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/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve question /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1122327221 Message started by Tammi on 07/25/05 at 08:32:36 |
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Title: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve question Post by Tammi on 07/25/05 at 08:32:36 Hi everyone, I'm new to the Savage world and this is my first post on this forum -- but I'm sure it won't be my last! Anyway, I just picked up my black S40 '05 from the dealer Friday evening, and rode it home w/o incident. (I've new to Savages, but not new to biking ... I have previous 250cc dirt bike experience.) On Sunday morning, I got up VERY bright and early to get some practice on the streets while traffic would be at a minimum. Everything was fine for the first hour or so, but then the bike sputtered to a halt. I didn't think about flipping the reserve switch until I had pulled off onto the shoulder. Flipped reserve switch. Looked at odometer, which read 35 miles. Opened up tank, peeked inside. There was certainly enough gas to power me -- about 1/10 of a tank. Since there was enough gas, I came to the conclusion that my new Thumper had overheated and shut down. It was hot and humid already that morning, but "only" in the high 80s. I wondered if I had made a big mistake in buying a bike with an air-cooled engine -- if it couldn't handle this weather! Granted, I was doing a lot of stop-and-go maneuvers -- I was practicing, after all. But surely my new bike could handle it, right? Well, since there was gas in the tank, I switched the fuel switch back to "ON" and tried to start her up. No dice. Pushed the bike to a nearby city park, parked it in the shade and waited a half an hour. Tried starting her again. No dice. Then, in a fit of inspiration, I flipped the switch to "Reserve" and tried again. She started right up! So, long story short (oops, too late for that, eh?), the dealer must not have put a lot of gas in the tank -- I was only at 35 miles, remember? (Note to self: Give dealer an earful!) I'm glad this didn't turn out to be an overheating issue :) , but I now have a question: How does my reserve tank operate? When I flipped the reserve switch the first time, right after I stalled, did it dump more gas from a separate compartment into the main tank (which explains the amount of gas that I saw when I popped the cap)? Or, is there really no such thing as two separate compartments (main, reserve) in the tank, but merely two fuel lines leading from the tank to the carb: one located higher up the incline, and one at the very bottom. In this situation, when most of your gas is gone, the higher up fuel line will start drawing air, but the lower one will still be able to suck gas. And the fuel switch merely switches from one fuel line to the other, giving the illusion of a reserve tank, when there’s really just one big tank. Anyone know the answer? Thanks. Tammi P.S. I’ll try to make my future posts less wordy! |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by mornhm on 07/25/05 at 10:37:05 Well gee, welcome to the forum. As Savage_Rob not so diplomatically pointed out without answering your question, this vehicle forum works a bit differently than others in that the technical corner is not for technical questions. Most people cut newbies a bit of slack however. Hopefully one of the moderators will move this thread over to rubber side down (the question and answer section of the forum). Anyway, I'm not an expert but I'll try to answer your question. First I'll offer a little piece of advice: get your motorcycles owners manual (MOM) out and read it. If you didn't get one from your dealer, then ask him for yours when you give him an earful (make sure you can spare the earful ;) ) Also take a MSF course - they should explain the usage of basic equipment on a bike. Now for my attempt to answer your question: you pretty much answered your own question Quote:
From my understanding, there is a bit of separation in the bottom of the tank in the middle, but I've never cut one apart to check and in any case I'm guessing it would be for structural/manufacturing purposes not to separate the gas in to separate compartments. One other little comment, as you may have noticed when you filled up (or read your MOM), these bikes have really small gas tanks and need to be fed on a regular basis. I'm guessing most of the riders here shoot for 50-100 miles between fillups to stay out of reserve. PS, make sure you flip your valve back to ON so that next time you run low on gas you will still have some left when you change to reserve. Again welcome to the forum, it's a great source for information and amusement. Don't let your initial "welcome" scare you away. |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by Tammi on 07/25/05 at 12:26:54 Here's my "embarassed" smiley: :-[ Sorry everyone. I hope a mod will move this right away. P.S. Thanks, mornhm, for the advice. |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by Tony on 07/25/05 at 15:23:38 Welcome Tammi, I am sure you will (like myself) find you made a good choice for a bike. I also am driving a 2005 S40, however I have the pearl white. An important thing to rember is that you only have about 1/2 gall of gas when you make the switch to reserve. This should get you about 20-25 miles before you truly run out of gas. If you are riding out where stations are few and far between I would suggest you keep an eye on the tank. My first action was to fill the tank and make a referance on the odometer. I then rode until I ran out of primary gas. This gave me a very good idea on how far I can go before I run out. I am getting about 100/tank plus reserve. I have never actually tested the reserve as this would leave me up a proverbial estuary without a means of locomotion. As for the ealier referance to the MSF course: Quote:
