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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ธ.ค. 2021
- Fuel economy is more complicated than chugging in 6th gear. Stop engine or idle? Pulse and glide? Clutch in or out? Follow these hypermiling tips to get your motorcycle to the next gas station!
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A few years ago I ran out of gas while riding solo in an isolated part of Mexico. Ended up rolling into a very poor farmer’s yard, opened my wallet and gestured for fuel. He reached into my wallet, pulled out a few bills, sent his son into the house and poured me a gallon or so. The son came out and gave me some change. Tried to give it back but the farmer wouldn’t have it, overcharging wasn’t an option. Got more than fuel that day . . .
What a nice story. I'm glad you found kindness in some stranger.
Bro Imma remember this story. Thank you.
Integrity
I Know Just What You Mean. A Mexican Saved My Life When The White Guys Wouldn't. I'd Give Anything To Go To Baja!
This behaviour is a normal in most countries of the world. The problem is that this causes shock and awe to others, and also tears to them after they here such stories
Two thoughts:
#1 - Get fuel when you can. Not when you need it.
#2 - The only time you can have too much fuel is when you're on fire.
Well said! experience speaks huh?😁
#2 depends. My bike holds 23L of fuel and that's a lot of weight. If I know I am riding for speed then I just fill up to whatever level I care for at the time.
Are u Dalai Lama in disguise..?
#2? I suppose so ;-)
I've been riding for 30+ years and I still forget #1. I've had some close calls in some very remote locations.
You have to admire FornNine's dedication to his art. I mean, who else is going to film in such miserable conditions and actually throw themselves onto the muddy ground?
I propose that the muddy ground threw him to itself
Erm, those of us that work outdoors all year all weather? You shiny arses get far too excited by a bit of rain.
@@hedgehog3900 Amen to that! I can think of only one time that the weather actually stopped my crew from working. I was running a transit on a survey crew. It was -20°F with a 20-30 mph wind. Every time I went to look thru the eyepiece of the transit it funneled the wind directly onto my cornea. Instant eye freeze! Eye just teared up and closed... we went back to the office.
They make 'em tougher up in Canada.
He’s getting paid for it lol.
If you go on reserve , DON'T forget to turn the petcock back when you fuel up ! Learned from experience !
Absolute wisdom! Sputtering to halt, reaching down to turn the petcock to reserve....only to find it ON reserve....is a sinking feeling.
This is because of junk in the tank right? I always ran my old bike on reserve because the main was gummed up, guess I got lucky. (It would bog down on highways if it was not on reserve)
@@Reikyrr It's also because you are still drawing from the reserve, even though the main tank is full. Depending on the design of the plumbing, you might just run dry again.
BEFORE STARTING THE BIKE. BEFOREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
@@JCintheBCC There is no reserve tank and no normal tank, there is just the gas tank. The normal position draws from a certain point and then the reserve draws from a lower point. So once the fuel drains past the normal position draw you need to draw from lower down in the tank, the "Reserve" portion.
But its all the same gas, same tank.
One time I ran out of gas on a DR350, in the middle of suburbia. I figured out quickly that pushing the bike uphill wasn't going to work for me, so I got to a sidestreet and figured out on my own the leaning-the-bike trick. I then went straight over medians, through parking lots and over curbs to go the most direct way to a gas station, and made it just as the bike died again, and I coasted next to the pump. Pro-tip: get gas often.
I read Siberia instead of suburbia and was quite concerned.
I had a DR350. That stock gas tank may as well be a shot glass.
DR tanks are awful for keeping fuel in the non pickup side of the tank! Swapped mine out for an Acerbis one with dual feeds, much much better.
guys i run out of gas in a complicated town in my country, go to grocery store buy two botles of alcohol, put those in the tank and go
@@PanozGTR95 Did exactly the same with my DR350, only downside is that the Acerbis tank looks awful but at least I don't run out of gas :)
I love the fact that you film in all weather conditions, a true enthusiast. You remind me of my buddy Mike Zahansky, he’d pull into the Honda shop we worked at, on his gold wing no matter what, even on snowy days…..with the biggest smile on his face. A great way to start the day. Thanks for all of the videos, the quality and content are top notch.
Thanks! Funny how the gnarliest riders are always on Goldwings. I have a buddy named Guy who runs his Goldwing year-round in Quebec. February, -30C, he'll be out there commuting on the thing. Guy even imported a set of (questionable) snowflaked motorcycle tires to get around the winter tire law. ~RF9
I worked with a guy in Calgary who must have been pushing close to 300lbs, and rode his moped to work every day no matter what the impassable streets looked like, or the temperature was. It was kind of funny, because every time he got on the bike, it would almost disappear, and it looked like he was almost floating down the street. I will never doubt that man’s dedication to riding though.
One winter I rode a Honda MB5 all winter. Just put both feet down like outriggers and hold the bike up underneath my butt.
I rode to Lemaze classes at the local hospital with around 3" snow on the road and snow flurries. I put my left foot down ala flat track and side slid my way down the road to the hospital to meet the wife. People gave me a funny look as I walked in with helmet in hand.
@@FortNine I'm not you guy, buddy! Sorry, i had to.
@@MK-hb3xc I love the fact that you met your wife while riding to the hospital during winter. Ride safe, keep sharing stories !
Several years ago someone apparently ran out of gas on a remote section of Hwy 16 (Yellow Head) just before Purden Lake. Later police found the bike but no one in sight. Massive search found no trace. A few years later a human skull was found very near where the bike had stopped. Speculation it was a bear. I've ridden that section and the story always come to mind. Check your mileage and check your gas and don't feed the bears.
That escalated quickly.
Also, having bear spray while in bear territory isn't a bad idea.
Is the association here that the skull that was found was the rider's? Or just that maybe the missing rider was also attacked by a bear years before? Because the former would be pushing it very far lol.
Was the skull inside a helmet?
Ill have to remember that if I spot on that of the YH.
