Hi everyone,

Just got my first Harley, an 06 Sportster.. I've put a couple hundred miles on it since I got it a few days ago, and I was hoping someone could give me some advice: I hear these bikes run lean from the factory, so would one of those oil temperature gauges help determine how hot it's running? I'm tempted to pull the spark plugs and take a look at them, but it's probably too soon for that.. With luck and maintenance, I hope to keep this bike forever..

Also, yesterday I either ran out of gas or got vapor lock (I think) because the engine seemed to run out of gas on me during my ride at lunch.. I pulled over and the engine quit.. I'd just gotten gas the day before and it read at having gone 71 miles since. I hit the reserve tank and it started up again, went to get gas and the gas pump shut off at a gallon and a half (I guess that's about right for going 71 miles)..

Now this might be a stupid question.. but when the gas pump shut off automatically, I took the pump out of the gas tank and looked inside and it looked like there was room left for more gas.. it was only my second stop for gas on this bike.. given that gas expands in the tank, can I top it off? Did I just pull a bonehead move and not fill the tank all the way? Or did I just have vapor lock, and fiddling with the petcock fixed it? I'll pay closer attention next time I stop for gas, but has anyone else had their Sportster cut out on them and then start back up again?

 

It depends on what tank you have the 4 gal or the 3 gal. You can fill it to about 1/2 inch from the top with the bike straight up without any coming out the overflow. If you have the 3.3 gallon tank and didn't fill it all the way up you probibly did just have to go to the tank reserve at about 71 miles.

 

Make sure you take it off of reserve also or the next time you run out of gas reserve won't work.Because the tank will be empty.

 

Here is how to fill to the max a Sportster Gas Tank: If you are right handed pull to the pump and put it on your LEFT side. Stay on the bike, don't put the jiffy stand down. Because the fuel cap is in the middle of the tank at the tank's highest point, you want the bike vertical. Set the gas cap on the fuel pump or any suitable place except on the bike. Activate the pump. Point the nozzle down away from the bike to drain any seepage gas in the nozzle someplace else except on the fuel tank paint. Then put the metal nozzle about 1 inch into the tank past the constrictor plate. Start the fuel flow. SLOWLY pull the nozzle tip back until it is even with the constrictor plate. Keep the nozzle centered in the constrictor plate hole. As the tank fills to near the constrictor plate ease the fuel flow OFF. Finish filling with gas to at or just below the constrictor plate. Replace the fuel nozzle into the gas pump. Replace the gas cap. You are now as full as possible in a Sportster tank. If you are going straight home and parking the bike, you might want to stop the fuel flow about 1/4 to 3/8s of an inch below the constrictor tank to allow for fuel expansion while the bike is sitting. The little open tube you see inside the fuel filler port is the overflow tube. It leads directly to the bottom of the bike. That is where any excess fuel will spill from. IF you are going on down the road from the gas station, you can fill right to or just above the constrictor plate and will not lose any fuel thru the overflow tube.

IF you put the bike on the jiffy stand and lean it over while filling, you will not be able to fill to the absolute max.

If you are left handed, go to the other side of the pump.

If you have an aftermarket tank with the gas cap on one side of the tank ala the Touring bikes, put the bike on the jiffy stand and fill it while it is in that position. Do what ever it takes to place the fuel fill opening as high as possible. If you spill fuel on the paint, wipe it up with a dampened towelette and re-wax the tank when you get home.

It is NOT a good idea to leave a H-D bike parked for any long spell without the tank being as full as possible. Any water vapor condensation inside the tank will have an opportunity to rust the inside walls of the tank. Definitely not desirable. ....... BC