Flashing Fuel Icon

A little bit different from the thread re. how far you can go with the fuel icon flashing.
As mentioned in an earlier thread, I dropped my bike at zero speed when attempting to park it outside my friend's home. Only minor cosmetic damage and the Bandit ran well that day, although the fuel icon began flashing much earlier than it had ever done before, and I was able to do approx.40-50 kms with it flashing, and it only took 16 litres to refill.
Today I took the opportunity to do a ride Mt.Barker - Strathalbyn-Milang - Langhorne Creek - Mt.Barker - Home. It was a little cool, despite the thermal underwear and extra jacket under my textile protective jacket, but the Bandit loved it all and ran smooth and sweet (no surprises there), however, once again, with only 220 kms on the odometer, the fuel icon dropped from 3 bars to 2 and shortly after to one bar which began to flash almost immediately. I didn't stress this time, because I knew I would have easily enough fuel to get to my favoured Caltex-Woolworths station and refill. Sure enough, I had no fuel related symptoms, (or any problems at all,) getting to the bowser, BUT, it only took 14litres to refill.
This means I could easily have done another 80 or so kilometres with the icon flashing.
Prior to my bike falling over, I calculated from experience, that I could count on 40 kms. only, from when the fuel icon started flashing.
Clearly something has been affected/altered, and a fuel icon flashing for 150 kms is not a help, it is just a nuisance.
Has anyone else suffered this issue?
Has anyone got a suggestion as to how I can re-set the length of warning to something more reasonable?
Just had the bike serviced - only 6000 km on the dial, so even though it was 24 months, the dealer did a 1 year service plus changed the brake fluid at my request, but I didn't think to mention this issue because I thought it may have been something that would only be connected with the fuel load when the bike fell over.
Not a BIG issue I know, but if it can be easily corrected i would like to do so. Thanks in advance.

Maybe the fuel gauge arm shifted when you dropped it.

Kaupy1962 wrote:Maybe the fuel gauge arm shifted when you dropped it.

That would be my guess too. Maybe drop it on the other side ? Sorry.

The Bandit "guess gauge" is a little fun game Suzuki installed with all GSF1250 (GSX?).
How the game works is it guesses how much fuel you have until about 1/3 left then you take over and guess how much further you can ride without having to push 250kg.
Gus milked well over 400km as a test. Me I call it 250km on a highway but if you're playing it can be up to 100km less than that
I don't think your gauge is reading much different to mine.

The gauge is crap. My bike is now running at 18ks to 1 Litre of fuel. Which works out that I should get 4 days to work and back from a tank which is 342 Ks. Last last block is flashing at 230, and from there it only takes 13 litres to fill to the brim.

I think we are all resigned to the fact that it is a cheap , and inaccurate system that comes on tha Bandits. Personally. I dont really care. Maybe it would bother me more if I was useing the bike to commute daily. But I dont think so. Everyone should reset a trip meter after each top up. Surely you have a rough idea of how many Ks you get to a tank. OOOps , hang on. Something more important has just popped up on the page. I can live for a year free in the USA ! Must go.

I dont care about the Gauge. Around the 250 mark i fill her up

How many litres does the tank hold again?!?!

My guage starts flashing at around 210-220km and im scared to push it past 250km (although i know i can do at least another 30km)

masterA wrote:How many litres does the tank hold again?!?!

My guage starts flashing at around 210-220km and im scared to push it past 250km (although i know i can do at least another 30km)

19lt in the EFI bikes and 20 in the carbied ones with the exception of the 06 (19lt) I believe.

Fill it up. Refill whenever and work out the economy. Is close enough for highway riding. Useless if you're hammering it though because "it all depends"

A discussion with Bhoffo on the Grumpy ride indicated his is definitely calibrated differently to mine (right from the outset) - maybe his was even a bit like your's was originally. But by the end of the tank the difference doesn't seem much at all. I can offer no explanation about how you would restore it to the original setting but in the end, you might just have to live with it as it now is. Mine has always started flashing at around 230kms on trips with a bit of stick involved, and I then don't mind going to 300kms or so before filling up. I pushed it to 348kms on one recent trip.

But, commuting wise with extended warm-up in Canberra's sub-zero temperatures, mine will start flashing closer to 200kms (maybe less).

On the other hand, with a bit of right wrist control on a trip, it's gone as far as 245kms before flashing - probably good for around 360kms or so from the tank.

19lt in the EFI bikes and 20 in the carbied ones with the exception of the 06 (19lt) I believe.



@ 2wa. I believe the 06 still has a 20l capacity tank, the difference is that the 07 (efi) onwards have the fuel pump in the tank that takes up 1l of space

i just reset the trip meter to zero when i fill and when it gets to 300 i know there's about 50 left [unless you have been using heavy wrist action]. speaking of which i have just been advised that i can add two inches so i have to go too

Kiwisteve wrote:19lt in the EFI bikes and 20 in the carbied ones with the exception of the 06 (19lt) I believe.



