50 miles from a full tank?!

[Hefty]

Only getting 50 or so miles from a full tank on my '98 Hornet.

I'd read the tank range was low but never actually looked up what I should be getting.. Apparently I should expect at least 90 miles before flipping the reserve switch. Up until now i'd just made a habit of filling up periodically so it didnt matter, but the other day on my way to work I ran out of fuel at 47 miles & used the reserve to get to the nearest station.

Only had the bike just under a month

Am I leaking fuel? I'm noticing or smelling anything. Could it be a carb problem? How would I check either? I'd like to avoid going to a garage as moneys bloody tight right now. Any help would be appreciated
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'13 Honda CBF125 // '99 Suzuki SV650s // '98 Honda CB600F Hornet

[CaNsA]

[Itchy]

Simple things to check:

You're not being heavy handed on the throttle.

Check your brakes aren't dragging/seized. A quick way to test is if you can roll it around freely. If it needs leaning into to push it around then you may have seized brakes.

Another way is after a ride spit on your discs. Seized discs will be much hotter than normal brakes.

On the Hornet it takes 2 or so hours to de-seize them. Or 30 mins on the back.

Air filter, undo the tank bolts lift it up and open the airbox.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[jaffa90]

Your tank is full of chippings or your engine oil level is getting higher or somebody is nicking your fuel.
Check the spark plugs colour.

[Fin]

you sure the tank is full to the very top?

[Pete.]

Get someone to ride behind you for a bit. Seems to be a thing with Hornets that when you follow behind them you're breathing in neat petrol vapour. There's one I sometimes see on the A2 that I have to get past ASAP coz it makes me want to puke.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Rogerborg]

The Hornet is notorious for having a tank with a deep filler neck that's a sod to get properly full, plus a good 4 litres of it remains inaccessible on the RHS away from the petcock. Even so, 50 miles is ludicrous and sounds like you've got a fuelling problem. Is racebike?
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[BTTD]

The last time I got awful mileage it was because I had a fuel leak. Do you park in a garage and is there a strong smell of petrol every time you get the bike out? I did, and for the first few days I thought it was my old petrol generator.
If the bike's parked outside you might not notice a small leak easily.

[Andy_Pagin]

First work out actual mpg.
Fill the tank up to a point where you can see the fuel level.
Ride normally for say 40 miles.
Refill at the same petrol station, preferably the same pump, to the same level as before.

40_miles / litres_you_refuelled = miles_per_litre
miles_per_litre / 0.22 = mpg
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They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa, hey-hey,
the men in white coats are coming to take me away.
Yamaha Vity -> YBR125 -> FZS600 Fazer -> FZ1-S Fazer

[Holdawayt]

I get just over 100 miles to a tank on my 99 hornet before switching over to reserve.
Definitely look at your brakes or see about getting the carbs set up properly.

[Hefty]

Annoyingly im stuck at work today & possibly tonight so I can't give it the once over.

[Pete.]

[Shinigami]

100% something wrong, I can't really offer more advice than that above however my 03 hornet did around 120 miles per tank and that was a knackered 96k engine.
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Current: Honda City Fly CLR125 2003 Honda CB600F Hornet 2008 Yamaha FZ6 S2 + 1991 Kawasaki GPZ500
"Once you realize what a joke everything is, being the Comedian is the only thing that makes sense.

[Itchy]

[Skudd]

[BTTD]

[Polarbear]

Even pinning it everywhere you should get way more miles per gallon.

Not convinced about the brakes binding. I would think they would be glowing red if they were holding a bike back that badly.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[myvision]

My 2002 hornet I start looking for a garage around the 100 mile mark the one time I had to go to the reserve was at 120 miles but I had only just got it then so was steady away. (still steady but improving).
It does take a while to fill though even when you think it's full you can squeeze more in just let it settle then add more repeat until it doesn't settle takes a while but works.

[Hefty]

[Polarbear]