So there I was: cruising down a main drag through my neighborhood, in the last 5 minutes of my commute home.  The road is a little curvy, has a speed limit of 50mph and there's not a car in sight so I'm humming along enjoying the nice day when all of a sudden the bike just shuts down on me.  50mph... 40mph... 30mph... as I'm slowing down, I try starting it back up with no luck.  I pull over to the side of the road.

I try the ignition.  I try the ignition while giving it some throttle.  Then I flip the fuel switch to reserve and try one last time.  Ignition, nothing.  Ignition with throttle and whoomp, it starts up with a sputter, idles rough for a few seconds and then evens out.

Since I'm a noob, I just figured I misjudged the amount of gas I had and went straight to a gas station.  When I got there and opened up the tank, I could see gas at the bottom!  There wasn't a lot but it's not like it was bone dry.  So now I'm confused: can you see the "reserve" fuel at the bottom of the tank.  I kind of always assumed the "reserve" was a distinct compartment in the tank somewhere.  Is it just a tube that's lower down in the tank than the "On" setting?  

I just want to make sure the shutdown was my goof and not something more serious that I need to investigate... that could've been real ugly had it happened a few minutes earlier on the highway.  

aebooze wrote on 07/09/08 at 05:50:26:


Definitely good to know!  Next time, I'll reach for the reserve fuel valve when I'm moving.  Thanks!

I've never run out of gas before on the bike or in the car.  It was a bizarre feeling to suddenly have the engine kick out on me while at speed.

The reserve is not a distinct compartment. There is a little standpipe in the tank through which fuel is used in the ON setting. The standpipe is two or three inches tall, depending on the bike. When the fuel drops below the top of the standpipe, you are "out of fuel." The reserve setting draws its fuel from the bottom instead of through the standpipe.

I don't know about the Savage/S40, but on some bikes when the reserve runs out there is still some fuel trapped on the other side (opposite the petcock) of the tank. When the reserve runs out you can lean the bike way over to the petcock side and get a little more fuel.

Don't feel bad, I've only had my bike a month, and it's cut out on me 3 times already for the same reason. Now i'm pretty comfortable just reaching over, throwing it in reserve, and firing it back up without even missing a beat.  Although it is an uneasy feeling when you are moving pretty fast and there is no noise but the wind by your ears after the bike cuts out.....

I had the same question about if reserve was in a different compartment of the tank or not, so thanks for the answers everyone.

Now that you have experienced the aggravation - you might want to try and simply stop in for fuel when your odometer trips the next 100 mile tick over.  Doesn't help the ild westerners who live 30 miles to the next gas statioon but for us lucky new englanders there's a station every 10 miles or so.

so I was on my way home and I got to thinking I had not filled up since last Thursday. I begin to do the math about 35 miles a day times 4. I know I am getting better millage now that im not jumping on the throttle all the time, but I should have hit reserve by now. So I decide to reach down and check the fuel lever, and what do you know I left it on reserve. So what the heck lets flip it to on and see what happens. needless to say two miles latter sputter sputter.

Lessen learned: No mater how many people in line at the gas station, take your time and don't miss anything.

savageguy wrote on 07/09/08 at 05:53:31:


had to switch twice today at speed,  i'm used to so no biggie,
ontime i had just started a questionable pass when i had to switch. that was exciting, i was just up to the car door when it happen.  fell back a little mad the switch then finished the  really questionable pass. and never looked back.  

ride  ride  ride,  that's what a. cures monkee butt, b.gets you more experience.

enjoy sluggo