Tank capacity

[punchdrunk44]

Proud new owner of a R12R.
What is the fuel capacity?
When my fuel light comes on what remains in the tank?
Is the countdown to reserve, or empty?

Confused in Wisconsin

[deilenberger]

Proud new owner of a R12R.
What is the fuel capacity?
When my fuel light comes on what remains in the tank?
Is the countdown to reserve, or empty?

Confused in Wisconsin

As far as we can tell - actual tank capacity is somewhere around 5.7 US Gallons.

On mine - the light comes on when the fuel-remaining countdown is somewhere around 40 miles remaining or so - and when I filled it - I put in around 4.6-4.8 gallons.

As usual - this is a place where YMMV is more likely Your Milage WILL Vary..

Oh - furthest I've gone on a tank is about 280 miles... and it showed about 30 miles remaining.

[ka5ysy]

+1 on the milage. I routinely get at least 250 miles per tank. Did one tank to 270 miles with the computer showing 10 miles to empty. 5.2 gallons filled.

Fine machine !

[Lost Rider]

Congrats on the bike.

I have ran my tank about dry and crammed 5.6 gallons of fuel in it many times, though it will spill through the overflow tube when you do that.

We have NEVER gone further than 225 on a tank, and that was only once I think. Usually around 190 miles at best on the road, 150 when in strictly urban warfare riding...

I feel the light goes on with about a gallon left, about 40 miles worth for me.



-Joe



Go Bears!

[cheelleebutt]

I don't know if it's just my riding style, but I get about 260-280 miles on 4.2-4.6 gallons in the city. On Hwy rides, I'm 300+ miles to the tank with panniers, trunk, and cooler. I've only managed this once but I got 339 miles with 4.8 gallons. I'm pretty light on the throttle as a whole so perhaps this is why my mileage is on the higher side. On one long trip I did, I was getting something like 71 MPG with, once more, panniers, trunk, and cooler. You think that's good? You should have seen my bro with his f650gs. He was on the same trip and managed 97 MPG. No, I'm not spewing forth BS.

[celticus]

So how fast are you riding to get 71 mpg?

Mark

[Graf]

I have never gotten more then 200mi from a tank.....I'do beleive it's more then 4.8 gallons.....maybe it's 4.8 + whatever the reserve is.....I am consistently getting about 44-45 miles per gallon......i don't baby it either....
alex.

[RAPaoff]

On my 2009 R1200R I rode 280 miles until the computer said I was down to 8 miles. It took 4.586 gallons to fill it. How is it that people say they put in over 5 gallons when the literature says we have a 4.6 gallon tank?

[Graf]

On my 2009 R1200R I rode 280 miles until the computer said I was down to 8 miles. It took 4.586 gallons to fill it. How is it that people say they put in over 5 gallons when the literature says we have a 4.6 gallon tank?

no matter what literature says....it's definately more then 4.6 gallons......280 miles???.....what is you average speed?.......maybe you really need to get it to the dealer so they can look at the computer.....i don't think it's functioning correctly....

[toomanybikes]

The manual says "Usable Fuel Quantity" is 4.8 gallons, with "Reserve Fuel Quantity" "greater than" 3.2 quarts or 0.8 gallons.

I would take this to mean the total fuel tank capacity is more than 5.6 gallons. The question is what exactly do they mean by "greater than 3.2 quarts".

As for me I always fill up at under 200 miles.

[RAPaoff]

I always assumed the reserve was part of the usable tank capacity.
As for my mileage, I believe the computer is fine. My speed varies but I have been
keeping it under 4,000rpm as I am breaking it in. Historically, on my RT,
I averaged 50-60mpg as long as I am not using gas laced with ethanol.
Most of my riding is between 7,000 and 10,000 feet.

[deilenberger]

I always assumed the reserve was part of the usable tank capacity.

BMW doesn't. I've put 5.6 gallons in, and Fred H put 5.7 or so.

As for my mileage, I believe the computer is fine. My speed varies but I have been
keeping it under 4,000rpm as I am breaking it in. Historically, on my RT,
I averaged 50-60mpg as long as I am not using gas laced with ethanol.
Most of my riding is between 7,000 and 10,000 feet.

My mileage varies from a low of 42MPG to a high of 57MPG.. all depends on conditions and my enthusiasm for the ride..

[cheelleebutt]

So how fast are you riding to get 71 mpg?

Mark

I think the total for that one ride was either 245-250 miles.

[cheelleebutt]

On my 2009 R1200R I rode 280 miles until the computer said I was down to 8 miles. It took 4.586 gallons to fill it. How is it that people say they put in over 5 gallons when the literature says we have a 4.6 gallon tank?

It is interesting. The most I have ever put into my 12R is 5.2 gallons. At this point the computer is counting down to the bottom of the tank. At the 5.2 gallon mark the computer claims I have 42 miles left. Of course when I fuel up the tank I try to put in as much as I can. Because I didn't remove my charcoal canister, I'm sure some of the fuel is bleeding into the canister as overflow. The cool thing is, I don't see sucky performance, unlike the '05 12GS, when the canister is full of fuel. It doesn't seem to phase the 12R. Then again, I'm subjective here so you don't have to believe me.

[cheelleebutt]

So how fast are you riding to get 71 mpg?

Mark

I think the total for that one ride was either 245-250 miles.

Oh sorry, misread the message. I think the average was 65 MPH. There were a lot of spots where I was doing 50-55 MPH because I was cutting through a National Park. They don't let you go too fast. Once I'm out, I'm generally between 70-80 MPH.

[cheelleebutt]

I don't know if it's just my riding style, but I get about 260-280 miles on 4.2-4.6 gallons in the city. On Hwy rides, I'm 300+ miles to the tank with panniers, trunk, and cooler. I've only managed this once but I got 339 miles with 4.8 gallons. I'm pretty light on the throttle as a whole so perhaps this is why my mileage is on the higher side. On one long trip I did, I was getting something like 71 MPG with, once more, panniers, trunk, and cooler. You think that's good? You should have seen my bro with his f650gs. He was on the same trip and managed 97 MPG. No, I'm not spewing forth BS.

The one thing I failed to mention earlier is I ride with max rear tire pressure, 42 PSI, and mild front pressure, 36 PSI. I'm sure the tire pressure is a major factor also. That and aggressiveness. I'm pretty kick back 80% of the time.

[NeilS]

That's imperial gallons, right? And downhill with a tailwind?

[cheelleebutt]

That's imperial gallons, right? And downhill with a tailwind?

Ha ha! Close, but not quite. It was a mix of up mountain and down mountain. There is a good enough mix that I can't say it was all down hill. Probably more down than up though.

[RAPaoff]

So is it the general concensus that after your computer ticks down the miles from 40 to 0, then you start the reserve, or is it the general habit of cramming every last drop into the tank? My RT actually would go many miles after the computer went below 0 but I always thought it was not accurate as a refill from 0 would only result in about 6 gallons. The literature said that gas tank was 7.2 gallons.

[daveyator]

I always get 200mi from a tank. I usually show 2 to 3 bars at that point remaining and usually chicken out and fill up. It always takes 4 to 4.5 gals although lately its taking closer to 4.5 all the time. Speed ranges around 85 to 90 on freeway. Lately been commuting more than "having fun" so that prob effects mileage. On top of that stuck with crappy california gas. Oh yea I attempt to be smooth with the throttle. I have to say that as I approach 12k mi it seems to be getting slightly worse mileage than before but worse for this thing is like 46 mpg instead of 48 or 50. The worse in this case is not so bad. I'd hate to see the mileage if I actually "tried" to get good mileage!