Ran out of gas..... sorta

[Rema1000]

When I drained the tank, it did make a hissing noise around the filler cap.  What noise, if any, should be made by a properly vented cap?

I don't hear any sound from mine, when I ride.  But the fuel is leaving the tank so slowly, that I wouldn't expect it to make much noise.  When you drain right from the bottom of the tank, then it's draining really fast... so I guess that a hissing noise might be normal then.

[Kerry]

I just got back from a ride and tried Kerry's test.  I was able to squeeze about 0.25 Gallons (0.945 Litres) more in between the Sidestand fill and the Straight-Up fill.

Thanks for reminding me!  I went on a 208-mile ride on Saturday (pictures forthcoming) so I had a chance to fill up near the halfway point.

On the sidestand it took ~2.2 gallons to get to the bottom of the filler neck.  in.  When I straightened it up I got another .2 gallons in.  By swaying, and filling to a little above the bottom of  the filler neck I added another .3 gallons for a total difference of .5 gallons.  I wonder if the shape of the '01+ fuel tank makes a significant difference?

I plan to run the test again at my local (familiar) gas station, when I'm not loaded with luggage and in a hurry....

[Eisenfaust]

So its not a full 1.5 gallon difference.

Hmm.

I was going to drain my tank today, but I'm kind of sick, so it will have to wait.

[Eisenfaust]

Oh, if my cap isnt venting properly, how can I fix that? Remove it and clean it somehow?

[SmartDrug]

I've had the same thing happen to my bike since I bought her.  Every 100- 150 miles she'll sputter and die, I'll open the tank, see a decent amount of petrol still in the tank(1-2 gals) and be utterly confused.  I had a period for about a year where this was no longer the case, I could get 200-220 out of a tank with no problems; then my @$$hole friend decided to drop her while running to the store.  The fuel lines got jacked, I replaced them about 3 weeks back and now the sputtering and stalling has begun again.  I'm at a total loss on this one, but I must admit I'm relieved to hear about this happeneing to someone else.

[ninja_steve]

sorry to bump from the dead, but upon searching, i found other people are having the same problem.  the bike dies like it is out of gas, but when i filled up it only took about 2.7 gallons  :dunno:

[drooler]

I get the feeling this other thread might reveal at least part of the problem you're dealing with; read it for some good information...

http://gstwins.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=20114

You can also do a search (as I just did, which is how I found that thread) for the terms CONDENSATION and GAS TANK to see two related threads, which go into more detail. Don't be surprised if you solve at least PART of your problem after reading those other posts...