Fuel filter on, routed wrong, still runs WTF!

[Richmore]

Hi all,

when i bought my GS from a friend he showed me that he had installed a fuel filter (what i now know as being in between the frame mounted petcock and the carbs)...  lets just say my friend is not someone i would let near my bike to do anything more mechanical than clean it.  (he is just a little ham fisted when it comes to "fixing" things).

anyway back to the point... i noticed this week that the fuel filter is, not suprisingly, leaking.  so i took the hose of and attached properly with clips thus fixing the leak. However, through the posts on fuel hose routing on this site i noticed that the hose routing on my machine seems to be all to chicken.

This is how it was routed:
The hose that supplies the carbs (the lower T) comes from the nipple on the petcock into which the RES line is supposed to be attached (the right nipple on the petcock looking straight at it). The ON line goes from the tank to where it is supposed to (the foremost left hand side nipple) and the RES line goes from the tank to the "proper" carb supply ( the rear left hand side nipple). the vacuum line is routed correctly.

Can anyone tell me how the f%$k my bike still runs? Should i just throw the current hoses in the trash and start from scratch with new hoses and route them properly?

A point worth mentioning here is that the tank is half full with good gas, but when the petcock is in the ON position the bike runs for a few seconds and then dies, it will run when in either the PRI or the RES positions.

Thanks all.

[scratch]

The tank half full is a visual trick, you're probably already low enough to be on reserve.  Also, check the in-tank fuel filter to see if it's clogged, you should be able to see it with the gascap open, maybe with a flashlight.

[Richmore]

I shell check for clogages when i get home, what sort of percentage of the overall tank does the reserve equate to, i.e if i have to switch to reserve do i only have 15% left, 20%, 5%? 

[scratch]

0.8 gal.

[Alphamazing]

17%

[Richmore]

Thank you