Been there , done that Ryan, but on a Yamaha 750 triple. Once while running on the last of my fumes toward a gas station I come upon one that was on the other side of a four lane highway without a center barrier. Just as I arrived there was a very slight break in the 70 mph oncoming traffic so I decided to just go for it on the fly. I somehow forgot about all the dirt on the center median, so I as proceeded to swing my bike left at full speed I went into a skid with my front tire. While simultaneously sliding and watching my life flash before my eyes I reached the other side where it finally caught some traction. Somehow I didn't high side the bike but jerked into my turn into the gas station. I pulled into a pump to fill my near empty tank, check for stains on the seat and take up smoking on the curb until my nerves calmed down so I could proceed on my trip. I have never done another swing left across traffic to the other side, that one lesson was enough.
In that situation one must ask oneself, 'What would Evil Kneivel do'?
That's nuts! I pushed mine 1/4 mile uphill on the shoulder of a NYC highway and across an off ramp to get ⛽. That was exciting enough for me.
A 705 or a 750? Cos a 79 XS750 was my first bike.
I - deliberately - ran out of gas on mine, no fuel gauge. Wanted to know how much distance I could get on the main valve and the reserve, had a jerry can with a gallon of go-juice strapped to the seat.
@@georgeerhard1949 good catch, that's a typo, it was the 79 XS750 F
@@BrianTPhoto I did all my shenanigans (late 90s) on an '82 XS400 --- its much lighter cousin, and thus easier to push uphill off motorways. My most glorious no-fueling moment was one early summer morning on the way home the fumes finally running out while cresting a hill on a highway --- with a 24h fuel station just a km downhill from me, within gliding distance...
Pro tip: always make sure you are running out of fuel going downwards. :)
And dont pick a fuel station on top of a hill.
Yup more than once I realized I forgot to switch the petcock after fueling and was able to use an off ramp to carry just enough speed to get into a gas station
Cause when you level out or go uphill it will start back up
Did that a few years ago and coasted about 2km to a gas station. My wife was on the back and not impressed. Put 22 liters in a 20L tank.
I feel cheated, got my coffee and settled down for another great FortNine video and it was over before my second sip.
You still get a like from me.
Just like the fuel issue... never enough is it 🤣🤣🤣
The coffee was good, huh?
I also felt cheated, I also left a like... I'll try some coffee and see what happens...
Just order a FortNine refill 😉
Drink proper coffee, an espresso has no second sip 😁
@@nomon7646 I think about this scene about once a week after seeing the film 19 years ago: th-cam.com/video/aVI-Jew-iHo/w-d-xo.html.
After one unusually long break from riding, I had forgotten how far my reserve would carry me. I somehow made it 70 km out of the 80 back home and got stranded right next to a fuel station... which only served truck diesel. Some small company's CEO was just heading out for lunch and I managed to convince him to drive me to the nearest proper fuel station and back. As a social recluse, encountering kind people after being forced out of my shell made this a memorably positive experience.
I'm serious when I say these videos are so well done it makes me want to cry. The script, subject, cinematography, sound design, every FortNine video is pure art. Motorcycles deserve the respect you give them. And you deserve the respect we give you, Thank you.
The long range safari tank on my drz400e has a reserve for the reserve for the reserve 😂. When you run out of fuel on reserve you lean the bike over to get all the fuel from the right. When you run out again you stand the bike up on its end to get the fuel from the front of the tank to the reserve pickup area. There is about 20km extra range from those last drops of fuel.
You could pit two taps, but this would lose you the reserve.
My DRZ safari tank has 7.5 gallons. I have yet to run out of gas in one day.
@@Arachnoid_of_the_underverse I was looking at a bike with taps at the front of the tank yesterday, `30s or `40s Knucklehead Harley I think. All 70-odd bikes I`ve owned have had tap/s at the back.
KLR same. 50+ km for all the "reserves".
I've had a different experience, ran out of fuel on my old Enfield 5 miles or so from home, I was able to nurse it home by being very gentle with the throttle. Whenever I opened up the throttle it would start to bog, likely because there wasn't enough fuel to mix. By keeping it at 1/4 throttle and zigzagging like a made man (to try to get every last drop of petrol to the petcock side) it got me home. If I went above 1/4 throttle it was bog. WOT probably makes sense before you run out but when your running on fumes it's not an option
to me "out of fuel" is when it won't run anymore. there are a few warning signs that is going down before you are well and truly out, like the bogging.
my speed triple ones had problem with fuel idiot light. I started to notice bike hesitating, checked the tank and it was almost dry. 10km to nearest gas station. I took it super easy, still driving 80 kmh but behind a car. At the final turn the bike died but I pump started it and was able to make it to tank, where the bike shut down, checked the tank and there was nothing left. After this bike misbehaved for tank or two as it was running so lean the ecu computer had adjusted the injection map to compensate and it took time to compensate back.
My trusty old 93 FXDL has a fuel gauge...the first bike with one I have ever had...nice.
@@TheWolfsnack my 2008 gs 500 does not have a fuel gauge. this is probably the newest self-respecting street bike to not come with one. not even a light. just run out of gas, hit reserve and the clock starts ticking.
A habit I developed thanks to my mother is keeping a "gas mileage notepad" in the glove box of every vehicle I've ever owned... MPG can tell you a LOT over time... It also helps when you have to calculate how far before you should get gas... especially on old junkers with unreliable or no gauges to speak of...
It's how I've figured up the math that I can expect about 60 mpg on my 95 Savage... AND the little notepad and pen ride in the inner pocket of my jacket... SO every 100 to 120 ish miles I put down, I just stop, scratch down the odometer numbers and gallons next to them... simple as that... AND before I head out on a trip, I can always take a glance and see if I should probably hit a station before heading out or if it's likely to keep until I top off before the last leg home...
As I've gone along over a LOT of road over the years, I've noticed when two or three fill-ups are just a bit too often and too much for "normal"... AND sure enough some relatively insignificant thing was off... Sometimes it was nothing more than new plugs helped... or ignition tune up with wires and rotor button and distro' cap... Others it was more troublesome, like the rear brakes dragging because the E-brake cable was bound up... I knew my vehicles... and I knew what they should be doing... Nothing's perfect, so a fuel BLADDER is a good idea on a motorcycle, since walking IS easier than pushing... BUT every little advantage is worth taking.
