V7 2015 Tank Capacity Problem

[ajwood]

My V7 5-speed is supposed to have a 5.8 gallon tank. I ran out of gas at 247 miles and walked it into a gas station where I topped it off.
The pump said 5.04 gallons on it. The dealer says that the design of the tank prevents all the gas to port out.
Is that true?     

[Cam3512]

Yes.

[sib]

It's true, but the amount retained depends somewhat on how and where the bike is ridden.  On rough roads, and with more vigorous stopping and starting, more fuel can slosh into the fuel pump intake when the tank is almost "empty".  How many miles you get between fillings also depends on how full you fill the tank.  You can get a significantly larger amount in when the bike is straight up than when it's leaning on the side stand.  I usually fill mine up on the side stand, but I still get 240+ mi out of a filling on my V7-II.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Another first post. Welcome to WG.  Very few fuel tanks can be run dry. What you need to know is how much is *usable*
Sounds like you have found out already.. 

[rocker59]

The answer is "yes".  Usable capacity is something less than the advertised 5.8 gallons.

Did you try sloshing side to side after the bike died?  You can usually get some of the remaining gas over to the good side.

It's been pretty well documented that 250 miles is about it for range on the current V7 Classics, and your experience is another data point.

Here's an ADVrider thread on the subject:  http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/moto-guzzi-v7-gas-run-out-point.1088528/

[ajwood]

Thanks for Replies !
I'll be more careful, starting with a 65 miles remaining calculation when the low-fuel light comes on.

I fuel up on the side-stand too. Center stand too expensive, having to also buy grab rails to lift bike up when standing on foot portion.
It's a V7 Stone.

[Kev m]

It's true, but the amount retained depends somewhat on how and where the bike is ridden.  On rough roads, and with more vigorous stopping and starting, more fuel can slosh into the fuel pump intake when the tank is almost "empty".  How many miles you get between fillings also depends on how full you fill the tank.  You can get a significantly larger amount in when the bike is straight up than when it's leaning on the side stand.  I usually fill mine up on the side stand, but I still get 240+ mi out of a filling on my V7-II.

THIS.... I fill on centerstand, and I've played with the low fuel light (making more aggressive left turns to get it to go out again), and I'm pretty sure at least one time I've put more than 5.0G in the tank... not much more, but more.

Pedantic Kev:

The answer is "yes".  Usable capacity is something less than the advertised actual max capacity 5.8 gallons.

Fixored and

It's been pretty well documented that 250 miles is about it for range on the current V7 Classics (IF YOU'RE ONLY GETTING 50 MILES TO THE GALLON), and your experience is another data point.

Fixored again.

I've not seen 300 miles... but I've gotten close.

I use the point at which the low fuel light turns on to determine what kind of mileage I'm getting on that particular tank.

If I'm getting mid 40s, I start looking by 200 and fill no later than maybe 225

If I'm getting 50, I start looking by 225 and fill around 250

If I'm getting mid 50s, I don't even START looking till 250 and I fill around 275-280.

[rocker59]

I would love to see better than 50 mpg.  My Special has some breaking in to do.  So far it's 48 mpg.

The light comes on with about 3.8 gallons consumed, so it's an easy calculation to determine fuel economy and how much farther you can go.

Fuel light has been coming on for me at about 185 miles, so I'm going to figure 55 miles remaining on "usable" fuel.

I've got a RotoPax fuel cell, and intend to test it out, when I get a chance.

[Kev m]

I would love to see better than 50 mpg.  My Special has some breaking in to do.  So far it's 48 mpg.

The light comes on with about 3.8 gallons consumed, so it's an easy calculation to determine fuel economy and how much farther you can go.

Fuel light has been coming on for me at about 185 miles, so I'm going to figure 55 miles remaining on "usable" fuel.

I've got a RotoPax fuel cell, and intend to test it out, when I get a chance.

It's funny the little differences from bike-to-bike.

First, when I lived in PA I got lower mileage on EVERYTHING I OWN. Combination of the hills, traffic, and I'm thinking oxygenated fuels (probably year round).

Here in NJ it's flatter, straighter, there's less traffic (where I live and the parts of the state I chose to ride) and I can literally tell in a tankful (across the fleet) when the winter formula gas is changed out to summer formula.

Anyway, it's been at least a year (maybe 2) since I fueled up right away when the light turned on... but my records suggest that it was around 3.3 gallons for me.

In PA it was more likely the light would turn on at 150 - meaning "only" 45 mpg.

In NJ it usually doesn't come on until about 175 - meaning about 53 mpg.

I've SEEN it come on at 184 (best tank) meaning 55.76 mpg!

And that would be 279 miles by the 5 gallon mark... and I've gone slightly further than that... so I don't know when my fuel pickup runs dry, but I've always guessed it was closer to 5.2 or 5.3... and at 50 mpg that's impressive, but at 56 mpg I could kiss 300 miles...

[ajwood]

      Was shopping Honda when I decided on the Stone. Many Honda's have awfully small capacities compared to my V7, so I'm happy.
Not having to stop for expensive interstate priced gas is good deal.

Had a 2010 V7 with low-fuel light that blinked a lot before latching on.
Been enjoying better engine performance and better mpg's.
The summer heat makes hot starting very rough, with smell of gas sometimes. Started using 87 octane (less than 1k mi. total) and it's a little less wicked.

The new V7 is just like the 2010 with mileage degrade from jack rabbit start outs and high rpm cruise (above 70mph).
Is the V7II the same rpm in 6th gear as my 5 speed is in 5th ?

