[ggunn9]

Will someone explain the reserve fule thing to me. I ran out of gas last week and can not figure out why I didn't have a reserve. When I ran out I figured I could which the reserve thing on and ride another 20-30 miles or at least home (about 2 miles from where I ran out at).

Please help?????

G. Gunn

Kawasaki ZX-6R 96
Don't miss Bike Week at Myrtle Beach, SC 20-27 May 2002

 

[alanheng]

You have to be real quick about noticing when you're out of your main tank, and need to switch to reserve.

There's about a 20 - 40 second window of opportunity to perform the switch, once the bike starts sputtering. Otherwise, your float bowls drain, and you'll have to run the starter for a while until the floats fill back up.

This is, of course, if you have a petcock system. On the SV, there's just a light that tells you when you're low, and then when you're super low.

 

[serp]

I don't know about the ZX but almost all bikes have a "prime" feature to fill the carbs in case you run it dry.
There are allot of different setups, one of mine has a manual petcock with on/off/reserve. my other bike has an automatic petcock (runs off the engine vacuum) with an on/prime/reserve.
My old 1100 Katana had an automatic system without a petcock, it was on all the time with no reserve and had a screw I could turn to prime and force the valve open.
You have to find out what you have and adjust your habits accordingly.

<font color=blue>Accelerate 'till you see God, then brake.

 

[pudding7]

aye. You have to watch the milage to know when you're getting close, then as soon as you feel it get kinda herky-jerky, you have to switch to reserve.

 

[DUC748]

I don't have the luxury of switching to reserve. I pay attention to my mileage and when the light comes on I have maybe another 40 miles I can travel.

 

[kramrd]

I'll 2nd Duc748's comments... watch your trip odometer.

I usually fill up at 125 miles, that's about when my light comes on.

Hey Duc748, here's was scary situation I was in... lost on the BlueRidge Parkway about 4pm last October (It gets dark about 5pm), had about 135 miles on the odometer and no gas stations up there! I had to ask a park ranger for a park map, I did a lot of coasting when possible to get down, but eventually made it to a gas station.

That was the day my friend with the 996 and I rode 780miles.

My hat's off to those who do IronButts, mine felt like sillyputty after 780.

M.

 

[jabuan]

you guys that have a reserve are lucky. i wish i had one. instead of this guessing game i'm pulling when my light comes on.

<font color=green>I gotta study group at 11:00</font color=green>

 

[DUC748]

LOL Mark. I know there is a gas station at Big Meadows on Skyline Drive but that is the only one I have ever seen. I'll make sure to tank up before hitting the mountain this summer. My friend's parents like in Harrisonburg, Virginia which is about 20 minutes from teh mountain (Rt33). Can't wait.

 

[NemesisCBR]

reserve is good.. screw that light stuff. LoL

 

[one2gofst]

I would agree. I would rather have a reserve. I watch my trip-o and reset it every time I get gas. However, when I took my bike to get rejetted it got reset. I did not remember how many miles the tank had on it when I took it in. Figured I would just get gas when the light came on. Problem was that the light was left disconnected. Bike sputtered and died on me. I got to push the bike 1/4 mile up a kill to the gas station. Not too bad, but not fun at all. Glad I was not out in no man's land somewhere.

Want to go fast? I'm one to go fast!

 

[_Viper_]

My old ZX-6E (that sounds so good saying that /images/icons/smile.gif) had a reserve and a gas gauge. I knew exactly how much gas I had left plus a reserve if I wasn't close enough to a station when I ran out.

 

[NemesisCBR]

reserve is so much better... once you hit reserve you can see how many miles you actually got before you had to switch to reserve. Piece of mind.. not having to worry.

 

[GregS]

After last night I might like a simple red light. I got lazy and decided I could get one more round trip to/from work before refueling. Not without reserve! On the freeway exit ramp the engine started sputtering and I had to switch to reserve on the off-ramp.

 

[jxl]

Guy's, GregS is right. When the light comes on you are on reserve. The only difefence is you didn't have to switch the valve. When the light comes on you know exactly how many miles you went before hitting reserve, no worries. If the light comes on, get gas. If you haven't got enough gas left to get to a station, you wouldn't have had enough with the switch either.

 

[Rhobz]

Also it depends on when you hit the reserve mark. On the freeway, your bike should start to sputter and you have a pretty strong sign that you need to switch to reserve. But one day I was stopped at a light when my bike hit that point...it just stalled, no sputtering or anything. And it doesn't restart just because you put it on reserve either...takes along time to get those float bowls filled back up. I try to fill up before I hit reserve.

Objects in mirror are RAPIDLY getting SMALLER!
'98 Smokin Joe F3 - Miguel Duhamel rocks!

 

[GregS]

Jxl ~ I meant I was riding the off-ramp at speed AND reaching down to throw the reserve switch while the engine was sputtering. LOL a little red ligth would have been much nicer. Didn't say it was smart just smiling thinking about it. My Dad told me a similar story and at the time I thought to myself, How stupid. I'll never do that.

People who live in glass houses....

 

[Duck_On_Bike]

Usually you'll have 20-25 miles to go on reserve, providing you're not ripping at high speed because then it cuts down to damn near half! If your bike has that "idiot light" instead of a fuel selector then I fee for you! /images/icons/cool.gif

Those lights comes on when you are real close to konking out in the most public places! /images/icons/crazy.gif

Daffy

 

[jxl]

I guess it depends on the bike. My light comes on with at least 20 miles left.
PS, I can't belive we are still talking about this. I am going to go outside and get a life right now.

 

[cmacfar]

It was probably like my 3rd or 4th time on my F3 and I was riding around the neighborhood and I ran out of gas because I forgot to turn the gas on. I had to push my bike about 1 mile because I had no idea what to do. I ended up getting it to start when coasting on it down my hill and it finally started. I fealt dumb as sh!t and one dude said your suppose to ride it not push it. Well I learned from then on if it started puttering soon after riding I had forgotten the fuel. I wish my bike had a prime so I could get some gas in the carbs.