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DSN_KLR650
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kencefalo
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2010 9:55 am

running out of gas to soon.

Post by kencefalo » Mon Aug 23, 2010 10:55 am

Sorry if this has come up in the past but I couldn't find it. When riding with a friend (he's also on a KLR), I have to switch to reserve first. I have barely made to a station with the engine stumbling and gasping, and he hasn't switched over yet. When we fill up, our bikes take the same amount of gas. Any ideas? Ken

E Hines
Posts: 179
Joined: Sun Mar 05, 2006 10:16 pm

running out of gas to soon.

Post by E Hines » Mon Aug 23, 2010 11:09 am

If you removed your petcock and his I would bet that your main tank side is longer than his.  I have noticed that there is no standard in this. [b]From:[/b] kencefalo [b]To:[/b] DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [b]Sent:[/b] Mon, August 23, 2010 10:51:38 AM [b]Subject:[/b] [DSN_KLR650] Running out of gas to soon.   Sorry if this has come up in the past but I couldn't find it. When riding with a friend (he's also on a KLR), I have to switch to reserve first. I have barely made to a station with the engine stumbling and gasping, and he hasn't switched over yet. When we fill up, our bikes take the same amount of gas. Any ideas? Ken

fasteddiecopeman
Posts: 813
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 2:05 pm

running out of gas to soon.

Post by fasteddiecopeman » Mon Aug 23, 2010 11:32 am

Ken, Modify your reserve: remove the fuel petcock, then cut the LONGER of the 2 'tubes' and add something (I used fuel line) to extend it (I added enough so that the gap is 1.5"). NOW, when I go onto reserve I can travel AT LEAST 100 miles to get gas. Your range is NOT increased - just how FAR you can go once reserve is selected. If you do my mod, fill up (carry a 1 gal. gas can w/ you) then ride till you need reserve, select it and ZERO your trip odo and keep riding till it runs out again to give you a pretty good idea of how far you can NOW go on reserve. Put your 1 gal. in, and go fill it up. This mod lets you sleep better at night...! Cheers, Ed PS A benefit of this, is that if you're getting much WORSE fuel mileage on a ride, you'll find out BEFORE going on reserve a LONG way from gas.

RobertWichert
Posts: 697
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2010 11:32 am

running out of gas to soon.

Post by RobertWichert » Mon Aug 23, 2010 12:17 pm

That can't be it. One bike is totally out of gas and the other hasn't switched to reserve yet but they both take the same amount of gas to fill up. This sounds more like the reserve on the one that ran out earlier doesn't work at all. Or poorly. Or is plugged. Why would a "longer main tank side" (I assume this means tubing) cause a bike to run out of gas compared to another bike THAT TAKES THE SAME AMOUNT OF GAS TO FILL UP? Shorter, maybe. Or disconnected or broken. Are you saying that the tank capacities are that much different? Sorry for not figuring this out, but this still makes no sense to me. Robert P. Wichert P.Eng +1 916 966 9060 FAX +1 916 966 9068 ========================================================
On 8/23/2010 9:09 AM, E Hines wrote: If you removed your petcock and his I would bet that your main tank side is longer than his. I have noticed that there is no standard in this. [b]From:[/b] kencefalo kencefalo@... [b]To:[/b] DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [b]Sent:[/b] Mon, August 23, 2010 10:51:38 AM [b]Subject:[/b] [DSN_KLR650] Running out of gas to soon. Sorry if this has come up in the past but I couldn't find it. When riding with a friend (he's also on a KLR), I have to switch to reserve first. I have barely made to a station with the engine stumbling and gasping, and he hasn't switched over yet. When we fill up, our bikes take the same amount of gas. Any ideas? Ken

Mike Frey
Posts: 833
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2004 10:53 am

running out of gas to soon.

