Riding at 100mph down the M1 is nice until....

[The Tot]

... You Run out of fuel

lads and ladies, yesterday i endeavoured every biker's worst nightmare. The story goes as such.

I filled up my ZXR with 6 quid's worth of fuel thinking it will be sufficient to get me from loughborough to london. So i start my journet at 5:15.
Happy with my recently acquired ride, i ragged her down the m1, happily passing the rush hour traffic. All was going fine and as i passed luton i breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as i passed junction 8, i was doing 90 in the fast lane when all of a sudden, i noticed the engine lurching. Knowing that i had a ludicrously slack chain i assumed it was that, so i throttled off, but then i also noticed the revs drop. Titot then decides to turn his tap to reserve. FUCK it already is on reserve... i think .

Being increasingly aware that the mercedes E-classes lights were becoming an ever increasing speck of luminous xenon reflection in the mirror, i decided to make a dive into the hard shoulder. Luckily no traffic as i had pulled a sufficient gap in front of a traffic jam so it didn't bother me.

At the hard shoulder, i inspected the tap and found that it was on reserve, bugger. I tried starting the bike. Yes, it turns over but doesn't ignite.

Now as i'm bemused in my predicament, a volvo S70 estate pulls up. Fuck, PIGS i thought.

Helpful bedfordshire constabulary tries to help me out by checking my bike over only to confirm what i already know "son, you're tank looks pretty empty". Guy took down my details and after i told him i only had the bike for a day, they began to understand. Sharing a joke between his colleague, they pissed off, unable to offer me a lift due to new legislations . They were helpful in the fact that that they told me the nearest petrol station was a 4 mile push uphill! Thanks lads! (they didn't know my bike wasn't restricted and also didn't realise i had a black visor on in late dusk.

So i pushed the bike for about a kilo, emotionally and physically drained. The reason i HAD to go back to london was that my Parents were moving back to indonesia for good, so it was imperitive that i visted them on their final farewell party.

Thankfully a saviour in a fireblade stopped 100 metres up the road, burly chap from Middlesborough who had seen me pushing my bike had been a samaritan and waitied 5 mins for me to come to him. After exchanging a few words, he then came up with the idea to push my bike with the passenger footpeg. He used the footpeg to rest his toe on so that everytime he throttled on, it pushed my bike too. Luckily for him bike + rider = 200kgs. It was kinda like a loco shunting carraiges in a railway siding.

So with a hefty kick every so often on the hard shoulder, both of us made it up the M1 junction safely, when i made my own way to the petrol station. So if you're that gentleman from middlesborough on the 98 Blade, i am severly indebtted to you!

After filling up, i thought, fuck it, i'm going to blast it down the next 4 junctions till i reach edgware, and true to my word, Hemel to edgware in 20 mins CAN BE DONE @110mph!

I then met my parents who were STUNNED to see that i had traded for a kwak. My dad was understanding but my mum couldn't see the point on why i'd trade my bike for something older. Well mum, the comparison is this, My old bike was like a JML blitzer, my new bike is like a braun food processor with all the adaptors! Understand now?

So if you guys have taken the time to read this, then i thank you lol. I've just waved my parents off at heathrow and i'm feeling a bit down so writing this kinda cheers me up .

At least my new chain and sprockets are coming so that will definately improve the fuel economy.I also noticed my horn wasn't working so that needs to be sorted out.

Lets just put that down to experience, YOU CANT DO 110 Miles on 6 quids worth of fuel like you used to do on a 125cc bike!

Peace out

Titot
____________________
The Tot 2007 Yamaha R1 4C8 2002 Yamaha FZS1000 Fazer &
www.youtube.com/Titot182 for your bike gear reviews and pop punk covers
Earl Of Easycore Pop Punk Will Never Die!

[steveh]

Hehe, interesting read 's up to mr blade rider, im sure most of us on here have ran onto reserve... you wont do it again thats for sure.


Steve.
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Current : 06 Zx10r, 07 Wr450f SM, 74 850 norton commando, 63 bsa b40, 1962 Triton 650, 67 Triumph Tr6r, 1955 Triton 750, 1978 TY250E.

[stinkwheel]

I would say that putting a hand flat on the back of the rider you are trying to push is a marginally safer way of giving someone a tow. You can even-out some of the jerkiness by bending your elbow.
____________________
“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.

[Vespa]

.

[kev19]

haha nice one you got to the petrol station ok .

Also fuck me i put in 10 pound of petrol in my rover 214 (1.4 liter) and i get around 60-70 miles out of that lol. Cant wait to get my bike .

