Fuel Tank Reserve

[Guest Coastie]

Does anyone know how much gas is left in the tank when it runs out of gas on the main and you switch to reserve?

[Freebird]

What year bike? If it's the second gen...'99 and up...it would be somewhere around a gallon...maybe a bit more.

 

Don

[Guest Coastie]

It is Gen 2, 2007. So the main tank is 5 gallons, with the reserve being about 1.2 gallons?

[Freebird]

Yes...that is real close.

[Rich99]

It is Gen 2, 2007. So the main tank is 5 gallons, with the reserve being about 1.2 gallons?

This thing they call a 6 gallon tank is only a 5.3 gallon tank, I know; I ran out of fuel right next to a gas station. I filled it up to the 5.3, and then leveled the bike and got 2/10's more of a gallon in for a total of 5.5 gallons. But Don is right, it's right around 1 to 1.1 gallons left, when you go on reserve, hope this helps you out Coastie.

[V7Goose]

This thing they call a 6 gallon tank is only a 5.3 gallon tank, I know; I ran out of fuel right next to a gas station. I filled it up to the 5.3, and then leveled the bike and got 2/10's more of a gallon in for a total of 5.5 gallons. But Don is right, it's right around 1 to 1.1 gallons left, when you go on reserve, hope this helps you out Coastie.

I disagree. In my 05 I have taken 5.8 and 5.9 gallons several times. Venting the tank filler neck helps a lot to actually fill the tank all the way.

 

I have also pushed the reserve to its limit several times. I find that reserve comes on at about 4.5 or 4.6 gallons, and I always have about 60 miles available on reserve (I rarely try to push over 45 miles). Good luck,

Goose

[Guest Coastie]

Thanks to everyone for your input. I am a little less confused now. I will go on the assumption that it is a 6.0 gallon tank, with the main being 4.8 and the reserve being 1.2 (hope my math is correct).

 

So If I went 160 miles on the main tank I got approx. 33 miles per gallon. That sucks. I read about everyone else getting 38 to 42 mpg. What's the deal. The bike is a new 2007 RSV, with less than 600 miles. Haven't gotten the first service yet. I will definately mention to them the low mpg figure when I take it in next week.

 

The bike pops through the exhaust when pulling in the clutch to shift up, and does the same (to a lesser degree) when slowing down. Rich or lean? Who knows. I could pull the plugs and check, but with so little miles on the plugs I am not sure that will tell me anything.

 

I had the dealer put on some Samson fishtail slip-ons. I wouldn't think slip-ons would require rejetting - but who knows. I at first attributed the popping to the fact that the airflow pinches down to a somewhat narrow end-pipe in the fishtails. I may be wrong. Aaaaaaaarrrrrrgggggggg!!!

[whozleft]

When I get down to about a fourth of a tank on my gas gauge the little trip meter comes on telling me how many miles I've went. Is this not telling me I'm running on reserve, or just that I'm dangerously close to needing reserve? I guess I' have been a little confused by the procedure Yamaha has built into this system. So if I'm reading the posts right, I still have reserve left after I run out on the main tank. I was beginning to think the whole rreserve thing was just a hoax.

 

Ride safe guys.

[GG54172]

Thanks to everyone for your input. I am a little less confused now. I will go on the assumption that it is a 6.0 gallon tank, with the main being 4.8 and the reserve being 1.2 (hope my math is correct).

 

So If I went 160 miles on the main tank I got approx. 33 miles per gallon. That sucks. I read about everyone else getting 38 to 42 mpg. What's the deal. ....

 

 

Your engine isn't broken in yet. Fuel economy will increase as rings seat, and bearings/cams wear in.

[gibvel]

 

The bike pops through the exhaust when pulling in the clutch to shift up, and does the same (to a lesser degree) when slowing down. Rich or lean? Who knows. I could pull the plugs and check, but with so little miles on the plugs I am not sure that will tell me anything.

 

I had the dealer put on some Samson fishtail slip-ons. I wouldn't think slip-ons would require rejetting - but who knows. I at first attributed the popping to the fact that the airflow pinches down to a somewhat narrow end-pipe in the fishtails. I may be wrong. Aaaaaaaarrrrrrgggggggg!!!

 

 

I know some guys, when they put different pipe on, have a backfire problems, on deceleration, that they've solved by plugging the AIS. I believe there is a Post in the Tech section that shows how. I may be wrong and this may have been lost in the crash......I'll look and see if I can find it.

 

Okay, found it:

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=485

[V7Goose]

In my experience, 160 miles before reserve is not too bad. You cannot really tell your mileage from that, since it depends on how full you got the tank at your lat fill up (and if you haven't vented the filler neck, I can confidently say you had at least 1/2 gallon of air left in there).

 

I note my mileage with every single fill up,a nd I usually get around 36 MPG (my daily riding is about 50/50 city and freeway miles, with the freeway always at an indicated 75 -80). Before I vented the filler neck, I would regularly go on reserve about 145 miles; now it is usually around 160, and I usually do not try to fill the tank all the way to the top.

 

 

Whozleft,

That little trip meter you are seeing has an F in front of it, and it is supposed to come on around the same time that you need to switch your tank to reserve. This is designed to automatically show you how many miles you have traveled on reserve without your needing to manually reset one of your trip meters yourself to watch it. I think it is really a great design, and between that fuel trip meter and the low fuel warning light that is also supposed to come on about the same time, I find I am comfortable just leaving my fuel valve in the reserve position all the time. Although I always reset my fuel trip meter to 0 when I fill up, you don't even need to do that, as it will reset itself to 0 after about 2 miles of riding when the tank is above the reserve level.

