Have you ever run out of fuel on the FZ6?

[FIZZER6]

Have any of you ever run out of fuel while riding the FZ6? How many miles after the light starts blinking did you make it?

My fuel light has been blinking and I usually don't go more than 10 miles after it starts blinking.
I'm close to 15 miles now...hopefully I can make the gas station 7 miles away.

 

[Jugro]

If I don't go completely banzai, when the light comes on, I can usually get 25-30 miles out of it.

And yes I've run out twice

 

[McLovin]

Yeah I was pushing it really far on the reserve once, ran out of gas at 36 miles...all that torque I felt between my legs died all of a sudden...once I filled up, I had to get back on the freeway and do 300+km with my topcase to feel like a man again.

 

[tcmalker]

Not on a FZ6 (yet), but my first bike was a Ninja 500. I didn't have it for more than a month when it suddently stopped in a middle of traffic! I originally thought I ran out of fuel (my bike doesn't have fuel gauge), so I put the fuel switch to reserve (one good thing about carbuerated bikes). But it wouldn't start! I began to panic and call my wife to look up the forum for solution .

To be safe I rolled my bike to a gas station and filled up. Then miracle! It started. Later I learned that you have to wait for a minute or two for the fuel to flow after you switch to reserve.

 

[armystrong]

I ran out of gas on my way to the gas station. I was at a red light on a 4 lane divided highway....and yes I was the lead vehicle at the light. It just stalled and the horns started blowing behind me. I had to push the bike across the highway to a shoping center...no gas station within sight. Some random guy in a car saw me and asked if I ran out of gas. Thank goodness he was a rider too and drove to a gas station and got me a gallon or two of gas in a small gas can he had in his car...didn't even charge me.

 

[tcmalker]

I ran out of gas on my way to the gas station. I was at a red light on a 4 lane divided highway....and yes I was the lead vehicle at the light. It just stalled and the horns started blowing behind me. I had to push the bike across the highway to a shoping center...no gas station within sight. Some random guy in a car saw me and asked if I ran out of gas. Thank goodness he was a rider too and drove to a gas station and got me a gallon or two of gas in a small gas can he had in his car...didn't even charge me.

He was being polite...did you offer to pay him?

 

[FIZZER6]

He was being polite...did you offer to pay him?

This! He was just being polite...I'm sure he expected you to give him the cash...geeze dude.

I was in Florida last year just walking along when someone's car stalled out in the road about 100 feet from a gas station (out of gas). The driver panicked and handed me and my buddy each a $20 bill to help him push it the 100 feet to the gas station! It was pretty clear he was intoxicated and didn't want the cops to show up before he got it to the station, lol. Win for us!

 

[aziebell]

I have ran out once so far. My commute to work is about 5 minutes, so I figured I would just fill up after work. Made it to work just fine. Went to start the bike after work, started alright, made it out of the parking lot, and it died. Nearest gas station was a block away

 

[FIZZER6]

Update so I did make the gas station.

the light had been blinking for 20.6 miles.

 

[Sun Diego FZ6]

Haha. Talk about pushing your luck. Good thing you made it. :spank:

 

[alexthekid]

If I don't go completely banzai, when the light comes on, I can usually get 25-30 miles out of it.

And yes I've run out twice

I ran out of petrol/gas today after getting 34miles on the warning light. Luckly enough it happened just before a pertol station only less then a mile away. I smelt a burning smell and had a loss of power in 4th and 5th and it seemed to be dying on me. I filled up and it's fine now.

Will letting fuel run out damage the engine? I surely won't be letting that happen again.

 

[alexthekid]

Hi,
I ran out of petrol/gas today after getting 34miles on the petrol light. Silly thing to let it run low, I know but I had just changed the tank so needed as little juice in it as possible.
I was wondering if it would damage the engine? I filled up and it seems to be fine but I smelt a burning smell when it was loosing power before I pulled in to fill up.
Any advice or feedback would be appreciated.

 

[ChevyFazer]

I don't think it can hurt the engine itself but if you have any trash, gunk, or debris in your fuel tank it is more likely to be sucked up in the filter and eventually start to clog things up. My fuel gauge hasn't worked since I got my bike and after I go 100 miles the next station I pass I normally fill up, and try not to go no more than 150 miles without filling up because I don't like to run any vehicle on less than 1/4 tank to try to keep trash from being sucked up. Plus I've here that it's not good for your fuel pump to run it down to empty on anything, that might just be a old wise tale but I fell better about doing it that way, especially not knowing exactly how much fuel I have in the tank

 

[FIZZER6]

^ It's not an old wive's tale. Running any pump dry is not good for the motor as it will spin at a higher rpm than designed and run at a much higher temperature.

-J

 

[HPTuner]

I'm supposing when it starts blinking, you are on the theoretical .96 gallon reserve? Correct?

 

[Nick329]

I'm supposing when it starts blinking, you are on the theoretical .96 gallon reserve? Correct?

Yes, that is correct.

 

[Motohead]

27 miles until it died. I was in a hurry and didnt pay attention to the gauge. I normally get 45 mpg so reserve on my bike would be closer to .6 gallons. Where does the the .96 gallons come from? The owners manuel?

 

[Nick329]

The owners manual states a .95 US Gal reserve in the specifications section.

 

[Nick329]

Also, does everyones fuel gauge show 5 bars when full?
Mine will show 5 when full, but there is a space between the 5th bar and the "F" on the gauge...it's just enough room for a 6th bar...

 

[Darth Fazer]

^ It's not an old wive's tale. Running any pump dry is not good for the motor as it will spin at a higher rpm than designed and run at a much higher temperature.

-J

Also, the fuel pump is lubricated by the fuel inside the tank (fuel, being a petroleum product, is a light lubricant). When you let it get below a certain level (usually around 1/4 full) the upper fuel pump bearing is not submerged in fuel anymore & is therefore not being lubricated.