Cam Am admits the fuel gauge is crap

Since this is a concern for all of us, I thought I would make this post more prominent.

Go to page 21 of the owners manual, it states...

"NOTE: Use this information as a reference only. Due to the fuel tank configuration, the fuel level indicator will indicate a full tank during a long period before showing a lower level of the indicators. The "Distance To Empty"information is more accurate to determine if you have enough gasoline to reach your destination."


So they know it and won't fix it. I guess it's cheaper to just put a notice deep inside the owners manual than to pay attention to details and put out a quality product. :sour: Honda would never let this slide, at least not on purpose.

The Ryker, being their "low ball" machine, is going to suffer on some of the amenities. Guess gas tank/gas gauge is one of those. Get around it by keeping close watch on the actual mileage for a few tanks. Ride with a tripmeter set to zero each time you fill. You should be good to go for X miles once you make some preliminary calculations.

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Originally Posted by akspyderman

The Ryker, being their "low ball" machine, is going to suffer on some of the amenities. Guess gas tank/gas gauge is one of those. Get around it by keeping close watch on the actual mileage for a few tanks. Ride with a tripmeter set to zero each time you fill. You should be good to go for X miles once you make some preliminary calculations.

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Totally agree. The fuel gages in my CanAm Commander and Outlander 4X4 were pretty non-functional. In fact, the dash of the Ryker looks suspicially just like the one I had on my Outlander. (can you say "recycled parts and technology"?) But it is what it is and there have been overwhelming good comments from those who have taken the Ryker plunge..... Jim

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Originally Posted by akspyderman

The Ryker, being their "low ball" machine, is going to suffer on some of the amenities. Guess gas tank/gas gauge is one of those. Get around it by keeping close watch on the actual mileage for a few tanks. Ride with a tripmeter set to zero each time you fill. You should be good to go for X miles once you make some preliminary calculations.

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I had a $6500 Ninja with a perfect fuel gauge. I will take their advice and use the distance meter as well as trip meter.

I filled up two days ago, it read full, rode 40 miles and now it reads low fuel.

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Originally Posted by Rogue Hawk

........ I filled up two days ago, it read full, rode 40 miles and now it reads low fuel.

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Sounds pretty much like the fuel gauge on my 2013 RT Ltd..... only I often don't even get as far as 40 miles before it shows low fuel again & the warning light comes on!! :shocked: And yet sometimes I can ride close to 200 miles before the low fuel light comes on! Go figure?! :gaah:

I now base my 'safe riding fuel range' entirely on the trip meter & the 'miles to empty' on the GPS - both get reset every time I refill the tank. The gauge I ignore, as it quite simply is nothing more than an embuggerance that is worse than useless cos it is so inaccurate & it triggers the low fuel light so haphazardly! Both our 'local' dealers have attempted recalibrating it, unsuccessfully so far; and the quote for them to pull the sender/gauge unit & replace it is so bloody stupidly high it's not even worth considering.... Altho maybe that 'remove & replace the sender/fuel gauge' task might be easier & therefore cheaper on a Ryker? Dunno, but I do know it's a right pain on an RT, otherwise I would've done it myself! :sour:

Still, most of the bikes I've ridden over the years didn't have a fuel gauge at all, so working out 'safe riding distances' off the trip meter is nothing new, just not quite what I expected on a machine as otherwise electronically advanced as a Spyder?! :dontknow:

I just finished a ride just moments ago on my 2017 RT-S and turned on the computer and saw this thread. I have not had any similar problem with my gas gauge. It seems to drop steadily and is very accurate for this type of vehicle. For example, just before I came home, my gauge had just gotten down to the red at 170 miles, the low fuel light just flickered on at 176 miles as I pulled into the gas station, and my gas station receipt says it took precisely 5.6 gallons before I couldn't get any more gas into the tank (i.e., I could see the gas in the tank). The specifications say the tank holds 6.9 gallons. This would mean the low fuel light came on with 1.3 gallons left in the tank. I consider my gauge performance and the low fuel light performance to be pretty darned good. Better than several automobiles I have owned.

