Hi,

I have a 1990 Tenere that is not running off of its reserve tanks. There is fuel in there, sloshing around, but it apparently can't get to the motor.

First, I don't know much about motorcycles. But this much I do know:

1. It's not vapor lock. Still happens with no tank cap on.

2. The petcocks work great and are clean.

3. There is only a moderate amount of small particles in the tank - fuel draining out of the reserves is fairly clean.

4. Three shops in two different hemispheres have not been able to fix the problem. But for one tank after they do whatever they do, the reserves flow and it works. But after that, the same problem.

A wise friend of mine took most of the system apart for me, and theorized that the the reserve tank level is just below the carburator, therefore with low levels of fuel there is not enough pressure to force the fuel "uphill" to the carb, hence what looks like a small pump in the fuel line that may pump it up. It's apparently a vacuum pump.

So his ideas are: 1. Replace the pump or 2. Add a small auxillary pump to help the flow along.

Is this a common Tenere problem? Help! My range is only about 300 K without reserves...hardly enough for Death Valley. Or Alaska. Or....

Thanks in Advance,

David


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