Low fuel warning light question

[pdmeikle57]

#2927

Hi allWhen I picked up my 1997 850 the owner mentioned that the low fuel light always came on very early. Is this a known/common thing or what??Does anyone else have this issue. I find it comes on at about 220km.What IS the usual city-riding range of a tank on an 850?Appreciate any help with this as I don't want to run out of fuel to find out the range but I also don't want to always topping up the tankThanksTracy

[Murray]

#11940

HiIt is relatively common apparently. You should have a total range of approx 410 kms on a tank assuming a rough average of 5l/100kms.After 220 kms you'd have used around 11 litres. You've have just under 10 litres left (or nearly half a tank, I think you have a 20l tank) left when the fuel light comes on. That should be easy enough to see.It can be fixed but requires removing the tank and removing the access plate. Check the following:1) the plate has not been put on "one nut" off from the correct position; or2) the float is getting hung up on a hose, or has been bent somehow.If neither of those does it, you could put a (very) slight bend in the arm of the sender unit.When you take it off, you might as well put in a new filter while you are there.CheersGarry

[Grant Freeman]

#11941

Hi allWhen I picked up my 1997 850 the owner mentioned that the low fuel light always came on very early. Is this a known/common thing or what??Does anyone else have this issue. I find it comes on at about 220km.What IS the usual city-riding range of a tank on an 850?Appreciate any help with this as I don't want to run out of fuel to find out the range but I also don't want to always topping up the tankThanksTracy

Hi Tracy,My R850R does about the same range of mileage before the light comes on, but I have never gone beyond the next service station before I filled up again. I have not been willing to test how much more it will go to see how much the reserve is. You can only just see fuel in the tank when the light is on so I am unsure how much remains and I have just recently had to replace my fuel filter as one of the intermittent ignition problems I had, so prefer to keep the tank on the right side of the reserve light!Garry is right about the capacity of the R850R tank (20 litres) as the web site http://www.bmbikes.co.uk/specpages/R850R.htm confirmsFuel Tank Useable Volume 20.5 litres / 4.50 gal / 5.41 gal US Reserve 4.0 litres / 0.87 gal / 1.05 gal USBut I dont think the total range is appropriate for your bike.Cheers,Mike  🙄

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