I am in the habit of running my 03 t100 till it starts to sputter and hesitate. Then I know it's time to switch over to reserve, and then I start looking for gas. I've been surprised to find that I need to turn over to reserve when I still have one and a half gallons left! So I'm only burning 3 gallons or even less before switching over. Is this normal? I'd be interested in hearing if others have the same situation. I was just assuming that I'd have about a half gallon before going to reserve. Thanks for responding!
How much gas till reserve?
- Thread starter cycleddie
- Start date
16 liters or 4.226 gals.
KingBear
Hooligan
Forgive the rudimentary explanation but this is the only way I can convey my suggestion...
When the tap is in the "on" position the fuel is being supplied through a tube which extends upward into the tank. Once the fuel level falls below the the top of the tube fuel can no longer enter it, so you have to switch over to "reserve".
As I see it, extending the bike's range before having to switch to reserve would require removing the filter from the tube, and shortening the tube thereby allowing fuel to continue to enter it at a lower level. Of course you would need to re-use or replace the filter.
If it were me I would remove the fuel tank from my bike and fill it completely with fuel, then turn the tap to the "on" position and measure the amount of fuel supplied from that position. I would then switch to "reserve" and measure the remaining fuel. I would then trim the height of the tube in very small increments, repeating the process of measuring the fuel supplied in the "on" position until I reached a reserve amount I was comfortable with. I don't think I would go below 3/4 of a gallon of reserve fuel, and of course it would be prudent to know how far you can ride on your reserve supply.
See the pic below, which I believe is a Bonneville tap but if it's not it's close enough for the purpose of illustration...
When the tap is in the "on" position the fuel is being supplied through a tube which extends upward into the tank. Once the fuel level falls below the the top of the tube fuel can no longer enter it, so you have to switch over to "reserve".
As I see it, extending the bike's range before having to switch to reserve would require removing the filter from the tube, and shortening the tube thereby allowing fuel to continue to enter it at a lower level. Of course you would need to re-use or replace the filter.
If it were me I would remove the fuel tank from my bike and fill it completely with fuel, then turn the tap to the "on" position and measure the amount of fuel supplied from that position. I would then switch to "reserve" and measure the remaining fuel. I would then trim the height of the tube in very small increments, repeating the process of measuring the fuel supplied in the "on" position until I reached a reserve amount I was comfortable with. I don't think I would go below 3/4 of a gallon of reserve fuel, and of course it would be prudent to know how far you can ride on your reserve supply.
See the pic below, which I believe is a Bonneville tap but if it's not it's close enough for the purpose of illustration...
bonZa
Street Tracker
I think thats the key to it. get to know what your reserve capacity and range to empty is.
last week I pushed the limit and ran out a gas. should have known better
right mega pain in the butt! :mad2:
worst of all was in the far lane of a busy freeway when it coughed and sputtered, but managed to quickly manouvre onto an off ramp and then roll to some park land. then walk about looking for a service station.
and dont think tilting your bike to one side to try and slosh some fuel into the carbies works. believe me it doesnt
BlueJ
Blue Haired Freak
I know my range but my trip odometer reset knob busted a while back, and I cannot reliably get hold of that little stalk with the needlenose, so most of the time don't get to reset on each tank.
So, for me, if I gas up right when I hit reserve at 120 miles I drop in a skish over 3 gallons (thus 40 mpg) and the most I've ever put in is a skosh over 4 gallons, which implies a solid gallon of reserve.
Nonetheless, what I do know, with no reset knob, is start looking for gas once I hit reserve (except during my normal daily routine, I know how far it is to and from work for example).
78gold
Two Stroke
Reserve
Dont forget there are a few miles to be had by "Rocking" your bike to sluice the fuel to the tap.
