Starting again when you've run out of fuel

**_Gina_** · 29th March 2006, 12:40

I have a '89 ZXR400sp H

Should I be unfortunate enough to run outa gas she is a bitch to start again. Takes about 15 minutes of being patient...cranking, using the choke and not.....switching the key on...then off....then leaving it on.....
Won't even bloody bump start after enough cranking to have fuel in the filter!!

Just in case your wondering....this has happened to stify so it's not just me, and obviously I am not in the business of running out of gas but by the time the bike lets me know it needs to be switched to reserve it's very last minute and even changing to reserve won't keep it running.

Any thoughts or experience with this???

Gg

**MSTRS:Me** · 29th March 2006, 12:43

Sounds like you have a vacuum-activated tap. Does it have 3 positions? 1 will be ON, 1 will be Reserve & 1 will be Prime (if it exists - this is the one you should be using to refill the carbies)

**Motu** · 29th March 2006, 12:43

You have a fuel pump??

**Crazy Steve** · 29th March 2006, 12:43

Done..that....

Take..helmut..and..jacket..off...

Sit..for..a_es...and..try..not..to.stress...

Be...calm...

Then..kick..shit..out..of..it...lol

Crazy...Steve

**madboy** · 29th March 2006, 12:48

Get a better understanding of mileage, and how variations in "attitude" affect fuel consumption. Then pray you don't make a mistake in your calculations!

Since running out twice on my FZR, with a reserve that gave me exactly 2km of 100k motorway riding on a good day - followed by 4k of mway pushing, I've always filled up "early". The 636 will crack 200kms in it's sleep, so I always fill up around there (or sooner). Only once have I had to use reserve below there (a good weekend

). I've only used reserve three or four times in the last year away from the race track. Pick whatever is the magic mark for your bike, subtract 10-20ks from it, and fill up at that point.

**_Gina_** · 29th March 2006, 12:53

Originally Posted by Motu

You have a fuel pump??

Damn - knew I was overlookin' something really basic!!

Well it seems to work just fine other than in this situation. So depending; could be the problem, however before I throw a new pump at her thought I would check a few peoples brains (see if they were working and the like)

**_Gina_** · 29th March 2006, 12:55

Originally Posted by MSTRS

Sounds like you have a vacuum-activated tap. Does it have 3 positions? 1 will be ON, 1 will be Reserve & 1 will be Prime (if it exists - this is the one you should be using to refill the carbies)

Hmm
Might play around with that, pretty much everthing on the bike label wise don't exist. And the tap does move into three positions....

**_Gina_** · 29th March 2006, 13:05

Originally Posted by madboy

Get a better understanding of mileage, and how variations in "attitude" affect fuel consumption...

True enough...it's only happened three times, last two times at the same bloody spot, 15 feet before the servo after having light throttled in 3rd about 1km and honestly I had about 2 seconds notice of variation.
The first time was just that - the first time! lol
I would say that my first thoughts were to either get a fuel guage or constantly have a 5 ltr container of fuel in the gargre and top up before I leave...
The thing is that stify rides it to work sometimes ('bout 40kms return) but by the time I get home I have no idea that he has cause she's locked up! My ride to work is about 140kms return.....

**MSTRS:Me** · 29th March 2006, 13:17

Originally Posted by girlygirl

Hmm
Might play around with that, pretty much everthing on the bike label wise don't exist. And the tap does move into three positions....

The other thing you can do is to remove the entire tap assembly from the tank, strip it and clean thoroughly. Since reserve gets it's petrol from a lower point in the tank that is where crud collects to block the intake. Clean & flush the tank too.
Motu - didn't think bikes in general have a fuel pump as they are mostly gravity feed??

**Krusti** · 29th March 2006, 13:20

I know it's not any thing close to a road bike but when our farm quad runs out on main tank it wont even start when you switch to reserve.Only way is to put tap to Prime, blow through breather hose at cap and pressurise tank untill it fires then switch to reserve. Bloody Suzuki!

**bugjuice** · 29th March 2006, 13:46

take the tank off, take the air box off, and dump an eggcup size of fuel down the carbs. That'll give it a bump start!

Reset the trip on the dash everytime you fill up and try not to run out again!! Doesn't do it many favours

**Motu** · 29th March 2006, 13:50

If you have a fuel pump it could be air locking when it runs out of fuel,it needs to get rid of the air lock before it starts - reroute your hoses to automaticly release the air.

I was just talking to a mate who couldn't get his bike to start after running onto reserve on saturday - they found an air lock in the hose.He's owned the bike for years,and never happened before.

**_Gina_** · 29th March 2006, 13:53

I actually don't know whether it does have a pump - I just assumed...

Will check : )

**cowpoos** · 29th March 2006, 13:59

Originally Posted by girlygirl

Hmm
Might play around with that, pretty much everthing on the bike label wise don't exist. And the tap does move into three positions....

mstrs is right you have a prime position on your bike...same as zxr250's...
I don't think you have a pump....what you need to do is find which one is the prime position and once its un out and been refueled put it on prime and wait for said peice of time...bingo....

go ask ya bike shop what positions what on the fuel tap...

**_Gina_** · 29th March 2006, 14:23

Originally Posted by cowpoos

mstrs is right you have a prime position on your bike...same as zxr250's...
I don't think you have a pump....what you need to do is find which one is the prime position and once its un out and been refueled put it on prime and wait for said peice of time...bingo....

go ask ya bike shop what positions what on the fuel tap...

Cool poos, I know where it will be, as you can just see On and Res, half way in between will be exactly where it is as it locks there.

I am going to have a dummy run this weekend.

Cheers Everyone, Gg.