Thanks for being a b*tch about it, Mom. ;o)
Dad and I were coming from Vegas, on our way to Stovepipe Wells, via Scotty's Castle at the north end of Death Valley. We'd done it before, and had planned on filling the tanks at a fuel station we knew was just to the East of the Castle at 95 & 27. Fuel light had been on for miles already, when we pulled into what used to be said station - that had burned to the ground since our last trip 😳.
Sun was setting, now in the middle of nowhere and nowhere - no fuel within 60 miles... We went for it - and made it. The trick? Death Valley elevation, or lack thereof. After we'd entered the park, we'd turn the engine on to run easy only on ascents - pull the clutch, kill the engine and coast on the descents - all the way down to Stovepipe. Those were thirsty bikes that night. From that point on, we got in the habit of topping off the bikes whenever we saw a station - no matter what the map said, "was just over that hill..." You can go for 100mi + in the US south west sometimes, without seeing a town, a car, a gas station, a person... anything.
That was a good tip so, here's some advice from you know "a Liberal". Consider turning back to where you know there's fuel. If you can siphon fuel from one bike to another, 2 people on one ride will go farther.
...I grew up as the son of a Pilot. We're not allowed to run out of fuel.
@@arcanondrum6543 Ha! 🤣Good plan!
Don’t really care about motorcycles (I’d imagine incredibly fun, but can’t afford to have more than 1 vehicle), but about 1.5 years ago, I was recommended this channel. What an incredibly well suited host. He needs to be on television!
presumably you spend some money on entertainment/hobbies. that's what's motorcycling is mostly.
I own 2 motorcycles and together I paid $4250 for them.
@@t0xyg3n74 100%, for most people they're hobbies. Hobbies are expensive but that's ok as long as you don't have too many.
@@clonkex Hobbies are not expensive, we're just all getting payed to little.
@@beerenmusli8220 Where do you live? I'm not being paid too little here in Australia. I'd still say hobbies are expensive.
With a carbureted bike; accelerate the bike to 4500 RPM in top gear, then pull in the clutch and hit the kill switch. Coast until you're going about 10 MPH, flick the kill switch to RUN, pop the clutch, and down shift until you can accelerate again. Repeat as necessary. This worked on my RD400! [ETA - RD400 Red line is at 8500RPM, so 4500RPM was upper cruising speed]
Pretty sure this isn’t correct. You have more losses when accelerating than when going at steady speed. Likely you would’ve gotten farther by cruising at slow speed at the rpm where you have peak fuel efficiency.
Good idea! As long as you don't get going fast enough where the wind resistance exceeds the potential pumping losses, it is more fuel efficient to run WOT than steady speed.
@@FortNine But how long can you run WOT on a liter bike in any gear?
@@2wheelsr2wheels39 I fear you're measuring that in milliseconds anywhere besides the autobahn
@@2wheelsr2wheels39 ... 1 wheelie,. at a time.
I ran out of fuel whilst overtaking some cars on my DRZ, and switched to reserve mid-overtake. I panicked so hard I also managed to pull the choke on at the same time. It was basically brappp...jerk .. jerk ... then full afterburner. Dunno what the hell they thought I was up to.
As a DRZ owner i feel you, it starts to skip a beat and you try to hit the petcock as fast as possible.
I do... "showoff!"
I love my Drz400sm! Only ran out of gas once.
In the SAFED (Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving) training I completed I was taught -Read the road ahead, try to maintain momentum. Starting from stationary takes a lot more fuel. - Use the highest gear as possible
Unfortunately that advice all depends on what you think the highest gear possible is. Most engines will run under a heavy load yet with a gear lower would be less stressed and achieve the same speed with a lower throttle opening. This is definitely true with a carb bike. Most bike owners can tell where there engines sweet spot is.
My ninja 400 can easily run at 50mph in 6th, but will get much better fuel economy in 5th. There's a lot of check and testing to do for every bike and every scenario to really get the whole story.
@@Panda_Gibs Don't use the instantaneous gauge for testing fuel economy, I suspect you were anyway. Get up to speed, settle in on whatever condition you are trying to test (6th vs 5th), then reset the average fuel economy and try and maintain it for at least a mile. Turn around and get back to where you were, get up to speed, reset it, then do it again in a different gear, you could test both directions too. After that test, return to the first test. This is called an A-B-A test, and this is an accurate real world test you can perform. I suspect you will find 6th gear does indeed give the best fuel economy down to about 25 mph.
@@Daschickenify i like your methodology, but I can tell you from real life experience, the bike just happens to like 4 to 5k rpm. Keep it about there and it will get 70+ mpg at lower speeds. Move up the gears and for some reason it struggles to give better than 40 ish mpg.
@@Panda_Gibs If you get a chance, try and test it! Its possible they have some dumb ECU protocol along the lines of:
If RPM is lower than 4000
BURN BABY BURN
I've been to a few demo rides, got to try a 2019 Z400 and hypermiled it. I can't remember for sure, but I think I got it into the mid 70s or low 80s over the couple mile test route we did. I've got helmet cam footage of it somewhere If I really wanted to find out. I also got low 60s with a ZX6R. The quickshifter in that thing is awesome.
My first ride on first bike: I run out of fuel just behind town. That is when I found out that I was already on reserve (it was brought to me like that and I never checked it). Fortunatelly there was a guy about 100m away using his gasoline lownmover. So I got a little gas from him. That took me to the next hill and I run out again on the top. Fortunatelly you can also ride on gravity plus fuel station was just under that hill. What a great lesson that was :D
For fuel pump bikes you can unbolt the tank and tilt it up between your legs. Get an extra ten miles on my Bonnie that way 👋🏻
Clever! ~RF9
My 1988 Vespa PX 200 Lusso only shows speed (sort of) and the fuel gauge is way too inprecise. At least it is not heavy and pushing it to the next petrol station is something that brings me emotionally closer to my Vespa ;-)
*Pro tip:* the fuel valve has two openings from where it takes the fuel from the tank. A tube that sucks it from a certain level, and a hole at the very bottom. The tube is the normal position and it's height determines the volume of the reserve. Change it for one longer to have a larger reserve.
