[Narcisse91]

The EX500 fuel tank is supposed to be like 4.8 gallons. I think there is a 1 gallon reserve.

Is that 4.8 gallons total, so 3.8 gallons main?

When you fill the tank, it fills the reserve automatically, when you use the gas, it uses the main and doesn't touch the reserve. So, if you never use your reserve, that gas just sits there and gets really old?

 

[QKENUF4U]

The EX500 fuel tank is supposed to be like 4.8 gallons. I think there is a 1 gallon reserve.

Is that 4.8 gallons total, so 3.8 gallons main?

When you fill the tank, it fills the reserve automatically, when you use the gas, it uses the main and doesn't touch the reserve. So, if you never use your reserve, that gas just sits there and gets really old?

4.8 gallons total when tank is full.
reserve is NOT a seperate part of the tank.
the petcock has two brass lines into it. one is tall , one is short , the tall one is for "ON" and the short is for "RESERVE".
if you never use reserve it will not matter cause the gas is always mixed with new gas when you fill it. :wink:

 

[Narcisse91]

Hmmm... That makes sense.

I had to use my reserve for the first time in about a year last night, and I had a hard time getting the bike to run on the reserve fuel (it wouldn't idle right, or die as soon as I got on the gas). After about 5 minutes of fussing with it on the side of a highway at 11pm, I finally got it running.

I assumed I had all this trouble because the gas was seperated and old. Any other reason why it would act this way on reserve? Last time I used the reserve, it fired right back up and I was on my way.

 

[cincnorad]

See a similar thread I started below. According to Curt:

http://www.kawasakimotorcycle.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3807

I think it's very important to run the reserve once in a while. Water, sediments, and crud tend to settle to the bottom of the fuel tank. If you never use reserve, this stuff will stay there. (Actually detergents in gasoline will take out some of the water, but I'll ignore that for the moment.) One day when you finally need to use the reserve it's full of all this junk, and your carb says, "Ooo, ick! What IS this stuff?" I think it's better to bleed it out a little at a time, so I think it's a good idea to run the tank pretty low (well into reserve.) It's also a good idea to install a fuel filter.

 

[Narcisse91]

Yeah, I remember reading that thread, but what Curt is saying is the opposite of what QKENUF4U is saying. What Curt is saying is similar to what happened. But I read somewhere else along the lines of what QKENUF4U said.

 

[QKENUF4U]

i think hes saying the dirt and crap will settle over the filter on the RESERVE tube. as for the gas, there is NO DIFFERENCE, its all the same gas. i will agree if hes talking about dirt etc. clogging the filter.

 

[Narcisse91]

I just asked someone I work with about it as well, and he said the same thing, the tube may get clogged, but the gas should be the same.

 

[Curt]

i think hes saying the dirt and crap will settle over the filter on the RESERVE tube. as for the gas, there is NO DIFFERENCE, its all the same gas. i will agree if hes talking about dirt etc. clogging the filter.

QKENUF4U is a professional motorcycle mechanic. I'm a shade-tree mechanic. So if someone's wrong, it's probably me.

He's right that there is only one tank, so any fuel in the bottom of the tank will tend to mix with the new gas you put in. He's also right that there are two separate tubes that let the fuel run down to the carbs. The "ON" tube is pretty close to the bottom of the tank. The "RES" tube is even closer. Stock 250R's have a screen, but they do not have a fuel filter. The screen lets just about everything pass through -- right to the carbs. But the carbs have some tiny passages that could get clogged. I don't know if the 500R's have a fuel filter. But it is easy to install an in-line fuel filter. It's about $2.50 and five minutes of work.

What I meant in that earlier post was that since that junk is in the tank, and since there is only one direction for it to go, I think it's better to work it through a little at a time rather than all at once.

I don't think it's necessary to go to reserve on every tank, but I do think it's nice to do it once in a while. And I also think it's very important to install a fuel filter to avoid a lot of headaches.

If you ever take a gas tank off a car and dump out the gas, you'd be amazed at how dirty it is. But cars go through more gas than bikes do, and they have flat-bottom tanks, which tend to collect more sediment. So maybe I'm worrying about nothing.

I had to use my reserve for the first time in about a year last night, and I had a hard time getting the bike to run on the reserve fuel (it wouldn't idle right, or die as soon as I got on the gas). After about 5 minutes of fussing with it on the side of a highway at 11pm, I finally got it running.

I assumed I had all this trouble because the gas was seperated and old. Any other reason why it would act this way on reserve? Last time I used the reserve, it fired right back up and I was on my way.

It could be that this had nothing to do with the age or cleanliness of your fuel. It could be that since you so rarely use reserve, you just weren't used to the first sign (lack of power), so you just gave it more gas until it quit altogether. By then your carbs were empty. So you had to get them filled up before it would start again. If you flip the reserve at the first sign of power loss, and while the bike is still running, your carbs won't empty out and you can keep going without missing a beat.
Curt

 

[01zx7r]

It could be that since you so rarely use reserve, you just weren't used to the first sign (lack of power), so you just gave it more gas until it quit altogether. By then your carbs were empty. So you had to get them filled up before it would start again. If you flip the reserve at the first sign of power loss, and while the bike is still running, your carbs won't empty out and you can keep going without missing a beat.
Curt[/quote]

It could also be that your carbs were empty and the bike was very hot and caused it to vapor lock..

When you start feeling a bit of hesitation when you are riding, flip the switch and you'll keep on scootin..

 

[Narcisse91]

Well, it wasn't that I didn't realize I was running out of gas, but the first time I felt the lack of power was on a highway on ramp, with the next exit 3 miles away, so I tried to go for it. Unfortunately, I fell about 200 feet short of the 1 mile away sign.

Last time I felt that first hesitation (previous tank of gas), I made it all the way home from work, about 15 miles without using the reserve.


Either way, it could be the empty carbs thing, since I definitely rode until they were dry.

 

[Stuart]

there is no reason for you to "go for it" the reserve tank is there for a reason and deserves your utmost respect, because if you never ever ever use it then the one time you need it the line is going to be filled with enough much that it gets pushed into your carb and you have to wait around for a friend or tow truck unless you have the ability to do curbside carb work.

 

[forest1000]

Since you were on a ramp maybe you were leaned over and the gas did not reach the ON position. That would be when you needed to switch to reserve.

 

[1Adam12]

If you were to accidently run it dry - just prime the gas petcock - switch to reserve and let her rip. As a practice I use my petcock and switch to reserve every now and then when I think about it and just avoid the issue of having blockages with a little preventative maintenance.

And don't worry about the gas issue. i think everyone has made it quite clear that you only have one gas tank and there are not separate tanks on the 500.

Just get in the habit of knowing how to use the petcock while in motion and practice at it in the event you actually need to switch over it will be easier.

 

[Narcisse91]

If you were to accidently run it dry - just prime the gas petcock - switch to reserve and let her rip. As a practice I use my petcock and switch to reserve every now and then when I think about it and just avoid the issue of having blockages with a little preventative maintenance.

Well, I think that's what I need to do. Use reserve now and then whenever I think about it. I usually keep the tank somewhat full (above halfway) just so I never have to think about it, so even if I flip to reserve at the first sign of low gas, it still may only get used once or twice a year.