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Hey guys, you'll get a kick out of this. I went for a ride this past Sat. First one of the season here in the Pocono Mtns. I was just going and loving every minute of it. So much so that i looked at the odometer and saw that I had gone 100 miles already. Time to head home. on the way the bike started to sputter, accellerate intermitently and eventually died. You guessed it I RAN OUT OF GASS!!!!!! I could have sworn that I filled up the tank before I put it away for the winter. Forgot that gas does evaporate!! So there I sit 100 yards from a gas station.Figured I would walk. But then I realized "Hey I have a reserve supply" Selected reserve and off I went. I felt so silly when I got home. O well, lesson learned. I sure that is the FIRST of MANY "Rookie Mistakes" I will make.

drrhythm39 wrote:Hey guys, you'll get a kick out of this. I went for a ride this past Sat. First one of the season here in the Pocono Mtns. I was just going and loving every minute of it. So much so that i looked at the odometer and saw that I had gone 100 miles already. Time to head home. on the way the bike started to sputter, accellerate intermitently and eventually died. You guessed it I RAN OUT OF GASS!!!!!! I could have sworn that I filled up the tank before I put it away for the winter. Forgot that gas does evaporate!! So there I sit 100 yards from a gas station.Figured I would walk. But then I realized "Hey I have a reserve supply" Selected reserve and off I went. I felt so silly when I got home. O well, lesson learned. I sure that is the FIRST of MANY "Rookie Mistakes" I will make.

We've all done that at one time or another........even vet riders make that error every now and then.

Or when you put it into reserve and forget to put it on regular when you fill up...

big_ry_ry wrote:Or when you put it into reserve and forget to put it on regular when you fill up...

Wait I usually put my switch in the *off* posistion. Am I supposed to leave it on regular?

Do you guys have vacuum operated petcocks that don't have an "OFF" position? I still use the TKV procedure for stopping the bike: thumb for the cutoff switch, key, valve (petcock).

I just leave mine in the "on" position all the time. As long as your floats and needles are in good shape. It shouldn't make much difference.

Turning the petcock back to "on" after using the reserve setting has almost got me a few times. I usually find out when my brain asks the question, "Why am I getting better gas mileage on this tank". Once last year I figured it out just a few seconds before the engine started to sputter. I coasted into the gas station and filled the 4.8 gallon tank with 4.8 gallons.

I usually leave it in the on position but when the engine starts to sputter i usuallt put it into reserve then. I try to catch it but gas is not always on my mind when riding. Also my gas milage would vary between 15-20 miles.. Some times i do alot of 2up riding and sometimes I dont!

Don't feel bad. I had been riding for about 20 years when my bike did the same thing. Trouble is I forgot all about the reserve and ended up pushing the thing about 1/4 a mile. Even had a freind drive me to a station, get gas and take it back to the bike.
As I'm pouring the newly purchased gas into the tank, I casually look down and what to my wondering eyes see? The petcock and the reserve setting. Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

Thanks Bubba Now I don't feel so silly!!!!!!!

Points at Bubba and .