Also, make it a habit to always refuel before having half a tank left, or it's equivalent in km/miles if your bike doesn't have a fuel gauge. It'll make running out of gas more unlikely, and will feed cleaner fuel to your bike.
by making the tube longer you're shortening main volume.
on bikes with a fuel gauge i use only reserve position, don't see any point in splitting the tank as i control the situaton myself.
@@tomekvilmovskiy6547 That's correct, I said it increases the reserve volume and it's true, but logically the tank's total volume remains the same.
What we're doing is making the bike ask for reserve sooner while we still have good autonomy to reach a gas station without stressing out or having to hypermile.
On a side note, I personally prefer to use the normal position not only because of the reserve (I always carry a gas can while traveling anyways) but because the reserve position sucks from the bottom of the tank where dirt and water could accumulate. If it's in good condition and you have fuel filters it may not be a problem, but better safe than sorry. Again, it's just a preference.
@@tomekvilmovskiy6547 I prefer to have two safeties. Odometers and fuel senders do break, and the way I ride half the time I'm in the middle of nowhere where it would be a bad time to find out my gauge float was stuck half way in the up position and run out of gas at the bottom of a hill in the deep sand.
Sh1t guys, i just strap a 20z pop bottle full of gas onto my downtube, that way if u run out heading down the road you can just reach down and grab yourself some preheated miles. I usually have it made 50/50 with some 110 booster. Pours like vapor. Like a mad Maxx vacuum cleaner supercharger. Everything counts.
@@VoidedWarranty my 2nd safety is odometer - that one you can reset. Always fill the full tanks and always reset odo that moment. Often I look on odo instead of fuel gauge, as this way I can estimate remaining milage more easy.
Pure poetry! I dont ride a motorcycle but absolutely look forward to every video. The writing, the editing, the cinematography, the meaningful content - so good!!! 👍
you should, it's incredible!
@@thebikenoob “In a car you're always in a compartment, and because you're used to it you don't realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You're a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.
On a cycle the frame is gone. You're completely in contact with it all. You're in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.”
From Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert Pirsig. My favorite book.
Man I agree. Everytime I watch his videos, I am so awe struck and I laugh out loud haha. Best video content on TH-cam. And the music sound track is outstanding. None of the super cringe synthetic "free music" that so many channels have.
@@Ritalie Best quality on TH-cam by far (tho sadly ‘quality’ does not ensure success on social media). Oh yes! Those wonderful understated, smart, humors, w perfect deliveries - so good!!!
My dad's been riding bikes in reserve, following these exact techniques his whole life
It's bad
any chance its a Bajaj Scooter? the tilt method is infamous in India for Bajaj scooters.
Same. I drive till the reserve is empty, lie the bike down flat on the asphalt and buy a new one
I'm exactly like your dad. I have a bad habit of fueling petrol worth only 100 rs no matter the price. So every time there's a price hike, I have to push the bike a few kms 😅
@@stalincat2457 use and throw biker!!!
Learned exactly how my bike works for gas the day I bought it. Guy who sold it told me it had a full tank and I failed to check... Got 8 miles outside of town (with 50ish to go to home) and it died. Switched to reserve and made it another 25mi to the gas station only to find it was closed due to parking lot maintenance. Made it another 5 miles to jusssttt outside the next town.
Learned that day about trust but verify, how many miles I can get at 60mph on reserve, and why I made the right choice to have a friend be my chase crew in his truck. :) I probably error on the side of fueling now sooner than needed strictly speaking but hey, it won't happen again!
And that whole time you were probably saying: “come on baby… please don’t die on me… you can do it. I’ll treat you really good if you make it. Come on baby….” 😆
@@voltairedecent255 lol yupppp. Really wish I had my HR monitor running for that ride. First time riding a bike in that situation for that length of time. Bike unknown to me...and running out of gas. Like I said, making a decision to have a chase vehicle was a lifesaver
@@peterjensen6844 I said that prayer a few times myself, and gave my baby a good pat on the tank when she made it to the gas station.
Last year I was heading west along I84 through the Columbia River Gorge. Gas stations are few and far between on the East side of the gorge. I thought I could make the gas station from my last fillup. I had before, but I got caught in a mighty headwind. I tucked behind a semi-truck and fortunately was able to make it to the next gas station but it was a close one!
Wow. What did you end up doing?
@@callous21 I tucked in behind a semi to ride in its draft and ended up making it, but it was on fumes.
@@buckrogers7498 hah I read close as closed
@@callous21 ah now your comment makes more sense!
I used to hypermile in my diesel car, but this bike with the funny engine and carburetor is a different ball game. To hypermile:
1. Go easy on the throttle, especially when accelerating. This is the most important rule in hypermiling.
2. Avoid sudden stops or slow downs. If you need to slow down, just get off the throttle and let the engine coast in gear. The engine will cut off without consuming any fuel.
3. Ride at the ideal RMP, which according to Ryan in the video is 1500 to 3500? 2000-2500rpm is probably the sweet spot.
4. If sudden power is not needed, go one gear up, assuming the rpms stay in that 1500-3500rpm range.
5. Another trick I use is to let the car/bike accelerate downhill and to take it easy going uphill. Downhill acceleration is basically free of charge.
6. I’ve never used the “pulse and glide” technique. As far as I know, it has an advantage with automatic gears, but I’ve always driven/ridden manuals. My wife’s “mild hybrid car” tends to pulse and glide without even trying. I don’t see how it can be of an advantage in a fuel injected manual car/bike.
7. Check tyre pressure regularly. Make sure the rolling resistance is at a minimum.
8. Do not carry unnecessary weight, although this is not a major issue on a bike.
9. Reduce wind resistance.
10. Use common sense
PS: I have tried driving behind a truck/bus, I didn’t see any change in the instantaneous fuel consumption. It’s not worth it.
if you've never used the 'pulse and glide', how can you say it doesn't work? Or have any opinion on it at all? fail.
there was a Mythbusters episode, they figured out, you can save the most of fuel in slipstream behind something, but you have to be SO close that it becomes insanely dangerous.
@@tomekvilmovskiy6547 That would be the first time I would agree with Mythbusters.
