When I run my fuel down to when the low fuel light comes on, I consistently put 4.5 gallons in.

Chief21...good luck, stay safe and hope things don't get too bad...get whatever rest you can when you can get it..your in for the duration now.

 

Like Katrina05, I can usually put in about 4.2-4.5 if I run it until the gauge is very low,
but I usually rely on the "Miles Remaining" which on my 2009 FXDC is very reliable. I
usually like to refill at about the 60 miles remaining point. I never really look at the actual
fuel gauge and usually assume that I have a very conservative 180 mile range for travel
planning purposes although I can go well past that. Often the "Miles Remaining" says that I
could have eked out 240 or so, but I'll be damned if I want to run out so I don't push it..

Once when I was in an area of town with gas stations every couple blocks, I deliberately
ran it down to where it showed about 20 miles remaining at which point it flipped over into
a "LOW FUEL" display. At that point it took about 4.8 gallons which was a pretty good test
of the gauge's accuracy, at least on MY bike... God only knows how much gauge variance
there may be from bike to bike.

FWIW

 

On a 5 gallon tank you will never be able to put 5 full gallons in it, even new as the fuel pump and all it's hoses and such are in the tank using part of the capacity. After the first fill it should never actually end up bone dry unless you physically drain every drop.

That's a long way of saying what you experienced is normal. A fuel gauge on this small of a tank will never be fully accurate.

 

Install the combo speedo/tach, that fuel gauge is pretty accurate, works as well as any car does anyway.

 

I have that fuel gauge and it is not that accurate on my FXDC. I can put 3.5 gals after the fuel light come on and I ride another 10 or so mile after that. I guess I will do what other suggest and use the mileage remaining instead of the fuel gauge needle.

 

I can do 165 miles, light comes on and takes 4.1 gal

 

More than once I've put 5.3-gal. in my 5-gal. tank.

 

If I filled a 5 gal. tank and the pump registered 5.3 gal I believe I'd be looking for another gas station.
Billy

 

I'd be looking for the number to the state weights and measures.

 

Buy a 1/4 gallon gas can (plastic). Fill with gas and strap to bike. Fill up gas tank on bike. Set trip odometer to zero. Ride bike until you run out of gas. Look at trip odometer. Now you know how far you can go on a tank of gas. Put gas from small gas can in tank. Go home.