Stop! Cock!

[Krayy]

"Panic, now!"

So there I am, tooling along at a heady 75km/h on the Northwestern, heading towards the city and a gap opens up. Not just a little gap mind, but a huge, long gap that stretches and disappears among the concrete barriers that are spaghetti junction. All the cars in front of me had dived for either the Ports or Hamilton ramps (among lots of horns, fists and "friendly" thankyou waves) and I could now make my run into the city. I hadn't hit the 80km/h limited bit yet, so I opened the throttle wide...

...cough, cough, surge. What the HELL was that. Quick check of the odometer, 160 kms, just inside my commuting tank range. Oh shit! Now here's a good time to start running out of gas! What to do, what to do?

Now here's the friendly advice.....when buying a bike do 2 things in addition to the usual kicks and pokes. Number 1, check where the reserve cock is and make sure that you know how to reach it when seated. Next, make sure after every fill to turn it to "On", not "Res". Then check it again. And reset your odo.

As one who practices what he preaches, except to my children, I spent the next few seconds garnering a few strange looks as I desperately fiddled just below my left nut until I had found my cock and turned it (one of those items is part of the bike BTW). Vrooooom. Off I go with the devil at my heels, round the corner and into the queue waiting to get onto Nelson St.

There's only 1 traffic jam in Auckland, and it's following me!!!!!

[vifferman]

"Panic, now!"Now here's the friendly advice.....when buying a bike do 2 things in addition to the usual kicks and pokes. Number 1, check where the reserve cock is and make sure that you know how to reach it when seated. Next, make sure after every fill to turn it to "On", not "Res". Then check it again. And reset your odo.

As one who practices what he preaches, except to my children, I spent the next few seconds garnering a few strange looks as I desperately fiddled just below my left nut until I had found my cock and turned it (one of those items is part of the bike BTW).

Good, innit? Been there, done that.
The VF500 was good - the stopcock was on the side of the tank, and relatively easy to operate (big recessed knobbything). Even so, you have a few panicky minutes while the fuel trickles through.
Last two bikes had no reserve, and I was "too smart" a few times, the most notable of which was when I filled up the tank (after some knackerising pushing to the gas station) and then found I'd left my wallet at home. Gahh!!
Luckily, it was close to work, so I handed the attendant my keys, and went and borrowed some money. And vowed I'd never do that again.
And of course, I only did it a few more times....

[Ms Piggy]

Now here's the friendly advice.....when buying a bike do 2 things in addition to the usual kicks and pokes. Number 1, check where the reserve cock is and make sure that you know how to reach it when seated. Next, make sure after every fill to turn it to "On", not "Res". Then check it again. And reset your odo.

Yes indeed. I've had a couple of occasions where I've had to reach down and switch her onto reserve while riding along I always flick my odo back to zero at every fill, it's good to know at what point ypur bike needs to go onto reserve so you don't get caught out.

Ummmm, just a questions though. Why would you have to flick it onto 'on' after a fill? Shouldn't that be your standard position all the time? The only time it should be on 'reserve' is when you have to use the reserve tank. Or have I misunderstood you? There was a discussion a while back on this somewhere but I haven't go time to look for it at the moment.

[jrandom]

I have a reasonably reliable fuel gauge. I just leave the FXR on 'reserve' all the time. Works for me.

[dhunt]

Ummmm, just a questions though. Why would you have to flick it onto 'on' after a fill? Shouldn't that be your standard position all the time? The only time it should be on 'reserve' is when you have to use the reserve tank. Or have I misunderstood you? There was a discussion a while back on this somewhere but I haven't go time to look for it at the moment.

When you flick over to reserve you have to remember to flick back to on otherwise you have that problem but have no reserve tank

David

[vifferman]

Ummmm, just a questions though. Why would you have to flick it onto 'on' after a fill?