To me, it's a Clown Show and I quickly ignored it. Careless theater sandwiched between advertising.
@@gizzyguzzi my old carb car has an economizer: 3 zones - red, yellow and green. Going steady on low or medium revs - green. Accelerating - red, idling - yellow. So pulse and glide is red-yellow-red-yellow. Well, i guess, you see the point.
@@tomekvilmovskiy6547 It is a technique bicycle racers use. It can potentially reduce effort required by, well, a lot, that’s why they do it. But you would have to ride a few feet away from the bumper to get such a big boost. Too dangerous.
Forgot the good ol' blowing air into the tank, it might only give you like 4-5 blocks of run time but if you're going uphill you'll really apreciate it.
As a new rider I have run out of gas three times this season already and I'm still riding as of this comment ( Dec 15 th) , lol but my bike doesn't have a gas gage so I've had to guess my mileage per tank full and as you can tell by my comment that I haven't done well at guessing . Lol.
I laughed my way throughout your entire video because Fortnine I am the rider you portrayed. Lol. Best regards from Lloyd somewhere here in Southern Ontario Canada 🇨🇦.
Fill up every 100 miles and calculate your fuel mileage. This will give you accurate range.
No shame! I ran out twice while I had that Hercules - it burns fuel at an incomprehensible rate. ~RF9
Just fill your tank to the top twice in a row and divide the distance you rode by how many liters or gallons you added the second time. That's your mpg or km/l. My bike has a 12 liter tank so i multiply my 27km/l by ten and get a range of 270km leaving a 54km range margin just in case. I have never ran out of fuel in any of my bikes, because i keep track of consumption. My bike has a fuel gauge but like the vast majority of bikes its useless, i don't even bother looking at it. And if you have a trip function in your bike just reset that counter every time you fill up, its easy. Cheers!
@@_desertork1839 Thank you DesertoRk1 for that awesome advice, I will most definitely do what you've suggested 😀. ✌🇨🇦.
@@FortNine As soon as you said it gets 22.6 miles per gas station I laughed so hard and I knew I was once again in for sn entertaining and as always humorous video .
the very known techneeeq every Indian commuter known for decades.... Thank you Ryan
Thanks to the mpg indicator on my Kawasaki Z 900 RS, I know it's best steady-state mpg is 70mpg or a bit more at 45 mph in 6th gear. So, when I've been worried about running out of fuel, I make it a point to run between 2300-3000 rpm in 6th, which corresponds to the rpm range used when shifting at the manufacturers recommended speeds. Easy on the brakes and throttle on twisty roads, I've achieved 68 mpg over a 100 + mile ride. Avoid the brakes, high speeds, low speeds; also pull in the clutch and coast whenever you can. Great topic F9, interesting video as always!
Those electronic mpg estimates are BS. Accurate odo miles and tank fill to tank fill are the only way to really know.
@@floydblandston108 tank fills have a degree of error to them also. Not all pumps will shut off at the same volume
@@TheRealSykx - relying on the automatic shutoff is a sure way to a petrol bath. Who uses that as a 'full' measure?
@@floydblandston108 99% of people
@@floydblandston108 For average mpg since last full tank, that's the traditional way and it works fine. But, it will not tell you how your mpg is affected by changes in mph, rpm, gear selection, temperature, etc.
I mean fortnine is always worth a watch and I'm a huge fan. But this video could have used something... well... something more. A bit more content, a bit more discussion of fuel efficiency
I guess they were trying to be B^) efficient with their time.
Yeah, normally they are so in depth. This one seemed just a bit, um, lazy for their recent videos.
They did discuss it seperately and elaborately. This is more about you stuck in a situation and what you can do
This is a shorter video based on a longer one they did on this bike.
didnt even suggest using the wind draft behind lorries by driving really close to their bumper! works great, yet you have no idea when they are going to brake...
Yesterday, I forgot my wallet and had to ride home with an almost empty tank. Tomorrow, I have to get to a gas station. Good timing!
I always keep $10 in my factory tool kits for this exact reason 🤣
@@sarahdell4042 Great idea!
Happy to report I've never run dry. It's about the only milestone I haven't reached. Love this channel
Another fort nine video! I’ve had four year old videos of yours coming up that I’ve been watching… No complaints! Just good to see you’re still making content👌🏽
Carrying an MSR fuel bottle can be a lifesaver. I have one strapped to my 140cc swapped Honda ct70 at all times, along with a side aux tank lol.
When riding at 16. I constantly used the reserves’ reserve.
Every video Fortnine makes is incredible.
I once got 82mpg from my 500cc Moto Guzzi on a special 160+ mile ride just to see what 'hypermiling' might do. Rode Vermont Rt. 100 all of the way (lots of 30mph sections/50mph max./only 2 stoplights the entire way and I made them both) and only had to drop below 5th gear for 3 miles total. Engine braking, big flywheels, and those ol' Dell'orto carbs could really do wonders.
Beautiful road, have ridden (parts of it) many times.
@@Stevel_ - I was fortunate enough to grow up on one end of it, and bought the Guzzi while attending college on the other. Many great rides over those years...
got 72mpg on my Suzuki savage 650 single years ago coasting through Yosemite at around 35-45mph. I coasted on all the down hills.
Protip: don't be lazy. I once didn't want to fuel up before a trip, because for that trip i usually use 11 liter of fuel. Perhaps i did 15km the day before i went. The tank fits 15 liter so i should make the trip with 3 liter to spare, which means a generous 45km left.
On the day of the trip, i was fully packed. Then it started raining. And the wind picked up. With big bags and strong drag from the rain coveralls, i ended up with only 1,5 liters of gasoline left when i was at my destination.
Thanks for brightening up the winter with some mc content 👍
Was damn close to run out of gas once driving in the Norwegian alps.
But a lot of rolling downhill with the engine off saved the day... Good times 😎
On long cross country, I ride alone for one simple reason. The other guys have bigger gas tanks, so more range. So I have to, by necessity, ride slower in order to make it to at least to the next gas station. Over the years I have figured out the perfect speed with which to get the most range, and it's always slower than what the other guys want to ride. In then end, after several hundred kilometres, I always end up at the same destination no later than 15-20 minutes behind them. And I made it burning almost 1/3 less fuel than they do. Oh, and we all ride cruisers, mine is a V-Star 1100 with the full touring package including a nice big fairing.