Post by Mike Frey » Mon Aug 23, 2010 1:53 pm

Robert: you almost had me on that one. Ken unintentionally asked a trick question: He didn't say that his bike was totally out of fuel, I assumed that he's simply going on reserve first. It's like one of those Marylin Savant quizzes in Parade Magazine... If both bikes take the same amount to fill, each bike was getting the same gas mileage. But, Ken needed to fill his up sooner, because it went on reserve sooner. The amount left in each respective bikes tank would still be equal. Suppose Ken's main tank has a pickup tube requires him to go to reserve at the 3/4 empty point: he has used 4.5 gallons. But, his friend's KLR won't need to go on reserve until the tank is 7/8 empty: he would have used 5.25 gallons. By that point, Ken would have switched to reserve about 40 miles earlier. So, they both pull into the gas station at the time Ken's bike is sputtering, ready to go on reserve. His friend's bike is not showing any signs of needing reserve yet. Both bikes take 4.5 gallons to fill. Each bike, before filling, had 1.5 gallons in the gas tank, but his friend would not be on reserve yet, because his would not need to until he used 5.25 gallons - and they did not ride that far yet. -------------------- I use my trip odometer as my fuel gage. At 200+ miles, I start thinking of getting gas. I have to switch to reserve at about 250-275 miles and I usually put about 5 gallons in (meaning that I have 1 gallon left in reserve). For most of my friends, that would be their 2nd gas stop. No one that I ride with can go as far as I can with the KLR without stopping for gas. Mike RobertWichert wrote:
That can't be it. One bike is totally out of gas and the other hasn't switched to reserve yet but they both take the same amount of gas to fill up. This sounds more like the reserve on the one that ran out earlier doesn't work at all. Or poorly. Or is plugged. Why would a "longer main tank side" (I assume this means tubing) cause a bike to run out of gas compared to another bike THAT TAKES THE SAME AMOUNT OF GAS TO FILL UP? Shorter, maybe. Or disconnected or broken. Are you saying that the tank capacities are that much different? Sorry for not figuring this out, but this still makes no sense to me. Robert P. Wichert P.Eng +1 916 966 9060 FAX +1 916 966 9068 ======================================================== On 8/23/2010 9:09 AM, E Hines wrote: If you removed your petcock and his I would bet that your main tank side is longer than his. I have noticed that there is no standard in this. [b]From:[/b] kencefalo kencefalo@... [b]To:[/b] DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [b]Sent:[/b] Mon, August 23, 2010 10:51:38 AM [b]Subject:[/b] [DSN_KLR650] Running out of gas to soon. Sorry if this has come up in the past but I couldn't find it. When riding with a friend (he's also on a KLR), I have to switch to reserve first. I have barely made to a station with the engine stumbling and gasping, and he hasn't switched over yet. When we fill up, our bikes take the same amount of gas. Any ideas? Ken

RobertWichert
Posts: 697
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2010 11:32 am

running out of gas to soon.

