How far should reserve get me?

[lewismug]

Yesterday on my way home from work, I had to switch to res.  After switching to res. I was only able to go about another mile at most.  Luckily, I was right at an exit, so I was able to make it to the station, but had to push the bike through the parking lot to the pump.  I thought res. gave you a little more distance??  What would cause this?

[beRto]

Yesterday on my way home from work, I had to switch to res.  After switching to res. I was only able to go about another mile at most.  Luckily, I was right at an exit, so I was able to make it to the station, but had to push the bike through the parking lot to the pump.  I thought res. gave you a little more distance??  What would cause this?

RES should provide you with more range than 1 mile! 

The exact value may depend on the year of your bike, but the RES capacity should be about 3.5 L (say, 1 gal). At a typical gas mileage of 50 mpg, you should be able to go about 50 miles on reserve.

I suspect your ON and RES fuel lines may be mixed up. It would be a good idea to verify your fuel hose routing using the information on Kerry's website: http://www.bbburma.net/FuelHoseRouting.htm

[gsJack]

Try the prime setting next time, you may have a faulty vacuum diaphram in the fuel selector valve.  Should go at least 40-50 more miles after switching to reserve.

Check the hose routings as suggested but there are different pictures of them depending on bike year and selector valve used.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/01-02fuelcock.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/04-06fuelcock.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/89-00fuelcock.jpg

[lewismug]

Thanks for the replies.  I was at 210 miles when I had to switch to res., so I'm guessing I may have the lines reversed.  I'll check them all when I get home tonight.

[ohgood]

Yesterday on my way home from work, I had to switch to res.  After switching to res. I was only able to go about another mile at most.  Luckily, I was right at an exit, so I was able to make it to the station, but had to push the bike through the parking lot to the pump.  I thought res. gave you a little more distance??  What would cause this?

I suspect your ON and RES fuel lines may be mixed up. It would be a good idea to verify your fuel hose routing using the information on Kerry's website: http://www.bbburma.net/FuelHoseRouting.htm

That's what it sounds like to me. If you were using "RESERVE" and switched to "ON", you would only get to burn what was in the actual fuel line, because the tank was empty. That would be around a mile or so.

[Tang]

Thanks for the replies.  I was at 210 miles when I had to switch to res., so I'm guessing I may have the lines reversed.  I'll check them all when I get home tonight.

dang u get 210 miles on a tank i only get 150 beforei have to switch to reserver of course mines a 1998

[beRto]

dang u get 210 miles on a tank i only get 150 beforei have to switch to reserver of course mines a 1998

He got 210 miles without any reserve left. He should have gotten approximately 50 miles on reserve (presumably, this did not happen because the fuel lines are mixed up). Therefore, he actually got about 160 miles on the main tank and another 50 miles on the reserve; this sounds in line with what you have stated.

[qwertydude]

Wow you classic gs guys have a pretty short range. I get about 210-220 BEFORE switching to reserve and have gone 30 more miles. I don't like pushing reserve too much, but after 30 miles I could still see a respectable amount of fuel in the tank before I filled up.

[lewismug]

A K2 is considered a classic here?  I'm sure I can stretch that 210 farther if I were to stay a little closer to the speed limit.  It's almost all interstate and I keep it around 80 or 85 mph.  I drive around 85 to 90 miles each way to and from work, so I know there's room for improvement.

[qwertydude]

So do I. 80-85 mph mostly freeways and I get 210-220 before hitting reserve.

[905mike]

Wow you classic gs guys have a pretty short range. I get about 210-220 BEFORE switching to reserve and have gone 30 more miles. I don't like pushing reserve too much, but after 30 miles I could still see a respectable amount of fuel in the tank before I filled up.

my '99 ran out of gas yesterday after 215 miles.
switched to reserve and drove to a gas station just a mile or so away.

my first time running out of gas.
i couldn't figure out what was happening as i was in the middle of traffic, givin' 'er throttle with NO engine response, just iding @ 1,000 rpm...
yikes!

[lewismug]

maybe I need new plugs/air filter/ and an oil change then!  Are you guys running stock sprockets?

[VSG]

I thinking running out of gas on the highway is worse 

The bike jerks a lot and then you're suddenly going 20 mph slower than everyone else.  Not fun!

[yooblonder]

I thinking running out of gas on the highway is worse 

The bike jerks a lot and then you're suddenly going 20 mph slower than everyone else.  Not fun!

Yeah, totally agree with VSG.  Same thing happened to me (on the very day I bought my GS500), on a very busy trunk road near Newcastle.  The seller told me there was half a tank left, but it only lasted about 40 miles.  Thankfully an ex-bike trainer stopped his car behind me, giving me protection from other vehicles.

A full tank typically lasts me around 200 km / 125 miles, sometimes as little as 180 km / 110 miles before having to switch to reserve.  Where am I going wrong?

[Jerka]

Get this...I ran out of gas for the first time the other day ON THE HIGHWAY, ON A BRIDGE!!!  I didn't know what was happening...why my GS was surging and chugging and I was too late when I tried to switch on the reserve.  She died on my and I had to pull over in the 3 foot-wide shoulder, get off the bike (so not to get him by another vehicle) and get it primed and restarted.  I was going again in one minute or so, but I was scared shltless the whole time.  I didn't stop shaking for about an hour...I seriously thought that I was going to die and was considering jumping off the bridge into the Ohio River. 


I am not going to let that happen again.

[lewismug]

Skeery stuff man! 

[simon79]

Get this...I ran out of gas for the first time the other day ON THE HIGHWAY, ON A BRIDGE!!!  I didn't know what was happening...why my GS was surging and chugging and I was too late when I tried to switch on the reserve.  She died on my and I had to pull over in the 3 foot-wide shoulder, get off the bike (so not to get him by another vehicle) and get it primed and restarted.  I was going again in one minute or so, but I was scared shltless the whole time.  I didn't stop shaking for about an hour...I seriously thought that I was going to die and was considering jumping off the bridge into the Ohio River. 


I am not going to let that happen again.

And the lesson we learnt today is:
Get used to flip the petcock from On to Reserve on-the-fly.
Reserve condition can catch you anytime.