Why Fuel Planning Matters More Than You Think

On a short blast to a favourite café, running low on petrol is an inconvenience. On a 300-mile run through the Yorkshire Dales, the Scottish Highlands or the empty stretches of mid-Wales, it can turn a brilliant day into a long, cold wait by the roadside. The difference between the two is almost always planning, not luck.

Motorcycles have small tanks compared with cars, and their range varies wildly depending on how you ride. A gentle cruise at 60mph might return 60mpg, while sustained motorway speeds, headwinds, panniers full of luggage and a heavy right hand can knock that down to 40mpg or worse. Before you set off, work out your realistic range. Take your tank capacity, assume you will only use about two-thirds of it between stops, and you have a safe working figure. If your bike holds 15 litres and returns 50mpg, that is roughly 165 miles of theoretical range — so plan to refuel every 100 to 110 miles.

Map Your Route Around Fuel, Not Just Views

The most scenic roads are often the ones with the fewest facilities. That is part of their charm, but it means fuel stops need to be deliberate. Sit down with a map or a route planner before you leave and mark every filling station you can find along the way, paying close attention to remote sections where the gaps between them stretch out.

• Identify the gaps: Look for stretches of 60 miles or more with no obvious station and treat them as fixed refuelling points at either end.
• Check opening hours: Many rural forecourts close at 6pm, shut on Sundays, or operate on a pay-at-pump system that may not accept your card. A station that exists on the map is not much use if it is shuttered when you arrive.
• Note alternatives: For every planned stop, have a second option within 20 miles in case the first is closed, out of fuel or has a queue at the pump.
• Think about the terrain: Hill climbs, mountain passes and twisty roads all drink fuel faster than flat cruising. Allow extra margin in Snowdonia, the Pennines or the Highlands.

It also helps to know where the larger towns sit on your route. A supermarket filling station on the edge of a town is usually cheaper, busier and more reliable than a lone rural pump, and it gives you a chance to stretch your legs and use a proper toilet.

Do Not Rely on Small Rural Pumps

It is tempting to assume that every village will have a garage with a working pump. In practice, rural fuel stations have been closing for years, and the ones that remain can be unpredictable. A pump might be out of order, the card reader might be down, or the tanker might simply not have arrived that week. Some are little more than a single elderly pump beside a farm shop, and they are not always open when the sign says they are.

Treat any small rural pump as a bonus rather than a plan. If you arrive at a remote station and you are below half a tank, fill up even if you think you can make the next town. That extra tenner buys you options, and options are what keep a ride enjoyable. Never ride past a station on a remote stretch thinking you will find another one soon — that is exactly how riders end up stranded.

Fill Up Before Long Stretches

The golden rule of touring is simple: start every long, remote or exposed section with a full tank. That means filling up at the last decent-sized town before the wilderness, not at the first one after it. If your route takes you over a high pass, through a forest with no services for 80 miles, or along a coastal road with nothing but sheep for company, arriving at the start of it with a full tank removes a whole category of worry.

Use your stops properly, too. A fuel stop is a chance to check your tyre pressures, top up your oil if your bike uses it, clean your visor, drink some water and loosen your shoulders. Five minutes of housekeeping at every fill-up keeps both you and the bike in better shape for the next leg.

• Fill up at the start of the day, even if the tank is three-quarters full.
• Refuel before any section you have flagged as remote, regardless of your current level.
• Reset your trip meter at every fill-up so you always know your distance since the last stop.
• Carry a small torch for late arrivals at poorly lit rural forecourts.

Carrying Spare Fuel Safely

If you ride a bike with a modest tank and you are heading somewhere genuinely remote, a spare fuel can can be a sensible insurance policy — but only if it is legal, safe and properly carried. In the UK, carrying a small quantity of petrol in an approved container is generally permitted, but you should check the regulations that apply to your journey and never assume it is allowed everywhere, particularly on ferries, in tunnels or at certain events.

Use a proper metal or approved plastic fuel container designed for petrol, never a makeshift bottle or container meant for something else. Secure it upright and outside the rider's immediate space, ideally in a pannier or strapped firmly to a rack, so it cannot shift or leak. Fill it no more than about 90 per cent to allow for expansion, keep it out of direct sun, and never carry it inside a top box next to hot components or electrical gear. Vent it carefully before opening, and refuel well away from anyone smoking.

Then treat that spare fuel as a genuine emergency reserve, not part of your normal range. If you find yourself dipping into it on a regular basis, your route planning needs a rethink, not a bigger can.

A Simple Routine That Works

Good fuel planning comes down to a handful of habits. Work out your true range and plan stops well inside it. Mark the remote sections on your route and refuel at both ends. Phone ahead or check online for rural station opening hours where you can, and treat any small pump as a lucky find. Fill up before long stretches, reset your trip meter, and carry a properly secured spare can only where it is permitted.

Do that, and fuel stops become a pleasant pause in the day rather than a source of stress. You will spend your attention on the road, the weather and the view — which is exactly where it belongs.