Well, this morning, on my way into work, my '09 Super Glide started sputtering (it never sputters) about 1/2 mile from my office parking lot. I would give throttle up and it would accelerate and then sputter down and again and again a few times until it wouldn't accelerate at all, and I had to coast over to the side of the road.

I tried starting it twice more, and it did start both times, but if I tried to give it some throttle, it just sputtered out. It acted exactly as if it was out of gas, except the gas gauge read that it was full with 3/4 tank of gas.

I can't remember exactly the last time I filled it up, and I've ridden a lot in the past 4 or 5 days, so there is a good chance I am just out of gas and that my gas gauge is fudged.

Is this common? Gas gauges being inaccurate?

If I go down and put some gas in it, and it turns out that an empty tank was NOT my problem, does anyone have any ideas what else could cause this? Bad fuel injector? Clogged fuel filter?

I did make it to work on time! I was able to walk the bike like half a block into my parking lot. But, it was embarrassing. =)

Thanks!

 

My guess would be your gas gauge is stuck. Pretty common on Harley's. I just use my trip odometer and fill up every 180 miles or so.

 

I would hope your gas gauge isn't that far off, but it is an HD after all.

There is only 1 spot on my gas gauge that I know to be accurate: full. Even when the tank is empty (as in, I've put 4.9 gallons in a 4.9 gallon tank), the needle isn't all the way over to the left. Hence, I go by the mileage on the clock as opposed to the fuel gauge.

Anyway, I think I've read there might be a pin-hole in the fuel line running in the gas tank if it sputters like that.

 

My bike is doing that also,have to take it in.
Disconnected the PC5 and no difference.

 

Did u look in the tank. That should have been the first thing u did.

 

Yes, and it was the first thing I did, but I was not able to see any gas. I did smell gas, but that doesn't really mean a whole lot, since an empty tank will probably smell of gas as well. My tank has a high middle bar thing, and it blocks a lot of visibility into the tank. I was going to stick something down in there like a clean paint stir, but I didn't have anything clean on me, and I had to get into my office and start working.

On lunch I am going to try putting some gas in it and see what it does.

 

Take off the gas cap While sitting on the bike and move the bike to the left and the right while looking in the tank. If there is gas in the tank you will hear it if not see it sloshing around.

 

A gas gauge can spoil you. On my last two bikes, small 2 gal. tanks and no gauge at all. But in the years I had them, I ran out once on my Panhead.

Put some in it and if your gauge is messed up, do the trip meter gimmick.

 

Even if your gas gauge is messed up the low fuel light will come on. Is it on? I have an 09 and I use the range function of my odometer and disregard what the gas gauge says.

 

Thats why I wish they still had gas petcocks with the reserve.. ride till it shuts off then switch to reserve and get some gas.