My technique used to be accelerarate down hill, then hold steady up hill. Then one time I nearly ran out of fuel on a V-stom 1000. The trafic was heavy and I did another18 miles at no more than 20 miles per hour. The trip computer read 95 miles per (UK) gallon , and I believe it because I made it to the petrol station with an egg cup of fuel to spare.
I almost ran out of gas on my Harley Deluxe coming north from south Florida. I usually got 170 miles before the light came on. However, the bike stated sputtering on the highway at around 120 miles. Luckily I was right by an off ramp. As I took the long sweeping bend to get off the highway it stopped sputtering and started to run right. I realized I had never leaned the bike since the highway was just straight. As soon as I got gas over the tunnel she was fine. Lesson learned.
Is this an American problem that I'm too Asian to understand??
@@sinuslebastian6366 The state of Florida has very little change in elevation and many of the highways are straight for hundreds of miles. Because of this, it’s possible to ride a few hundred miles without actually leaning the bike over like you would during a curve.
@@zyonsdream lol just messing wuth you. But that is an interesting thing to know.
How about a video looking at emergency alternative fuels. Can you run your bike on alcohol, camping gas, etc...?
AFAIK that's all quite unpredictable. Zippo fuel (or equivalent) will probably sorta run, but it'll detonate like crazy.
Ethanol will likely work, but will wreck rubber parts in the standard 96 percent concentration.
In both cases you're at the risk of fouling up your fuel system badly, so that when you eventually reach a gas station you're *still* in trouble.
I honestly wouldn't try. Bioethanol, ok, but anything outside the gaspump is too risky
Emergency alternative fuels? Why? There will be other vehicles around. Carry some plastic tubing so you can siphon gas (with permission). Lol! Any other fuel is a big risk. Regular instead of premium on bikes that need premium is fine. Even a pint of RaceTrac or Wawa water based fuel in a real pinch but that's it.
@@2wheelsr2wheels39 if you're out camping and run out of gas, then what, besides walking. Will camping gas work, or something else...
Had a near experience like that. Passed a gas station because I still had 80 miles to go. Little did I know that the road I was taking had no fuel for... more than that. I hit 20 till empty and got worried. Hit 10 and was nervous, pulled off to check the map, no signal. Tuck and ride at peak efficiency, screw the speed limit, never stop. Finally, a ray of hope, a sign advertising a county fair! Rolled into town with 0 on my "till empty" gauge and found a station. Looked in the tank and it had a sprinkle left. I laid on the bike for a few minutes thanking it for running so well for a Harley. And this bike, 80 miles till empty reads 3/4 tank. I had no reason to believe there would be no stations when I passed the last one at that level.
I really enjoy watching barley-in-canada-never-cold vancouver people get rained on, warms my heart!
when i'm adventure riding i spend a ton of time chasing extra miles per gallon between gas stations.. when my fuel light flashes, i stop and fill the tires up to the rated maximum. i actually find that i do get a noticeable change in fuel mileage on the gauge average over the type of riding i do and with a thirsty bike like mine, anything I can do to not walk down a long dark road at dusk, 5 kms from a gas station is worth the efforts :D
"Slow and loaded. Like a reality TV star..." - I could watch these videos just for this kind of little details!
...but does one get more out of her by laying her on her side :)
Came here for this! Laugh out loud education!
Good tips. I always carry a quart can of gas in one of my saddlebags. Not a lot, but can be the difference between riding an extra 10 minutes or pushing for an hour.
Glad you brought this up. I'm deciding what type of container I will use to start carrying my backup gas. Did you buy one & which one? Or are you just reusing an appropriate container, like an empty quart of oil? Thanks!
I really have to say this is one of the most organic and refreshing content on TH-cam. I wasn't pressured into a scam, wasn't click baiting for something else and thankfully the video didnt waste my time with sponsors. It was a great video.
I just got some merino wool under garb, I’d be interested to see how they compare to other types of thermal under layers. Great channel Ryan and team
Umm.....I'm not too sure that these first two replies have much to do with merino wool. Undergarments maybe, but probably not wool ones.
Merino wool clothes are pretty great, especially on colder days. In summer however I prefer coolmax synthetic underwear.
@@yarpenzigrin1893 nothing beats commando in summer weather.
I’m a New Zealander. It comes naturally.
I have used Merino and I really like the performance. You keep cozy and dry, and in contrast to most artificisl fibres, you will not reek like dead animal.
However around 5 years in both my merino garments start to tear apart. That's not too shabby, but given the really really steep price tag, I am still moody about it.
Have KLR, can confirm the reserve reserve works.
My rule for my MT07.
Always fill before I come home for the day, and when on rides always fill at half tank.
Has saved me in areas where fuel has been few and far between, and that half tank was needed.
Awesome work Ryan. Always enjoy your videos
Coming from India and having toured in and around the remote regions of the Himalayas for the better part of the last 10 years, I am more keen to know if any of you guys have any bright ideas for portable fuel filters. See, in my experience messing up your FI due to shady fuel stored and sold in loose bottles is a more common problem than the unavailability of fuel itself. The lower oxygen at the Himalayan altitudes only adds to the problem.
Heya Shri. Maybe paper coffee filters might help? Because they are conical shaped, they would probably nest inside a fuel funnel pretty well.
@@DmacDomage I tried that through Africa because of the dirty fuel. Its very slow in percolating, but does work if fitted inside a plastic cooldrink bottle with the end cut off.
@@mzuribikes2499 I did hear a suggestion to put a small magnet in the strainer to remove any ferrous metals that might be in the fuel.
They make a fuel sock just for this purpose, saw it on the Dr 650 Facebook site. The dude was in Mexico, a must down there.
Inline fuel filters, and there used to be an old trick to put metho in the tank of outback Australia where wave would often find it's way into the fuel, I remember reading that that might not be great for fuel injected systems, but I can't remember honestly
A good tip to never run out of gas is to always schedule your stops based on your motorcycle consumption and the distance you gonna cover. Should never let the fuel go lower than 20% of the tank capacity.
