"The GS can have fuel in it and it still won't run."

[Yenool]

The GS can have fuel in it and it still won't run.

What do you mean by this?  This may have been happening to me today.  I'm new to riding so at 1st I thought the engine was starting to seize or something horrible cuz I could see there was gas in there so I put some extra oil in (it was low).  I put it over to reserve just to rule that out but it still stalled on me again.  How long should it take before the reserve is properly fueling the engine?  I would thing it would be instantaneous.  Anyways after letting it sit for ~15 min I miraculously was able to get home from work. 

[yamahonkawazuki]

it is gravity fed, ive seen bikes with what looks like 1/4 of a tank, in it. but it is essentially empty. the gs has no fuel pump, if it runs out like that again, sometimes prime works as well

[beRto]

The GS can have fuel in it and it still won't run.

What do you mean by this?  This may have been happening to me today.  I'm new to riding so at 1st I thought the engine was starting to seize or something horrible cuz I could see there was gas in there so I put some extra oil in (it was low).  I put it over to reserve just to rule that out but it still stalled on me again.  How long should it take before the reserve is properly fueling the engine?  I would thing it would be instantaneous.  Anyways after letting it sit for ~15 min I miraculously was able to get home from work. 

The GS fuel tank has a flat bottom. This means that it may look like there is lots of gasoline left in the tank, but its height is actually too low to get into the fuel tank outlet hose.

In order to use RES, you must switch the petcock over before the engine stalls out. You should practice this so that as soon as you feel the engine sputtering you can switch over immediately. Once the engine stalls, the fuel lines and carbs are empty. You must switch to PRI for a few seconds before restarting the bike. This will allow fuel to flow to the carbs even though the bike is off. You can then switch back to RES and continue on your journey. RES should provide you with about 50 miles range.

This wiki page describes the petcock operation in more detail:
http://cgi.stanford.edu/~sanjayd/gs500/Upgrades/Petcock

[Yenool]

Thats the info I was lookin for.  Well this morning I tried starting her up in prime then switching to reserve but alas I guess I really have "nothing" (according to the GS) left.  It dies after about 30sec of idling.  Had to cage it to work today.

[beRto]

Thats the info I was lookin for.  Well this morning I tried starting her up in prime then switching to reserve but alas I guess I really have "nothing" (according to the GS) left.  It dies after about 30sec of idling.  Had to cage it to work today.

Assuming that you did not use up the the RES fuel getting home (i.e. much less than 50 miles), the only your tank could actually be empty now is if your fuel lines are mixed up - ON line on the RES outlet (and vice versa).

Check your fuel hose routing against the relevant wiki page to confim that your set up is OK:
http://cgi.stanford.edu/~sanjayd/gs500/Main/HoseRouting

[Yenool]

I did leave it in RES to get home yesterday (~10 miles).  I'll check the lines this weekend though.

[beRto]

I did leave it in RES to get home yesterday (~10 miles).  I'll check the lines this weekend though.

Probably just an empty tank.   I like to get more than 10 miles out of my reserve, so I'd check the fuel hose routing "just in case" 

What she really needs is a top up and a long ride!

[Yenool]

Lol - only been riding for 2 weeks.  I haven't even worked up to taking her on the freeway yet.

[beRto]

Lol - only been riding for 2 weeks.  I haven't even worked up to taking her on the freeway yet.

No rush, I think "take it easy" is the best approach to motorcycling. This is only my second year riding and I've only recently started using the freeways - I find them painfully boring

I was on a freeway last weekend when it started to rain. The wind/rain combo made me really cold and the ride was generally unpleasant. On the way home I used a smaller road through local towns. Although it took twice as long (stop-and-go at every light), it was much more enjoyable!

In general, I avoid freeways whenever possible... unfortunately, they're often the easiest route to the nicest nearby destination highways!

[manofthefield]

In general, I avoid freeways whenever possible...

That's a good rule of thumb.  Of course I disregard it just about every day when I take the interstate to work 

[ben2go]

The GS can have fuel in it and it still won't run.

What do you mean by this?  This may have been happening to me today.  I'm new to riding so at 1st I thought the engine was starting to seize or something horrible cuz I could see there was gas in there so I put some extra oil in (it was low).  I put it over to reserve just to rule that out but it still stalled on me again.  How long should it take before the reserve is properly fueling the engine?  I would thing it would be instantaneous.  Anyways after letting it sit for ~15 min I miraculously was able to get home from work. 

The GS fuel tank has a flat bottom. This means that it may look like there is lots of gasoline left in the tank, but its height is actually too low to get into the fuel tank outlet hose.

In order to use RES, you must switch the petcock over before the engine stalls out. You should practice this so that as soon as you feel the engine sputtering you can switch over immediately. Once the engine stalls, the fuel lines and carbs are empty. You must switch to PRI for a few seconds before restarting the bike. This will allow fuel to flow to the carbs even though the bike is off. You can then switch back to RES and continue on your journey. RES should provide you with about 50 miles range.

This wiki page describes the petcock operation in more detail:
http://cgi.stanford.edu/~sanjayd/gs500/Upgrades/Petcock

This is what I was referring to on the other thread.I should have been more detailed.Sorry.

[Yenool]

OK well I was outta gas...  I went to fill it up today and found out why.  There are 3 black rubber hoses just in front of my rear brake lever.  2 larger (in diameter) ones and 1 smaller one.  One of the larger ones is capped.  The other allowed fresh gasoline to spill right onto my shoe as I attemtped to fill the tank.  The petcock is currently set to RES from yesterday.  So where did this rubber hose get disconnected from?

I tried to do this on my lunch break and now I'm late getting back to work.  If you need pictures I can probably get some up tonight.  Thanks you guys.

[ben2go]

OK well I was outta gas...  I went to fill it up today and found out why.  There are 3 black rubber hoses just in front of my rear brake lever.  2 larger (in diameter) ones and 1 smaller one.  One of the larger ones is capped.  The other allowed fresh gasoline to spill right onto my shoe as I attemtped to fill the tank.  The petcock is currently set to RES from yesterday.  So where did this rubber hose get disconnected from?

I tried to do this on my lunch break and now I'm late getting back to work.  If you need pictures I can probably get some up tonight.  Thanks you guys.

Those hoses are supposed to be there.1 is the drain for the battery,1 that is capped is the drain for the air box,and the other is the vent for the carbs.If fuel is leaking out of them then the carb floats are stuck open.

[Yenool]

so 2 weeks of riding and I might as well rejetting my bike?  or am I misunderstanding the extent of what I need to do?

[beRto]

so 2 weeks of riding and I might as well rejetting my bike?  or am I misunderstanding the extent of what I need to do?

You are misunderstanding. Jets are different from the float valve. The float valve is a special valve in the carb bowl that closes when the fuel in the bowl reaches a certain level (similar to a toilet water tank). If this valve gets stuck, fuel may overflow into the airbox. ben2go is suggesting that this may be why you saw fuel in the drain hose.

How much fuel did you see leak out? Is it a steady stream, or a one-time leak? Are you sure it's fuel?

You make want to use this method to confirm that the float heights are set correctly:
http://www.bbburma.net/FloatHeight.htm

If the float height is wrong, you will need to remove the carbs for adjustment:
http://cgi.stanford.edu/~sanjayd/gs500/Maintenance/FloatHeight

Pictures are never a bad idea!

[Yenool]

It was a steady stream.  As much as I poured in came out (approx of course).  Well I'll be working on this over the weekend I suppose.

[Yenool]

All you guys are great by the way!  Thanks a ton.  I'm sure I'll be back to clear up a few things before I dive into my bike, but just thanks for all this help so far.