Cross County Ride... Carry extra fuel or no…?

[radguzzi]

I will be riding the West Coast Guzzi back to Maine from San Diego at the end of July.  The plan is to run the lower road, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Amarillo, Memphis, Nashville, Roanoke, and up the inland corridor to home…

This is probably a real silly question but is there any need to equip the saddle bags with Rotopax fuel cells for spare fuel or are there no stretches of road without fuel stops that would necessitate that accessory…?  I am thinking more about the New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma stretch…

The V11 Jackal gets right around 40 MPG on a good day and with the small-ish tank that is only about 120 - 130 miles on the clock before I must be refueling or looking for a station.

GPS will certainly inform me of fuel nearby but I still have this sinking feeling about being stranded somewhere in need of fuel.

Am I over thinking this..?

This will unfortunately be a highway slog so limited off route sight seeing although I will shoot a great deal of photos as I trek along.

Thanks,
Rob

[Daniel Kalal]

Am I over thinking this..?

On the route you're taking, you'll have no problem at all--fuel outlets are common enough..  It's only when you make long distances on county and state roads, or you want out-and-back options into remote areas that you'd need to think about it.  On or near the Interstate?  It's not an issue.

[dilligaf]

On the route you're taking, you'll have no problem at all--fuel outlets are common enough..  It's only when you make long distances on county and state roads, or you want out-and-back options into remote areas that you'd need to think about it.  On or near the Interstate?  It's not an issue.

What Daniel said except a head wind will greatly reduce your range so, in the western states, you may not want to pass up a gas station.   
Matt

[rocker59]

In 2012, I pulled into gas station in Jearoldstown Tennessee on I-81, on a Saturday Night, on fumes with my Bassa and had to wait until 8am Sunday Morning for the station to open.  Camped on a park bench in front of the station.

So, it can happen anywhere.  Even in The East on an Interstate.

It looks like you're talking about travelling I-10, I-40, I-81.  (don't know how you plan to connect Phoenix and Albuquerque on 10 and 40, since those interstates are parallel).   If you plan your stops, you'll be fine, but there are places where it might be 20, 30, 40 miles between fuel stations.  More if you take some 2-lane roads in Arizona and New Mexico.

When travelling in The West, I usually plan my fuel stops before departing on the trip.  And since spending the night in Jearoldstown, waiting for that station to open, I carry a little spare fuel.

[cloudbase]

Carrying extra couldn't hurt.  On a ride a few weeks ago to visit my son in Seattle, I pulled into Wall, SD and put 20.449 liters in a 20 liter tank. (Whew!)

I've run out of gas once, but it was only about 100 yards shy of a gas station.  When the trip odometer hits 120 miles, I'm pretty much committed to filling up at the next available place.

[Rich A]

Hey Rob! If you can divert thru Santa Fe you can overnight with us!

Rich A

[Carlo DeSantis]

I would always stop at the first gas station after I clicked over 100 miles on the trip odo when traveling through the West on my EV.  Never had a problem.

Have a good ride.

Best,

Carlo

[Wayne Orwig]

Am I over thinking this..?

Yes. You will be good AS LONG AS YOU DON'T PASS THOSE FUEL STATION OPPORTUNITIES.

Now me, I carry a small 32oz fuel can. Because I like to pass those last stops. The wife is not happy when I do that, and run out yet again. And I tow a camper that eats into the fuel economy. Add in the head wind in the plains, and the EV may only get 100 miles on a tank. And, as I said, I like to use every drop of fuel in the tank, like it is going to save me money to do that.    So yes, I have needed my little fuel bottle a LOT of times. All of those have been 100% my fault for passing gasoline stations.

 

[RinkRat II]

 Good Luck on your trip! That time of year running through the desert will play hell with your mileage so it probably couldn't hurt to have some peace of mind in your bag. Like Rocker said , if your sticking to the interstate no biggie, but if you run the secondaries you never know.

    Paul

[MotoGoosy]

Eons ago, I rode my Harley from Indianapolis to San Diego and never ran out of gas.  Still, auxiliary fuel is a good idea.

[rocker59]

Eons ago, I rode my Harley from Indianapolis to San Diego and never ran out of gas.  Still, auxiliary fuel is a good idea.

Helluva range on that one, huh?

[rocker59]

I would always stop at the first gas station after I clicked over 100 miles on the trip odo when traveling through the West on my EV.  Never had a problem.

Have a good ride.

Best,

Carlo

Good advice on the fuel injected Tonti Californias with thier relatively short range.

But, that's stopping about every hour and fifteen minutes out west where the speeds are 80mph-plus !!!

[Guzzistajohn]

I was out in NM with a couple of Victory riding buddies a few years back, those things have a whoppping 90-100 mile range and they were both running on fumes and it was late at night. We were lucky to find one of those un-manned fuel stops that let you swipe a CC 24 hrs. a day. Cline's Corners, NM I think, on I-40. I never had any trouble on the big slab with the Tigers 200+ range.

