[JeffOYB]

I googled this, searched here, came up empty so i'm asking...

Which way does the reserve lever point to make it do what I want it to do? I figure when the LONG part covers the word "RES" that it is set to reserve. But now I don't think so. And I can't remember if I moved it when I last filled it.

I ran out of gas with the LONG part of the lever in the down position, over the word "RES." (It didn't seem like I went very far. Felt like 50 miles. Who knows.) But the short arrow-point part that points up points to the word "ON" when the long part points down. So maybe it was actually in "ON" and not "RES"? I turned the lever so the LONG part was pointing up and the bike started back up and I rode the mile to the gas station. I thought maybe just changing the flow somehow bought me an extra ounce to get there and I wasn't sure I really was on reserve.

So I just want to doublecheck. When long part of lever points DOWN the lever is actually pointing UP and the fuel is ON. Right?

I'm dense like this.

 

[muzza]

the lever is vertical with the long tail DOWN for the main tank. It is vertical UP for reserve. Horizontal is OFF

 

[JeffOYB]

Thanks! so the short-end is the pointer end and I point it to what I want...

 

[Sidecar Bob]

The arrow on the handle points at what the setting is.

Inside the tank the petcock has a brass straw that sticks up a couple of inches. When the lever is set to ON fuel is drawn through the straw so that when the engine starts to sputter you still have some left in the tank. When you switch to REServe the remaining fuel (usually something like 2L) can flow directly through the petcock to the carbs.

It is common practice to re-set the trip odometer when you fill the tank. After a few tankfuls you gt to know by the trip meter when you are getting close to reserve so that you can fill up before you find yourself stranded.
I usually advise carrying a small container of fuel the first time so that you can find out how far you can go on reserve.

Speaking of petcocks and fuel, it is getting close to the time most people put their bikes away for the winter. Many people recommend filling the tank and adding fuel stabilizer for storage but some of us have seen what can happen when something prevents a bike from being taken out of storage the next spring and recommend draining the tank before storage.
You should also drain the carbs so that fuel doesn't evaporate in them and leave everything coated with varnish (this can clog critical passages). I usually run the carbs dry and then put a container below the float bowl drains and open the drain screws 1/4 to 1/2 turn for a few seconds to get the last bit out.
Lead acid batteries need to be maintained when not in use, either by being trickle charged every 4 or 5 weeks or by being connected to a battery maintainer (Battery Tender brand is popular but I have solar battery maintainers hanging in the window of my garage so I remove the batteries from anything that is being stored (bike, riding mower &c), but them on a shelf near the window and connect them to the solar panels and in the spring they are ready to go.
(Note that AGM batteries should not be connected to maintainers. They should be fully charged and then left in the coldest place possible for the winter)

BTW: You still haven't added your bike's model and model year to your profile.

 

[JeffOYB]

Thanks! Now I see it! ...writing on the SIDE of the lever. ...and i confess that I also tried to find the odo knob when i was riding and saw nothing. just checked it parked and DOH! on side of gauge. zeroed it... (yes I'll need to winterize shortly...)

(and a quick glance for someone dense like me who has used the net since it started and who has adminned forums... reveals no sig option. i'll keep looking. ...found it! not in My Profile but in Account)

 

[Sidecar Bob]

See the Forum Settings link in my signature.

 

[CXPHREAK]

Bobs picture shows the petcock positions clearly.

But ... as the 'toggle' can only point at 'off' one way this will be the way it also points at reserve and on positions.

 

[bahn88]

Me thinks -Muzza's description was clear....as was Bob's but the drawing doesn't clearly show a "long end" ....this is in reserve.
Edit: assuming its OEM

 

[Gerard]

Hey Bob where did you learn Agm batterys should not be on maintainers? How often do you need to charge them when not in service?Sorry for the sidetracking.

 

[Sidecar Bob]

I learned the hard way. I left the one I bought for my GoldWing connected to a solar maintainer and when I went to use it again it wouldn't hold a charge.
When I bought the big AGMs for the R/C mower I wanted to make sure $300 worth of batteries would last a few years so I asked the vendor about storage and was told the best thing to do was leave them fully charged somewhere cold. I left them in the mower in an unheated shed all winter and they were still close to 90% charged in the spring.

