Uh Oh... stupid is as stupid does...

[bobbyfromnc]

Well due to crappy weather haven't rode the Norge but two times since I rode it home in March. So I decide to ride back down to Charlotte to ask a few questions and pick up some stuff... I then decided to take the scenic route home (glad I did) so I am cruising along, enjoying the ride passing through a little town and then it happened... on its own deceleration, no power. So I pull in a small side road, park. What the crap? Turns over fine, no signs of battery weakness. Hmmm? So I'm thinking if I might have the problem a guy who bought a norge at the same dealership spoke of on here on wildguzzi? I didn't think so because I have plenty of voltage etc. By the way the fuel gauge was reading 1/4 of a tank. So I call the dealership and they were very helpful by asking questions for me to check etc. He even mentioned about the the guy (here on wildguzzi) who had a wire not properly attached to the alternator etc. He walked me through the fuses etc. so he said Bobby do you have gas? In said yeah a 1/4 of a tank, so it says. Dumb me I should have checked myself... relying on technology, so I checked as he asked... sure enough when I shook the bike no sloshing of gas heard. So now feeling like a dumb school boy I was to walk about a quarter of a mile back down for a bottle of gas. Duh Embarassed Embarassed

So the dealer... Matthews Fun Machine's (Charlotte NC area) who is a hundred miles from the house says to me... Bobby just keep up with your mileage so this doesn't again and enjoy riding your bike. Next chance you have to get down here and leave it with us we'll check it out and make it right. Good bunch to deal with.

[Sasquatch Jim]

  Fuel gauges have been known to lie.
 Probably why older bikes never had them.

[Tobit]

Maybe the gauge was telling you that you passed the last gas station about 1/4 mile back?  Glad it turned out well and sounds like a good dealer to do business with.

Pics of the bike?

Tobit

[bobbyfromnc]

Maybe the gauge was telling you that you passed the last gas station about 1/4 mile back?  Glad it turned out well and sounds like a good dealer to do business with.

Pics of the bike?

Tobit

Just a Beautiful Black Norge with aftermarket windshield and Agostini chrome exhaust.

[MotoGoosy]

Happened to me going down the freeway at 70 right where two freeways merge!!  Nowhere to go.  Cars sliding sideways to avoid me, and all, how I managed to get across 6 lanes to a shoulder I will never know.  Sure I was a goner.  No fuel gauge, it was on my Harley.

[jackson]

I started riding motorcycles in 1969.  They didn't have fuel gauges (at least, none of them that I owned) so I quickly learned to routinely set the trip meter back to zero every time I filled the gas tank.  And, I always computed my gas mileage at each fill-up.  This way, I know the worst gas mileage that my bike is going to achieve and I plan my next fill-up around that mpg estimate.  I got so used to doing it within the first few months that I don't think that I've ever failed to go through this routine at every gas stop.  I have never ran out of gas.  Years later, when I bought a bike that had a gas gauge, I kept the old routine but would watch the gas gauge.  It didn't take long to discover that they're rarely correct.  Sometimes, the old way of doing something is still the best way.  At least you didn't get stranded twenty miles from a gas station.  Glad you got the problem solved without too much hassle.

[Bill Hagan]

****

Pics of the bike?

Tobit

Just a Beautiful Black Norge with aftermarket windshield and Agostini chrome exhaust.

First, IMO, the word "just" should not be used as you did when referring to a Norge .   ;)

And, is yours code for "I'm not smart enough to post pix" or "I am in a witness-protection program and can't let out any clues."   ;D

OBTW, BTDT.  More than once.  Wish I could say it won't happen again.   ::)

Sure glad Kathi is an indulgent wife.   :D






Bill

[Muzz]

.  They didn't have fuel gauges (at least, none of them that I owned) so I quickly learned to routinely set the trip meter back to zero every time I filled the gas tank.  And, I always computed my gas mileage at each fill-up. 

Works for me. The lil Breva has an idiot light that comes on at 160 miles (after a Vasco tweak). I know I have at least 70 miles left after that comes on. At 155 I start looking for the idiot light; if it comes on when it should (and it has to date) I know it is still working. ::)

The joys of being a Luddite. ;D

[56Pan]

Bobby, I'm the guy that had the alternator connector fall out on the new Norge. (Black one, also).  It's been rock solid since Mathews repaired it.  Except two days ago, my fuel gauge started doing the opposite of yours.  Won't drop past about 7/8 full.  It's about empty now, but I'm taking it in for the first service hopefully next week.  Warranty work, so I'm not going to fool with it. The old Pan has a reserve valve on the L.H. side of the tank.  It'll miss about 5 times, I'll pull the reserve up, and on down the road for about 25 more miles before it's empty. Always able to find a gas station so far. Bulletproof system, but I don't think it would look too good on the Norge tank.  8)

[bobbyfromnc]

Bobby, I'm the guy that had the alternator connector fall out on the new Norge. (Black one, also).  It's been rock solid since Mathews repaired it.  Except two days ago, my fuel gauge started doing the opposite of yours.  Won't drop past about 7/8 full.  It's about empty now, but I'm taking it in for the first service hopefully next week.  Warranty work, so I'm not going to fool with it. The old Pan has a reserve valve on the L.H. side of the tank.  It'll miss about 5 times, I'll pull the reserve up, and on down the road for about 25 more miles before it's empty. Always able to find a gas station so far. Bulletproof system, but I don't think it would look too good on the Norge tank.  8)

I'm glad you responded to my post. Actually I was hoping you would. I was thinking it would be a nice deal if some of the folks who have guzzis could meet up and go on a ride sometime. I am told one of the salesmen at MFM does a once a month cruise in of sorts. Any ways MFM told me they would make it right and I believe they will. Take care. BK

[Arizona Wayne]

When you get a new bike to you carry a 1 gal. gas can in your saddlebag or top case until you know how far you can go on a tank of gas.  ;)

I ride long distances out West where some times it's over 150 miles to another gas station on rigs that aren't good for 200 miles a tank, so I then carry around extra gas to bail my ass out many times.  ;-T

[lucian]

Probable a great relief that it wasn't a real problem. With the bike I mean.  :)

[jetmechmarty]

I rode about an hour and a half on one of my favorite crooked roads until I knew my gas was gone.  I pulled into my planned fuel stop.  No wallet!  That was over a three hour drive for my wife round trip and she doesn't get the same kick out of the curves that I do.   :bow  I wish I could say that's the only time I've done that.   :-[

[Vasco DG]

So far I've not managed to run out on the Griso. A couple of months ago I pulled into a servo in Gundagai on the way back from Wagga and got 14.85 litres into its 15 litre tank! That was cutting it a tad fine... :o

Pete

[rodekyll]

That's nothing -- I got 23.9 gallons into my 22gal tank today.

I camped outside a fuel stop one night many years ago because I was out of gas and they were the only station for the next 100 miles or so.  In the morning the amused attendant told me that their pumps work 24/7 with a credit card.  I'd never heard of that.

[Muzz]

So far I've not managed to run out on the Griso. A couple of months ago I pulled into a servo in Gundagai on the way back from Wagga and got 14.85 litres into its 15 litre tank! That was cutting it a tad fine... :o

Pete

The Griso tank is about 3 lit smaller than the Breva's!!!! :o :o :o ::)

[wittangamo]

Night and temperature are falling in Wild (not so wonderful) West Virginia hundreds of miles from home. Desolate two lane road, fuel light on for way too long. The theme song from "The Hills Have Eyes" is playing in my head. Finally I see a country store with a gas pump, and the engine cuts out with just enough momentum to coast the last few yards. I musta' done something good in a past life.