@ 2wa. I believe the 06 still has a 20l capacity tank, the difference is that the 07 (efi) onwards have the fuel pump in the tank that takes up 1l of space

Yeah you're probably right mate. On a side note do the carbied ones have a fuel pump at all?

OK .. I'll drink my cup of concrete and 'toughen up' about trusting the guage - sigh -and now it will be 250 km fill-ups unless I'm at the top of the freeway into Adelaide, from which you can almost roll all the way down Cross Road until you see the sea, and perhaps with a strong Easterly blowing you could reach Glenelg Beach! (which unfortuanately would mean I had gone about 6 km. further away from my place -oh well ..the ad at the top of this page is telling me to download "Television FANATIC', so must go )

I recently did my first long (2 up) trip on the Bandit, at first I was doing 220 - 250km fills but found at 300 - 310 I still had 3 - 4L left

While out yesterday on my '06 1200, I got down to the flashing pump. First time. Will I run out of gas ? Will I be alone on the side of the road ? Will I be abducted by a group of voluptuous females in a combi ? When I filled her up, she took 16.4 litres. Heaps !

Hammy wrote:... Will I be abducted by a group of voluptuous females in a combi ? ...

Yes , that's my biggest fear too!

Re-Cycled wrote:

Hammy wrote:... Will I be abducted by a group of voluptuous females in a combi ? ...

Yes , that's my biggest fear too!

If either of you ever need help.........................

2wheelsagain wrote:

Kiwisteve wrote:19lt in the EFI bikes and 20 in the carbied ones with the exception of the 06 (19lt) I believe.



@ 2wa. I believe the 06 still has a 20l capacity tank, the difference is that the 07 (efi) onwards have the fuel pump in the tank that takes up 1l of space

Yeah you're probably right mate. On a side note do the carbied ones have a fuel pump at all?

I haven't gone that far into it yet 2wa, but I'll check it out. I'm pretty sure no fuel pump.

Pretty sure the 1200 use a vacumn system on the fuel tap

Kiwisteve wrote:

2wheelsagain wrote:

Kiwisteve wrote:19lt in the EFI bikes and 20 in the carbied ones with the exception of the 06 (19lt) I believe.



@ 2wa. I believe the 06 still has a 20l capacity tank, the difference is that the 07 (efi) onwards have the fuel pump in the tank that takes up 1l of space

Yeah you're probably right mate. On a side note do the carbied ones have a fuel pump at all?

I haven't gone that far into it yet 2wa, but I'll check it out. I'm pretty sure no fuel pump.

The 1200 has no pump, just good old gravity. The vacuum just opens and closes the tap automatically to save flooding when parked.

Thanks for clearing that up chaps, I thought it was gravity fed.

Ewok1958 wrote:A discussion with Bhoffo on the Grumpy ride indicated his is definitely calibrated differently to mine (right from the outset) - maybe his was even a bit like your's was originally. But by the end of the tank the difference doesn't seem much at all. I can offer no explanation about how you would restore it to the original setting but in the end, you might just have to live with it as it now is. Mine has always started flashing at around 230kms on trips with a bit of stick involved, and I then don't mind going to 300kms or so before filling up. I pushed it to 348kms on one recent trip.

But, commuting wise with extended warm-up in Canberra's sub-zero temperatures, mine will start flashing closer to 200kms (maybe less).

On the other hand, with a bit of right wrist control on a trip, it's gone as far as 245kms before flashing - probably good for around 360kms or so from the tank.

HOLY CRAP!!!!
How the hell do you get 350km out of a tank?!?!?!
Mine starts flashing around 200km and when i fill up around 220-230km i get about 14-15L into the tank

masterA wrote:

HOLY CRAP!!!!
How the hell do you get 350km out of a tank?!?!?!
Mine starts flashing around 200km and when i fill up around 220-230km i get about 14-15L into the tank

That's about what I get commuting around town, on the highway 2 up and well loaded I was getting 80-100km better, solo on the highway I would expect better again, at least 350 between fills

at 15 litres, you still have 4 left and should get another 70 - 80km before you are in trouble

Chook wrote:

masterA wrote:

HOLY CRAP!!!!
How the hell do you get 350km out of a tank?!?!?!
Mine starts flashing around 200km and when i fill up around 220-230km i get about 14-15L into the tank

That's about what I get commuting around town, on the highway 2 up and well loaded I was getting 80-100km better, solo on the highway I would expect better again, at least 350 between fills

at 15 litres, you still have 4 left and should get another 70 - 80km before you are in trouble

Theoretically 61 sees it empty. It does sound a bit short but seriously there are so many variables its hard to say what is normal. In my opinion if the bike fuels well and pulls hard it should be right.