Dropped the Baby Vara already...

[Alex_B]

Bloody annoying

I will post this so other noobs don't make the same mistake I did today.

Anyway, new rider, just done CBT blah, blah. Picked the bike up last week and put some petrol in as it was on reserve.

Anyways, I've done well over 200 miles round London and A roads and country roads (as ya do ) and today, heading home from work for Lunch, I go round this very large, very busy roundabout BUT I don't drop it there

3 minutes up the road, ambling along, in no hurry I take a corner at about 5 mph, very quiet, small road and the engine cuts, no splutter, no warning, just dies and I'm mid lean and the bike stops dead, doesn't even roll a few feet.

So, over she goes beyond the point of no return but I do kinda stop her from hitting hard so only damage is the mirror broke off.

I can live with that, I'm fine, bikes fine and it could have happened on that damn roundabout.

Lesson learned. I will check the tank every couple days from now on.

Oh, and Mirror ordered and on it's way from Wemoto

Check your tanks noobs
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My Lane Position is always AWESOME!!

[P.addy]

Once it hits reserve, head to a petrol station... get into the habit of doing it

I've started to leave the GSXR until it hits the solid orange light Which is stupidly low

[Alex_B]

No petrol gauge Paddy, would have been fine if I had I spose.

I was just having so much fun and never really gave it a thought

Won't forget again.
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My Lane Position is always AWESOME!!

[FerretFing]

your trip meter is your friend....reset every time you fill up & learn how many miles on average = get ass to petrol station

[P.addy]

[Muscle Bike Rider]

Baby Varo I used to fill up at 180m so as not to go on reserve, if on reserve your good for another 30-35m, fill up at 180-185 and you wont have that problem again. Plus not using reserve helps with not dragging all the dregs from the bottom of the tank through the fuel system.
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Previously Known As A5tra_G
Old Bikes :2010 Kawasaki ER6 F & 2000 Honda VTR Firestorm
Current Bike : XJR1300

[Clanger]

Note how many miles you have done since filling up last, and then make sure you fill up before then, or like Paddy suggest, when you turn to reserve, think "I need petrol".

On the plus side, you fell off at a slow pace... you could've been going faster, you could have done it in a busy place...
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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter won't mind - Dr. Seuss

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

My 250 tells me when to switch to reserve by cutting out when i'm braking...esp down a hill.
I can normally switch it before it completely dies. However, last time we were slowing for a roundabout and it conked completely.
Much laughing from my pillion as i attempt to bump start the bike mid-roundabout and on to the exit...Grrrrr.
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Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
Singer songwriter, Artist and allround good bloke Listen to Andrew Susan Johnston here
The Harry Turner Project

[angryjonny]

[anthony_r6]

Question Regarding the reserve tank.

I presume it's a lower part of the tank? So assuming you don't use reserve, will the fuel in the bottom ever go stale or degrade? Is it a good idea to use the reserve at all?
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Ted : "Maybe he's agoraphobic."
Dougal : "Jack scared of fighting? I don't think so, Ted."

[Berk]

It's all one tank, just two hoses at different heights, so when you fill up it mixes the old and new fuels nicely. So no need to worry about stale fuel sitting at the bottom unless you leave it standing a few years.

[Jebus]

im getting myself a baby varadero on monday, so knowing that 180 miles is good time to head for fuel is good to know, i know the pain of bike conking out when low, i got into the habit of going to fuel days when i last rode, and do remember the bike conking out and running out of fuel as i just rolled into the petrol station lol pushing it from entrance to pump was hilarious looking back on it.
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2nd time around CBT: 8/9/11
125 Varadero

[Alex_B]

[P.addy]

[allotriophagy]

[snikks]

As I recall from mine, the Baby vara has a system where it automatically switches to reserve on the fly, but when it has done so a light on the dash lets you know that you've only got a litre left - i.e. just about enough to get you to a petrol station.

Was your light not working, or did you just ignore it?

In any case, I can recommend the trip-meter method, fill it right up, reset 1 of your trip meters, wait for the tank to get to reserve, note the mileage, and then fill up. In future, everytime you fill up reset a trip meter and fill again when it starts to approach that number.

Stood me proud throughout my ownership, never once ran out of fuel .


Edit: thinking it through, I guess you have an earlier model than I did no FI and therefore probably no auto-switch/light - doh. Still it's morning, forgive me. I still recommend trip-meter method tho
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- CBT: 02/01/11 Theory: 26/04/11 Mod 1: 19/05/11 Mod 2: 19/08/11
- 2007 Honda XL125V Varadero (Sold), 1999 Yamaha FZS600 Fazer (Sold), 2001 CBR600F

[Muscle Bike Rider]

Older pre 2007 models are carb with a petrol tap, Im sure it was 2007 on was fuel injected with a warning light.
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Previously Known As A5tra_G
Old Bikes :2010 Kawasaki ER6 F & 2000 Honda VTR Firestorm
Current Bike : XJR1300

[Jebus]

hey guys, yeah im
hey guys yeah its a 150 mile road trip so will stop couple times, tell the GF that im alive, take a piss etc so will fill up half way at least, im getting a 03 model got 13k on it but looks in great condition for the year and guy selling it aint a numpty so am ok with all that, just a long ride just after getting back to biking and have to navigate a big city i not been on the road in on a big for me bike, wouldnt have it any other way
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2nd time around CBT: 8/9/11
125 Varadero

[Muscle Bike Rider]

Mine was a 2003, 150 miles will be no problem on a tank full, I used to and my son still does fill up at 180-190m to a tank London commuting and not hit reserve, the Varadero is now on 31,000m and still running really smooth with nothing more than regular service and oil changes. You will enjoy the ride back, just have a break for a coffee / fag as you will be surprised at how tiring riding can be if you aint rode for a while.
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Previously Known As A5tra_G
Old Bikes :2010 Kawasaki ER6 F & 2000 Honda VTR Firestorm
Current Bike : XJR1300

[Jebus]

yeah am planning on taking a few breaks am not in any hurry, and since the long range weather given out a lot of rain ill stop a lot i think. am knackered after today bike takes a lot of concentration than am not used to after cage driving
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2nd time around CBT: 8/9/11
125 Varadero

[Tsopo]

I used to get 220 miles on a full tank. 250 was the most I ever got out of it but that was cutting it a bit fine I think.

As has been said, just reset your trip meter every time you fill up

[rosslad]

Hi guys,

I know this might not be the right thread for this, but you all seem to know your Varaderos, so if you don't mind, I'm going to hi-jack the thread...

I've recently run out of fuel on my 2006 Varadero 125 and switching to the reserve tank didn't seem to help. The guy at the garage had a laugh and said I'd run out of fuel, which is fair enough, but when I go and collect it and fill her up again, do I need to have the switch on the reserve tank/normal when I fill her up? Any special tricks with this?

Thanks lads

[FirebladeRuss]

yeah - read the thread....

[anthony_r6]

[Muscle Bike Rider]

Yup turn it fully on so that arrow is pointing down, to the side is off, up is reserve, if you leave it on reserve you will use everything in the tank including reserve and have no fall back then. Its best to just leave it on, when it needs to go on to reserve it will splutter and cough a bit so thats the time to change over. I would practise doing this a couple of times while riding so you get used to finding the tap and turning it without looking. There a cracking bike, fill up every 180 miles and you wont ever need reserve.
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Previously Known As A5tra_G
Old Bikes :2010 Kawasaki ER6 F & 2000 Honda VTR Firestorm
Current Bike : XJR1300