SuzukiSavage.com - Fuel Gage

2000Savage

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Fuel Gage
04/15/08 at 17:41:50

Is there any type of drop in tank fuel gage you can buy, even if its attached to the gas cap. I am new to bikes, and never think of actually opening the gas cap and looking to see how much gas i have, if there is anything you know of that would work with this bike i would appreciate it, and i know check you mileage when you fill up but i never think of that. Any input i would appreciate thanks in advance.

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Oldfeller--FSO

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Re: Fuel Gage
Reply #1 - 04/15/08 at 18:05:14

Bikes generally lack even the rudimentary fuel level gages that do exist on our fancy riding lawnmowers.

A proper biker can keep track of his gas by resetting his trip odometer
(oops, we don't have one of those either).

Well, we have a reserve tank and a petcock to turn when it's time to use it. That's our official "gas gage".

We also know if we fill our Savage's up every weekend we can ride all week long on an around town basis without hitting reserve IF we fill the tank up every Saturday morning.

If we are going on a trip, fill it up before you leave and then stop every 100 miles and top it back up. (your aching butt and back are another reliable time/mileage indicator, as well as your need to get a cup of coffee and take a leak)

In short, even if you had one, what in the world would you ever need to look at it for?

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Max_Morley

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Re: Fuel Gage
Reply #2 - 04/15/08 at 19:23:59

A 3 digit luggage lock on one of the cables will work like a odometer yo can set to the last or next fill up. Personally, I just fill at 00.0 + or -. I usually add between 1.8 and 2.4 gallons depending on how far and hard I've run and how much wind I've had to deal with. works for me. Trips to town with no long way home usually run in the 20 RT miles area. Long way home is closer to 40. Can be as much as 60-80 if the weather is great and nothing is pressing. Being retired and an unpaid hired man for for farmer B-i-L , not much is pressing except at harvest time. Max

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Max at Thumper Acres. '96 Savage bagger, '03 Savage w/Cozy sidecar for wifeni.

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steely Senior Member Offline Posts: 325 Tulsa, Oklahoma Gender:	Re: Fuel Gage Reply #3 - 04/15/08 at 19:35:17 My GS has a proper fuel gage complete with a sending unit in the tank. Personally, it is a bit high-falutin' for a bike for me. However, if you would want to convert it to a Savage tank, it would require a hole cut in the tank tunnel.
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Reelthing

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Re: Fuel Gage
Reply #4 - 04/15/08 at 21:16:17

Got a fuel light on the FI Guzzi - when it comes on I have about another 30-40 miles before manual motivation occurs - on the Savages it differs depending on how they've been treated - I'll hit reserve(it first feels like a surge, then a sputter, then maybe a backfire, by then you better twist the petcock lever either direction) as soon 80 miles or as late 110 miles.

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Re: Fuel Gage
Reply #5 - 04/16/08 at 03:13:09

My bike originally had serious issues with hitting reserve then sputtering like a beached whale from then on until the next gas station. Really really bad running ....

Turns out my filter screen in the tank (on top of the petc0ck) was varnished up (screen holes closed) almost completely down in the reserve zone. Now that my tank is clean and my screen de-varnished my reserve works properly.

I still avoid using reserve by habit now. On my Yamaha, reserve is a slider switch you hit just below the start button on the right hand set. All is driven by a fuel pump and everything works very sweetly about it.

Sputter .... <click> .....Vrooooom!!! (stop at next gas station)

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Prophet_10

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Re: Fuel Gage
Reply #6 - 04/16/08 at 06:48:59

I rode to work yesterday and ran out of gas in the morning. This is only the second time this has happened, and both times if I switch to reserve while riding, it still dies. In fact when I pull over it won't even start unless I pull out the choke. I have been wondering if this is normal or not.

BTW, I rode home yesterday and topped off by my house; I calculated 66 mpg

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Trippah Serious Thumper Offline I ride, therefore I am. Posts: 2517 central Mass Gender:	Re: Fuel Gage Reply #7 - 04/16/08 at 07:31:36 Hi Phrophet_10, ; no that does not seem normal. Once warmed up, you shouldn't need the choke, even to restart. Switching to reserve should save you from dying also, if you do it quickly upon the first stutter. You have an issue.
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Prophet_10 Full Member Offline TANSTAAFL Posts: 169 Dekalb, IL Gender:	Re: Fuel Gage Reply #8 - 04/16/08 at 07:37:58 Trippah wrote on 04/16/08 at 07:31:36: Hi Phrophet_10, ; no that does not seem normal. You have an issue. Hmmm...Both times I had already ridden at least 30 miles - plenty warmed up. It's strange because it is a new bike (2007) and the first time it happened was last summer after having the bike for only 2-3 months. Screwy pet-thingy??
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furious70

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Re: Fuel Gage
Reply #9 - 04/16/08 at 11:26:05

if you don't catch it quick enuf, you could have very well drained the bowl and lines. It would take a decent amt of cranking to get going again. If you do sputter and die and switching to reserve while rolling doesn't get you going again, you can always pull off, switch to PRI for 30 sec, then to RES. I would think it should fire right back up.

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Prophet_10

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Re: Fuel Gage
Reply #10 - 04/16/08 at 11:54:06

furious70 wrote on 04/16/08 at 11:26:05:

if you don't catch it quick enuf, you could have very well drained the bowl and lines. you can always pull off, switch to PRI for 30 sec, then to RES. I would think it should fire right back up.

Yeah, I probably didn't catch it quick enough. If it happens again I will try to switch to PRI first and see what happens.

Thanks!

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