Filling the Fuel Tank

[roger l]

How do you fill the fuel tank consistently full? This might sound like a dumb question but my 2008 R1200R is my first BMW. My other bikes were a Honda VLX and a Suzuki M50. Filling the fuel tank was easy. Remove the gas cap, stick the nozzle in and LOOK inside the tank until it is full, simple. I fuel the R1200R on the center stand and the hole is the same size as the fuel nozzle. I cannot see inside to watch how full the tank is. Last night when I filled the tank I put the fuel nozzle in the tank and went until it shut off. Clicked it slow a few times and took the nozzle out. Riding home I noticed the top two bars were not showing on the fuel gauge. I just had the fuel strip changed so I thought maybe it was not calibrated properly. When I got home I opened the tank to find the fuel nowhere near the top of the tank. So what gives? Do you not put the nozzle all the way in the tank? I do not want to over fill the tank and have the gas come shooting out all over the top of the tank but I also do not want to continually under fill the tank either. Any help would be great.

Roger L

[TAG-Caver]

I usually fill it until I see gas in the red tube, but I don't fill it to the top. From what others have written on the board if you fill to the top you get about 1 gallon more than the BMW capacity listed in your owners manual.

[ka5ysy]

I generally go on center stand. Pay attention to the slope of the concrete as I have noticed that a lot of stations are not level and that effects the amount you can stuff in before the nozzle cuts off.

I can, with 10 miles or so remaining on the computer, put a little over 5.2 gallons in. Best fill ever was 5.6 up to the fuel cap bottom. Be careful stuffing the tank in hot weather if you are going to park out in the sun; the gas will merrily expand and dump out the overflow tube causing a merry fire hazard around your bike.

[Caroanbill]

You can fill it to the top of the filler "neck" - I do ... BUT only if you're about to ride, AND if you're going to leave in on the centrestand until you ride off.

Fill until it clicks, then top off with visual check. Fuel will rise to the top of the filler, then subside. You can do this a few times and it will settle a little higher each time. Stop with the level bout 10mm (1/2 inch) below the top - about 19 litres (5 US gall) from my minmum tank level after 350km (ie a bit in reserve). If you leave it on the centrestand until you ride off, there will be no leaks. If you put it on the sidestand, it will leak quite a bit. If you leave it a while on a warm day, it will leak quite a bit.

Reset trip meter. Reset OBC average consumption. Ride off.

Note - this technique is useful for ride with R_GS Adventure (1150 or 1200) when they are always stopping for you. Gets me 350km (220mi) reliably from a tank - obviously I'm more conservative, but in outback Australia, or on my favourite backroad runs, fuel stations can be 150km or even 270 km apart (70-100km is the norm on highways) . When I ride with my Street Triple R mate, I fill on the sidestand and let it cut out at the first click ... he's gonna stop at 200-220km, so waddooeye care?

PS - you can see I have never trusted my OBC km to empty function

[SDMAX]

I always fill on the side stand and stop after the first automatic click off. I am grateful for the information should I ever have to go max distance. So far I'm fine and I think fine for about 200 miles. My habit is to fill just before I get home so I'm always ready for the next ride. Bunches of fun for about 15 bucks a whack.

[daveyator]

I too always fill on the side stand. Fill to the top of the orange tube. When I kinda see it starting to percolate out of the vent hole is when I stop. Here in Cali it's a pain because you have to hold that vapor return sleeve up to keep the pump going and see what your doing. With my usual refill at 200ish miles I usually get 4 gals in give or take. Never had it leak.

[red baron]

Same here: I put the bike on the sidestand and I fill up to the top of the rim. From past experience when I run out of gas, tank capacity is 5.6 gallons. This in return makes a fill up at about 180 to 190 miles very save since about .5 to 1 gallon remain as a reserve in the tank. Obviously driving conditions will decide if an earleir fill up is warranted. Key of course is putting the tripmeter to zero at every fill up.
Peter