[stinkwheel]

Incidentally. The coppers are twats for driving away and leaving someone walking along the hard shoulder of the M1. It is fucking dangerous there is no way they should have left you there.

I am willing to bet that there is no regulation in existance that prevents the police giving someone a lift off the motorway, the exact opposite is more likely.
____________________
“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.

[XS1954]

Totally agree with you stinkwheel. Police should have stayed and at least got some fuel to the scene.
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You're a cock.

[Dom]

[The Tot]

[Vespa]

.

[The Old Geeza]

[The Tot]

Well, i don't really know when i'll see my parents next. Probably in summer, might go thailand, then see rents, then visit a mate of ours doing a gap year down under?

I have noticed the smiles. London just feels nicer on a sportsbike . I've also noticed the economy is better when it's below 8000rpm ,i.e. before the RUSH.

I need to sort out my carbs as it's running rich. So a combination of rich fuelling, knackered chain and an appreciation that there was still another 10% more space for fuel in the tank were all contributing factors!

peace out

Titot
____________________
The Tot 2007 Yamaha R1 4C8 2002 Yamaha FZS1000 Fazer &
www.youtube.com/Titot182 for your bike gear reviews and pop punk covers
Earl Of Easycore Pop Punk Will Never Die!

[fast_tzr]

[R4nger]

Next time... tilt the bike over to the side and it will fill the carbs up again and you should get atleast 1/4 of a mile each time.

[Vespa]

.

[.....]

110mph

I'm f*cking disgusted.

Surely you bike goes faster than that....

[colin1]

interesting. i didnt realise worn sprockets and chain affected fuel economy but i guess it makes sense
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[The Tot]

Ok, in a couple of hours, i'm going to do the journey in reverse. (not literally)I'm going back up, and i've learnt from my previous lesson and i have now filled the tank to the MAX. I've not been used to a square tank since my XR had a domed tank so i didn't realise the extra litres one could pack in. Riding in london also made me appreciate the necessity to change gear at the right RPM to prolong the life of the chain and sprockets. Furthermore, i'm going to keep it below 10k rpm for most of the journey so it'll be OK.

Once i'll get my chain and sprockets, i think a trackday might be on the cards so my knee can grace the undulating tarmac at 90mph!
____________________
The Tot 2007 Yamaha R1 4C8 2002 Yamaha FZS1000 Fazer &
www.youtube.com/Titot182 for your bike gear reviews and pop punk covers
Earl Of Easycore Pop Punk Will Never Die!

[AcIdBuRnZ]

Least you can do 100mph on a bigger bike though compared to the 125

Unlucky mate, it happens to us all. Especially with a new bike. Best tip with a strange bike is to just keep it filled full until you get used to it

Good read
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Past: Honda NSR125R >> Kawasaki ER-5a2 >> Kawasaki ZZR-600e1 >> Suzuki GSXR-750Y >> Honda VTR 1000 Firestorm
"Chickity China the Chinese Chicken..."

[Walloper]

I think the police could have had you 'removed' from the motorway at your own cost.... £100?
It's illegal to use a motorway without sufficient fuel for your journey.
That is the safety law.
Whether you had the bike a day or a decade.
Maybe they cut you some slack.
I know of police getting into trouble for carrying spare gas in the car for just such an occasion.
A guy the local police patrol helped complained to the head office coz he said, "his car got more mpg than the gallon given by the police but he had to fill the police can up after being rescued."
Shit head....
So some stories may back up the police action in this case.
Pity they can't help.
You could have phoned from the emergency phonebox for a garage to come. That's what they do but it's dam expensive.

Hope you switched that tap over to Run now.
Go and check to be sure
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W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair

[riichy]

110mph..what zxr are you on???????...zxr400//zx6r//zx7r//zx9r//zx10//zx12r (well not a 12r becouse you would be more likly doing 190mph on one of them...
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.......... PLOD ............ zx636 2004

[Jrod]

zxr250 which you don't seem to know exists in your little selection.

Theres only 3 types of zxr AFAIK.

zxr250 zxr400 and zxr750.

[riichy]

[The Tot]

I just got home safely now and i've calculated a motorway MPG of 38mpg doing 80 in top gear - about 11-12000rpm. I miss my 125 for fuel economy but i got to say, i love this bike's performance so far. Well it's only a small engine so i suppose it's got a rather poor MPG.

So for motorway journeys, best tip i can advise for those who haven't had the challenge is as soon as you hit your reserve switch, find the immediate petrol station and fill up. Dont chance it!

[tatters]