TAKE IT! It saved my life. I was forced to perform the emergency breaking maneuver when a cage (car) didnt see me. Had I stopped the way I was before taking the course I probably would have gone down. |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by Reelthing on 07/25/05 at 16:03:26 Welcome aboard Res/On switching is all done in the fuel valve - it has two pickup tubes the On tube is taller and goes up into the tank a couple of inches higher than the RES tube - so when you switch to RES it's using the shorter tube and just feeding from the bottom of the tank. |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by diesel on 07/25/05 at 22:20:40 I covered this before,but here goes again. way back in '86,my first new Savage, did forget to return fuel valve to "run"and run 'er dry on"res". on freeway. NOW, what the he## do I do? walk? no lay that puppy down on her left side and tip 'er up on crashbar or handlebar.this runs a LITTLE bit of gas remaning in the right side of tank to left side. now find a gas station FAST,got mabey 12 or 14 mi. more. bikes of '30s and '40s, this WAS the "res". |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by Jim_R on 07/26/05 at 01:19:03 Hmm i would think 1/10th of a tank is not alot of gas since your bike only holds 3.2 gal TOPS. Welcome to the forum and I hope you enjoy your bike. I couldnt ask for a better bunch of guys and gals to ask for advice. mucho butt kissing ::) |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by bob jones on 07/26/05 at 14:33:37 the simple answer is...the answer i think you wanted without all kinds of un asked for advice... when you flip the reserve switch you lower the intake tube into the bottom remaining 1/2 gallon of fuel in the tank... have fun and ride safe |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by Reelthing on 07/26/05 at 14:59:58 Thought I said that.... but may be not |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by sluggo on 07/26/05 at 15:01:24 diesel wrote:
i've tried the tip over method twice when testing reserve, and didn't get any additional milage. so don't even count on it. |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by Reelthing on 07/26/05 at 15:21:52 I'll 2nd that - when I drain the tank while on the kickstand via pri and pull the Petc0ck there's maybe 2 tablespoons left in the tank - not going to push you very far |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by Reelthing on 07/26/05 at 15:22:31 dang nail again - tablespo0ns |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by Kaishaku on 07/26/05 at 16:18:23 S-P-O-O-N is censored? WTF!! Will someone please fix the swear filter! |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by Savage_Rob on 07/26/05 at 17:03:20 Kaishaku wrote:
It's not sp00n that it dislikes. It's p00n. |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by Tammi on 07/27/05 at 07:37:25 Hello again everyone, Thanks for all the good advice and the answer to my "reserve" tank question. I'm using quotes around "reserve" 'cause it's all just an illusion... ;D So, it's just as I thought, then, that there are two fuel intake tubes leading to the carb. So, when I couldn't believe that I was out of gas after only 35 miles, and saw enough gas in my tank to start me up again, I naturally assumed overheating. Now I know better, thanks to the confirmations I've received in this thread. Also, I did take the MSF course in mid-June -- I passed the licensing test, with only five points deducted for entering the 130 degree turn too slowly. Believe me, I'm smart enough (despite my fuel mishap!) to know that my previous experience on a dirt bike is not sufficient to get me by on the streets. Loved the MSF course, and I practice the techniques (both mental and physical) every time I ride. I have the S40 owner's manual, and I've been poring over it on a daily basis. I've also ordered the new Clymer manual (through 2004 models), which Amazon says will be published July 31. Cheers! Tammi |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by Savage_Rob on 07/27/05 at 07:41:59 Tammi wrote:
