I ran out of petrol.

[Kev Murphy]

..it's ok, it was planned, I had spare 3 litres in side pannier.

I now have proof that the fuel reserve warning light does not operate. (It DOES flash when ignition is turned on, so that proves it is not the bulb)

[Brock]

I believe there is a low level switch on the fuel sender. So I guess that you may need to replaced the fuel sender unit

[Kev Murphy]

... at one hundred dollars for the unit, plus shipping, I think I will just continue to carry a splash of spare fuel, and guesstimate my mileage.

[Brock]

After a refuel, reset the trip meter and run until you have gone 400 Ks or the gauge needle is on the white line next to the red bar. I go about 420 - 450 Ks between fills

[Kev Murphy]

  I can usually get around 600/620 on the highway, 450 around town

[alans1100]

I believe there is a low level switch on the fuel sender. So I guess that you may need to replaced the fuel sender unit

Low level fuel sensor is on the fuel pump

http://www.st-riders.net/index.php?PHPSESSID=0c3qo7uhuh4fquh7dpn3arj8h2&topic=976.msg6775#msg6775

The one for the gold wing is still available but stocks are low from David Silver Spares. It's not on the 1100 parts list which is why they use the Goldwing or a V-65 Magna (not sure if that came here). If the link fails the part number is at the end of the link.

http://www.davidsilverspares.co.uk/parts/by-part-number/hpart_37810MN5008/

The only other option is to either buy a new or a used pump or as I do fill the tank before it gets to the white low level mark.

[Gatey]

I can usually get around 600/620 on the highway, 450 around town

^
600/620. What sort of fuel use figures is the bike indicating Kev?

[Kev Murphy]

On the highway with good weather conditions, I get around 22 Km per litre... that's travelling at constant 105/110 kph, traffic regulations permitting

[alans1100]

I believe there is a low level switch on the fuel sender. So I guess that you may need to replaced the fuel sender unit

Low level fuel sensor is on the fuel pump

http://www.st-riders.net/index.php?PHPSESSID=0c3qo7uhuh4fquh7dpn3arj8h2&topic=976.msg6775#msg6775

The one for the gold wing is still available but stocks are low from David Silver Spares. It's not on the 1100 parts list which is why they use the Goldwing or a V-65 Magna (not sure if that came here). If the link fails the part number is at the end of the link.

http://www.davidsilverspares.co.uk/parts/by-part-number/hpart_37810MN5008/

The only other option is to either buy a new or a used pump or as I do fill the tank before it gets to the white low level mark.

I ordered the fuel sensor from David Silver Spares this afternoon plus an aftermarket air filter.

Waiting on email from them as they won't send until I accept the postage charges and an estimated time of delivery

Order information
1 x 17211MT3000P - Air filter (GBP 15.00) - GBP 15.00
1 x 37810MN5008 - FUEL RES SENSOR     *Y (GBP 47.71) - GBP 47.71
Total: GBP 62.71
Delivery: GBP 0.00
Total: GBP 62.71

[Biggles]

On the highway with good weather conditions, I get around 22 Km per litre... that's travelling at constant 105/110 kph, traffic regulations permitting

Wow!  I'm with Gatey.  105-110 is not the optimum speed range for best economy.  Slow as it is, 80 kph returns the best economy on most vehicles.  I wouldn't be selling that bike, it's got the perfect carby, compression, manifold porting etc etc.

[WendyL]

On the highway with good weather conditions, I get around 22 Km per litre... that's travelling at constant 105/110 kph, traffic regulations permitting

Wow!  I'm with Gatey.  105-110 is not the optimum speed range for best economy.  Slow as it is, 80 kph returns the best economy on most vehicles.  I wouldn't be selling that bike, it's got the perfect carby, compression, manifold porting etc etc.

I get around 380-400 from a tank around town, slightly less on a trip, but then our speed limits are not conducive to economical fuel usage......

[alans1100]

On the highway with good weather conditions, I get around 22 Km per litre... that's travelling at constant 105/110 kph, traffic regulations permitting

Wow!  I'm with Gatey.  105-110 is not the optimum speed range for best economy.  Slow as it is, 80 kph returns the best economy on most vehicles.  I wouldn't be selling that bike, it's got the perfect carby, compression, manifold porting etc etc.

I find that 90 k/h seems the best speed for best economy for k/l when towing but Heather complains and tells me I'm riding like an old man at that speed......

[Gadget]

Coming back from Balranald I rode via Naranderra and it was looking tight, so slowed to 80 km/h and that improved fuel efficiency enough to get to West Wyalong with 0.6 litre to spare.

[Biggles]

Coming back from Balranald I rode via Naranderra and it was looking tight, so slowed to 80 km/h and that improved fuel efficiency enough to get to West Wyalong with 0.6 litre to spare.

That's cutting it extremely fine.  I've seen it quit with 1.2 litres on board.
I guess when it gets to tenths of a litre a difference of one millimetre in the pick-up position will be critical.