[Arizona Wayne]

Out West, if your bike can't go at least 200 mi. on a tank, carry extra gas.  I carry a plastic 1 gal. can.  Need it many times.  Better safe than sorry. 

Another thing, it's going to be HOT most the way you are going so have a water bag or something to quench your thirst.   Last summer I rode over Needles, Ca. and it was 124F !!   If I didn't have my hydration bag I would have had to stop.   Same thing has happened to me riding over Baker, Ca. in the summer.   It's a dry heat, but still...........

[MotoGoosy]

"Helluva range on that one, huh?"

Baaaahahhaha.  No, just didn't have any problem with stations.  Get down to half-tank and stop.

[Arizona Wayne]

"Helluva range on that one, huh?"

Baaaahahhaha.  No, just didn't have any problem with stations.  Get down to half-tank and stop.

If you stop every 100 mi. it's going to take you longer to get from A to B and more for gas too.  Where I ride many times you have to go 150 mi. or more for gas.

[charlie b]

There are areas out here where gas can be scarce.  Interstates not so much, but, US and states highways can be an issue.  Almost every decent size town out here on the interstate has gas 24/7.  Check for truck stops or 'travel centers', they are all over the place.

Just be aware of where your next fuel stop will be.  I usually stop every hour or 90min.  Sometimes I get gas at every stop, sometimes I will skip gas at a stop cause I know where the next stop will be.  For example, I know the gas station at Quemado (on US60) is not open 24hrs, but, it is open on Sundays.  Next gas is about 100mi away.

BUT....there is always the chance that one town may be "closed up".  Happens out here when a town water supply gets messed up.  Or bad storms knock out power.


It does help to know the territory too.

[guzzibob]

Going mostly on the slab, and generally west to east where there is less likelihood of major headwinds, you would probably be fine if you pay attention to the signs telling you where gas is, and alerting you to how many miles to the next gas, that you often see out west. That said, you have a reliable range of what, 150 miles or so? And you are worried enough about this to make this post. My take on this is that given that you are already worried about this, going without any extra gas will probably eat on you and detract from your enjoyment of the trip anytime your mileage from the last stop starts getting up there. So make it easier on yourself and maximize the fun, pick up at least a quart container to ease your mind. Cheap and easy enough.

I am in Northern Nevada at least once a year, where there is a stretch of US 6 from Tonopah to Ely that is 168 miles between gas. No sweat on my Guzzis, they will all reliably do at least 200 mi before hitting reserve unless there is a crazy strong head wind. However I know my friends on the pre-8 gal Stelvios and some of the cruiser Guzzis may, or may not make it without extra gas, so I always warn them, and they always bring some. Several times they would not have made it without the extra. Plus as others have noted there are areas in the rural west (not on this stretch of US 6 or most interstates) where there are gas stations that may rely on unreliable local electricity-or may not have premium gas that our Guzzis at least prefer. There may well be locals passing by who will have extra gas with them and be willing to share-but do you really want to be there? 

[pyoungbl]

Water may prove to be the most important extra for your trip.  Since you are doing this ride in the hottest part of the year and in a pretty warm part of the country you will be losing a lot of water via evaporation from your body.  This can become a serious problem.  Look into a cooling vest that you can soak in water at rest stops and then don for a cooling effect at speed.  Extra water will be handy to re-soak the vest as well as to drink.

I remember stopping in Abiline, TX in June...103F...like a sauna.  We were mighty happy to have a motel with a pool and a cold adult beverage next door.  The cooling vest made a huge difference.

Some options:http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/motorcycle/Cooling%20Vest

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

WHy take the dessert route this time of year? folks to visit in the SW??  Seems like you will need to ride from 4am-11am and get off the road for the rest of the day if riding through AZ, NM, etc???  I've only been to the SW once and Texas twice.. but jesus it was unbearable in PHX after 10am...  Dry heat my ass

[jbell]

With that short a range, I'd carry a bit of extra.  As pointed out earlier, you might have to wait overnight for a station to open.  Worse yet, it'd be a shame to miss something interesting 15 or 20 minutes away because you were close on fuel.  Have a great trip.

[Arizona Wayne]

Water may prove to be the most important extra for your trip.  Since you are doing this ride in the hottest part of the year and in a pretty warm part of the country you will be losing a lot of water via evaporation from your body.  This can become a serious problem.  Look into a cooling vest that you can soak in water at rest stops and then don for a cooling effect at speed.  Extra water will be handy to re-soak the vest as well as to drink.

I remember stopping in Abiline, TX in June...103F...like a sauna.  We were mighty happy to have a motel with a pool and a cold adult beverage next door.  The cooling vest made a huge difference.

