Bandit needs reserve after 11 litres. Should last to 14.5.

[talkToTheHat]

I've got a K2 Bandit 600. The internet and my manual seem to suggest i should have 14.5 litres to reserve. I'm finding i need it after about 11 litres. This is just after the fuel gauge reaches 2 bars, and way off the fuel light coming on. I'm reasonably sure I'm getting plenty in the tank, filling on the sidestand until there is petrol all around the 'neck' inside the filling opening. If i put the bike on the centrestand shortly after filling in such a manner and open the fuel cap again, it appears just as full.

Before i owned the bike it was a bit of a garage queen, 7k on the clocks. Is this likely to be a build up of petrol varnish or similar on the fuel take off? Do i need to have spare seals/gaskets at the ready if i take the fuel tap off to inspect? What else might it be? Could it just be suzuki manufacturing tolerances?
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Bandit. does. everything.

[Vincent 2]

Hi could be the fuel level sender

[Pete.]

Mine went on reserve on 2 bars. Full to the very brim I used to get between 125 and 140 miles to reserve with another 50 miles in the tank. If I rode particularly frugally I could just about stretch it to 200 miles if it had a newish air filter (which added about 15 miles range over a filthy dirty one).

If this is similar to what you are getting that would suggest it to be quite normal.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Kris]

Are you switching to reserve when the fuel light (flashing fuel bar) comes on - or when the bike begins to bog down and demand it? I think there's a big difference and I seem to remember ignoring the fuel gauge and relying on the trip instead.
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NSR125RR - ZXR750H1 - ZX9R E1 - GSF600S - GSF600SK3 - VFR400-NC30 - SV1000N - ST1100-R - CBR900RR-R - GSF1200SK5 - GSF600SK1 - VFR1200FA - GSXR1000K2 - ZZR1400 D8F
www.prisonplanet.com

[Evil Hans]

Odd. I've frequently had mine (k4 s) down to one flashing bar and never needed to switch to reserve. Yet.
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Triumph Sprint ST 1050. And it's Red.

[talkToTheHat]

I switch to reserve when it starts to behave like it is running out of fuel.

This is after between 100 and 150 miles but typically just before 120 miles depending on how many cold starts i've done and whether i've been back and forth across town, having fun on backroads, or sat on the motorway in 6th gear having not toutched the brakes in forever. Fuel economy varies between 35mph and 55mpg with a mean of about 44mpg which seems about right for the vehicle.

I keep a trip running of when i fuelled up and i obsessively track my fuel economy. I'm saying this is happening after 11 litres becasue the first thing i do when i have to switch to reserve is go for petrol. This has happened in sight of a petrol station and other times I'm interpolating back. I've needed to switch to reserve and tried to empty the tank, managing 70 miles on reserve before putting 17 litres of petrol in, which on 180 miles total. I still had some petrol, but ran out of time and patience. I was down to the last bar and a flashing fuel symbol at about 170 miles, so the fuel sender appears to be working. My reserve is just somehow very very large and it's annoying as i end up filling up more often and not making the most of the healthy tank range i have available.
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Bandit. does. everything.

[mudcow007]

Nothing to add except, as soon as i hit a hundred miles on my Bandit, i refill

I don't trust going to reserve an sucking up all the crap that "probably" lives in the bottom of the tank

I would quite like a fuel gauge though - oh how the other half live

[talkToTheHat]

Yeah the fuel gauge has spoilt me, but 100 miles is typically 10 litres for me.

I'll ask my question another way, how many litres of petrol fill up your bandit if it has just hit reserve? Never hit reserve? What's the most you've had to put in?
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Bandit. does. everything.

[Pete.]

Should be about 13-14 litres.

If It's bothering you - run it dry, remove the tap and cut the delivery pipe down about a bit.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Beehive Bedlam]

Strap a jerry can to the back and try it. You will be surprised how much further you can get when you think it's on the verge of running out.

[mudcow007]

ive just hit 90 odd miles on mine today, so will fill up at lunch time

[mudcow007]

filled up at 90miles on the trip, took 9.130 Ltrs

so about 44mpg

that sound about right/ healthy?

[Dabura]

[talkToTheHat]

[Kaya75]

I trip my 600 k1 to about 140 miles mostly town and NSL commuting this time of year.. Before filling up.. I hit the reserve often between 140 and 150 miles. I did last week, pull over turn the tap and go to next station..

I fit about 17lts in on the center stand topping up to the brim..

It's worth checking the sender I guess, I reckon you'd know if it where over fuelling / running rich.. Is your choke opening fully?[/url]
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ybr125 Sold, GSF600 K1 Bandit (For Sale), FJR13000 gen2.

[talkToTheHat]

[Pete.]

[Polarbear]

\you are filling it up while on the centre stand/held vertically I presume? You can lose a fair bit of capacity if you fill on the side stand.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[talkToTheHat]

Centrestand didnt seem to make much of a difference behind giving me further ways slip over in a petrol station.

Got home earlier 160 miles after brimming it, been on reserve for the last 20 miles, drained out more than 5 litres of fuel. If the petrol is indeed .734 kg/l as a quick google suggests, then 6.0 litres to 2sf.

Watched fuel gauge as it was draining and it does indeed have full range of readings and is working ok.

Had the petcock off, there was a little buildup of brown semi-congealed goop around the lower portion of the main fuel take off. Cleaned it and reinstalled. Is a push fit so i can always modify if it's still a problem. 15mm of correlates with how early my reserve has been. Now i know i have 6 litres in the tank i shall get to the petrol station approx 1/2 mile away and see how much makes for full. It might even run on main not reserve to get me there.

Just to annoy me, i appear to have got better than average fuel economy on the last tank, not surprising really as i went ofer the tops to avoid traffic and barely put my feet down. It will all make sense when i fill up.

On taking the tank off i realised one of the breather hoses that connects underneath has a t-piece and an extra lengh of hose. I am confused. There does not appear to be anywhere it should be connected to. See photo. Is it a relic from an emissions control device? Have i got the vacuum take off for someone's scott oiler instead of a breather hose?
https://cdn.bcf.44bytes.net/files/img_20160308_141539039.jpg
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Bandit. does. everything.

[Pete.]

If that's a breather the T will be an anti-syphon. It's to stop all the fuel from syphoning on to the road if the bike goes over. A syphon will (probably) always stop if it is allowed to draw in air.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[talkToTheHat]

Cunning. I had better put the extra section back in then.
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Bandit. does. everything.