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15th April 2012
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XL FORUM TEAM MEMBER
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 89 Sportster/Buell Model: XL1200C Sportster/Buell Year: 2005 Other Motorcycle Model: Yamaha FZ1 Other Motorcycle Year: 2005
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Petcock / Fuel Reserve Question
Ok, this is my first bike with a petcock. My previous cruiser was a fuelly & my FZ1 has a gauge. Riding back from my ride to day, I let it run down until it hit reserve (170 miles). (Of course, then I turned off the petcock instead of switching it to reserve & had to coast to the shoulder, but I'll chalk that up to a "Rookie Mistake", lol.)
While running on reserve, the bike seemed kind of sputtery, like it was on bad gas.
So here's the question: how does the reserve work on these bikes? With the petcock in normal position, is the fuel in the reserve left there while the fresh gas is in the rest of the tank? I've only had the bike about a month. I'm now concerned that I've unwittingly run degraded fuel through the carb.
Should I be turning the petcock to reserve when I refuel? When I fiiled up this time I left the petcock in reserve until the tank was filled, then turned it to normal. so I replenished the reserve.
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Rich Q
Non Illigitimi Carborundum Est
2005 Yamaha FZ1
2005 Harley Davidson XL1200C
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16th April 2012
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Senior Master Bike Builder
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,137 Sportster/Buell Model: XL1200N (Sold) Sportster/Buell Year: 2009 Other Motorcycle Model: ZX6R Other Motorcycle Year: 2012
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I was always under the impression that its all the same tank but you have two straws so to say sticking up, one taller than the other. When the tall one starts sucking air then we switch to the shorter one. When that one starts sucking air then we are stranded. That's the way it always worked in my mind anyway.
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16th April 2012
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Senior Master Bike Builder
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,137 Sportster/Buell Model: XL1200N (Sold) Sportster/Buell Year: 2009 Other Motorcycle Model: ZX6R Other Motorcycle Year: 2012
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But being this is the first time you've done this, then maybe the bike was sitting for a while and when you switched to reserve you just got some gunky gas left at the bottom of the tank. After a couple of fillups I'm sure it should be fine.
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16th April 2012
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Senior Chief Know It All
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: corwith-on-boone
Posts: 860 Sportster/Buell Model: xlx61 Sportster/Buell Year: 85 Sportster/Buell Model #2: xl1200r Sportster/Buell Year #2: 05 Other Motorcycle Model: yamaha vstar 650 custom Other Motorcycle Year: 00
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refill before hitting reserve to stay away from any bad gas you might be carrying.
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85 xlx61 (with a million miles and a million mods)
05 xl1200r (bought used)
00 vstar650 (for the wife)
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16th April 2012
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Senior Custom Bike Builder
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Spartan Country - Michigan
Posts: 2,649 Sportster/Buell Model: 1200 XLH Sportster/Buell Year: 2002
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If you have any bad gas it will be diluted when you refill. All in the same Tank, no seperate reservoir for fuel. It is like two straws with 1 higher than the other. If you are concerned with bad gas, pull the petcock and drain the tank. Then you'll know for sure.
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Denny
"If you're looking for sympathy, you can find it in the dictionary between shit and syphilis."
Old Bubba of the Booze Junkies MC
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16th April 2012
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XL FORUM LIFE MEMBER
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Baltimore, Md.
Posts: 3,820 Sportster/Buell Model: 1200 XLC Sportster/Buell Year: 2003 Other Motorcycle Model: Suzuki GS 750 L Other Motorcycle Year: 81
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This should help explain...
__________________
expect the unexpected 
2003 1200 XLC Sterling Silver/ Vivid Black
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16th April 2012
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Senior Custom Bike Builder
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Spartan Country - Michigan
Posts: 2,649 Sportster/Buell Model: 1200 XLH Sportster/Buell Year: 2002
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Excellent!
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16th April 2012
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XL FORUM TEAM MEMBER
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 89 Sportster/Buell Model: XL1200C Sportster/Buell Year: 2005 Other Motorcycle Model: Yamaha FZ1 Other Motorcycle Year: 2005
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Excellent! Thanks for the replies. I just needed to know how far I can get on the main portion of the tank. This is the first time I let it go that far. It wasn't my first fill up, so I should be good.
I don't think the bike sat for a long period of time, because it wasn't on the dealer's (used) lot for long. But, you can never tell what the previous owner did. Judging from the overall condition, I think I'm good.
It just made me wonder if I had made a mistake by letting go that low. I'll run some SeaFoam through it just in case.
Wow, that illustration says it all. kewl!
Q
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16th April 2012
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Chief Know It All
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Rocky Mountains
Posts: 411 Sportster/Buell Model: 1200 Custom Sportster/Buell Year: 2006
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Quote:
Originally Posted by motorend
I was always under the impression that its all the same tank but you have two straws so to say sticking up, one taller than the other. When the tall one starts sucking air then we switch to the shorter one. When that one starts sucking air then we are stranded. That's the way it always worked in my mind anyway.
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You are right !!!!! |
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