[gitganben]

Maybe this is completely absurd, but I don't have a clear concept of how the reserve and main tanks are separated and/or interact when the main tank runs out.

I have a 1989 CBR600F that I have run out of fuel on twice since I've had it. When it started to sputter like it was running out of gas, I reached down and manually switched the dial (petcock) to the reserve setting, but in both cases, the bike didn't find any fuel.

After the first time I ran out of gas, I checked the manual on how to properly fill the reserve after using it. But then the second time it ran out, I had the same problems.

I switched the fuel switch to reserve at one point (when i knew i had full fuel) and seemed to run fine. Is it somehow accessing the reserve automatically?

Any help is much appreciated.


Thanks

[praylood_93]

its usually a small pipe above the petcock, that feeds your "main" when you switch to reserve it draws from the bottom of the tank. am I explaining this right? reserve is not a separate tank, its just the lower couple of inches.

[nedro]

That's because you are starting out in the reserve position. Flip it the other way. The handle is not the pointer. The handle should be on the opposite side of the res. mark when it is in normal mode.

[segiano]

Originally Posted by praylood_93

its usually a small pipe above the petcock, that feeds your "main" when you switch to reserve it draws from the bottom of the tank. am I explaining this right? reserve is not a separate tank, its just the lower couple of inches.

You explained this correctly.

[gitganben]

Originally Posted by nedro

That's because you are starting out in the reserve position. Flip it the other way. The handle is not the pointer. The handle should be on the opposite side of the res. mark when it is in normal mode.

There is an arrow on the dial. I ride with it pointing to the "On" position.

Anyway, I'll get it figured out.

Thanks for the explanations and all the input.

[nedro]

Pull the petcock and check for yourself. It is very easy to do.

[929hit]

Originally Posted by gitganben

There is an arrow on the dial. I ride with it pointing to the "On" position.

Anyway, I'll get it figured out.

Thanks for the explanations and all the input.

Maybe the "reserve" pickup is clogged. Back in my dirtbike days, we avoided using reserve because of the higher chance of picking up trash off the bottom of the tank. We were kids and and tended to use whatever fuel we could find.

[Sideshow bob]

Originally Posted by gitganben

There is an arrow on the dial. I ride with it pointing to the "On" position.

Anyway, I'll get it figured out.

Thanks for the explanations and all the input.

I had a bike, many years ago, that had same problem.....

Turned out when tap had been removed to take tank off and..it had been put on 180 degrees wrong so altho arrow pointed to "on" it was really running on reserve!!

[gitganben]

I will definitely pull the switch off and check it out. Could be that the previous owner took it off and put it on backwards.

Then again, on my bike (and most for that matter) the petcock only swings from six o'clock up to twelve o'clock and vice versa, so you couldn't put it on backwards and still have it point to all three positions.

It could be that something is blocking the reserve line up.

Again, thanks for all the input.

I'll let you all know if I get it figured out.

[D.Nac]

If it ran on reserve when the tank was full the reserve line up can not be plugged up.