Hmm, I was just wondering....

**wildpudding** · 24th October 2005, 13:34

Howdy all,

I may have a silly question, but how is the reserve tank filled on bikes?

I mean say one day you run out of fuel, so switch to the reserve tank. The reserve tank gets run down some, so how is it topped back up?

I'm thinking there is some sort of bleed system from the main tank, so as it fills up, the reserve tank gets topped up to. Something like that?

Cheers,

Stefan

**MSTRS:Me** · 24th October 2005, 13:40

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...4&postcount=23

**Bonez** · 24th October 2005, 13:43

It's just fuel at the bottem of the tank. The fuel tap has two orifices for in it one has a tube attached This is the "main". When fuel can no longer be supplied by this tube the bike coffs, splutters and dies due to fuel stavation. Switching to "reserve" creates a path via the tap to the other orifice supplying more fuel.
A lot of bikes these days have fuel pumps and some sort of indicator light or lcd display to indicate when the fuel gets to the lower "reserve" level. Never ever leave the fuel tap on resrve after filling up.

**SlowHand** · 24th October 2005, 13:46

orifices - hehehe he said orifice

I was thinking this exact thing - so why not leave it on reserve? Is it because you won't know when it's getting low?

**Bonez** · 24th October 2005, 13:49

Originally Posted by Strat

orifices - hehehe he said orifice

I was thinking this exact thing - so why not leave it on reserve? Is it because you won't know when it's getting low?

Yip. It's quite embaressing pushing a 520 lb m/c , in full leathers, up a hill on a main highway on a stinking hot afternoon................

**wildpudding** · 24th October 2005, 15:35

ahhhh, I see, its as simple as that!

Cheers

Stefan

**Riff Raff** · 24th October 2005, 16:20

Originally Posted by wildpudding

I may have a silly question, but how is the reserve tank filled on bikes?

You've got it all wrong people.... there's a little petrol demon who lives in the bottom of your tank. When you switch to reserve, it pushes on his bladder and he pees pure petrol. Simple really.

**Redstar** · 24th October 2005, 17:58

I have run the tank dry and put in 3ltrs of water and then the petrol it has saved me a fortune over the years.

PS I,ve got this horrible miss any suggestions?