6 ms·

This is the solution used on motorcycles (which don't usually have fuel gauges). There's only one tank, but in the normal position you get fuel only to a certai

This is the solution used on motorcycles (which don't usually have fuel gauges). There's only one tank, but in the normal position you get fuel only to a certain depth. As you're riding along, if you notice the engine running out of fuel, you reach down and flip the fuel switch and you have access to a little more fuel (and you know to head to a gas station soonish).

manfredo 6y ago
For motorcycles people often just use the trip odometer to estimate fuel used. Interestingly, this is similar to coulomb counting which is one of the more common methods of state of charge tracking. Technically coulomb counting would be more analogous to measuring the amount of fuel being pumped out of the tank.
m463 6y ago
downsides: - when you're in heavy complicated traffic and the engine starts cutting out - when you forget to flip the switch back after filling up - you more modern motorcycle with a "reserve" indicator below the speedometer (which is below your field of vision when riding and you don't notice)
boardwaalk 6y ago
Just for correctness: A vast majority of new motorcycles for quite a while have had fuel gauges. There are only a few brands who are obtuse about it (e.g. Aprilia).
- the-dude 6y ago
  But I bet they still have a reserve and a 3-way fuel knob ( closed, main, reserve ).
  - barrkel 6y ago
    On fuel injected bikes, the fuel switch (on/off only) is on the fuel pump, generally bolted to the underneath of the tank, and not reachable while riding.
    - the-dude 6y ago
      Oh thanks. My motor-driving skills and knowledge are getting rusty :-)
- barrkel 6y ago
  More like sports bikes don't have fuel gauges (saves weight, amirite?) and make do with low fuel warnings instead, which serves the same purpose as a reserve tank without the need for a switch. Neither my MV Agusta nor my BMW S1000R have fuel gauges. The BMW does the odometer trick itself though to estimate remaining mileage. It's often way out of course, depending on throttle usage. (It's possible the BMW has a meter but it doesn't present a level, only miles remaining. I still think it's a style thing - something you don't put on sport bikes.)
  - hwillis 6y ago
    Pretty sure all the S1000R years have fuel, but yeah it's as miles remaining. S1000RR didn't have anything until 2019. It never really made any sense, but now that race bikes have tire pressure sensors and full color LCD instruments it is really spectacularly dumb to not have gauges. Any of the popular crotch rockets have had fuel gauges forever. I think it's mostly just crazy race/rep bikes like BMW and Aprilla (so i guess the guys that only make sport bikes in 300 or 1000+) that don't have gauges

manfredo 6y ago

For motorcycles people often just use the trip odometer to estimate fuel used. Interestingly, this is similar to coulomb counting which is one of the more common methods of state of charge tracking. Technically coulomb counting would be more analogous to measuring the amount of fuel being pumped out of the tank.

m463 6y ago

downsides: - when you're in heavy complicated traffic and the engine starts cutting out - when you forget to flip the switch back after filling up - you more modern motorcycle with a "reserve" indicator below the speedometer (which is below your field of vision when riding and you don't notice)

boardwaalk 6y ago

Just for correctness: A vast majority of new motorcycles for quite a while have had fuel gauges. There are only a few brands who are obtuse about it (e.g. Aprilia).

the-dude 6y ago
But I bet they still have a reserve and a 3-way fuel knob ( closed, main, reserve ).
- barrkel 6y ago
  On fuel injected bikes, the fuel switch (on/off only) is on the fuel pump, generally bolted to the underneath of the tank, and not reachable while riding.
  - the-dude 6y ago
    Oh thanks. My motor-driving skills and knowledge are getting rusty :-)
barrkel 6y ago
More like sports bikes don't have fuel gauges (saves weight, amirite?) and make do with low fuel warnings instead, which serves the same purpose as a reserve tank without the need for a switch. Neither my MV Agusta nor my BMW S1000R have fuel gauges. The BMW does the odometer trick itself though to estimate remaining mileage. It's often way out of course, depending on throttle usage. (It's possible the BMW has a meter but it doesn't present a level, only miles remaining. I still think it's a style thing - something you don't put on sport bikes.)
- hwillis 6y ago
  Pretty sure all the S1000R years have fuel, but yeah it's as miles remaining. S1000RR didn't have anything until 2019. It never really made any sense, but now that race bikes have tire pressure sensors and full color LCD instruments it is really spectacularly dumb to not have gauges. Any of the popular crotch rockets have had fuel gauges forever. I think it's mostly just crazy race/rep bikes like BMW and Aprilla (so i guess the guys that only make sport bikes in 300 or 1000+) that don't have gauges