My First Ever Motorcycle Ride ( + some noobie questions)

[VSG]

I didn't have my tank filled.  It was somewhat low.  So maybe I actually was using the reserve the whole time?

I'll fill it with 4 gallons tomorrow and then keep track of how it does.

And I did do search for petcock, but I can't really find any info.  Everyone must have their owners manuals and knows which setting is which.

[RVertigo]

Maybe...     '01+ petcocks are easier...  Up is RES, Down is ON, and back is PRI.  And the print is HUGE!

[Unnamed]

I think you've been doing it right, down is ON, the usual position for riding; and when the arrow points to RES you should still have a good amount of fuel left. Sooooo... why did you run out after 5 more miles? You might not have gotten the valve pointed all the way to reserve, or when you were riding you might have had it somewhere in the middle so you were draining from the reserve line as well. I think that is possible, but not entirely likely. It's also possible that your hoses are switched so that when it reads ON you're actually draining from the RES hose. Try emptying the tank again and see what happens, you can also just remove it and check the hose routing but thats a bit confusing and since you just got it I expect you don't want to worry about doing something wrong.

When you hit reserve, if you fill it immediately you should be able to fit in just about 3 gallons. How many did you put in last time?

[ohgood]

Hey be careful on THAT one ! 

It's widely known the black and silver GS's are the fastest ones from the factory !   

[97dime]

ran mine out of gas once.  it was on reserve and didn't realize it.  never paid any attention.  now i just fill up when i hit 200 miles on the trip.  takes 3.5 - 4 gal but mines an '04 so i have a 5.3 gal tank.  i just don't want to take a chance and run out halfway home or on my way to work (30 miles each way all two lane back roads, nobody around).

[colobluefox]

Still a newb here but I have taken the MSF class.  The one thing that never thought about before the class was using the kill switch.  Before the class I would stop the bike, reach up turn the key off to kill the bike.  I didn't think that there was a problem with that but the instructors in class pointed out to me that in a emergency situation my muscle memory was to turn the key off, and that takes one of your hands off the bars.  If you use the kill switch every time then you won't have to think about it in a emergency. 

I thought that they had a good point so now I always use the kill switch.  But after about 3 months with the bike before I took the class, I have to now break the habit of turning the key off.

Anyway the short story is use the kill switch, not the key.

[Unnamed]

I think that surprises a lot of people, and is a good example of why you should take the MSF as early as possible. I did it the key way too for a month or so, luckily it only took me a week or two to break the habit.

[VSG]

The MSF course starts friday for me.  By then I will have gone out riding maybe five times.  Enough to feel comfortable in the course, but hopefully not enough to develop any bad habits.

Regarding the reserve tank - I think I was somehow getting gas from the reserve tank.  When I initially put some gas in the tank, I had thought it was close to full.  But it was actually not even half full.   I had said that on the second day I thought I flooded the engine and stalled out.  Looking back, I probably ran out of gas.  So on the second and third day I was running on the reserve tank.  I think this is the most logical explination.

I put in about 3 gallons and will fill it all the way up with my gas can today.  Then I'll just pay more attention to how much gas I have and how many miles I go.

[VSG]

Hmm, so the tank was filled up and I started going. and it wouldn't rev up and eventually stalled.  I put it to reserve and had no issues.

So it looks like I may have to get inside the tank or at least remove to see what going on with that huh?

[Unnamed]

If you ran the tank dry last time your carbs may have been dry. Whenever the gas all leaves the carbs (if you dump it or run it totally dry) put it on PRI for a minute then try starting it.