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I have no idea why? Anyone?

Because the fuel injection system doesn't like to be run dry. Rather than have people harming the fuel injection system, they put in an idiot light and take out the petcock.

Yeah, it's the dry tank thing with internal fuel pump that will overheat and kill the pump. I never quite understood the thinking behind having a reserve tank to begin with. They never had reserves in cars while using carbuerators, why bikes and ATVs? Is it because of lack of a fuel guage? I suspect so.

Nailed it, very few bikes have a fuel guage, and they're raarely accurate.

sometimes i wish i had a fuel indicator, but i pretty much just make sure i fill up every 200kms and i don't ever hit the reserve (so far at least)

Bachstrad37 wrote: I never quite understood the thinking behind having a reserve tank to begin with. They never had reserves in cars while using carbuerators, why bikes and ATVs? Is it because of lack of a fuel guage? I suspect so.

That's exactly the reason. A petcock is much more simple and reliable than a fuel gauge and it's associated floats and wiring.

As I recall, early VW beetles had a petcock with a reserve setting. They also had a fuel gauge, so I have no idea what that was all about.

Early VWs didn't have a fuel gauge.

I've noticed that my fuel light goes off when I'm climbing a hill, and comes on when I'm going down it. Not the mention leaning side to side. I suspect that the nature of a bikes motion makes them rather inaccurate.

dieziege wrote:Early VWs didn't have a fuel gauge.

The one I was driving was a '67. It had both. I guess after they added the fuel gauge, they didn't bother to delete the petcock for a few years.

Yep. They added the fuel gauge in '61...