Out of gas?

[lwinders]

Yesterday after mowing my yard, I thought I'd take a short ride and cool off. I hadn't had a chance to ride my '83 VR in a few days so I dicided to take it instead of my 1100. After about 20 miles, I was getting ready to head home. I was going to stop and fill up with gas before I went home. I showed 84 miles on that tank of gas and my fuel gauge showed 2 bars. About a mile from the store I was going to stop at to full up, I notice the bike slowing down. I gave it some throtle and nothing happened. I pulled off the side of the road. I tried to start it again but no luck. I checked to make sure I hadn't hit the kill switch and it was on. Everything electrical seemed to be working and it turned over fine. The only thing I could think of was that it was out of gas. I called a friend and he brought me a gallon of gas. After pouring it in, I cranked on it for a couple of minutes and it started. When I stopped to put gas in, it only held 1.9 gals. So I know it hadn't run out of gas. I rode the rest of the way home, about 10 miles and everything seemed fine. I really don't know what happened. I don't think it was an electrical problem because as I was trying to start it, it sounded like it would after running out of gas. It would try to hit severl times until it finally picked up the fuel and started. Is it possible that I had some trash in the tank that plugged the fuel pick-up?

[Flyinfool]

Since the pick up is at the bottom of the tank anyhow, if it was plugged, adding more gas would not make a difference.

Have you ever changed your fuel filter?

If it was junk in the gas there should be evidence of it in the filter.

 

It could be the pump going.

Maybe after cooling down some it came back to life?

 

While you were coasting in gear when it first lost power, did you notice if the tach was registering the rpm. The tach is driven from the #2 cylinders ignition. If the tach went to zero as soon as you lost power that could indicate an ignition issue. Again the cool down could have revived it.

 

Just a couple of thoughts.

[Trader]

fuel filter?

[lwinders]

I really didn't pay any attention to the tach. It has a new fuel filter on it. After it died, as soon as I pulled off on the side of the road, I tried to start it and it tried to hit a couple of times but wouldn't start. It really sounded like a fuel problem and not an ignition problem but I could be wrong. However, the fuel pump going out could be a possibility. Would it be at all possible that I could have gotten some trash or even a fleck of rust over the fuel pick-up and when I added gas could it have sloshed around enough to dislodge the trash?

[Flyinfool]

Anything is possible.

[RJD]

You may have a plugged vent from the gas tank.. it will build up a vacuum and stop the gas from flowing. when you open the cap it releases and the bike will start again.

[lwinders]

I don't recall hearing a sucking sound when I removed the gas cap but I will check to make sure I don't have the vent hose cripmed somewhere.