If you have never thought of it, when you go to fill up and you see a gas tanker making a drop pull back out and leave. It stirs the tank up and tiny particulates are floating throughout the tank and do so for about an hour before it settles back down. It also mixes the moisture that is in the tank, if there is any, with the gas.

All pumps have filters on them but I never trust the health of my bike on someone else's equipment. This is one of the main reasons I never run my bike down close to empty, especially when out and away from home. I want the option of being able to pull back out and going to another gas station. Just food for thought.

 

I see your cause for concern. It makes sense that the tanker trucks would stir up the sediment in the storage tanks.

As for running your tank low, I believe that's inapplicable to the Harleys. The fuel pump and filter are located in our tanks already, and the filter practically sits on the bottom of the tank. It's different in our cars, where the pump is in the fuel lines, along with the fuel filters.

Just my thoughts...

 

I worked at a gas station through High School.....

The tanker truck driver used to tell us the same thing. We were a high volume station, would get 7K gallons at a time, and the driver would tell us to let the tank settle for at least an hour before we would fill up our cars....

Also, when an in-ground tank gets low (I only knew this because I was the one to stick the tanks) just before a fuel delivery, the pumps are more likely to suck up whatever has settled to the bottom of the tank...

Neither of these are really a concern, IF the station keeps up on it's pump filter maintenance....

But when getting fuel from an unknown station in an unknown area, my rule is when I see a tanker in a station... whether he's started filling or not, I go elsewhere...

Better safe than sorry....

 

This is what I go by. Good note on the low tanks but how would anyone (customers) know if the tanks are low?

 

I don't think I've been at a gas station when there was a tanker there...or maybe I never noticed. But it stirring up stuff makes sense.

 

You really can't tell unless you knew someone who worked at the station.

I've seen people try to hurry and fill up before the tanker starts to offload.... just that the tanker is there, is a good sign the tanks are low...

I noticed that when our tanks were very low.... the pumps would run slowly. That could be due to low fuel in the tanks, or full pump filters....

That's another sign to go to another station......

 

i never like to fill up any of my vehicles when a tanker is there filling up

 

My Dad taught me that rule back when he taught me to drive. I've always followed it.

 

Wow I never thought about it. Thanks for the tip. If anything ill carry some coffee filters around.

 

I work in the aviation industry for handling and testing aviation fuels. Keep with the idea of not getting fuel when the truck is loading or starting to load. Alot of bad stuff in the bottom of tanks.