Going out to the garage to take pictures of new V7 with its Rizoma mirrors and Guzzi branded windshield. I'll post later in Intro section.

[pyoungbl]

On my last tank the light came on at 197 miles and it took 4.1 to fill.  I'll round that off to 50 mpg in my mind so I can get a feel for when I'm going to need to look for gas.  One point to make is that the V7 tank has a restrictor plate installed so only the smaller (ethanol added) nozzle will fit.  This plate extends down into the tank just a bit and thus extends the air gap.  I'm happy to have that air gap since the fuel is coming out of the ground much cooler than the air temp and will thus expand.  Perhaps the stated fuel capacity is measured without this restrictor.  It's really easy to take the restrictor out, should one want to test this theory.  For me, after 200 miles I'm happy to get off the bike anyway so stopping for gas is no big deal.

Peter Y.

[ruote]

Motorcycle fuel tanks have a recessed filler which creates an air pocket in the top of the tank.  This allows the fuel to expand as it warms up. 

If you need to fill up the entire volume of the tank, a J-shaped tube held in the filler opening can siphon the air out of the top of the tank. 

If you fill the tank "full-full" begin burning the fuel immediately!  If you enjoy a nice lunch before riding away, you will see the tank and engine covered in fresh warm gasoline... 

[kingoffleece]

I took the metal plate and replaced it with nothing.  Like you said, easier to  fuel without the splashes.

[SmithSwede]

Thanks for that info.  One of the few things that annoys me about the Stone is the narrow hole for the fuel nozzle and the fact that it's so prone to splash back.   I didn't realize there was such an easy fix for this little problem.

I'm going to have to try the J-shaped air siphon trick. 

[Arizona Wayne]

Well, if your V7 gas tanks are like the 750 Breva tanks with the fuel pump in the tank, what's really happening is how much fuel the pump pickup can absorb.  My gas tank is supposed to be 4.6 gal., but the reality is 4.0 gal. of useable gas coming out of it when you need it.  My .6 gal. is below the fuel pickup.   This is why I carry and extra gal. out West on long rides where gas stations are not as frequent as out East/South. 

[jas67]

My V7 5-speed is supposed to have a 5.8 gallon tank. I ran out of gas at 247 miles and walked it into a gas station where I topped it off.
The pump said 5.04 gallons on it. The dealer says that the design of the tank prevents all the gas to port out.
Is that true?     

I had the same experience with my '13 Racer.   5.1 gallons topped it off.    So, I consider the tank to have 5 gallons of usable fuel, and try to never go past 225 miles before filling up, which gives me a half gallon of reserve with my typical 50 MPG fuel consumption.

[Kev m]

I had the same experience with my '13 Racer.   5.1 gallons topped it off.    So, I consider the tank to have 5 gallons of usable fuel, and try to never go past 225 miles before filling up, which gives me a half gallon of reserve with my typical 50 MPG fuel consumption.

I wonder how much play there is in the tank pickup location, because, as I've stated, I'm EASILY into the 250-280 range with mine and I'm pretty sure I've put in more than 5.1.

[rocker59]

Or, maybe some variability in odometers ?

[Kev m]

Or, maybe some variability in odometers ?

That wouldn't explain a difference in the # of gallons at fillup...but maybe I'm mistaken and have never put in more than 5.1....

[SmithSwede]

I experimented with mine by running out of gas.  I've got 5.1 or maybe 5.2g of usable fuel, i.e. when the engine quits for lack of fuel on level ground it will take 5.1-5.2 gallons to fill to the brim.

I haven't tried leaning bike way over or sloshing it around to get access to anything more.

[oldbike54]

That wouldn't explain a difference in the # of gallons at fillup...but maybe I'm mistaken and have never put in more than 5.1....

 Them's Joisey gallons , only about .9 what the rest of us get 

  Dusty

[Kev m]

Them's Joisey gallons , only about .9 what the rest of us get 

  Dusty

That would explain it, except it was back in PA.

But I'm gonna have to assume that everyone else is right and I'm nuts. 

[jas67]

But I'm gonna have to assume that everyone else is right and I'm nuts. 

XXXXX oh, never mind, too easy.   

[Kev m]

XXXXX oh, never mind, too easy.   

 

[sib]

The metal restrictor you're referring to has a 24mm opening and extends no further than the plastic "restrictor" with a 38mm opening that it replaces.  There is a secondary lip in the tank that creates the airspace.  The plastic restrictor rests on it.  With the narrower opening, they needed to change the new restrictor to metal so that you would not break it with the fuel nozzle. 



I switched out to the older version with the 38mm opening so that I could point the nozzle at something other than the hump in the tank and avoid the splashing.  The old restrictor is US$2.48.

These restrictors were originally mandated to prevent filling with leaded gas (it had nothing to do with ethanol).  Unleaded gas dispensers were required to have smaller diameter filler tubes.  It's kind of silly that the restrictors are still being installed on US models now that leaded gas is nearly impossible to find in the US.  In any case, some states still check for the presence of the restrictor during annual or resale inspections.  So, if you remove yours, keep it around in case you need it later.
FWIW, diesel fillers are also supposed to have a larger diameter than unleaded fuel fillers, so the presence of the 24 mm restrictor might prevent accidental filling with diesel fuel, but that does seem unlikely anyway.

[bpreynolds]

On the way to Robinson Illinois yesterday for first service I drove slightly over 150 miles to get there in mixed riding.  I pretty much assaulted the bike on the road, lots of hammering on and off the throttle.  On the highway I did not run conservatively, always in the 80-85 range.  At the pump in Robinson it would only take 3 gallons even on the 151 trip reading.  I love this little thing.