BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

I understand (rumor about a rumor) that a conversion kit is available for the fuel gauge. Anyone have any information on this ???

I have a vague memory of having read, a year or two ago, about one rider who installed a float gauge from a later-model RT on an earlier-model RT. Can't remember where it was.

Most of my memories nowadays are vague . I'm surprised no one has come up with an aftermarket fix for the fuel strip. I'm out of the 12 year deal and if I want to have the fuel gauge work it's going to cost $300/400 to have the dealer install a known defective part.
Please don't anyone suggest using the odometer, I've been riding over 50 years and have a few bikes in the barn that don't have fuel gauges. I just don't like having something that don't work on the bike.

I don't think it's possible to install a float in the R tanks - the shape doesn't allow the float arm sufficient movement.

Instead, I used an easy-to-make spoofer and combined it with a BMW low fuel switch https://www.bmwsporttouring.com/topic/9 ... 12-r1200r/ to give myself a low fuel warning light. Now the fuel gauge reads full until I have about 3 liters left, at which point the gauge shows empty and the low fuel warning light comes on. The light comes on when I have about 215-220 miles on the tank, with about 30-35 miles remaining. I still reset the trip odometer so I can estimate how much many miles I have left before empty.

My BMW tech said he's never seen an R bike fuel strip last - they are made differently than those for the other BMW models.

Very nice work! Thanks for sharing it, impressive that it can be done in one's garage without a trip to the dealer's computer.

On the fuel strip subject. I am preparing for the 4th one on my 2008 R1200R. The first one lasted 6 years, second 4 years, third less than a year. Has anyone else seen this trend?

glkok wrote:On the fuel strip subject. I am preparing for the 4th one on my 2008 R1200R. The first one lasted 6 years, second 4 years, third less than a year. Has anyone else seen this trend?

This will jinx me, but (knock on wood) I am still on my first replacement strip on my 08. I think someone placed a bit of plastic over the fuel strip to protect it from being hit by the fuel stream when refilling the tank, so I'd be curious to know if that's worked long term.

I've wondered about this too. My '07 had its fuel strip replaced within the first year of ownership by the PO, and that replacement strip is still in place and operating correctly.

My theory is that the early replacement strips were of better quality, and that later ones were poorer and failed more regularly. OTOH, there are some owners (DonE, looking at you) whose bikes had repeated replacements starting early in the model run. So the early ones do fail, but maybe they fail at a lower rate than the later ones.

This fuel strip problem is a perennial nuisance!
So, I took Wally's advice and converted my bike to use the spoofer. Its a DIY solution which works a treat! Thanks Wally.

Steve.
2007 R Black with Pinstripe.

P.S. I would have replied earlier - couldn't login for months!!

On Facebook, someone posted that there is a new part number for the fuel strip, the 'new' part is supposed to be better than the old one.
BUT - I can't find anything about it. Anyone have someone in BMW that could get an answer.

Did you ever find an answer?

Just one guy that 'heard' it's more or less the same design with a tube (for protection) around the sensing strip.
I'm out of the 12 year deal (2007) and it's a lot of money to get it replaced, but it's annoying having something on the bike that don't work.
BTW: riding for over 60 years so don't need a lesson on using the trip odometer, I remember when having a neutral light was a big deal.

Oh I hear you. If and when mine goes, even though the bike is 15 years old, I will bite the bullet and replace the strip. Seems that's the least of my issues at the moment.