RKC 3 years ago the tech that went over the bike warned me about the fuel guage telling me to watch the miles. I switched out the fuel guage for one of those electronic LED units that was a lot more accuate, but I still watched the miles. I got an 09 Ultra in Dec. and that guage seems to be right on. But I was a little confused this past Saturday. I had 196 miles on the tank and it was just about reading empty. When I got gas it took just about 5 gal. in the 6 gal tank. So now I'm wondering did they set it so it reads empty and I have that 1 gal more as a reserve? My low fuel light hadn't gone on yet either.
 
The idea of a fuel gage is to help you keep enough fuel in the tank, there have been times when I reset the wrong trip meter. A 6 gallon tank with 3 gallons in it should read 1/2 evan the factory agrees with me on this, the low fuel light is to come on when aprox 1 gallon is remaining, the owners manuel states this and the sending unit can be calibrated, as we have the procedure here in the self help section. Smokie said that Harley has put the gage on for looks and not 1 is accuate. I was about to walk the dealership to do a survay when I gave up, thats when I called the factory, Smokie told me there is no way to empty the fuel tank, add 3 gallons and see how close to 1/2 , the gage would read. Oh and just to get a few feathers going, Smokie also said the TFI, DFO units are junk and he has a box full of defects, what do you guys think of THAT....
 
joel said:
I'll be goiing back for the 4th time for the fuel gage problem on my 09 RKC, this time after talking to moco I get a new sending unit do to after the last adjustment I can now get to push my bike to the gas station with the gage is reading 1/4 tank, don't evan get to see the low fuel warning light come on anymore. So I was wondering if anyone else has a accuracy related problem as the dealer said all fuel gages are off and I should only be concerned with miles per tank. Now with my previous bike, 03 RKC when the gage said 1/2, 1/4, or low leval light came it was accuate, as well as with my 08 Ultra, the gage is very accurate, when it shows 1/2 tank I can get very close to 3 gallons in it.[ I was going to type 3 gals, but I think we all would rather have 3 gals on the tank than in it ] , after talking with the tech I think his nick name should be Smokie, cause that is what I see when he is telling me anything at this point.
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Dealer replaced my sending unit the day I picked up the bike. sales guy filled it up and it showed less than 1/4 tank.
 
I always set my trip when I fill up. I get close to 160 miles then the light comes on and it holds about 3.8 gallons.
 
wildspirit97 said:
I see a lot of replies that state "I don't use the fuel gauge much". I don't think that's the point of this thread. The 2009 RKC starts at $18,000. At that price you would think "if" Harley Davidson was going to include a fuel gauge that you would not have to push it to a gas station when the gauge says half full "if" you were only relying on the the gauge. I don't know anyone who relies solely on the gauge when they ride, in fact "everyone" I know, knows about how far they can go before they need to fill up.
I think the point of this thread is that on an $18,000 motorcycle the fuel gauge should read fairly close and you shouldn't get a line of bull from the tech at the dealer saying that "The gauge is mainly for looks, just ignore it and use your odometer 'cause we're too lazy or not good enough mechanics to fix it"
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Good point. I stated that I don't rely on it because it is an old habit to keep track of mileage. But you are correct, these bikes aren't cheap and everything should work properly, no exceptons.
 
The light on my 07 SG comes on at 1/4 tank and your pushing it very soon after that. I have put 5.1 gallons in it several times.
One better than the gas guage is the odometer. My brother and I rode to South Dakota a few weeks back and both set our trips to zero. When we got to sioux falls and got gas he had 8 or 9 more miles than I did. He has an 08 Ultra.
 
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