I just love that I feel like I am watching top gear or some other discovery channel-esque type program with these vids. Informative and engaging. Bravo.
Why is this channel not bigger? The production quality is just 👌
Riding at around 60 km/h works best on my CBR500R... get around 2.1 L/100km in 6th gear, 3k RPM. Air resistance increases at an exponential rate so it (and the fuel needed to overcome) goes up quick, especially over 100 km/h. Of course tucking can help, coasting down hills, etc... but ultimately keeping your speed consistently in the 55-70 km/h range without much stopping yields the best results.
Theoretical range goes up from my typical 500 km fills to 800 kms but who wants to ride 800 km at 60 km/h!
70-80kmph is actually a sweet spot where u can hv fun and conserve fuel at the same time
@@user-jn7bq8wh1e Yes those are more reasonable speeds but if you're really running out of fuel and need to stretch every last drop, even as low as 55 or 60 makes a difference. I did once run out on an FZ6R and had to push it down a muddy single track. Good times!
Visit India and ppl will tell you many more ideas like blowing air in the tank or grabbing a passing truck 😅
That weather looks like such cozy, coffee shop / fireplace and a big sweater weather.
"slow and loaded" was definitely a good one
Beau travail ;)
I remember in physics class calculating the energy to accelerate vs the energy required to maintain velocity being vastly different. I really dont think the pumping losses from a partially open throttle warrants gassing and coasting
Perfect example of when ideal theory and reality don't match. Lots of hypermilers have personal experience that gives experimental evidence of this fact and it you study powerplant theory there are physics models that prove it as well.
Something I don't think you considered though is that the same energy it takes to accelerate you is needed to decelerate you. As long as you don't use the brake that energy is still used to move the bike forward so it is not lost.
True. Another point is that on many old bikes, pulling the throttle fully open in a splitsecond doesn't result in the best acceleration - but it does use more fuel than opening the throttle more carefully.
You're missing the point. This isn't saying its the most energy efficient way to do things overall but the most with the tools you have. If the engine is far more efficient during acceleration (most are) then that extra efficiency can (and does) outweigh the extra energy needed to provide that acceleration.
As an example (not to scale if you know what I mean) say a bike does 20% efficiency for four miles on a set throttle at a set speed - its been 20% efficient overall.
Now lets say it does 30% efficiency for a mile at 75% throttle, 100% for a mile coasting 30% for the next mile - again at 75% throttle and 100% for the final mile coasting. That comes out at 60% overall efficiency. I'm not suggesting thats possible or not - as I said this is just theory - but it shows that there is a lot of efficiency to be gained with this technique.
Some of that will be used by the extra energy required but so long as you're not getting into massive speeds its going to be more efficient to accelerate then coast.
@@jackwiedemann Thats because carbs rely on airspeed (not the same as flow) to aid mixture. Open the throttle slowly and the air moves faster through the smaller opening than if you just go WOT immediately.
This is also why modern sportbike throttle bodies usually have secondary butterflies or ride by wire. You command a throttle opening with your hand and the ecu decides how far is optimal to actually open those butterflies for the best air flow vs air speed.
1) get modern bike with realtime mpg readout
2) learn which gear and speed results in highest fuel efficiency
3) when low on gas, stay in the optimum max fuel efficiency until reaching gas station
1) No
@@hell_march6652😂
Luv you fortnine, you’ve made me feel 100x better about riding a bike since I bought my first one last year at 19
Such an artist. One of the most artisty TH-camrs out there! Videos don’t get much better
Pulling the choke helped me several times to reach a gas station. Also anybody who owned an old vespa will be a master in leaning your bike to the left to extract the last drops of the fuel left in the tank. I have seen people doing it on their Vespa derived bajaj chetaks in my country.
minimize air resistance; lay down flat on the bike
you don't need gears or rear brake
My electric (pedal) bike has an instant consumption in watts. The difference between canted forward to straight up is about 150 watts. That is, while 400 watts is consumed when not aerodynamic, 250 watts is consumed when canted forward.
I love these videos. Its like watching Discovery for motorcycles. Editing and presentation style, humor, all great man.
Thanks Ryan, Merry Christmas.
Even your filler episodes are entertaining 😄
I had to hypermile only once in my life. When I was in southern New Zealands westcoast and didn't research where the gas stations were. The way I did it was by coasting with my clutch pulled (which thanks to this video I now know is the right thing to do with carburated bikes) and riding at max 60kph. Additionally I turned the bike off for all the downhill parts which I think helped the most. Luckily I just barely made it and found Waiau where I could fuel up.
I really enjoy your content and your sense of humor.
Always keep some spare cash on the motorcycle in case someone with a can of fuel stops to help you, usually it's not needed, but it always nice to be able to offer.
We were 4 bikes that took a wrong turn, when we realized that we wouldn't make it to the next gas station, we emptied all tanks into one and sent him to get gas, he made it, fuelled up and filled every plastic jug he could find and went back to us, filled up all of us as long as there was gas, still one bike ran out before the station, but it was slightly downhill and 2 of us pushed him the last bit, after that there was a gas station every 5 minutes down that road.
My record was 85mpg with my Interceptor 650 in a 100mile trip, but it was dowhill so the ECU runs in cut off mode mostly the time and my speed was only 50mph
They way he swears without actually swearing 😂👍
The BEST ONE in a long time! Congrats!
these videos are so well made. Im not even that into motorcycles but the videos are just so fire
Wouldn't pulling in the clutch on a fuel injected bike also be beneficial since it's not fighting engine braking and thus travel further?
Your videos are always a treat!
Yes and no! With the clutch pulled in, a fuel injected bike feeds some fuel to idle. With the clutch out (engine braking) it feeds no fuel at all. *However*, as you astutely note, sometimes your momentum is worth more than the lost fuel to idling. One example I can think of is when you're going down a large hill and will need to climb another hill at the bottom. In this case, you're probably better off pulling the clutch and keeping your speed up. But we're well into the grey zone here! ~RF9
For the pulse and glide technique briefly covered in this video, you need to pull in the clutch to see a benefit.