 

In case you don't already know, your bike has two trip odometers that you can use by repeatedly pushing the Select button. You can't see the fuel trip odometer until it comes on from being low on fuel, and then you will rotate through all three trip meters with the select button until the bike is filled up again and the fuel trip meter disappears. Good luck,

Goose

[venturejockey]

The tank holds about "6" gallons. You will need to punch holes in the filler neck to get all of this in. Usually my bike goes on reserve with about 1.5 gallons in reserve. Your results may varry.

[Double D]

The bike pops through the exhaust when pulling in the clutch to shift up, and does the same (to a lesser degree) when slowing down. Rich or lean? Who knows. I could pull the plugs and check, but with so little miles on the plugs I am not sure that will tell me anything.

 

 

My '06 did the same thing. It sounded like a shotgun sometimes. When I took it in for the 600 mile maintenance--the shop foreman told me that my carbs were so out if sync that he was surprised that it would even start. Not popped another time since then.

[Guest Coastie]

The tank holds about "6" gallons. You will need to punch holes in the filler neck to get all of this in. Usually my bike goes on reserve with about 1.5 gallons in reserve. Your results may varry.

 

I have read about punching holes in the filler neck. Do I need to completely empty the tank and take it off the bike to do that? What are the dangers of sparking and blowing up the RSV?

[Guest Coastie]

My '06 did the same thing. It sounded like a shotgun sometimes. When I took it in for the 600 mile maintenance--the shop foreman told me that my carbs were so out if sync that he was surprised that it would even start. Not popped another time since then.

 

Come to think of it, the bike almost never starts the first press of the button, on chock or off. I usually have to hit it a second time to get it fired up. Maybe I am just out of synch.....ya thnk?

[Stoutman]

I saw gradual mileage improvements up until about 2000 miles when new. Started out at 34-35 mpg and gradually improved to 37-38 combined highway/city. I get 44 mpg at highway speeds under 70mph. Your best bet is to change the oil over to synthetic and sync the carbs. Also, check your spark plugs. I found mine to have a very wide gap at the first check. When I put in new plugs with the correct gap my mileage went up 2 mpg.

The other thing is the manual says to shift way to soon. When I shifted at the recommended shift points it always felt like it was lugging the engine. Now I have a tach installed and up-shift at about 4000rpm. I don't have an exact mph for each gear, but Goose did that post prior to the site crash. He may still have the information. I think that not lugging the engine helped my mileage.

[venturejockey]

I have read about punching holes in the filler neck. Do I need to completely empty the tank and take it off the bike to do that? What are the dangers of sparking and blowing up the RSV?

 

Nope. Just remove the filler cap. cover the tank with something to protect it, like a blanket or towel. Then use a long punch at a sharp angle then wack the punch and not the tank (remember the blanket) and you will punch a hole through the filler neck near the opening. A couple of these at the front and right side will do to let air out of the top of the tank so fuel can enter.

 

First time I heard of this the guy said use a drill. Hmmmmmm! Sparks....gas fumes!!!

[BuddyRich]

Mine had low milage for the first couple of grand also. The popping may be from the AIS. I plugged mine and the popping is gone. After I go onto reserve I usually don't push it past 30 mile before getting gas. at which point it usually take around 5 gallons.

[BradT]

regarding the popping I will second the motion about the carb sync. When I did it per the manual (manual is wrong) I screwed it up worse than than it was, and it would pop all the time. I have since synched them properly and it no longer pops and the AIS is not plugged.

 

Regarding fuel I get about 150 before I have to switch to reserve then about 20-30 miles later the little F indicater comes on. I have never seen the fuel light come on.

 

I heard one time that there is a device in the tank which can be adjusted by bendin a tab or something which will change the amount of reserve. SO I would guess everyone is slightly different.

 

Brad

[Sailor]

My experience has been that I run out of gas before any indicators come on, in fact I generaly run out with 1/4 tank still showing. I just reach down and switch to res and keep going while keeping an eye out for the next gas station. Usualy after I have found a station and filled up and am on my way again when about a mile down the road the low fuel indicators come on then go out. Needless to say I don't rely on them.

[V7Goose]

My experience has been that I run out of gas before any indicators come on, in fact I generaly run out with 1/4 tank still showing. I just reach down and switch to res and keep going while keeping an eye out for the next gas station. Usualy after I have found a station and filled up and am on my way again when about a mile down the road the low fuel indicators come on then go out. Needless to say I don't rely on them.

Yeah, that is strange! Mine work reliably and constantly.

Goose

[LetHimRide]

I agree, being new, give it time to break in. Putting on pipes will cause a change in back pressure and a carb. tune to balance the carbs out might be a cure. I had a popping sound at idle, tuned the carbs and it went away and my mileage jumped up an extra 12 miles at the reserve lite.

[eagleeye]

I recently bought a 1986 venture royale, and found that at about 135 miles the indicator light came on. I have a switch on the left side for switching to reserve, but it doesn't move. At this piont, I usually put in about 3.5 gals. What's up with that?

 

Steve

[duke]

I recently bought a 1986 venture royale, and found that at about 135 miles the indicator light came on. I have a switch on the left side for switching to reserve, but it doesn't move. At this piont, I usually put in about 3.5 gals. What's up with that?

 

Steve

 

Use pliers to turn the switch to reserve and leave it there. I did that and just wait till the red indicator light goes on before I fill it. (or sooner) The darn switches are very stiff.

Duke

[venturejockey]

I leave mine on reserve all of the time. When the low fuel light comes on I start looking for a gas station. As a result I usually put in anywhere between 4.5 and 5 gal depending on how many miles I rode before filling up.

 

I know mine holds pretty close to 6 gallons so hopefully I never run out. Although I've been close a few times.