I'm only aware of one fuel line to the carb from the petc0ck. One of the lines going between the carb and petc0ck is a vacuum line. The petc0ck has two intake points within the tank, if I understand it correctly (I haven't disassembled mine yet). |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by Tammi on 07/27/05 at 07:53:09 O.K. ... one line going to the carb ... the "Y" must be farther up! (I'll get it all sorted out when I get my Clymer manual...) |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by gazab44 on 07/27/05 at 10:53:25 welcome tammi i try to fill up about 100 mile mark....but often run until i hit reserve...but over here there are plenty of stations |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by WD on 07/27/05 at 16:45:45 There is ONE fuel line and ONE pickup tube in the tank. The petc0ck has a tube for main, reserve is a slot milled in the body of the valve. FWIW, when (not if) the valve dies, a VS800 unit is a direct, mechanical bolt on. -WD |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by Reelthing on 07/28/05 at 05:31:12 or a conversion to non vac http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?board=tech;action=display;num=1113631600 - but I like the vac design - did replace the '95 however and there are 2 pickup tubes in the tank http://mccserv.com/savage/pickup.jpg |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by Oklahoma_Mike on 07/28/05 at 07:24:43 Reelthing wrote:
You did Bob is just being RUDE 8) |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by Savage_Rob on 07/28/05 at 10:57:28 Reelthing wrote:
I thought you did too but it looked like it still wasn't clear (or maybe had been muddied later on) for some folks so I tried to restate it. Dunno if it helped but I hope so. I think your pic says a lot. At least it confirmed what I thought was in there. |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by Dynobob on 07/28/05 at 17:48:28 WD wrote:
That's good to know. Can you tell me what year VS800 pet0ck to look for? |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by WD on 07/28/05 at 22:10:31 Pre-EFI, which just came out on Boulevards. I know for a fact that 98 LS vacuum unit, and 96 VS mechanical unit will swap. 96-98 models valves leaked a bit...simple, 0 cent fix (tighten the center screw). We had the tap replaced under recall. It leaked worse than the original...tightened the screw. DUH!!! I swear my local dealerships train their mechanics by making sure they CAN'T fix a bike or use tools. Sheesh, I'm in the wrong line of the bike industry. -WD |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by Deb on 07/29/05 at 11:33:11 First of all Welcome Tammi to the savage world and a good one I will add, don't be shy just asked anything on here someone always knows how to help you. Enjoy and keep the rubber side down! |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by sluggo on 07/29/05 at 12:28:22 Deb wrote:
we also like to hear stories of rides and pictures along with questions. ::) |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by Tammi on 07/29/05 at 13:03:54 sluggo wrote:
O.K. I'll share some more stories in the future ... as soon as I have any that don't involve running out of gas! :-[ As for piccies, well my brand new '05 is still stock (we're celebrating our one week anniversary today!), so there's not much to show yet! Cheers. Tammi |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by sluggo on 07/29/05 at 13:08:16 Tammi wrote:
running out of fuel stories are pretty funny at times. well for the one reading. as for pictures, show us where you ride, and the neat things you see. i always carry three things, a piece, a pipe, a camera. |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by roughrider on 07/31/05 at 15:45:55 Hi Tammie i'm not sure why everyone wants to make this so difficult to answer. Your fuel valve on the 05 Boulevard has a on positon which points down and a prime positon which points to the back of the bike and a reserve positon which points to the front of the bike. When you are going down the road and your boulevard "Jerks " a little slide your had down on the gas valve and turn the handle to the front of the bike. It will take about a second for the bike to react then you will be on your way. You will have a little gas left over about .6 gallons. since your bike should get about 50 miles to the gallon you should have a bout 25 miles on reserve before you run out. If your bike dies on the road before you get it switched to reseve. Pull over. You will then have to turn the switch to prime to start it. then turn it to reserve and head for the gas station. I have done the same thing as you and had to learn the hard way. Good Luck! P.S. make sure after you fill up you put the valve back in the on position. Your tank will still run on reserve and you will find yourself walking. That is the purpose of your reserve section in your gas tank to alert you when you are LOW! |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by roughrider on 07/31/05 at 16:32:58 Tammie Are you having any backfire problems? Just wondering I bought my 05 boulevard in May and had a hard time getting it adjusted. |
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Title: Re: I ran out of gas at mile 35, a reserve questio Post by Tammi on 08/01/05 at 08:25:42 Yep, I get the occasional backfire. Scares the s**t out of me, too! Sometimes I get it when I'm engine braking, sometimes it pops immediately after hitting the engine kill switch. I'm gonna do the carb modifications soon after I pass the 600 mile mark and the first oil change/inspection. After reading the several "modifications" threads on this board regarding the carb adjustments, I'm confident that I can do it. Cheers. Tammi |
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