Post by RobertWichert » Mon Aug 23, 2010 2:39 pm

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm What I got from Ken's post: "When riding with a friend (he's also on a KLR), I have to switch to reserve first. I have barely made to a station with the engine stumbling and gasping, and he hasn't switched over yet. When we fill up, our bikes take the same amount of gas. Any ideas? He said: "I have to switch first". So he has already switched to reserve. Then he says: "I have barely made to a station with the engine stumbling and gasping" so he is ON RESERVE and out of gas or out of the ability to use gas. But his friend "hasn't switched over yet." And then, "When we fill up, our bikes take the same amount of gas" It sounds to me like Ken has a real problem. His bike is acting OUT OF GAS with gas in the tank. Plugged reserve line? Sluggish vacuum valve? Plugged vent? Vapor lock? Tonsillitis? Neuritis? Neuralgia? Robert P. Wichert P.Eng +1 916 966 9060 FAX +1 916 966 9068 ========================================================
On 8/23/2010 11:53 AM, Mike Frey wrote: Robert: you almost had me on that one. Ken unintentionally asked a trick question: He didn't say that his bike was totally out of fuel, I assumed that he's simply going on reserve first. It's like one of those Marylin Savant quizzes in Parade Magazine... If both bikes take the same amount to fill, each bike was getting the same gas mileage. But, Ken needed to fill his up sooner, because it went on reserve sooner. The amount left in each respective bikes tank would still be equal. Suppose Ken's main tank has a pickup tube requires him to go to reserve at the 3/4 empty point: he has used 4.5 gallons. But, his friend's KLR won't need to go on reserve until the tank is 7/8 empty: he would have used 5.25 gallons. By that point, Ken would have switched to reserve about 40 miles earlier. So, they both pull into the gas station at the time Ken's bike is sputtering, ready to go on reserve. His friend's bike is not showing any signs of needing reserve yet. Both bikes take 4.5 gallons to fill. Each bike, before filling, had 1.5 gallons in the gas tank, but his friend would not be on reserve yet, because his would not need to until he used 5.25 gallons - and they did not ride that far yet. -------------------- I use my trip odometer as my fuel gage. At 200+ miles, I start thinking of getting gas. I have to switch to reserve at about 250-275 miles and I usually put about 5 gallons in (meaning that I have 1 gallon left in reserve). For most of my friends, that would be their 2nd gas stop. No one that I ride with can go as far as I can with the KLR without stopping for gas. Mike RobertWichert wrote: That can't be it. One bike is totally out of gas and the other hasn't switched to reserve yet but they both take the same amount of gas to fill up. This sounds more like the reserve on the one that ran out earlier doesn't work at all. Or poorly. Or is plugged. Why would a "longer main tank side" (I assume this means tubing) cause a bike to run out of gas compared to another bike THAT TAKES THE SAME AMOUNT OF GAS TO FILL UP? Shorter, maybe. Or disconnected or broken. Are you saying that the tank capacities are that much different? Sorry for not figuring this out, but this still makes no sense to me. Robert P. Wichert P.Eng +1 916 966 9060 FAX +1 916 966 9068 ======================================================== On 8/23/2010 9:09 AM, E Hines wrote: If you removed your petcock and his I would bet that your main tank side is longer than his. I have noticed that there is no standard in this. [b]From:[/b] kencefalo kencefalo@... [b]To:[/b] DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [b]Sent:[/b] Mon, August 23, 2010 10:51:38 AM [b]Subject:[/b] [DSN_KLR650] Running out of gas to soon. Sorry if this has come up in the past but I couldn't find it. When riding with a friend (he's also on a KLR), I have to switch to reserve first. I have barely made to a station with the engine stumbling and gasping, and he hasn't switched over yet. When we fill up, our bikes take the same amount of gas. Any ideas? Ken

transalp 1
Posts: 203
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:07 am

running out of gas to soon.

Post by transalp 1 » Mon Aug 23, 2010 3:55 pm

Several things could have an effect: Modifications, state of tune, cleanliness of the air filter, rider weight, tire pressure and any combination of these. eddie
> [Original Message] > From: kencefalo > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> > Date: 8/23/2010 11:55:42 AM > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Running out of gas to soon. > > Sorry if this has come up in the past but I couldn't find it. > > When riding with a friend (he's also on a KLR), I have to switch to
reserve first. I have barely made to a station with the engine stumbling and gasping, and he hasn't switched over yet. When we fill up, our bikes take the same amount of gas. Any ideas?
> > Ken >

transalp 1
Posts: 203
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:07 am

running out of gas to soon.

Post by transalp 1 » Mon Aug 23, 2010 3:58 pm

Tired. I misread this post. I agree with others. The petcocks may be different. Worth a look! =) eddie
> [Original Message] > From: kencefalo > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> > Date: 8/23/2010 11:55:42 AM > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Running out of gas to soon. > > Sorry if this has come up in the past but I couldn't find it. > > When riding with a friend (he's also on a KLR), I have to switch to
reserve first. I have barely made to a station with the engine stumbling and gasping, and he hasn't switched over yet. When we fill up, our bikes take the same amount of gas. Any ideas?
> > Ken >

mark ward
Posts: 1027
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2010 11:18 am

running out of gas to soon.

Post by mark ward » Mon Aug 23, 2010 4:00 pm