Ran outta gas

[StevenDavisPhoto]

Hey Folks,

So my dumb ass ran outta gas the other day for the first time. Anywayz, I switched it to reserve, got to a gas station, and filled up the main tank.

Question is now... Where is the reserve tank and how do I fill THAT up? Thanks!

[skirecs]

just turn the petcock back to on

there is no reserve tank, its just another fuel pickup that is set lower in the tank than the on pickup

[tb0lt]

There is no separate tank. Reserve drains the tank from a lower level outlet than the run setting...that's all.

[StevenDavisPhoto]

thanks guys. i wondered if it was just another portion of the main tank.

[redhenracing2]

Exactly. It's kind of like if you have a big cup and two different length straws. One straw reaches all the way to the bottom of the cup(that would be reserve) and the other straw is just an inch or two short, leaving a little bit at the bottom that it can't reach. Switching from 'on' to 'reserve' is like switching from the short straw to the long straw.

[mister]

Higher tube is On, lower one is Res.

When fuel drops below On, you need to switch to Res for the bit of extra fuel to get you to a gas station. Just remember to switch back to On after refilling.

Michael

[MysterYvil]

@mister-
Great illustration!

@OP-
As others have posted, just fill your tank back up, switch the petcock back to Fuel, and you're good to go.

An aside-
Not sure if it's just folklore or what, but back in the 80s when I started riding I was advised by a veteran rider to run the moto from Reserve for a bit every five or six tanks after topping off.  He believed that this allowed the moto to run from the bottom of the tank, and therefore burn off any water/gunk/et cetera that may have accumulated, plus it served to make sure the Reserve petcock position was clear and free.  Makes logical sense, and I've done it for years.

And a general observation-
The Reserve pickup height varies from moto to moto.  You may hear gas sloshing around in your tank, but if the level isn't above the pickup height it's no different than having run totally out of gas.  Ninjettes seem to suffer from this...ask me how I know... 

And a last word-
When all is said and done, don't forget to reset your petcock to Fuel!   

[skirecs]

id say any water or gunk will just accumulate in the dead space of the tank down by your balls, which is lower than the reserve pickup if I recall correctly

[MysterYvil]

id say any water or gunk will just accumulate in the dead space of the tank down by your balls, which is lower than the reserve pickup if I recall correctly

Sure, but if it's below the Reserve pickup then no harm no foul, never gonna be an issue, yes?  But the technique should get the stuff between the Reserve and Fuel pickups...

[the mole]

This doesn't apply to the GS, but on bikes with a single top frame tube if you run out of reserve you can lean the bike right over on its side and get a little extra from the other side of the tank. Don't ask how I know (but it works on old BMWs).

[Twism86]

I always run on reserve but thats because my "ON" setting doesnt work. Any insight on that? Clogged, bad vacuum seal?

[hhlragnarok]

......weird...My bike will cut off fuel when switch to ON, I always use Prime, any guess why?

[scratch]

Small hole in vacuum diaphragm.

[The Buddha]

Higher tube is On, lower one is Res.

When fuel drops below On, you need to switch to Res for the bit of extra fuel to get you to a gas station. Just remember to switch back to On after refilling.

Michael

Mister - you forgot the crap pockets ... 
Cool.
Buddha.