If it had been on "Reserve", when you filled it up, you'd have to flick it back to "On", otherwise when it started to cough/splutter, there's nowt left.
Best one I heard was a mate of mine's dad, who had some old Brit bike, where the reserve tap was thoughtfully positioned adjacent to the (unshielded) lead for the sparking plug. Great fun reaching down to it on a dark, wet night...

[NC]

Heh, I alway need to use the reserve tank, I'm quiet forgetful.

I can get about 190kms out of a tank though.

[Cajun]

Heh, I alway need to use the reserve tank, I'm quiet forgetful.

I can get about 190kms out of a tank though.

FI no reserve just a fuel light comes on around 215ish mark, but i know i can get 250km out of the tank pushing it much more than i run out of gas at 260km

[Posh Tourer :P]

Yes indeed. I've had a couple of occasions where I've had to reach down and switch her onto reserve while riding along I always flick my odo back to zero at every fill, it's good to know at what point ypur bike needs to go onto reserve so you don't get caught out.

Ummmm, just a questions though. Why would you have to flick it onto 'on' after a fill? Shouldn't that be your standard position all the time? The only time it should be on 'reserve' is when you have to use the reserve tank. Or have I misunderstood you? There was a discussion a while back on this somewhere but I haven't go time to look for it at the moment.

I always run the beemer onto reserve, and even about another 25 km after that. I could probably get 40-50km out of reserve but I dont wanna push my luck. I just cant be bothered remembering to fill up before I hit reserve, and it provides a simple measure of fuel economy - hey I was at 270km s last time the bike spluttered etc. I always switch to on, not reserve, and turn off when I'm stopped, because sometimes the floats dont close. I also always reset my odo when i fill up (or within a few ks when I remember).

The CB125 was a bit of a pain though. I used to fill up regularly on that, and the MZ (no trip meters on them either). The MZ just cut when it was out of fuel, no spluttering warning or anything, (singles I guess), and the Honda would keep going forever, but the fuel lines were basically horizontal, and I guess it relied on some vacuum to pull fuel through, cos when it was low on fuel it wouldnt idle... Cue coming up to lights, stall, kick kick - turn reserve on - kick kick vroom....damnit...

[Motu]

I don't keep my cock down low - on the XLV750 it's up high...chest height,dunno why you guys grope around down there,mine's very easy to find.

[Storm]

Im lucky with the across, as it has two fuel lights- orange and red. Orange means another 50 k till the red light gives the 10 km (approx). Only had to use reserve once and of course it was a rainy, cold , crappy night to, so ended up having to get off and do it as its not all that easy to reach behind your right leg and twist halfway round on the seat to get at the fuelcock

[Yokai]

You're all amateurs - You don't know what it's like to run out of juice when you didn't even know that there WAS a fuel stopcock! Got to the junction of Khyber Pass and Symonds Street and Newton Gully and *coff* *splutter*... There I am hitting the starter button, giving it throttle and stuff, and NOTHING. I push the bike to the side of the road and sit on the kerb thinking "what have I done?" and then look up at the bike and see the stopcock...



Course, I've only forgotten about it about 6 more times since then....

Yo.

[aff-man]

running out of gas HMMMMMMMMMM is CK in the house he is notorius for doing it. Funniest moment was seing him pushing his bike (think it was the zx6r) home about 3 km from his house hahahahahahahahahahahaha. I sat and laughed for a while.

[Wenier]

yea i only have a fuel light, bright red bugger, so if i miss that im screwed but its hard to miss. and i get 200k if i thrash her the whole time otherwise i can see bout 250-280 with half to no thrashing.

[vifferman]

You're all amateurs - You don't know what it's like to run out of juice when you didn't even know that there WAS a fuel stopcock!

Ah - but I do know what it's like to realise you've run out of gas, and be totally confused by the markings on the petcock (quite different to a wild cock) AND not realise it takes a while for the fuel to come through AND push the bike (which was a heavy friggin CB350 pig) up hill and down dale for about 5 kms AND then have your sister's boyfriend shrug, flip the lever, thumb the starter and roar off into the sunset.