[Adventure Rider]

Wow after my first long ride I thought that maybe my st was a little thirsty but after reading everyone's comments on what they get I feel relieved as mine is using the average that you blokes are talking about, cheers for that fellars       

cheers
mark 

[StinkyPete]

I've previously posted these figures elsewhere on the forum, but they are relevant to this discussion.    Some year ago while riding across the Barkly Highway, I did some fuel consumption tests.  It was a windless day, and the terrain was quite flat.   I would ride for around five kilometers at the quoted speed and note what fuel consumption was indicated. 
4.4  l/100 km   at   80 km/h
4.7  l/100 km   at   100 km/h
6.0  l/100 km   at   120 km/h
6.4  l/100 km   at   140 km/h

[alans1100]

I've previously posted these figures elsewhere on the forum, but they are relevant to this discussion.    Some year ago while riding across the Barkly Highway, I did some fuel consumption tests.  It was a windless day, and the terrain was quite flat.   I would ride for around five kilometers at the quoted speed and note what fuel consumption was indicated. 
4.4  l/100 km   at   80 km/h
4.7  l/100 km   at   100 km/h
6.0  l/100 km   at   120 km/h
6.4  l/100 km   at   140 km/h

Pete, those L/100km numbers don't mean much to me and maybe others so:-

4.4  l/100 km   at     80 km/h = 22.72 K/L
4.7  l/100 km   at   100 km/h = 21.28 K/L
6.0  l/100 km   at   120 km/h = 16.67 K/L
6.4  l/100 km   at   140 km/h = 15.63 K/L

My overall average since 3rd Jan 2014 is 16.4 K/L (in my signature) and that includes a worst of 13.16 K/L and best 20.57 K/L

[Lionel]

I want to travel @ 100 kph from ACT to Brisbane, a distance of 1250 kms.

Using Peter's method
There are 12.5 lots of 100 kms in 1,250 kms (do it in your head)
Multiply 12.5 x 4.7 for the number of litres I'll use, 58.7 litres

Using Alan's method
Divide 1250 by 21.28 = 58.7 litres

Having finished my schooling before personal calculators and computers were invented I can use a pen and paper to arrive at an answer using either of the above methods, though I'll admit that I would prefer to multiply than divide.
I tend to set the bike's computer to display litres/100 kms for no particular reason.

I usually get under 6L/100kms. If it's more than that I know I'm riding in the NT or into a headwind.

[alans1100]

Having finished my schooling before personal calculators and computers were invented I can use a pen and paper to arrive at an answer using either of the above methods, though I'll admit that I would prefer to multiply than divide.

Same here Lionel but I just prefer to use a calculator.

I tend use K/L as a carry over from the old mpg days as it makes sense after all we never used gallons/100 miles did we?

[Biggles]

Same here Lionel but I just prefer to use a calculator.

I tend use K/L as a carry over from the old mpg days as it makes sense after all we never used gallons/100 miles did we?

The logic is that we are talking about consumption, i.e. litres per km (or 100 km, to make the litres useful, rather than millilitres).

Km per litre is really referencing range.

[Brock]

Over the last 6 years, pretty much to the day, I have averaged 16.67 Ks per litre, or 48 MPG, or exactly 6 L per 100 Ks. speeds were around 100 - 120Ks usualy. Average speed is about 85 Ks, though I dont have data for that.

Any one who has studied statistics, will know that the data having been taken over 6 yrs at every fill up  (usualy every week) over 118801.50 Ks means that continued sampling, isnt going to change the the average result isnt going to change by any appreciable amount.

so to plan for 1250 Ks , I would expect to use 75 Litres.  formula  is D(istance to go) x L(iteres per 100) / 100.

(1250*6)/100 = 75 Liters required.  Average expected range to reserve (orange light) was about 400 Ks, and to empty about 500 Ks.

So, if we ride to orange light, we can expect to take about 20 liter of fuel, and a 15 liter top up on arrival.

[alans1100]

Brock, averages are ok as a guide only but individual tank km can be all over the place especially if one use a trailer, going solo, riding two up, or any combination thereof and including the total weight. I'm not going to get the same k/l figure if I tow the trailer compared to riding solo. Looking at my fuel usage with the trailer I'd say 14 k/l is a good average so that 1250 km trip for me would work out to about 90 litres

[Brock]

True Allan,

I rarely carry a passenger, and havent towed a trailer, so I dont have the data for that.

I guess 5 tanks 2 up and 5 tanks with a trailer, and 5 2 up and trailer would give reasonable data to predict range for any situation.

[Gadget]

I can see the benefits of both.

Took me a while to adapt to l/100 km from mpg.

I chose to go with l/100km on the bike because it gave me a good comparison to the cars built in consumption figures.

km/l is handy when you want to work out how far you can go on a tank by just multiplying tank capacity by the consumption.

I also like l/100 km because a smaller number indicates better performance. When trying to be frugal and using less, it seems counterintuitive to chase larger numbers.

[Gatey]

Then there is of course the speedo error which on a few ST's among others can be found to be reading as high as 8km/h above the actual speed as measured by GPS.
My own bike reads 6.3km/h above actual when travelling at a constant 100km/h
So if the ( example of the OP's ) bikes running at 105km/h its most likely only doing perhaps 98.7km/h hence a good set of figures.

And that little speedo error only grows by a bit as you get faster. Say 130km/h by the dial might feel fast but it's probably not yet touching the 125 mark.

This little issue isn't an ST only error. Its common on all manner of bikes from every mainstream manufacturer we have on the shelves in this country and OS. Which makes you wonder why the car you drive is so accurate at measuring your speed but the bike is not?