Hi all,
This is my first post here woot. Anyway, I bought a 94 GS 500E a few weeks ago and have been riding it a fair amount. The previous owner told me he rejetted the carberators. THe reciept from teh mechanic says that it was rejetted and it has fuel starvation....basically, I am only getting 37 MPG on the highway.
At the 112 mile mark, my bike dies due to a lack of fuel. THen I have to pull over, turn on the reserve and then keep riding to the next gas station. Is there anything I can do to improve this? Can I take the jets out? I would rather have 55 MPG and a slower bike than a rejetted 37MPG bike.
Would a better air filter help? Also, if I ride on reserve, how much extra gas is in teh tank? WHen I checked my tank after it died, it seemed to have at least a 1/4 tank left....So I just pulled over to get the gas just in case so I wouldn't get stranded. How many more mile can I expect on reserve? Thanks all!
T
rejetting and fuel starvation aren't specifically related.
fuel starvation usually means the frame mounted petcock is crap. it's normal, switch to PRIME before doing high speed riding, it should go away.
rejetting is usually for a more linear power curve, not more of it, and to prevent a lean mixture.
i ddin't notice what jets you have in there. i get about 90-120 miles to ON, then never push it much on RESERVE. i actually never push past 100 miles if i can help it. this is becuase the tank petcock is a poor design, and doesn't let you use 100% of your fuel on older bikes.
a freer air filter will make your bike more lean. this isn't something you usually want.
your riding style can influence your MPG more than anything.
someoen will chime in with even more information quickly... this is a great board, enjoy your stay, and your gs.
welcome to the forum !
- from florida :)
ohgood, thank you for your response. But now I am even more confused. Right now, I have been riding with the petcock in the up position on PRIME. With that I only get 112-115 miles before it dies. The petcock also says RES on the left (can't turn it that way), FUEL on the right, and ON in the bottom position. Which position is RESERVE going to be used? And why should I not use it? What is the difference between PRIME (up position) and ON (down position)?
You say you only get 90-120 on ON...does this mean you only get 37mpg as well?
That's why I never rejetted my 97 GS which could have used it or my 02 GS which doesn't need it, I like getting 60 mpg all summer long and going 180-200 miles before reserve on the 97 and 220-240 miles on the 02. Less in the winter of course when they dropped to 50-55 mpg range. The 97 really wasn't suitable for winter riding w/o rejetting but the 02 is. :thumb:
Bad petcock see these.
Eliminate the vacuum operation and turn PRI to an off. http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=19363.0
Cheap alternative to the stock factory petcock.Non vacuum. http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=36958.0
Quote from: ttryi on April 19, 2008, 06:33:04 AM
ohgood, thank you for your response. But now I am even more confused. Right now, I have been riding with the petcock in the up position on PRIME. With that I only get 112-115 miles before it dies. The petcock also says RES on the left (can't turn it that way), FUEL on the right, and ON in the bottom position. Which position is RESERVE going to be used? And why should I not use it? What is the difference between PRIME (up position) and ON (down position)?
You say you only get 90-120 on ON...does this mean you only get 37mpg as well?
ON= means you'll pull gas from the higher inlet in your gas tank
RESERVE = means you'll pull gas from the lower inlet on your gas tank (a little bit is left in the tank after the 'ON' is used up)
PRIME = bipasses the vacuum and helps if you're having petcock fuel starvation. its actually for when you've drained your carb's float bowls for some reason, and want to fill the carbs again to start the bike.
i actually get 45-55 mpg, depending on how much I wring out the right grip. i've rejetted, ya, and it's doing fairly well for now. next week i'll whine about my carbs being stacked up with crap again though ;).
i always fill the tank at 100 miles because I know my particular tank (98 model) doesn'treally hold 4 gallons, and of which only 2.5 to 2.75 gallons are actually usable. i'd just rather not run out, ever. keeping the tank FULL helps prevent condensation too, and that helps prevent rust. (I fill the tank if I have less than half after each ride)
hope i haven't confused you more, seems i do that a good bit at times :)
Thanks for the update ohgood
Now I completely understand. And it seems I was def. using the wrong terms. I just found out today that I am facing fuel starvation in teh ON position at about 75mph. It seems my bike just doesnt want to go past it. But I am still getting 36-37mpg even on the ON position. I am not sure if I face fuel starvation in the PRIME position. I will find out hopefully....for now I'll see if there are any fixes for this. And I see what you're saying, I will most likely keep filling up at every 100 miles too. Thank you very much!