Fuel Gauge and Mile to Empty

[CEW]

I have a 2011 R1200R that is just a delight, but on a recent trip my fuel gauge and computer computation of mile to go quit functioning. Brought it back this week to my local dealer who replaced the 'fuel gauge' strip that is inside the gas tank. (A plastic strip that looks like a printed circuit board, and not a 'float'). They said they have had MANY recent R-bikes (-R, -RT, -GS) in for the same problem.
Anyone else with similar problem?
Anyone else had to have it replace more than once?
Bad design, bad manufacture or other cause?

[jkhomes]

Just do a search. Too many posts on this subject to even count.

[tinytrains]

Welcome to the fuel strip club. Your membership number is 2,253,794.

Ok, there are not that many fuel strip bikes out there, but failures are very common. Just read down the threads, I started one a a couple weeks ago. The fuel strips are being phased out of new designs, but current designs still have them, and they just seem to keep failing.

Fuel strips and batteries are the weak point in this bike. Final drives are no problem.

Scott

[red baron]

I have an 2008 R1200R with 30,000 miles and I already had two replacements and according to my service station the biggest warranty item on R bikes. I put my odometer to zero after every fillup and refill at about 190 miles so no problems with running empty.
Peter

[Gib984]

Same here , mine went 2 weeks after I got the bike and it was just a wEek outside of warranty. After playing my face the dealer got BM to agree to replace FOC as a goodwill gesture. Don't think it's going to last or long though - after every fill up it takes a couple of miles to register the fuel and even then doesn't show the level accurately. The calibration is really important when they install and you have to take it in with a full rank of petrol.

[bmwk100]

Ran out of gas a week ago today in a rainstorm due to a faulty strip. Luckily I coasted underneath an overpass. No warning light.

[dewi sant]

I have an 2008 R1200R with 30,000 miles and I already had two replacements and according to my service station the biggest warranty item on R bikes. I put my odometer to zero after every fillup and refill at about 190 miles so no problems with running empty.
Peter

And this is the only accurate way of assessing how many miles is left in the tank. I never, ever trust a fuel gauge on a bike, trip to zero on fill up and re-fill between 180 & 200 miles and you'll be fine. I guess this is the advantage if being an old duffer who was brought up on bikes with no fancy electrical doohickies, just a reserve tap and a kick start - nowt else.

To be honest my fuel gauge seems to work ok but if it did start showing signs of the fuel strip prob, I wouldn't even get it fixed as it wouldn't bother me.

Dewi

[stanh]

I am not too sure if I even believe the trip / odometer on the R1200R.
Odometer reading on my brand new R1200R


and
Trip meter (I reset the Trip at 4km on the odometer.


There is a 10km difference within 400km between the two. No wonder the km left lies to us.

What do you trust on for fuel?

[SDMAX]

When it works it works. I always reset the trip one odometer after fill up; trip two is for when I last checked tire pressure. Today I ran lower than usual, showed 24 miles to empty and took 4.7 gallons. I think I was at about 180 miles. This last tank was a lot of ripping around, I think I've gone 200 in the past. Yellow light came on at about 34 miles to empty. Gauge looked right too. I am careful, now, not to overfill.

Makes sense from another topic on this forum that overfill can cause problems with the California emissions cannister. Just stick the pump nozzle in; when it clicks off, I'm done. BTW out here we have ARCO and they prefer debit card; and they charge 35 cents ....which works out to about 7-8 cents a gallon!!! So usually I stop at Standard/Chevron for that good Technoline or whatever they push which seems to bode well with fuel strip issues.

[redwing]

What's a doohickies...is it close to a thing-a-ma-bob?

Robert

[Ric]

When it works it works. I always reset the trip one odometer after fill up; trip two is for when I last checked tire pressure. .................

Tire pressure fluctuates more as a function of ambient temperature than any lose from leaking over a given set of miles.....
Just saying......

[SDMAX]

Why I check stone cold....but you are really right. Last time I checked it was a lot colder in the man cave where the bikes live and one bike was down 4lbs front and rear....just from about a 10 degree drop....which out here means 60 degrees. I added air. I have a cool little electric pump from Costco with an ACCURATE lighted gauge on the front. Makes it a breeze.

You should know people here in Southern California are buying heated gear.