HOW FAR CAN YOU GO... AFTER THE COMPUTER ZEROS?

This morning Trudie mentioned she needs some fresh veggies for tonight's 'dinner for two' The Spar is about 10 km from home and we decided to go with the bikes. After yesterday's ride to Clarens we filled up near our residence and this started the whole story.

We passed the Spar, onto the N12, off at Kraft and through old Germiston, Jules road, Jhb CBD Eloff St and onto the M2 and off at Smit to do the Fordsburg, Florida, Ontdekkers Road where we stopped for the Rapport and peanut snack, to Krugersdorp. We then went through Magaliesburg and decided to make a dash for Irene Farm via the N14 for breakfast before 11h00. We arrived there at 10h45 for a nice breakie untill about 12h30. It was now really time to get those veggies and go home...

The Woolies at Nelmapius had all she wanted except pumpkin and we took the R21 to go home via Bredell. Well, that was the intention.

We missed the Benoni turn-off and took the R21 to Boksburg and at East Rand Mall we got onto the N12 to go home that way.

As fate would have it we missed the Snake Rd turn-off and also the Bapsfontein one further down...

Only when we got to the Balmoral turn-off we got to our senses again and rode to the N4 to go home via the Bronkhorstspruit/Benoni road past Que Cera.

About 20km before Que Cera we started discussing (over the F4 comms) the available fuel situation. We wouldn't make Bapsfontein but there is a filling station nearby. At that stage the two bikes' computers were very close reading the same distance available, the GT showing avarage two km's further going than the ST. The discussion became technical as I know I can do some km's after the computer zeros but doesn't know how much. The ST on the other hand we have no idea but Bavarian's guys said the computer is very accurate as when it shows zero you will run out of fuel immediately after!

We decided to test the system.

At the filling station we got a 2-liter cold drink bottle and filled that with fuel and took off. At that time the ST had 5km in reserve and the GT about 7. At 12km in the red the ST stuttered and 500m later died of thirst. Calculation? After zero there was still 0.5L in the tank as the average fuel consuption was 4L/100km, being 25km/L

We put 1L in the ST's tank and passed our house and rode to Petit Shell where we filled the ST and the 2L bottle with the missing 1L.

The GT was still going strong and we stopped at Rynfield Spar for the pumpkin (at last) and a milkshake at the Wimpy.

We went back in the direction of our house 10km on and had to pass it again, the GT still going strong...

But not for long. About 4km past our house this one too stuttered and came to a stop, 34km's in the red! Calculation? At 5.5L/km (18.18km/L) average for the day there was still 1.87L in the tank when the computer zero'd!

And 447km for the day... to buy vegies 10km up the road!

I remember on both the RT's that I had before when the computer zero they required 24L to fill up, with another 3L still in the tank, enough to go another at least 50km's

...And at this late hour of the day I will not have any pumpkin, only the other veggies and roast chicken.

Pumpkin saved for tomorrow.

Dave, care to join tomorrow?

tj wrote:...And at this late hour of the day I will not have any pumpkin, only the other veggies and roast chicken.

Pumpkin saved for tomorrow.

Dave, care to join tomorrow?

You can have my portion.

...julle is nie lekker nie! Maar ons verstaan. Ek moet seker ook die enigste ou wees wat party dae by die werk aan kom en nog 'n keer om die blok wil ry voor ek stop!

Daai fuel gauge van my het ek uitgefigure moet werk op snaakse kalkulasies. Ek dink hy werk op die laaste aantal X kilometers - so as jy skielik hard ry gaan dinge deurmekaar gaan. Ek het die 800 al gery tot tot 2km om te gaan, 7 en 9. Geen probleem. Dan gooi ek so amper 18 liter in die 16 liter tenk.

Maar dan het ek ook al gaan staan met 7 kilos 'to go' en een keer met 21 to go. So nou raak ek maar kriewelrig hier by 25 rond! (Om nie te praat van die RT wat met my gaan staan het op 71km to go!)

When we filled up

Trudie's ST took on 16.3L after she had depleted about 80% of the 1L we put in. Tank capacity is reportedly 17L. Now this one fills quite accurate!

My GT on the other hand (at a different filling station) still had at least 1.4L of the original 2L. It took 24.4L to fill.

Now the question? The book says the tank capacity is 24L and this one took 24.4 + 1.4 = 25.8! BMW will not be so lousy as to understate the tank's capacity.

I think we get screwed at the pumps!

In my opinion, it’s not unlikely for the pumps to be inaccurate. It must be difficult to measure flowing petrol (although I know nothing about the inner workings of petrol pumps). As for the fuel gauge inside our petrol tanks it can, in my opinion, never be precisely accurate. I imagine it must be like filling up a measuring jug to a point with water and (while shaking the jug about) showing it to someone not knowing how much water you put in and then asking that person to tell you how much water is in the measuring jug. That person will not be able to give you an accurate reading…

My F800GS hou ten minste 17.3l en nie 16l nie. Ek dink ook 20km is tyd om kriewelrig te word...daai outjie stoot swaar...

mario wrote:My F800GS hou ten minste 17.3l en nie 16l nie.

Presies my punt!

Hoe beter jy jou fiets ken, des te beter kan jy hom vertrou.

Ek het al 53 km gery nadat die computer ge"zero' het op die 1200GSA.

Gesleep tot by vulstasie en 37.95 liter gegooi in die 33 liter tenk!!!!!

Daardie vulstasie het nou 'n lekker ekstra 15% wins op sy brandstof wat ander eerlike ouens nie het nie

I unintentionally tested my bike's computer a while ago.... I got stuck next to the road with the computer showing 33km still to go. Martin had to tap fuel from his bike to help me out to the nearest garage. Luckily we had a 500ml bottle of water that had to be emptied very quickly.

Like happened with Drix too, this is not acceptable. Why have a computer if you cannot trust it?

Daleen, I recommend your service agent should check it out. It is definately defective. No other excuses can be accepted.

After I got stuck with the 20-odd to go incident, I know the fuel sensor has been replaced at the next service as part of the recall list due at the time.

But haven't had the guts to test it again and too lazy to take some fuel along and test it.

BTW, had my 40,000k service yesterday, quite a major one. Well, spark plugs and filters and so on replaced. Bike's going like a rocket again!

I never even thought of that TJ. Had it serviced in George over December. Will definitely take it in to have a look at.