What's the secret to filling GS 1200 with gas?

I'm the proud new owner of an '07 1200 GS.

I love the bike, but everytime I go to fill the gas tank I have a fit, particularly when I try to fill the tank when I'm traveling in California, due to the special nozzels used in that state.

The tank starts over-flowing when it is significantly less than full, unless I really take my time and dribble in a small amount of gas at a time.

Only a couple of times have I been able to fill the tank to the point where all the "bars" show on the gas gauge.

Also, my yellow warning light, signifying low gas, comes on after only 150 miles.

Is there a better way to do things, or is this just one of the idosyncracies of this bike?

Take out the rubber spacer inside the filler tube.

Then pull back the vent cover on the filler hose and hold it, so you can pump the gas and watch the gas going in. You can get 5.6 gallon no problem, and that is on the sidestand.

Jim

I have had just the opposite experience with gassing the Adventure in CA. I have seen other people recommend removing the rubber from the filler neck but it actually helps me. The nozzle seems to fit snuggly and I have had no leaks, spills, or splatters. I fillup on the centerstand. When I picked up my bike the yellow fuel warning light was on and it took 8.2 gallons to fill. If your light comes on that soon either you are not getting the tank full or something is wrong. Every other bike I own or have owned since we got filler neck restrictions on the tanks and the foreskin on the pump nozzle has caused more splatters and gas vapors into the atmosphere than those devices have ever prevented. I am very pleased with the way the Adventure takes gas. Sorry you are not having the same experience.
Chuck Palmer

I've never had any problems at all. Fill it on centerstand or sidestand, set the nozzle and let it fill. It usually takes 4.8 U.S. gallons if I let the fuel range warning run down under 20(miles).

Those nosles with the evaporative hose or whatever that must be depressed to dispense gas can be a pain in the but. Aerostich makes a little device that you slip into the grooves on the hose so that it more easily compresses when filling a bike.

No problems filling my adventure except when I fill it on the centerstand and then put it on the sidestand without riding a bit. Makes a nice gas puddle!

You partially answered your own question. Let it rip with the nozzle fully in the tank until the automatic shutoff occurs. Then "take [your] time and dribble in a small amount of gas at a time" until it is full.

// marc

I've run into the same problem. This is my second 2007 1200GS and the first got quite a bit better mileage (granted it had more miles on it too). This new bike has 2k miles on it and it says I average 40.5 MPG. I live in Cali too and when I fill up it stops at about 3.2 gallons. I can dribble in about .5 gallons more. Even when I had only 12 miles left on the range meter I still barely got more than 4 gallons in the tank. My low fuel light comes on religiously at 138 to 140 miles and I can't squeeze out more than 175 miles on the tank to save my life.

This bike has Anakee's on it. Don't know how big a difference it makes but I was getting consistently over 210 miles on a tank with both tourances and conti- road attacks with my last bike. Heck, even with TKC 80's I never got as low as 175 miles to a tank on my old bike. I love my new ride, but the range has left me underwhelmed.

Just to add a different perspective to this thread as, IMO, I see a trend.

The fuel light is something that IS adjustable.

Mine was dead nuts accurate on my R1200ST after I had it calibrated under warranty by my dealer. This is a somewhat lengthy process that involves draining the tank and letting the fuel strip dry out. Come back and add a measured amount of fuel to see where the light activates, etc. Repeat until correct.

Try running the tank to empty and figure out whether or not the fuel sensor is in need of calibration. Simple to do, just strap a one gallon can of gas to the bike for use after she dies. The difference from light on to bike engine stall in miles should be, approximately, the equivalent of one gallon of gas in mpg.

My R1200GS Adventure is dead nuts accurate as well. This one came from the factory that way. My wife's F800ST is also.

I just put this out there to help alleviate the problem of an early light activation which then becomes an annoyance vs a tool.

After pulling the rubber thingy out of the tank on my Adventure, I once put 9.1 gallons in. Damn, that's a lot of gas.

Doing the dribble on my ST was always worth an extra 1/2 to 3/4 of a gallon.

You hold more fuel than that. Try running it to empty and see how far you get. Cary a gas can.

I go to near 200 miles before the light, and 240 to empty normally. I can often get over 5 US gallons in my tank, and once got 5.6.

Your guage is probably not right.

Jim

I removed fuel filler sleeve from tank, removed rubber collar from bottom, drilled vent holes near top of sleeve, and reversed the filler cap for easier access. I've run down to approx. 15 miles remaining on tank and filled with 5.8 gallons a couple of times. I can fill tank more consistently now so can calculate mileage more accurately.

With the fuel low warning on and +/- 25 Mi range indicated I consistently get more than 5.0 Gal at fill-up. Fill it on the centerstand till the auto shut-off cuts flow from the pump, then bump the bike from the side with your hip a couple of times. This gets bubbles out and you can top-off a couple of more times that way. This without averflow from the vent hoses. I have no holes in the filler neck. Also, I consistently get 175-200 Mi between fill ups.

http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/E-Z-Fill-Nozzle-Key-p-17026.html

Maybe one of these will help, although I find it hard to believe that you´re having a problem with this...

Sorry guys but what rubber thingy are you referring to? All I saw when I had the panels off was a segmented rubber/foam spacer around the outside.

I was planning on drilling some holes in the tube but I haven't done it yet.

I like the idea of flippng the lid around

Flip open the cap and look inside the tank. The rubber thingy is ar the bottom of the filler neck. just grab it and yank it out.

For those who have drilled te neck - did you remove it from the tank?

Has anyone experienced a leaky gas cap after pulling out the rubber sleeve? It appears that this sleeve is the bottom mating surface for the fuel cap, and removing it could possibly lead to fuel leaks if you leave the bike on the side stand when full or if you drop your bike?? Any experience with this, or is it simply an appendage that BMW slaps on for regulatory purposes?

Link? I can't find it on the Aerostich site.

I can say w/o a doubt that the "foreskin" (good name, BTW) used in CA sucks. I had no problem when I lived in AK filling my tank up to the bottom of the rubber sleeve in the gas tank. I noticed that once I was in CA, instead of getting about 250 miles/ tank (non-adv), I was getting about 200. I know one of the causes of that is the auto cutoff from the gas pums in CA, so I tried to actually fill it up to the same place I did when I was in AK. For quite a few attempts after that, I spilled gas all over the side of the bike trying to get the tank full. I've never-- not once in my life-- spilled gas when fueling a vehicle prior to that. I finally gave up and realized that gas stations are plentiful in CA (vs. AK), so I just refuel more frequently now. I usually need a stop to... stretch my legs anyway.

I think one of the other causes of lower miles/ tank in CA is more oxygenated fuel... which means less energy/ gallon. I'd bet that there's the same *total* CO2 emitted for miles traveled, since the better oxygenated gas gives lower MPG.

Anyway, I'll never understand CA. I guess I might as well just accept the way it is for the time I'm here. If it bothered long-time Californians, I guess they'd do something about it, right? Right?

Has anyone in CA used that thing? Does it work on most pumps here?

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