Howdy. Right so yesterday my bike spluttered cut out on the highway, clearly sounds like it just ran out of fuel. I stop, check my fuel taps are on (which they are), it starts and i ride about 10km and fill up with my riding mates. I have a 30L safari tank, with inline fuel filters, taps on reserve (I always run it on reserve out of habit), at this point the fuel height is AT LEAST an inch above the height of the fuel hose where it turns and goes into the carby.

Next day it happens again, then again 5km down the road, and again, until i make it to a petrol station, fuel up and ride another 100+km with no problem, again it happened when the fuel is about an inch above the hose to the carby. I pulled the hose off the carby and checked each tap was sending fuel. that was fine, maybe SLIGHTLY less when the hose is held at the height of the carby intake.

Now when I first got the tank I wasnt aware of the carby intake/fuel hose height stopping the last bit of fuel from getting in, so on my way back from a trip I ran out of fuel (in my drive way luckily) with not much more than 1-2 inches in each side. On this day I had my girl friend on the back, so was taking it pretty easy. In the last 2 days it has happened at roughly 100km/ph on HWY.

So why now is my fuel running out when I have more in the tank than I used to? Could it be that cruising slower with my GF on the back translates to less fuel flow needed and in that case I was lucky?

I also have a locking cap, which I thought might be the problem as I know they have been known to block air. I took it off and left it only half a turn on after the first time it happened. Still didnt fix my problem as the next day it happened 3 times with the cap only half a turn on.

those who have Safari tanks, how low does your fuel get before you run out?
the bike doesnt have any other issues, like choking or running rough, goes like new, just for some reason I'm not getting fuel in there when it gets low, but not as low as it used to.

Have you checked the little plastic filter in the carb inlet? I've known similar filters slime up with transparent gunk that's not immediately visible.

Not sure about the Safari, but to get my Acerbis tank to work I had to rotate the carb inlet about 80 degrees anti-clockwise to avoid airlocks. I also run a non-lockable fuel cap with a one-way breather to help maintain fuel pressure when low (blowing up the tank like a balloon via the breather can also help).

Good luck!

Vacuum? Check the breather of your fuel cap isn't blocked/ covered (tank bag?)

Vapour lock in fuel line?

Spark plug needs replacing?

Air filter blocked?

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TBS.com

I had exactly the same issue on my DR650 with a Safari tank. It turned out to be nothing to do with the fuel supply. It was a skinny little breather pipe that comes out the back of the carb. Mine got pinched and trapped in my swing arm mount after I gave my wife a lift on the back of the bike.
The bike could do about 5-10 mins max of running and then die like fuel starvation. I just leant on the seat with my chest to compress the rear end and freed the pipe from the suspension. Done.

Tell me I'm wrong!!

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www.wollongongtowoolwich.co.uk

@ Chris. The tank/petcock setup is not vacuum operated. Spark plugs do not need replacing or the air filter - The bike goes like a bat out of hades for 100's of KM before I get about an inch from the fuel line/carby intake height. I'm starting to think that this is just the lowest it can go before pressurization is needed, and maybe the first time I ran it lower I was just really lucky.

Actually the first time I ran it low (lower than last this week) I was using the normal Safari tank cap. Now I use the lockable version with tank filter (which I know doesnt create a seal on the top of the tank). So maybe the change in tank cap has made the difference?

Turn the carb inlet counter clockwise to about 90 degrees that will let use most of the gas.
Another thing you can do when the gas gets that low. Put the bike on the side stand and the gas will all run to the left side. Close the right petcock and trap the fuel on left side.

Hi guys. We just fitted a 20L acerbis. We used the petcock that came with the tank.

We blocked of the second little vacuum pipe. The bike started but would jot go around the block. Tonight he wont even start.

Also the petrol only flows out on reserve but doesnt fill the little filter thingie ( sorry im a girl and learning all the terminogy)

Can my tank be too empty. I only have a petcock on the left. Other side is empty

Also must the small vacuum hose that was in the original petcock be opened or sealed off.

