Reserve fuel?

[Korumba]

How often do you change the reserve fuel in your bike??

We were discussing tonight at the SATNR about how fresh the reserve fuel is when you go to use (or don't use) the reserve tap on older bikes, and if not changed at least yearly how it may cause rough running or at worse no go at all.

Bikes with low fuel warning lights, how do you change the fuel in there without a tap and without running your bike low enough???

[cs363]

You're having a laugh aren't you?
There may be some exceptions, but most bikes use the same fuel tank for on and reserve just a tap with different height inlets, so the fuel is continually being refereshed and mixed every time you refill.
What may be an issue, is water and dirt from gas station fuel storage tanks gathering at the bottom of the tank.

[ready4whatever]

yeah same tank. different level

[Korumba]

But how does it know its reserve fuel.... is it heaver to be at the bottom of the tank??

[Laxi]

But how does it know its reserve fuel.... is it heaver to be at the bottom of the tank??

haha classic piss take:lol: I hope

[BOGAR]

I had a special tap fitted to my R6 just to be able to drain and refill the reserve on my bike. It seams to have worked as i don't get the rough riding in reserve now I get the mechanic to do it when he does the oil change and fills the air box up with air again. :lol::lol::lol: P/T

[vifferman]

I had a special tap fitted to my R6 just to be able to drain and refill the reserve on my bike. It seams to have worked as i don't get the rough riding in reserve now I get the mechanic to do it when he does the oil change and fills the air box up with air again. :lol::lol::lol: P/T
You can laugh now, but what happens if you don't include the blinker fluid or muffler bearings in the maintenance schedule? :confused:
It could well lead to a cracked flux capacitor! :buggerd:

[kwaka_crasher]

haha classic piss take:lol: I hope

Don't be so sure. I rode with a muppet once who ran out of fuel between Kaiaua & Orere Point on his TZR250. It was subsequently revealed he used to always ride on reserve because it was only the small tank and when that ran out he figured he'd have the main tank left. I shit you not.

[Taz]

Yep there are some real winners out there. Even in this day where information is only a click away.

[Henk]

For years I've been draining my tank every 3 months when it got to about 1/4 full, half filling it with fresh gas and then putting the old stuff back in the top to keep the reserve stuff resonably fresh. Have I been wasting my time then?

[cs363]

For years I've been draining my tank every 3 months when it got to about 1/4 full, half filling it with fresh gas and then putting the old stuff back in the top to keep the reserve stuff resonably fresh. Have I been wasting my time then?

Apparently.
I've done some research and found this diagram on the net of the internal workings of a modern Japanese bike's fuel tank. Obviously European and others may well be different.
All these years I thought the fuel tap was a manual valve that switched between the on and reserve inputs, but apparently it's just an electronic switch that sends your fuel demands to the electronic control unit inside the tank. And I always thought the vent hose was to allow petrol vapours to escape....totally stunned by these revelations. The internet is truly a wonderful thing.
Mind you, you do have to take some of the information you find on the net with a grain of salt. :whistle:

[R6_kid]

How often do you change the reserve fuel in your bike??

We were discussing tonight at the SATNR about how fresh the reserve fuel is when you go to use (or don't use) the reserve tap on older bikes, and if not changed at least yearly how it may cause rough running or at worse no go at all.

Bikes with low fuel warning lights, how do you change the fuel in there without a tap and without running your bike low enough???

:clap::lol::2thumbsup

Did Raj start this conversation? I heard he's been spinning a few good yarns lately!

[YellowDog]

Apparently.
Mind you, you do have to take some of the information you find on the net with a grain of salt. :whistle:

I can see your obvious error here and the reason for your confusion.

Whilst your diagram is correct, it is only relevant for Northern Hemisphere bikes being driven on the Right side of the road.

PLEASE IGNORE THIS UNFORTUNATE AND CLEARLY ACCIDENTAL BUM STEER :buggerd:

[cs363]

I can see your obvious error here and the reason for your confusion.

Whilst your diagram is correct, it is only relevant for Northern Hemisphere bikes being driven on the Right side of the road.

PLEASE IGNORE THIS UNFORTUNATE AND CLEARLY ACCIDENTAL BUM STEER :buggerd:

Well I must admit I did get it off an American website...(nuff said!)
Thanks for your valuable input YellowDog.

So, for Southern Hemisphere bikes is the control centre at the front of the tank? :confused:

[jasonzc]

bahahahha this thread made my day.

just incase i missed sth in the thread...

heres the REAL answer.. hopefully,,
http://www.obairlann.net/reaper/motorcycle/ninja/reserve-faq.html

:2thumbsup

[klingon]

bahahahha this thread made my day.

just incase i missed sth in the thread...

heres the REAL answer.. hopefully,,
http://www.obairlann.net/reaper/motorcycle/ninja/reserve-faq.html

:2thumbsup

:doh: Do you work for Mythbusters or summit?!

[BASS-TREBLE]

The older, manual fuel tap bikes just have different heights for the pickups.

I know that the FZR will go over 200km before reserve, so to avoid build up of water, dirt etc at bottom of tank I run on reserve till about 200kms and then change it over to use it as normal.

Saes anything building up

[Pixie]

Stir it with a metric shifting spanner or a metric upping tool

[cs363]

bahahahha this thread made my day.

just incase i missed sth in the thread...

heres the REAL answer.. hopefully,,
http://www.obairlann.net/reaper/motorcycle/ninja/reserve-faq.html

:2thumbsup

What a load of bollocks! There's no way that would work!
Next thing you'll be trying to tell us the world is round, or even that the ACC levies are fair!

[awa355]

Don't be so sure. I rode with a muppet once who ran out of fuel between Kaiaua & Orere Point on his TZR250. It was subsequently revealed he used to always ride on reserve because it was only the small tank and when that ran out he figured he'd have the main tank left. I shit you not.

Sounds similar to the dickhead we told to let his tyres down once a month and re inflate them to get rid of the 'stale' air. He did.

[FROSTY]

Aint it funny how the truth explained badly comes out so totally fucked up?? :bash::bash:
Theres a strong argument for running a bike on reserve once every few tankfulls.
The point being that any water will end up down the bottom of the tank.better to suck it through the system mixed with good gas than find out one cold lonely night how a motorbike has issues running on h2o

But hey i prefer the answers above

[KrazyGixxerBoy]

Good stuff! This thread made my night...