SuzukiSavage.com - Reserve Fuel

Beagle

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1998 Suzuki Savage

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Ohio
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Reserve Fuel
05/13/13 at 08:23:52

OK, this is funny and I should have known better but I thought I'd share. I took my Savage on a ride on Sat. and was going up a steep hill. Suddenly, my motorcycle starts sputtering and I'm like, "WTF?!?!?!" and it dies halfway up the hill. I was able to get over on the side of the road and tried starting it again but nothing. Than I think, "Duh! I'm out of gas!", so I switched it to the Reserve but it still wouldn't start. Why you ask? It was a steep hill and I think the fuel wasn't flowing to the engine, so I turned it around and head down the hill and started it right up. Grin

Now I wish they had a fuel gauge! I keep forgetting about the Reserve.

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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28884 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Reserve Fuel Reply #1 - 05/13/13 at 08:41:04 raptor or stock? Steep hills have a unique requirement of WFO on the throttle. at that position, vacuum is at a minimum. vacuum operated petcocks then to turn off. switch to prime on hills or raptorize.
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Beagle Full Member Offline 1998 Suzuki Savage Posts: 217 Ohio Gender:	Re: Reserve Fuel Reply #2 - 05/13/13 at 08:50:53 I have the stock. It was just funny that I forget I was low on fuel and had to be reminded of that on a hill. Doh!
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arteacher

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Ride as if your
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London ontario
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Re: Reserve Fuel
Reply #3 - 05/13/13 at 09:02:14

Simplest cheapest reminder to get fuel is a grease pencil. Write the mileage +100 on the mirror when you fill up. Rain or moisture will not affect the grease pencil marks, but they wipe off easily with a dab of windshield washer stuff and a bit of paper towel at the gas station. When the mileage on the odo gets close to the mileage on the mirror start looking for a gas station.
I have not even had to use reserve since I started doing this 2 years ago.

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white '07, Raask exh, Corbin seat, slipstreamer shie, Raptor, Routy's fwd controls, Baron tach, Frisco bars, Isogrips, Headlight and taillight modulators, Dial-a- jet, AME 9 deg chop kit, K&N air flt

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Gyrobob Serious Thumper Offline Posers ain't motorcyclists Posts: 2571 Newnan, GA Gender:	Re: Reserve Fuel Reply #4 - 05/13/13 at 09:34:18 RYCA folks use reserve often,.. and we never get very far away from gas stations.
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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28884 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Reserve Fuel Reply #5 - 05/13/13 at 10:18:57 fuel pick is in the rear, the deep end when going uphill.
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Dane Allen

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Riverside, CA
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Re: Reserve Fuel
Reply #6 - 05/13/13 at 11:45:13

Beagle wrote on 05/13/13 at 08:50:53:

I have the stock. It was just funny that I forget I was low on fuel and had to be reminded of that on a hill. Doh! Grin

Life has a series of little reminders like this Grin

Definitely swap out for the Raptor, it will fail at the worst time and you also get a little further before needing to switch to reserve.

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RIP!! 01/2012-09/2016 S40 Boulevard, Raptor Pet, Rotella T6 Synth, Verslavy CC Tensioner -- You left too soon.

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apache snow-FSO Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 509 Gender:	Re: Reserve Fuel Reply #7 - 05/13/13 at 12:39:30 I got a raptor coming for mine but I was thinking back when I was in my 20s I didn't always remember to turn the gas on when I took off , I wonder why I think I will remember it at my age now
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EJID Serious Thumper Offline Work to ride and ride to work. Posts: 1536 Pocatello, ID Gender:	Re: Reserve Fuel Reply #8 - 05/13/13 at 12:49:58 apache snow-FSO wrote on 05/13/13 at 12:39:30: I got a raptor coming for mine but I was thinking back when I was in my 20s I didn't always remember to turn the gas on when I took off , I wonder why I think I will remember it at my age now Don't sweat it...I never turn my Raptor off except during winter storage.
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Serowbot

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OK.... so what's the
speed of dark?

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Tucson Az
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Re: Reserve Fuel
Reply #9 - 05/13/13 at 12:59:28

Every bike I've ever owned had a manual pet... never turned them off unless I was pullin' the tank or carb...
I think I've had 2 times when the float stuck, and they leaked...

... but, (I've had 4 Savages with leaky stock pets)... Huh

...

When the float sticks with a Raptor,.. you turn it off...
When the stock pet leaks,... what do you turn?... Undecided

...

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Ludicrous Speed !... ... Huh

...

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Dave

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SuzukiSavage.com
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Camp Springs, Kentucky
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Re: Reserve Fuel
Reply #10 - 05/13/13 at 13:02:03

It took me a little while to start remembering to turn off my Raptor, I finally settled on a system where I turn it off as I pull into my driveway. I never forget now.

For the original question or comment on this thread....I offer the following comment. When I was draining my tank and testing the flow for the Raptor and the original Vacuum petcock, I discovered a little bit about the fuel flow from the tank. When the tank is full the fuel pipe and vertical screens are completely submerged and fuel flow is great. As the level of fuel drops there is a point that only a portion of the fuel screen is submerged, and flow is drastically reduced. When the fuel has dropped and only a bit of the screen is below the fuel level it may provide enough fllow for cruising on level ground - but on a climb, while accelerating or on the interstate at 75 mph it may not keep up with demand. As the fuel drops.....so does your ability to make HP for extended periods. When I did the Chaptor on the Raptor thread I commented it took 2 min and 34 seconds to drain the first gallon, and over 7 minutes to drain the last gallon.

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1340021926

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Someday I will be old......But not today!

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verslagen1

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L.A. California
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Re: Reserve Fuel
Reply #11 - 05/13/13 at 13:09:55

apache snow-FSO wrote on 05/13/13 at 12:39:30:

I got a raptor coming for mine but I was thinking back when I was in my 20s I didn't always remember to turn the gas on when I took off Shocked

, I wonder why I think I will remember it at my age now Huh

remembering to turn on is not too bad, a sputtering engine will remind you.

remembering to turn off... well there could be issues there, the sudden need to change oil for one, not enough gas to get to the station another.

So, to remind you flip the raptorcock to off when you switch off, tie a rubber band to you key ring and hook it to the raptorcock when you put the key in. might help you remember to turn it on too. Grin

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Beagle Full Member Offline 1998 Suzuki Savage Posts: 217 Ohio Gender:	Re: Reserve Fuel Reply #12 - 05/13/13 at 13:42:33 So, where's a good place to get that Raptor Petcock?
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Dave YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 18092 Camp Springs, Kentucky Gender:	Re: Reserve Fuel Reply #13 - 05/13/13 at 13:45:35 Ron Ayers was selling the correct Suzuki one for less than $ 19....Here is the link. http://www.ronayers.com/Search/N/687/Criteria/5LP-24500-01-00&adv=5&kw=fiche.... This is the correct one with the correct outlet size, correct offset from the tank, and brass inlet tubes instead of plastic.
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DavidOfMA Senior Member Offline Getting back in gear after a long time away Posts: 336 Beverly, MA Gender:	Re: Reserve Fuel Reply #14 - 05/13/13 at 14:07:42 Just got one from Ron Ayers. Quick shipment, right part. Put it on while I bad the tank off to check the valves. Only hard part was getting the vacuum hose off the carb, where it was welded by age. Using it sends me back to the 70s, which is the last time I rode until last year.
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