Okay, silly question time...

[jmerlino]

Which end of the petcock lever indicates whether the fuel line is set to "on" or "reserve"?

Some background on why I ask this: I bought the bike from an independent dealer. I went back to see him a few days later, just to say hi and give him an update on the bike, and he looked at the petcock and said, "You know, you've got that thing on reserve." I said, "Really? So it's the short end that points?" He looked at it and said yes.

A week or so later, I was riding with a group, and the dealer was on the ride. He comes over, looks at the petcock and says, "You know, you've got that thing on reseve." Only this time, it was set in the opposite direction. I said, "So, it's the long end that points?" He looked at it for a looooong moment and said, "...yeah".

Now, it's not THAT big a deal, because I'm pretty paranoid about filling up, and I suppose I could test it empirically by setting one petcock in one direction and the other in the opposite, and then seeing which side of the tank still had gas in it at the end of a long ride, but I figured it would just be easier to ask you guys.

:dunno

[Bigrider]

There is only one end on the petcock lever(the long arm). When it points down its the normal tank position, when you turn the lever up its on reserve. Or did I miss something?? :dunno

Dave H
Colorado Springs

[peteremsley]

Long end up for reserve. I understand the confusion. The other end on my /6 does look kinda like an arrow or pointer.

[jmerlino]

Okay, that makes sense. I was just confused after getting conflicting instructions from the same guy!

[kbasa]

9:00 and 3:00 for off. Midnight for reserve. Dinner time for main.

:D

[BradfordBenn]

9:00 and 3:00 for off. Midnight for reserve. Dinner time for main.

:D

So what happens at Tea Time? or for those golf fans Tee Time?
:stick

[BubbaZanetti]

So what happens at Tea Time? or for those golf fans Tee Time?
:stick


whenever i set my petcocks to "tea time" my bike started to sound like a norton and leak oil all over the place..............

[Rocket]

I was told by my original owner of the '82 R100RS that both petcocks operate independently and also control 2 different reserve tanks; that when first reserve is neeeded you turn one petcock long arm up, then if needed turn the other side up to give make use of the 'second' reserve. Does all this make sense? I'm a bit sceptical. Is there 1 or 2 reserve tanks? Do you turn both to reserve at same time (as I have been doing, just to be safe).

[rocketman]

9:00 and 3:00 for off. Midnight for reserve. Dinner time for main.

:D

unless of course you are in the southern hemisphere in which case it just the opposite, 3:00 and 9:00 for off (not 9 and 3) etc.......
:D
and of course since everything is oppsite, you empty your tank before leaving and fill it when you return......

RM "Adding confusion is fun...."

[jmerlino]

I was told by my original owner of the '82 R100RS that both petcocks operate independently and also control 2 different reserve tanks; that when first reserve is neeeded you turn one petcock long arm up, then if needed turn the other side up to give make use of the 'second' reserve. Does all this make sense? I'm a bit sceptical. Is there 1 or 2 reserve tanks? Do you turn both to reserve at same time (as I have been doing, just to be safe).

As I understand it, the tank is devided in half about halfway down, so by the time you're into reserve territory, there are effectively two tanks. There is a petcock on each side, but there's a crossover tube, so that one side of the tank will feed both carburators. So, when you first start to sputter, if you turn one side of the tank to reserve, and leave the other one on "normal", you'll get a second warning when the first reserve tank runs dry.

Now, personally I'm pretty paranoid about filling up, so I don't think I'd ever get to the point of needing that second warning, but you never know.

[Hodag]

time to get a K-bike

on-off
wait for the light

[YB in IN]

time to get a K-bike

on-off
wait for the light

:nod

... but I still want to get a /5.

[manicmechanic]

Your tank is one volume. The petcock construction is such that you have a standpipe which extends upward. That is your "ON" position. Then when in "RESERVE", the petcock is switched to the bottom of the tank. Also remember that you can run off only one "side", go on "RES" and run that side dry, then you still have some quantity on the other side in reserve. There are no separate reserve compartments in the tank.

[Rocket]

At least I know for certain what to expect when I move the petcocks.

Without getting wierd, let me try to get this correct; the left side of the tank is separate from the right side, though only near the bottom of the whole tank?

[BubbaZanetti]

let me try to get this correct; the left side of the tank is separate from the right side, though only near the bottom of the whole tank?


correcto!

if you ever take the tank off you'll notice how it is raised in the center to allow it to sit on top of the frame (although i think between the front bushings and rear screw down points it never actually touches the frame) the gas sits to either side of this raised middle portion...........

[pmdave]

There is a crossover tube connecting to a T fitting. The tube connects left and right lines, so either valve on (lever down) will supply both carbs. You can run with either valve open, or both valves open, but both valves should be closed (lever horizontal) when stopped, to prevent gas from dribbling past a weak float needle and filling up a cylinder.

The "hump" in the center of the tank allows about a half gallon to remain on the side with the closed valve.

The reserve (lever up) allows fuel to bypass the standpipe and completely drain that side of the tank.

Normal drill: open the left side, leave the right side closed. When the engine sputters (about halfway between Lastgas and Nowhereville) turn the left valve to reserve, and the right valve on. When the engine sputters again, you can turn the right valve to reserve and start sweating your last half gallon--good for 24 miles if you nurse it. Those two "sputtering" events give you a good idea of your fuel situation--unlike those K bikes that run just fine after the low fuel light comes on--until the fuel pickup sucks wind and you coast to a stop.

On an airhead, the last gasp technique is to drain that last cup of fuel by leaning the bike way over so every drop in the right side of the hump drools over to the left side. Maybe another mile or two.

pmdave
who has, on occasion, pushed a bike for several miles after reaching down to turn the valve to reserve and found it already on reserve from the last time. :doh