Well, I got about 75 miles and then the bike sputtered, so I dropped gears -- kept sputtering, engine power fading, backfired once on downshift. Pulled over to the side of road. I changed to reserve -- started it up. Immediately went to gas station across the street. It only took like 2.75 gallons and then looked full?

Drove home abut 20 miles with no problems. The dealer said I had a full tank of gas yesterday -- looks like I did not.

ANyways -- the gas light never came on once. THe only thing that came on was the oil pressure light as I sputtered and was losing power. THe breakin oil level is fine, I checked. When I shut it down, that oil light was still on (key was in the ignition). But when I switched to reserve and then "filled it up" (2.75 gallons), the oil light never was on except before I started (key in iginition, engine off) and when I cut the engine (key still in iginition).

Is this normal? The oil light going on when I am sputtering out of gas and what about the fuel light giving me no warning?

ALso -- is the 2.75 gallon just a "me" thing in I should have pumped in another half gallon or so to top it off? It looked full and the gas pump automaticallty stopped. I figured since I was dry, it'd take the full 3.3 gallons. Also, how does the reserve work? How does that .8 get filled up? When you are truly empty (main+reserve) can you actually put over 4 gallons in the tank (3.3 + .8)? I stopped when it looked full because I was paranoid of overfilling. Plus the damn pump I was using was pumping VERY slowly.

Kind of confusaed about the oil and fuel lights and as to how much gas to put in.

 

Can't answer all your questions, but the oil light came on because as the engine sputtered, it was not turning fast enough to keep the oil pressure up.

I did not know that bikes with reserve had fuel lights. I thought only the injected ones had 'em.


Oh, yeah and welcome to the forum. I hope someone else can answer your other questions.

 

your 3.3 gallon tank has a 0.8 gallon reserve like mine and 2.7 gallons is what i put in mine after going to reserve your fine. i get about 110 to 125 miles on that 2.7 in the city.

 

The tank is on an angle.
reserve is a hole at the lowest point, gas is a little higher up.

I don't believe the fuel light is active on carburated models.

You should fill to the plate inside your tank. It holds a total of 3.3 gallons including reserve.
Do not fill to the top of the cap, just to the plate inside the tank (like a fill line)

A slow pump is good, you don't spill with those.

Is your bike brand new? The first few hundred miles will get you very poor mileage. Of course, the tank might not have been full from the getgo.

Oil light came on because RPM's were down since the motor wasn't really running too well and had limited pressure.

One last thing is that you should practice grabbing the reserve, and be able to do it while going down the road. You never know when it might save your butt by being able to do that.

 

Sporsters do not have a gas light on them. I set my trip meter and watch the milage. If you have a 3.3 gal tank then that includes your reserve if I am not mistaken. I have a 1200C with a 4.5 gal tank. When I hit my reserve I have 1 gal left in the tank.

 

OK -- that all makes sense.

The speedo does have a fuel pump icon on it. But obviously it is not hooked up for these models. THat would explain why the owners manual had an arrow going to everything but it!!!!! I did check it before posting!

I think now I understand the reserve tank deal. So my TOTAL amount of fuel is 3.3 gallons? Total = main+reserve = 3.3 gallons? That would make sense math-wise -- since I put about 2.7 gallons in when I went to reserve.

Glad to know all of this -- because my math was figured out all wrong and it was only a matter of time until I ran her out of gas! haha

I will definitely practice switching to reserve on the fly. Fortunately I was only going about 35 mph when this happened and there was an immediate turn off.

All in all, had a great ride and learned something new about my bike. I'll keep monitoring the mpg. I think the dealer did not have it totally full. WHen I filled it up their seemed to be more fuel in there than what they called "full".

Rhubarb -- brand spanking new. Just put the first 100 miles on it today.

Also put a short sissy bar on today. The sideplates weren't to bad putting on. One side was a real pain to get on -- real tight fit. But they're in for good now (I did not go with detachables -- I like sissy bars 24/7). Also put a small clock on the right hand side of my handlebar on the master cylinder housing. THink I may have stripped the bolt a touch when tightening it back up with the torx wrench -- but it is on tight and I can still get enough grip to loosen it if need be. I doubt I'll ever loosen it unless I decide to chrome that out in the future. And if I can't get it off - oh well. New bolt from Harley and drill her out. Done it before on other things. I'll prbably just pick a spare bolt up from the Harley shop and replace it when I get a chance, just to be sure, before things settle in for too long and become harder to get off.

 

Above the fuel petcock there is a tube that goes up into the tank. It has a screen on it to filter the gas and it has 2 openings at different levels to pick up the gas. The upper opening is the one that normally is used and when the fuel level falls below that opening, you run out of gas. Then you turn the valve to reserve and the fuel goes into the lower opening and you have .8 gallons to find a gas station. If you forget to turn the valve back (off of reserve) you will use up the 3.3 gallons, run out of gas, have no reserve and will be wandering aimlessly out in the middle of nowhere. You will be late for work, lose your job, ruin your career and your life will be meaningless. Got it?

 

Sounds like you had a rough day once

 

UNLESS it's an 07. ALL injected Sportys (and that's all of them) now have a "check engine light" & "FUEL LOW" light added to the regular indicator lights on earlier models.