Some options:http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/motorcycle/Cooling%20Vest

Going West to East(or vice versa) now resting areas w/water available aren't as available as they used to be.  In some states they are non existent.  Gas stations that used to be open are closed now.  Don't assume anything in the western states even if you are going thru towns regularly.  Many small towns don't even have a gas station.  You have been warned.


If you don't ride the superslab all the time your butt will be happier.  I have found having something to think about besides your butt comfort makes a big difference in your comfort level long distances.  You may laugh but we've BTDT from Calif. to NE. Iowa and discovered that to be true.  That's when putting in 400-500 mile days back to back  cross country for 2,400 miles.


When I/we are riding 500 mile days, the only time I might make a motel reservation is if it's a weekend, other wise it's not needed.  That way your options are more open.  When you get to X destination, you might choose a stopover @ a motel you know nothing about when you start.    Of course I'm a thrifty bastard.   Hey, I ride a Moto Guzzi!

[rodekyll]

I vote with extra gas.  A 1gal blitz can can make a difference for your or someone else.

[M0T0Geezer]

I vote with extra gas.  A 1 gal blitz can can make a difference for your or someone else.

Big  :1: squared on taking extra gas.

I took two long scooter trips (before I had the Breva 750) and took along a 2 gallon jug of extra fuel.  Having it aboard gave me a whole new sense of mental freedom, even though the scooter got about 50 mpg and had a 200 mile maximum range (4 gallon tank).

Having an extra 100 miles of fuel along allowed me to take a lot of side trips without the nagging worry of running out of gas in the boondocks (usually with no cell phone service).  I had to use it several times on both trips.  Saved my old arse it did.

Here are trips one and two:
 http://dansher.com/bikepix/2011May/index.html
 http://dansher.com/bikepix/2011July/GTSR_2011.html

Ride free! Take some extra gas along. 

'Geezer

[Daniel Kalal]

I’ve found this thread interesting to read.  There are very few paved roads west of the 100th meridian that I haven’t been on (in the lower 48), yet I have never carried extra gas, nor even given it a thought.  Hauling an extra gallon of gasoline would be nearly the weight of all my other luggage and seems unnecessarily inconvenient.  On the other hand…

…most of the arguments in favor are based on peace-of-mind as much as the actual distance between fuel stops.  Peace-of-mind is a valuable thing on a long motorcycle trip; so, I understand why many would choose to haul more fuel.

If it worries you, then you should haul more fuel (and make that worry go away).  If not; then you’ll still be fine if you’re travelling the highways.

[rocker59]

I have never carried extra gas, nor even given it a thought. 

Hauling an extra gallon of gasoline would be nearly the weight of all my other luggage and seems unnecessarily inconvenient.  On the other hand…
 

Though you do have a history of riding motorcycles with big gas tanks!

And, wow!  You must travel light!  One gallon and its container would only weigh 7 pounds, or so!

I need to lighten my load, I think!  The tools I carry weigh more than that.

[drlapo]

I found fuel every 120 miles or so when I visited the Grand Canyon and Death Valley last month

[Daniel Kalal]

Though you do have a history of riding motorcycles with big gas tanks!

True; that's a fair point.

And, wow!  You must travel light!

I just spent four weeks living out of this:

[Daniel Kalal]

...but things can happen.

That's the slippery slope: "Things can happen."  We all have our anxiety quotient that we need to work through.  For some, that means never getting on a motorcycle for fear of what might happen, and for others, it means base-jumping from the Eiffel Tower.

Do what seems right for you and carry on.

[charlie b]

This is all interesting, but, I'm with Daniel.  As stated above, just be careful of fuel stops. 

Heck, some of you guys make it sound like there is not any civilization outside a major city  :) 

And, like above, if it is going to worry you, then carry the extra fuel (and water).

Summer out here is miserable, especially on I40 in western CA, AZ, NM and TX (and even OK).

Stop often and cool off.  Know the signs of heat stroke.  It will creep up on you if you are not careful.  BTDT.  It is not something to be taken lightly.  If you show any signs at all  STOP!!!!!

A suggestion.  Plan your trip so you ride the western CA and AZ portion at night.  It will still be over 100F at night but at least you won't fry your brain.  Once you get into Flagstaff you'll be back to only moderately hot weather.  Eastern AZ, NM, TX and OK will only be hot (90's and low 100's).  Bigger threat that time of year is thunderstorms.  Rain not so bad as hail and wind (and tornados).  Carry a smartphone or similar and check the weather radar map frequently.  You can sometimes avoid weather fronts by taking detours, or just stopping early.  FYI, one of the rest areas in TX on I40 is a certified tornado shelter ;)

If you need to stop in Albuquerque give a shout.  We will be gone for a week later in the month, but, if home, can put you up for the night.  We are only two miles from an I40 exit.

charlie

PS yes have traveled I40 a LOT.  Just got back from Little Rock last weekend.