How Embarrassing !!!

[The Old Geeza]

Sorry this is a long one

Lovely day late this morning. Bright sunshine, warm, dry roads and my day off. So, I decide to go for a breeze on my GPZ.

Great ride, nice twisty roads, plenty of speed and really enjoying it (apart from the fact that all the fly's and bugs in creation decided to make the best of the warm weather too - most of them ended up on my visor and screen!).

I'd been out for about 2 hours. Ended up in Derby and decided to come home along the A38 dual carriageway.

Passed everything in front of me and swatted plenty more bugs and fly's. Then, in the outside lane I started losing power at a rapid rate of knots - serious de-celeration taking place.

I start thinking "fuel running out, get the tap into reserve fast". Could I find the fuel tap? Could I f**k. Eventually slammed on the brakes and pulled into the tiny little gap between the carriageway and the curbstones - ya' know, that little bit between the white line and the curb, where all the shit in creation builds up?

Well, I pulled over, found the fuel tap and put it into reserve. That's shocked you all hasn't it? Because all of you thought "he was already on reserve - ha, ha" - wrong!

However, would the bike restart? No! And anyone who's got a 'big' bike will tell you just how hard they are to restart after your fuel runs out.

I'm now thinking the bike's not gonna have it and I'm in a dangerous position on the road, so I decide to push the bike onto the grass verge to get away from the traffic. Have you ever tried to push your bike off the road single-handed against those triangular curbstones. It just doesn't happen. The bike just kept sliding back onto the carriageway off the curbstones. I couldn't help but keep laughing at myself.

In the meantime, all the cars I'd overtaken prior to my fuel loss just sailed by. Some of the drivers giving me the 'wanker' sign. The others just honking their horns

So, one last try on the starter "come on baby, don't let me down, I really don't want to push you the remaining 10 miles back home".

Pressed the start button... And it suddenly fired into action saying "OK Old Geeza, lets get those cagers".

And I did

Mind you, I soon pulled into the first petrol station I saw.

A great experience, nevertheless. But scary!

Sorry to rant on so much. I just thought you might be interested.

Regards.

The Old Geeza
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Horse Power was safer when the Horses had it!

[Groove]

good for a laugh tho init


sorry, that saying is in my head still from my instructor saying it every two sentences
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|| Past: 1991 Kawasaki ZXR 250 ~ 2003 Honda CBR 600 F Sport ~ 2004 Kawasaki ZX6R B1H 636 ~ 1999 Yamaha R1 ~ 1999 Kawasaki ZX6R J ~ 2004 Kawasaki ZX6R B1H 636 ~ 1998 Honda VTR1000F Firestorm ~ K1 GSXR 600 Track bike ~ K6 GSXR 1000 ~ 2006 Speed Triple 1050 || Current: 2005 R1 https://www.adrucore.co.uk

[colin1]

That sort of thing sounds a pain. Im glad I dont have reserve, and if i did, i think id just keep an eye on the trip counter and leave it on reserve all the time.

Its never nice being stuck at the side of the road with a stubborn bike. Nice to hear you got it going again though after initial difficulty.
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[map]

nice story...

Now wasn't it back in your day you could buy a tankful of petrol for a shilling, ride all day, get a slap up meal, buy a new suit and shoes and still have change?

FWIW there's maybe be a third setting (prime) on the fuel tap (not seen a GPZ recently though). This bypasses the vacuum feed. When you run out put it to prime, this gets fuel into the carbs and then back to reserve. HTH
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...and the whirlwind is in the thorn trees, it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks...
Gibbs, what did Duckie look like when he was younger?

[Rob W]

I've had that numerous times, cos I swear it is impossible to turn the fuel tap onto reserve while your moving on my ZXR, but then again you dont get enough warning, it'll lose power and then bang it's gone altogether so you dont even get the time to put it on reserve before it's dead.
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'16 GSX-S1000F

[mrchips]

If you run out, you have to give the reserve a minute to get into the carb again, rather than trying to start again straight away.
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Northern Irish? www.nibikers.com

[Keen]

[Rob W]

Usually when I go onto reserve, I put the choke on fully, usually speeds up the whole starting process, and then just turn it off once it's going as you know the fuel's getting through.
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'16 GSX-S1000F

[The Old Geeza]

[colin1]

you did give yourself that name so you are asking for that kind of attention really

although admittedly, the caption'back in my day..' beneath cant be to your taste
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[The Old Geeza]

[stinkwheel]

[scrapps]

I know what you mean about trying to change to reserve while riding.

On my first ride after passing my test, I had just picked up my bike. The guy who owned it said - you'll be fine for about 50 miles before needing the reserve - I trusted him.

I hadn't really looked at the fuel tap and on the way home, ON THE A45 at 70mph, the engine spluttered. I reached down, but couldn't find the tap.

Remember this is my first time on a big bike (ER5 in DAS to Bandit 600), first time riding alone ever. Almost lost balance and came off trying to find the damn thing.

Bloody scary.

Engine died, I pulled over, and had to get off the bike to find the valve. Not amusing at the time, although in retrospect - no harm done...

It's all good - adds to experience!!!


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GSF600SX

[Rob W]

[The Old Geeza]

[Andy C]

[stinkwheel]

My worst fuel tap related moment was going down the A1 on Hogmanay at about 9pm. Bike went onto reserve, reached down to change it over and the end of the tap came away in my hand (Italian plastic, snapped off).

Got the bike another 15 miles to an open petrol station by
hanging off the bike to the right and keeping it tipped way over to the left whilst going in a straight line to bring the fuel level above the tap. Got some very funny looks.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[riichy]

my zxr gets really grotty, then when i change down gear and blip the trotal there is no rev. so i then soon pull in flic on to reserve an wait about 40 secs, then half gas and hit starter and caboom shes back.............

you never find out how heavy your bike is untill you leve the reserve on and full fully out off fuel.......
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.......... PLOD ............ zx636 2004

[SoND]

With my bike I can drive a good 300m with what is just in the carb.

Gives me plenty of time to realise I'm running out and flick the tap over.
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Go back to bed - You have no rights - "Streetfighters ~ Mainstream motorcycling's crackwhore sister."

[Andy C]

yea my RS just runs out of life, i didnt relise once and though i was going quite fast (was dark so seemed fast) and couldnt work why i could see cars i passed still. then i filled it and hit the powerband and almost fogoten the amount of power!
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99 RS125 --> 02 SV650s --> 03 Speed Four --> 92 RXS100 --> 93 CB400sf --> 01 CB600f Hornet

[The Old Geeza]

[simonthepiema...]

this happened to me far too many times when I got my first big bike, the hornet. On my first day using it to go to work i was running late and thought I would cane it down the motorway to save time, half way between junction 10 and 11 it died in the fast lane, cue coasting to the hard shoudler and trying resereve - which was having none of it. A couple of bikers stopped to ask if I had broken down and when i told them I had run out of petrol I could tell they were thinking 'punter newbie'

The worst one was again running late for work thought I would ch
ance it as i reckoned i had a good 20 miles left but the bike proved me wrong at 10 miles. There was a petrol station about 1/4 mile up a hill so i decided in the rain to push it up the hill, half way up after multiple stops my lungs nearly packed in. Figuring i would try reserve again it finally fired up and i had to ride it up hill on wet grass, wheelspins everywhere. Now I never let it go above 100 miles and ive always got an excuse when late for work

[White Noise]

[The Old Geeza]

[bish777]

Doesnt your bike have a PRIME position on the tap? I go to prime if i run down, then put it to reserve after the bikes started. Saves much fuss.
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GSXR1100J