Why no fuel petcock?

[Ray Mooney]

I've been meaning to ask this for awhile, but since I've gotten used to it, it has slipped my mind. Why is there no fuel petcock, and consequently no reserve, on the 1250? Is this a trend in motorcycles with gas gauges? None of my past bikes have had gas gauges. I assume we are now referring to that last blinking bar as the "reserve."

[ippo]

fuel indicato=fuel petcock????

[Red01]

It's pretty typical of fuel injected bikes not to have a petcock.
The earlier Bandits with carbs had one though.

[Ray Mooney]

Yeah, I owned the two previous generations of the Big Bandit (I miss the naked one) and two V-Maxes (I miss both of those), all carbureted, all with fuel petcocks. The first time I was getting low on fuel on my 1250, I reached down to search out the reserve switch and it wasn't there. When I pulled into the gas station (not realizing that on the last fuel bar I still have well over a gallon left), and eyeballed the proper location, it was for naught. I figured right away that the fuel gauge had to be the reason. At least I can understand that logic, but it makes no sense to me that it would matter whether an engine is carbureted or fuel injected as regards a fuel petcock. Ah, well. Volumes are filled to bursting with stuff I don't understand. 

[bngboyd]

Yeah this was wierd for me too. I found that the gas guage bars tell the story. When you get down to one bar you still have plenty gas. Yes, the gas pump icon is blinking but the last bar is solid. When the pump icon and the last bar is blinking....get gas as you are on reserves when that last fuel bar is blinking. Hope that helps some and remember when that last bar is blinking you might only have 20-30 miles before your day is ruined. 

[PaulVS]

I think ALL motorized vehicles should have a reserve. How nice would it be to never have to worry about running out of gas or looking at your fuel gauge?  With a 'reserve' you would just know when it was NECESSARY to fill up.

[CWO4GUNNER]

Actually relying on a reserve section of the tank on a street bike can also get you into trouble as most reserve portions on older OEM street bikes only hold about 15 miles worth of fuel which means you may still be pushing your bike if the next gas exit is 30 miles. The only time reserve really works is when you have a significant amount of reserve fuel (2+ gallons). I have often considered installing a 2nd tank or a fuel bladder in a false compartment in the bottom of the top case or inside the rear fender.

[Andouille]

I may be wrong but I think the fuel pump is in the tank, no?  Just imagine what would happen if you started the bike and forgot to turn the petcock on.  Anyway I am pretty sure that with the engine off and the fuel pump not pumping, where ever it is, that is the same as the petcock in the off position.

Tim

[vabenni]

I am not sure about the throttle body injection, but in multi-port fuel injection on a car,  The fuel rail is pressurized with as much a 80 percent of the fuel sent to the rail being returned to the fuel tank.  The fuel is recirculated and the engine essentially drinks from the the flow.  The pumps usually start as soon as you turn on the ignition.  Placing a user operated valve in the flow would probably damage the pump.

[Andouille]

I am not sure about the throttle body injection, but in multi-port fuel injection on a car,  The fuel rail is pressurized with as much a 80 percent of the fuel sent to the rail being returned to the fuel tank.  The fuel is recirculated and the engine essentially drinks from the the flow.  The pumps usually start as soon as you turn on the ignition.  Placing a user operated valve in the flow would probably damage the pump.

Thanks, you said it better than I.

Tim

[Red01]

Actually relying on a reserve section of the tank on a street bike can also get you into trouble as most reserve portions on older OEM street bikes only hold about 15 miles worth of fuel which means you may still be pushing your bike if the next gas exit is 30 miles. The only time reserve really works is when you have a significant amount of reserve fuel (2+ gallons). I have often considered installing a 2nd tank or a fuel bladder in a false compartment in the bottom of the top case or inside the rear fender.

I don't know what your old B12 had for reserve, but mine has 1.3 US gallons (and I know they tend to vary a little between individual bikes, but always seem to be at least a gallon).  While not as significant as your proposal, it's certainly enough to get me more than 15 miles - over three times at my normal mpg.  That's a big enough reserve for me, I don't want to delegate another 0.7 (or more) of my main's capacity to reserve.

I don't recall what any of my bikes from the 60's or 70's had for reserve, but my foggy memory doesn't recall any of them only going 15 miles unless they were 2-strokes with small tanks. 

But if your gas stop planning is really that bad, it's still better to push your bike for 15 miles than it is to push it 30. 

[CWO4GUNNER]

Well perhaps I'm thinking more about my off road bikes then street which I ride allot more. I know I have hit reserve on my old B1200 suddenly in the middle of a desert highway with no exits near by and having to pull off onto the gravel shoulder with tractor trailers whizzing by in the past and have sweat bullets thinking I might not make it to the next but always did. So perhaps a little more imagined, But I still would like to make a fuel tank for my B1250. I just have to research where pressurization starts so I can tap in on the non-pressurized side and use gravity. Why I think the top case is a good candidate. Not to mention incorporate rear nozzles for a one-up idea on a James Bond style flaming road slick to fend off hostile chasers or a hard to miss road flair LOL (just kidding) OK you can get off the floor now Red01

[SteelD]

I think ALL motorized vehicles should have a reserve. How nice would it be to never have to worry about running out of gas or looking at your fuel gauge?  With a 'reserve' you would just know when it was NECESSARY to fill up.

I know when it is NECESSARY to fill up by regularly checking my gauges. That's what they are there for. It surprises me how many people (especially in cars and more often than not the female of the specie) simply don't look at their instruments or if they do, don't know how to interpret them. I am in the habit of very frequently checking my mirrors and checking my instruments so I know what is going on around me and know the exact state of the bike under me. It seems a sight more dangerous to want to rely on switching to reserve to know that you are running low on fuel because the bike might start to cough and splutter as you pull out to overtake a truck or you have to take one hand off the bars to search for and fiddle with a tap while riding your bike in busy traffic. Reacting to events as they occur is just not good practice. Biking is all about thinking ahead and being prepared so get into this habit as it might save your neck one day.

[Ray Mooney]

Even with a fuel gauge and without a fuel petcock, I still zero my trip meter every time I fill up. It helps me keep track of my gas mileage, but also lets me know when I'm approaching the limit of my fuel. When I hit 180 miles, I'll file away that I need to refuel soon. When I hit 200, I look for the next available gas. Even at 200 miles, though, I have at least a half gallon left, which is another 20+ miles. Still, I don't want to push the thing or call AAA if I don't have to, so I try to be conservative.

[SteelD]

When I hit 180 miles, I'll file away that I need to refuel soon. When I hit 200, I look for the next available gas. Even at 200 miles, though, I have at least a half gallon left, which is another 20+ miles.

What? You still have half a gallon left at 200 miles!!! Are you sure your read-out isn't set to kilometres?