*%&# I ran out of fuel on the Harbour Bridge but had a good run in with the police

[Edbear]

I allus fill up before I get to reserve. In my condition I'd probably kark it if I had to push the bike any further than into my garage at home, so I'm a wee bit paranoid about making sure I have plenty of fuel to get wherever I'm going.

[kiwibryn]

Oh, when I ran out of fuel and ran out of reserve aswell, forgotton I had switched over and then went out..

Bet you won't forget to check again... been there, done that, walked the bike... endured the sniggers

[Macktheknife]

There used to be a special offence of "running out of fuel on the Harbour Bridge".

There still is such a charge, and frequently used too.

Bloody good work by the copper, that man deserves a beer.
And you need to check out your fuel system, blocked up reserve is not good, but you know that now.

[Divot]

There still is such a charge, and frequently used too.

The charge is "Careless Use", court apperance, and it is any where on the motorway when you stop in a lane and cause problems with the traffic

[Ixion]

No, the old AHBA one was less serious than careless use. It was under the AHBA's own bylaws. In modern day money, something like a $100 fine, maybe.

I ran out twice. Once I was close enough to the top to push over and coast down the other side, then get off by the slip road that used to exist by the AHBA building, before the Gypsy spotted me.

The other time , I was half way up the rise, and died. I knew what it was, and I saw the Gypsy coming out of its cave, so I knew they'd spotted me.

So I quickly reached down and ripped out some of the wires from the battery. Voila, no lights ignition etc.

Gypsy rolls up, "What's up". "Dunno, just died. I've got no lights , nothing happens when I turn the ignition etc" "let's see. Oh yeah. You got plenty of petrol ?? " "Oh, yes, certainly". "OK lets load you up and go, looks like you've got an electric fault".

Phew. Only took a couple of minutes to put the wires back, and half an hour to push up the lake Rd hill to the servo. Shit that hill was steep when pushing.

Careless use would be harsh for just running out of gas, I reckon.

[Patrick]

The charge is "Careless Use", court apperance, and it is any where on the motorway when you stop in a lane and cause problems with the traffic

Careless use would be harsh for just running out of gas, I reckon.

Careless is what it is now, if you crap out on the bridge. Dunno about the rest of the motorways, as you can usually pull over and get out of the way of the lanes.

A tad difficult when on the bridge. Stuffing up of the traffic flow when you do crap out because you didn't take proper care or notice your low tank levels, deserves some level of "You dumb arse... this is for you."

Can be a court appearance, but one that you can be write in about to plead guilty if ya wanted... no appearance in person necessary...

[Badjelly]

Stuffing up of the traffic flow when you do crap out because you didn't take proper care or notice your low tank levels, deserves some level of "You dumb arse... this is for you."

Or a jolly good on Kiwibiker

[nudedaytona]

What is all this about waiting until your bike runs out completely before switching to reserve?
Well, that is the impression I get from a couple of posts here.

Thing is you should be able to tell when the bike drops in power. Whether it be a single 8 stroking, or a 4 that has dropped a cylinder.
At this time turn the tap and the fuel from the lower stack pipe will come through to feed your motor.
No need to wait for it to prime. No need to stop.

If you ride a 2 stroke, you should be especially attuned to a power loss. First reaction is to disengage the engine from the wheel. IE pull in the clutch!

Saved my skin a couple of times... and even saved the motor on one occasion, as the piston only just began to melt.

Yeah I notice on mine its not as responsive on the throttle when its low on gas, I've got the hang of switching to reserve now while riding it. Mind you, I have stalled it a couple of times with the switch in the off position, then kick started it and swore at it a few times before realising.

[Badjelly]

I find it amazing that motorbikes are still using reserve tanks (ok reserve settings on the fuel valve) in this day and age. I'm sure this was OK during WW1 (Biggles: "Climb out on the wing and switch the tanks, Ginger dear boy") but in the 21st century!!

My Scorpio is not the flashest bike on the road, but it has this new-fangled thing called a fuel gauge. When the little needle drops into the red zone (every 300 km or so) I call in at the petrol station and fill it up again. I leave the fuel valve on reserve.

[rphenix]

Bet you won't forget to check again... been there, done that, walked the bike... endured the sniggers

A decade and some a go I remember pushing the mighty XR home for around 2 1/2 hours after going a bit too bush with not quite enough fuel. Amazing how steep some hills seem while you push the bike!

[Steam]

A decade and some a go I remember pushing the mighty XR home for around 2 1/2 hours after going a bit too bush with not quite enough fuel. Amazing how steep some hills seem while you push the bike!

It wouldn't have been easier to walk out, carry a couple of litres of petrol back with you, then ride it out? Rather than pushing the 150kgs or so of bike for several hours?

[Nade]

Every time I fill up I reset the trip meter....I know how far I can go (220kms)before I run out so I know when to fill up....been close the night before payday a couple of times....but I know I can get from home to the nearest servo on reserve...about 30km's. And a fuel gauge on a bike??? WTF lol

[xgnr]

When I wuz in the UK in the last couple of months I noticed BIG flashing signs about checking your fuel (on the M4 and M5).

Dunno if its an offence to run out. (was a struggle just to get used to the "normal" give way rules)

[Skyryder]

threre's no 'good' place to run out of fuel.

Skyryder

[rphenix]

It wouldn't have been easier to walk out, carry a couple of litres of petrol back with you, then ride it out? Rather than pushing the 150kgs or so of bike for several hours?

I thought about that, but this was on the West Coast at the time and just happened to be where a few dodgy characters were known to check on their crops up the bush from time to time wasn't sure my bike would still be there when I got back also where I tended to go up the back of the forestry you were generally climbing in altitude on the way up and on the way back coming down so even though there were hills it was in your favor to push the bike as you could roll down quite a bit of the way.