Reserve Tank
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Road Master
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 885
Likes: 3
From: Ledyard, CT
Reserve Tank
What is the point of having a reserve tank if you can't even use it as a warning to fill up before running out of gas? As you might be able to tell this happened to me today.
I always run the bike with the fuel switch on "ON" and like a month or so after I bought the bike I ran out of gas outright, no warning. I pulled over, switched it to reserve, and no fuel. So every now and then I used to put it on reserve before filling up.
Same thing today, I knew I was low and I was half a mile away according to the odometer from the gas station, had to call my brother to bring some gas.
Why bother having a reserve setting?
I always run the bike with the fuel switch on "ON" and like a month or so after I bought the bike I ran out of gas outright, no warning. I pulled over, switched it to reserve, and no fuel. So every now and then I used to put it on reserve before filling up.
Same thing today, I knew I was low and I was half a mile away according to the odometer from the gas station, had to call my brother to bring some gas.
Why bother having a reserve setting?
Novice
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: west virginia
i would say that your filter in your petcock is broke or has come off because you should have about 20 miles on reserve or so i can run just about that on my 91 and my mom has a 2002 1200 and it will run 25 miles on it ....i would unscrew your petcock and see if that has happend i have had it done to me on my old 79 1000 hope you the best of luck
shaun
shaun
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 6,478
Likes: 12
From: Nashville, TN
+1 The reserve is what keeps me from running outta fuel. Once I flip over to reserve I've comfortably 20 miles to find fuel. Besides, tell me another time you can reach down between your legs, flip your petcock, in public, and not get in trouble.
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Road Master
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 885
Likes: 3
From: Ledyard, CT
Last time I was at my indy he said I don't have to keep turning it off since its vacuum sealed, so lately I've just been leaving it where it is, although now that I think about it, every time I've gotten it back from the indy, the switch is on the bottom selection. I figured they just always put it in reserve just in case.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,225
Likes: 4
From: fegfsg
i got 25 miles or so in my reserve, i was alone between santa barbara and santa maria CA around 1AM this weekend and i was running on reserve. if that gas station didnt pop up out of nowhere i would have been SOL though
replace your petcock or rebuild it, something inside broke
replace your petcock or rebuild it, something inside broke
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 618
Likes: 3
From: So. Cal
Good one.
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Club Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 16,320
Likes: 306
From: Boynton Beach, FloriDuh
I don't remember off hand which side is larger, but I know that when looking at the thing from the left side of the bike, "on" is on top, "fuel off" is horizontal (at least I think that's what it says), and "reserve" is on the bottom. I turn the switch clockwise.
Last time I was at my indy he said I don't have to keep turning it off since its vacuum sealed, so lately I've just been leaving it where it is, although now that I think about it, every time I've gotten it back from the indy, the switch is on the bottom selection. I figured they just always put it in reserve just in case.
Last time I was at my indy he said I don't have to keep turning it off since its vacuum sealed, so lately I've just been leaving it where it is, although now that I think about it, every time I've gotten it back from the indy, the switch is on the bottom selection. I figured they just always put it in reserve just in case.
I've seen more than one person who had the lever position confused. The long side of the lever is not "pointing" end.
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Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 107
Likes: 2
From: Gilroy, California
Make sure you understand the ON and RESERVE settings, look at your manual if needed.
The little tube in the tank *can* break off, so that you're drawing from the lower, Reserve, level always. That's the second thing to check after you've made sure you're trained properly on the equipment.
Proud to be a petcock-fondler.
The little tube in the tank *can* break off, so that you're drawing from the lower, Reserve, level always. That's the second thing to check after you've made sure you're trained properly on the equipment.
Proud to be a petcock-fondler.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,906
Likes: 11
From: Grottoes Va.
Sounds to me like you have things turned around. The long arm on the petcock should point down for on. There is an indention on the petcock that tells you where you have it set. A friend of mine used to go by the long arm on his '02 sportster, kept telling him he's going to run out, he did on a ride one day, we just left him.