I commute every day and cant use my bike at the mo

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We all have problems with terminology. What is a wrench in one part of the work is something different in another part of the world.. even where they are supposed to be speaking the same language.

So the basic questions...
The inlet of fuel to the carburettor .. does it point up, or horizontal? Standard it points up, and that means the fuel has to flow up from your tank to get to the carburettor .. liquids don't normally flow up hill. So the inlet has to be rotated so it is horizontal .. see the other posts above as to how that is done.

If you remove the rubber fuel feed line where it gets to teh carburettor fuel should come out (when the tap is turned on). If it does not then you have a problem before this point. Open the fuel cap on top of the fuel tank and see if that fixes it. If not then try removing the fuel line from the fuel tap and see if the fuel now come out of the tap. If not .. look closely at the tap... If you cannot see any thing wrong .. then I'd remove the tap and check fuel will come out of the tank. If fuel comes out the tank then it points to the fuel tap ...

See how your going from looking for fuel at one point .. and moving that point back and back untill you get fuel and isolate one item that is obstructing the fuel? That is the way all fault finding works. There are further considerations .. but on a simple system to a complex system .. this is what is done. It takes time, but you just work through it.

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Oh .. the vacuum line .. you seal that off. Unless the fuel tap requires it.

As Warin says, figure out if the fuel is flowing out of the tank and to the carb first. Sometimes the small inline fuel filters do not look like they have much fuel in them, don't worry about that, see if the fuel is getting to the carb


Can you post a photo of the bike from the side, at the height of the petcock or just below - looking at the side of the carb and showing the fuel hose going from the petcock to the tank?

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Cheers
Grif

'11 KTM 450 EXC
'09 Suzuki DR650
'00 Discovery Series 2 V8
'95 Defender 90 300 Tdi Overlander
http://gipperstravels.blogspot.ca

Ok will do

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Thank you Warin... we turned it horizontal. Well try your advice!

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Ok.it seem it only flows on reserve...so maybe to empty for on? Ok we closed vacuum line with nut. Stayed on for 5'seconds.

Hope this is pics you wanted

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Thanks for the photo Ilse,

Was the DR running fine before the tank was changed?
So now the fuel inlet on the carb has been turned you should be getting petrol into the carb ok, in the carb inlet pipe (the metal one you turned) there might still be a small yellow plastic filter screen, if one is fitted I would remove it and throw it away, they are very small and clog up easily - but up to you, there are pictures here of what it looks like.

2006 DR650 won't stay running - www.DRRiders.com

The fuel level is quite low in the tank, so if the petcock is turned to 'ON' there might not be enough petrol, I would put another 10 litres into the tank at least to test it properly.

Make sure that the inline fuel filter is the right way round - to me it looks like it could possibly be on backwards - it may have an arrow on it with 'flow' written on it, but normally they would be the other way around with the narrow end of the internal (gold coloured) filter towards the tank. This is so you can see any dirt in the filter. To clean the filter, flow petrol into it from the other direction to 'back flush' it or use some brake cleaner spray. However I may be wrong - it has happened before

__________________
Cheers
Grif

'11 KTM 450 EXC
'09 Suzuki DR650
'00 Discovery Series 2 V8
'95 Defender 90 300 Tdi Overlander
http://gipperstravels.blogspot.ca

Was 100% before.

Is the thingie that is the wrong way the little plastic one? We were wondering. Ok well try that tonite when we get home and keep u posted. Thank you so much

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Hi Ilse,

the tiny plastic filter (or thingy) is in the metal carb inlet pipe, you can remove this and do not use it.

I was talking about the inline fuel filter being around the wrong way - the larger plastic one that is between the 2 sections of rubber fuel hose

__________________
Cheers
Grif

'11 KTM 450 EXC
'09 Suzuki DR650
'00 Discovery Series 2 V8
'95 Defender 90 300 Tdi Overlander
http://gipperstravels.blogspot.ca