Since buying an mt10 I’ve become much better at both drinking fuel and getting maximum mpg, lol
*insert an M T my gas tank joke
I love the way you format this
Entertaining video Ryan, thanks! I currently have a reliable Suzuki with a fuel gauge, fuel injection, and I know the distance limits of my bike. Finally sold my older bike ('77 GS750) it was a great bike in its day, powerful but alias no fuel gauge, 4 carbs, petcock with a leaky reserve, but I also knew of its distance limits.
Finally something my Harley is good at. It's always below 3500 rpm haha. It can't spin much faster
Running out of fuel? (Sorry, couldn't resist)
@@G.W._Cook haha. I'd make the same comment lol. Ironically I've got the biggest tank out of all my buddies so someone else always runs out before me
Hey Ryan, love your videos. Might have a topic for you. All my recreational gear calls for 87 octane. My limited understanding tells me there is no point to use higher octane day to day. However, If certain premium gasolines (higher octane) contain no ethanol are they better at the end of season tank to reduce carb, fuel filter gum up? My bikes are stored 3 months a year, my snowmobile 9 months a year. Perhaps it's only beneficial for my snowmobile. Would you use your advanced scientific mind to answer this important question. Thanks, John
Ryan did a video about stabiizers. I believe he talks about ethanol turning to water more quickly than pure dino-gas.
Okay so the #1 rule is to use premium fuel in the summer, no matter what. Always use high octane, non-ethanol for storage. The octane compounds evaporate out of the gasoline first during storage. If you let a bike sit for 1 year with 93 octane fuel, you'll notice a HUGE increase in horsepower on the old stale, low octane fuel, because the octane has gone away. Low octane fuel makes more spark ignition timing, by increasing the burn rate of the fuel, and also creating much higher probability of spark knock/detonation. You can actually blow up your engine, or have severe pinging, on old stale fuel, because it has less octane. Low octane in a high compression engine is a recipe for engine damage. Octane evaporates!
Higher octane fuels are probably just the same fuel with more stuff added to boost the octane, there isn't a "premium" gasoline, it all comes from the same tank to start, then it gets additives added when loading into the delivery truck.
If you are comparing ethanol vs no ethanol, it's better to go with the "premium" in that case(with no ethanol).
This is two different questions. Most pumps, in the US at least, have E10 aka 10% ethanol across all octanes. Some gas stations offer a special separate 92 or so non-ethanol meant for use in small engines like lawnmowers and generators primarily. Yes, buying specifically non-ethanol fuel is better for long storage periods and basically required for carbureted vehicles/engines as ethanol tends to form little ethanol boogers that clog jets like crazy.
Octane, on the other hand, is purely whatever the manual calls for based on the design of the engine. My GSXR 600 calls for 87 (R+M/2, aka US market calculation) in the manual and I've never had an issue running it in spite of it being a high performance 15.5k RPM 125hp ripshit fast bike. I do sometimes fill up with 93 for the additives in hopes it will help clean injectors/valves/etc., but based on tests I've seen on Project Farm I don't see much of an effective difference between them. After looking it up based on what another commenter said, according to Sunoco 93 octane is much more stable than 87 and stays stable up to 3x as long in storage (3 months for 87, 9 months for 93), so if you think you may not ride regularly or plan to store your bike for a season+, paying a few cents extra for 93 seems to make sense.
I would not store or even run anything on ethanol with a carb if it can be helped, and get some stabil for anything sitting
A new Fortnine video - my day is complete.
My second bike was a GT380 triple. I think it was a 5 gal tank and was fun when it sounded like 10 hornet nests buzzing under the junk. The one thing it could never pass -- was a gas station. Now I had 2 occasions of it running out of fuel. It got 23 miles per gal. I had to fuel it every 115 miles to be able to just ride. My first bike got 55 mpg. So - when the third strike was hit, it got a For Sale sign!
I've had great luck with FI bikes, just putting it in 4th or 5th gear with very light throttle. Keeping it 40-50mph. Getting well over 50 mpg.
That could be amazing or horrible depending on the bike. Highest I've heard of was 200mpg on a diesel.
Riding style makes all the difference. I've averaged 45 and 68 on two different tanks on gas on my interceptor 😅
Someone pls explain how having full throttle and staying at 2500 rpm is possible. I thought that if u had wide open throttle you'd automatically end up going pretty fast
@@ianclose123 I feel that too
It's not! You can short shift to keep it around 2500rpm WOT, but eventually you'll hit top gear and end up going far too fast. Hence the pulse and glide technique. ~RF9
@@FortNine so we accelerate to 2500 rpm on a wide open throttle and then leave it and repeat. Wouldn't it be better to keep it at a certain rpm since accelerating is what eays at gas since the object has to keep changing momentum. Wouldn't it be better to keep it at 2500 rpm and just cruise at that
@@FortNine try 2.500 rpms on a 650 single cylinder it feels like you are riding a blender 🤣
Beautiful content. Everything is so relatable to every day rider.
Gotta admit, I learned nothing but was thoroughly entertained.
You got me in to buying my first bike, just saying thanks and if something happens my girlfriend and mom will be talking to you... Sorry :/
If you have ADHD, the correct method is to turn the petcock to reserve and realize its already on reserve.
Why is this my favorite TH-cam video of all time?
Fortnine makes art... Loved it !
Surprised you can get away with grabbing a bike by the petcock like that on TH-cam 🤔
MSR fuel bottle. Get you out of a jam, makes for a great antifa rally sidekick, and can also be traded to street people for protection out of Vancouver or Seattle. win/win
Been carrying one since 2012. Only ran out once before that and was very lucky a guy helped me with a little gas.
Depends where you are. Some places in the world won't fill them up. Mine were always refused in Bolivia but they will a plastic water bottle. In the UK and EU the minimum dispense is 2l so the 1.5l bottle won't cut, though sometimes you can get away with it.
I always love it when a new FortNine posts. Who else could keep me glued to the screen with such trepidation? Hercules = icing
Love it when a new fortnine vid comes out