Anyone know of a fuel guage for a Sportsman? I tried one of the types on outboard motor tanks, with the gauge inset in the cap - it screwed right on - but was way off, didn't go deep enough.

Don't know if anyone has a large marine supply store near that might have several models.

Any other ideas?

 

Polaris has them. I had one on my 335 and it wasn't very accurate. The one for the 500 is different as it has a larger tank. I think I paid $16 for mine.

 

I hate to be a pr#ck but what would anyone need a fuel gauge on a bike that goes about 80 miles a fill up and thats not even on reserve yet....the bike is the Sportsman 500.

 

ATVING -
You're not being a pr*ck - but when we go hunting in South Texas - you can be along way from fuel, or another vehicle - several hundred to a 1,000 acres - and I would like to know how much fuel I have.

Don't care if the full or 3/4 is accurate - I want to know when I'm down to a 1/4 or less.

I don't like to keep the tank full when it might be two or three weeks before I go out - I hate stale gas & additives.

A liitlle hunting can make you forget all about time and fuel when the birds are flyin' & die'n.

 

TexasDuck,

You won't find a mechanical guage that will work well. The Sportman 500 tank is deeper on the outer edges than it is in the middle, under the filler hole. When the tank looks empty through the filler hole there is still quite a bit of fuel in the lower edges of the tank. The in-cap mechanical guage is not the answer.

DJ

 

I asked about one too but the way the Sportsman tank is set up it is hard for it to be very acurrate, the best way to tell is to fill up and set your tripometer to zero. I can go easily 80 miles before a fill up and have gone a little over 100 without hitting reserve. but 80 is my cut off. I average 20 -25 mpg on the big beast even with my girlfreind on and lots of mud.

 

A freind of mine bought a flat plastic gas tank it is about 3 inches high and fits on his back rack, it holds 3 gallons of gas and can hold 800 lbs of crap, not that any atv can hold 800 lbs on the back rack but i guess it is a cool selling point. he paid rougly 60 for it. He never goes anywere without it. If i did not have a tripometer or odometer which he doesnt i would have one of them.

 

Last weekend I road 10 1/2 hrs (30 miles of heavy going) on my SP500 and looking in the gas tank it looked empty! Upon returning to camp I refilled and it only took 2 to 2 1/2 imp gals so there is a significant ammount of gas unseen by the naked eye.

 

I wish they would put a fuel guage standard on the Sportsmans. Our Foreman has the built in guage (not on the gas cap) and it is very handy to keep an eye on the fuel level when on a long trailride, and when filling it up at the pump it's very easy to see when it's coming up to full. I wish Polaris offered the features Hondas have on their quads!

 

It is not really that big of a deal that Honda has it and we don't . reset the tripometer at each fillup.