Thursday evening I was doing some work (replacing rear footpeg bracket after I busted the original trying to straighten it, oil change, priming for paint), and it started pouring. This ended my hopes for getting a ride in before the big storm to go get gas I was pretty low. I started the bike in the garage with the door open to burn off the oil that leaked after the change. The fuel tank was ON at the time. Rain stopped suddenly, got a little nicer, and decided I'd take a run before it came back. Got down the driveway and about 30ft from the house when I jumped on it and it died. I switched the tank to RESERVE and tried to start it but it bogged and died. Then I had proceeded in the pushing process.

The tank was empty when it was in the ON position, but why didn't RESERVE work? Do you have to fill the reserve tank or does it automatically drain from the tank when you fill up? Thanks Guys!
-Tim

 

Form what I have read there is no reserve tank, it's all the same, you just have a shorter and taller set of tubes to draw fuel from. Others seem to have run into this. Could be a bad petcock (who comes up with these names!!) or maybe your was installed backwards, meaning you were in reserve when you thought you were in on? I suppose it could also just be bad and not switching between the two settings.

 

yeah you got it n4tethegreat. also check and bend your fuel lines around, and see if you have any pinholes that gas could have leaked out of.

 

Nah- No leaks, I would notice when it's parked and sits, I havent been riding it much, only about an hour or so this sunday.

 

no reserve tank. just a hose that pulls gas from lower in the tank that is normally missed by the "on" position hose. most likely you rode around with it on reserve and it drained the tank.

good tip for bikes without gas gauges. set your tripometer everytime you fill up and keep an eye on it when you are riding. around 150-160 is when I start to head to the gas station to fill up.

the day you run out of gas is the day you will never forget how many miles you get to a tank. fill her back up and see how she runs.

 

HAHAHA And that is where the next problem is. My tripometer is broken and stuck at 777.1. Lucky me, atleast I got triple 7s- I should head to vegas. When I go to push the little pin in there's nothing there. It doesn't reset, and it doesn't change.

 

If you take your gauge cluster apart, you'll find the reset button in about 3 pieces. Mines broke, yours is broke, and there's probably plenty more broke too. Unless you really need that trip meter, just forget about it.

 

Here's your big clue: Was there gas left in the tank when it died?

If so: You've got a fuel system problem. Start from the petcock and work your way down.

If not: I bet you rode it the day before on "reserve," and luckily got home right before it died out. Then today you through it on "fuel," burned up what was left in the carbs, and went "WTF?!"

 

Nah it's only been on FUEL since I got it. I only ride it on weekends- if that, because I only have my permit and still don't have insurance. There wasn't much fuel in it to begin with, I could see just enough to fill the outer ring of the inside of the tank but it looked like it only could have been enough to fill 2-3 mcDonald's straws. But that shoulda gotten me to the gas station about a mile and a half down the road.- apparently not.

Its also running pretty rich, and Im unsure of how to fix that. Still waiting on my service manual.

 

Your units of measurement are. . .somewhat nonstandard. I suspect this is only due to the fact that you've been drinking your gasoline. Could this be the root of the problem?

Re: the reserve problem: check if your reserve line is kinked or clogged.

If it's running rich, check for airflow obstruction first: are your ducts blocked? Is your air filter new \ clean? Are there mice living in your exhaust?

Barring that, check for stuck float valves and carb sync. If everything is A-OK, pull your mains out a tad.