Also, since I was out on the interstate for some miles today, I decided to check my factory alignment by taking my hands off the handlebars at 75 mph with the cruise control on. My Spyder tracks straight and true. This is just the way my Spyder came from the dealer/factory. I seem to have been lucky enough to get a Spyder that the factory really cared about getting right and I really, really hate to mess with success. It ain't broke, so I don't fix it.

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Originally Posted by Rogue Hawk

Honda would never let this slide, at least not on purpose.

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Your opinion.....which is just a wild guess.

On all the Hondas I've owned, their solution was: Don't provide a gas gauge.

The one on my Spyder seems at least as good as many cars I've had.

I think you need to find something that makes you happy. If it's not a Spyder, then something else.

If you are concerned about the fuel gauge reading, simply recognize that the fuel gauge measures fuel usage in the bottom half of the gas tank. Full, all bars, means you have greater than half a tank of gas. Once it starts to drop, you know you're in your last half of the tank. You see I can rationalize anything :)

:agree: Learn to deal with what you have. I don't think the gas gauge is crap it work the same every time. Ryker owner should learn how the gas gauge works and you adjust to it. Does any one remember when there was no gas gauge. You ran off of the mileages. Know your machine. Ride enjoy don't sweat the small stuff. :bdh:

I agree with RykerUSA. I know that i have about 75 miles when the gas gauge starts dropping and it drops pretty quickly. After my second fill-up i started using the trip mileage to check if i need gas. I reset #1 trip mileage every fill-up. So far i usually go about 150 miles per fill-up and the low light comes on. Around town i just wait until the low light comes on and it usually takes 4.3 to 4.5 gallons to fill. I also fill to the first gas pump click and stop there. I did notice that when i tried to top it off a couple of times gas squirted out under the right side just behind the tire(overfill bleed line?)

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Originally Posted by Rogue Hawk

I filled up two days ago, it read full, rode 40 miles and now it reads low fuel.

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40 miles to "low fuel"??????? How much is left in the tank??? Isn't it a 5 gal capacity???? I'd hate to see 8-10 mpg.
As stock units, the Rally is the way to go; but they are not my "cup of tea" since we ride 2-up 95% of the time.
Good Luck
Mike

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Originally Posted by Rogue Hawk

I had a $6500 Ninja with a perfect fuel gauge. I will take their advice and use the distance meter as well as trip meter.

I filled up two days ago, it read full, rode 40 miles and now it reads low fuel.

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Fuel gauges have been an issue on the RT's also. As you know, a $30K machine should have a decent gauge. After two on my 2010 I gave up and disconnected the fuel and temp gauges. Same on the 2011. The 2014 has rock solid fuel gauge. I put up with it on the pre 14's...but am not happy either. :roflblack:

Yes. In the words of Gunny Highway, "Improvise, Adapt and Overcome". I only had one bike without a fuel badge. I guess 1993 is calling back.

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Originally Posted by Rogue Hawk

Since this is a concern for all of us, I thought I would make this post more prominent.

Go to page 21 of the owners manual, it states...

"NOTE: Use this information as a reference only. Due to the fuel tank configuration, the fuel level indicator will indicate a full tank during a long period before showing a lower level of the indicators. The "Distance To Empty"information is more accurate to determine if you have enough gasoline to reach your destination."


So they know it and won't fix it. I guess it's cheaper to just put a notice deep inside the owners manual than to pay attention to details and put out a quality product. :sour: Honda would never let this slide, at least not on purpose.

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seems like the before & after captions for an infomercial or ad for diet pills

What i have seen from my fuel gauge.... It shows nearly full for about 75 miles, then starts to gradually go down with the fuel load to about 110 miles. Afterward, to about 150-160 miles it rapidly declines (which likely matches the lower fuel tank shape). At between 150-160 miles it shows empty, and I have between 0.2 - 0.5 left in the tank. I can safely ride to 170 miles if I am not riding at high speeds (75-90 mph). It does this every time, so it is accurate to my experience.

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Originally Posted by Rogue Hawk

I had a $6500 Ninja with a perfect fuel gauge. I will take their advice and use the distance meter as well as trip meter.

I filled up two days ago, it read full, rode 40 miles and now it reads low fuel.

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I believe Bob Denman made this statement earlier, "you get what you pay for".

Jack