This does work as I was about 5 kilometers from Wellington NSW Aust. when I ran out of fuel (Servo at previous town closed on Sundays). My mate who was with me on his Harley rode into Wedllington to get some hose to siphon with and I started to push.:lame:
Amazing how physical exercise improves brainpower :crazy: because as I was getting knackered I remembered reading somewhere that if you sluiced the fuel accross to the tap you could get going again.
It worked, I passed col coming back from Wellington with a wave and it got me into town and to the first servo that was open. Just like the old days when I lived in Dubbo and we used to ride all over western NSW.
Dont forget there are a few miles to be had by "Rocking" your bike to sluice the fuel to the tap.
This does work as I was about 5 kilometers from Wellington NSW Aust. when I ran out of fuel (Servo at previous town closed on Sundays). My mate who was with me on his Harley rode into Wedllington to get some hose to siphon with and I started to push.:lame:
Amazing how physical exercise improves brainpower :crazy: because as I was getting knackered I remembered reading somewhere that if you sluiced the fuel accross to the tap you could get going again.
It worked, I passed col coming back from Wellington with a wave and it got me into town and to the first servo that was open. Just like the old days when I lived in Dubbo and we used to ride all over western NSW.
The problem is the design of our gas tanks. The tank is divided by the tunnel in the middle of the tank. We can't get all the fuel from the right side, hence only about 3 gallons being used. Carb'ed tanks hold 4.4 gallons, Fuelie tanks hold 4.2 gallons.
As has been said when you run out you can slosh over some fuel from the right side to the left side and maybe get to a gas station. So maybe one of you guys can come up with a real good idea on how to access that other gallon of fuel
As has been said when you run out you can slosh over some fuel from the right side to the left side and maybe get to a gas station. So maybe one of you guys can come up with a real good idea on how to access that other gallon of fuel
Keith Harding
Two Stroke
Thanks for that, Qwenzel. I must say I had wondered why all that fuel was still in the tank when I had already been on Reserve for a while - the tunnel explains it.
bonZa
Street Tracker
well it didnt work for me the other week when I ran out of juice.
laid the bike over onto the pegs in an effort to get some fuel in there, to no avail
BlueJ
Blue Haired Freak
Maybe you laid it over on the wrong side?
And maybe the FI tanks have a different shape to the bottom.
bonZa
Street Tracker
Maybe you laid it over on the wrong side?
And maybe the FI tanks have a different shape to the bottom.
Duh, lemme see, duh what side da the fuel cock on? duh left side, lean bike over to left side, duh why does my brain now hurt duh, :stupid3:
no, I'm not quite that stupid and it's not fuel injected. but it does have the tank thats used for FI models
koifarm
Hooligan
One other thing to consider, often some of the tanks shed flakes of primer or what ever is inside the tanks and that can clog a fuel tap easily. If your bike is shutting off a bit prematurely you might want to drain it pull it and remove the tap and clean the inside of the tank. You may find a bunch of small flakes floating around so that when you get low on gas, the little filter screen can get clogged and starve the bike for fuel a bit earlier than 110-115 miles. In a pinch all you need do is stop for a bit, the flakes will fall off the screen and allow you to continue. It may well work on reserve at the same time.
Take a look with a mirror and flashlight and see if you can spot particulates floating around....that will tell you what you need to know.
Take a look with a mirror and flashlight and see if you can spot particulates floating around....that will tell you what you need to know.
Sal Paradise
Hooligan
would it be hard to install another petcock on the right side and just tee another rubber fuel line in? How much fuel is there?
With the range of thes bikes being so limited that would be well worth it. I've been commuting with my bike and its like a constant battle to keep fuel in it.
By the way ... I ran out of gas with the Bonny once. I tried laying it over on the left side, sloshing until I was exhausted and it didn't work.
With the range of thes bikes being so limited that would be well worth it. I've been commuting with my bike and its like a constant battle to keep fuel in it.
By the way ... I ran out of gas with the Bonny once. I tried laying it over on the left side, sloshing until I was exhausted and it didn't work.