I've also read that AGMs are better left alone during storage in a few of the websites I looked at when researching how to store them

 

[bahn88]

I learned the hard way. I left the one I bought for my GoldWing connected to a solar maintainer and when I went to use it again it wouldn't hold a charge.
When I bought the big AGMs for the R/C mower I wanted to make sure $300 worth of batteries would last a few years so I asked the vendor about storage and was told the best thing to do was leave them fully charged somewhere cold. I left them in the mower in an unheated shed all winter and they were still close to 90% charged in the spring.

I've also read that AGMs are better left alone during storage in a few of the websites I looked at when researching how to store them

I looked at it some time ago as well and for Australian varying temps found 4 months was a good compromise......charging at 70% (or more) full capacity at that point...
I have bike AGMs but also various batteries for back up of aquarium pump equipment. Cold temps will let you increase the duration, but every 4 months is easy for me at least here....
Typical manufacturer chart here....

https://resources.fullriverbattery.com/fullriver-battery/external-media/manuals/manual-batteries.pdf

 

[Gerard]

Well big "OPPS" on my part, here I think I am doing the right thing by plugging my bikes in all the time. Going to double check if i have any residual draws on the bikes.
Thing to remember on a long trip when one has hit reserve to switch it back to "on" after filling the tank.

 

[nippongreen]

Some good battery knowledge to be found there.....Thank you bahn88
However i do disagree with one statement :
"Batteries CAN be safely stored on concrete floors without any negative effects. Concrete floors DO NOT drain batteries"

Years ago i stored a battery (12v wet cell battery from my boat) on the basement floor over winter, no trickle charger and you could physically see where the calcium ? (crystallization) had formed from the +ve post to the basement floor !!!!
And yes, the battery never held a good charge after that

 

[Sidecar Bob]

If it was a flooded cell lead acid battery it is more likely that sitting without a charge for half a year is what caused the problem. Batteries loose charge capacity if left in a partly discharged state for any length of time and they can self discharge enough in 6 weeks to make a difference, especially if they aren't re-charged and allowed to deteriorate farther. It's not uncommon for a battery that is left unattended for 6 months to end up at half capacity or less.

The Concrete Truth About Batteries Stored on Concrete

Have you heard the one about batteries discharging when stored on concrete? Apparently, some people have taken to storing 12V batteries—the kind used in electric wheel chairs and emergency lighting systems—on wooden shelves to maximize their life expectancy. Is there a spark of truth to this or...

www.mcgill.ca

 

[richnct]

I have no “data”, but growing up on a small farm my father (Pratt & Whitney mechanic, WWII aircraft Crew Chief) taught me to always put a piece of wood under a wet cell battery, never directly on a concrete floor. Come on Bob, who am I gonna believe, my dad, or you? 😆

 

[bahn88]

Im not Bob....but the article Bob linked to suggested the no concrete rule DID have relevance in "old batteries"...so one of those "nuggets of information" that was never updated??...
Maybe both were right.... tho most of us dont use wooden battery casings anymore....😀

 

[Sidecar Bob]

Yep. Maybe when your Dad was young (or perhaps your Grandad?) it was true but not for the last 70 years or more.

 

[Gerard]

I leave my not in use batterys on a shelf with the charger so don't have to pick them up or sweep around them(ok ,me lazy), now comes the real question how often to charge them and what percent of charge is the best? With battery costing over 100 bucks a piece and 8 vehicles using batterys want to take care of them.

 

[Sidecar Bob]

That's probably the best reason not to leave them on the floor (concrete or otherwise). O have a shelf that I built for the same reason but it only has 1 battery on it these days.

AGM batteries should be fully charged and then left alone until spring.
Flooded cell lead acid batteries need to be re-charged every 6 weeks (maximum) in storage but I recommend doing it monthly because it is easier to remember. You want to bring the battery back to 100% fully charged each time, which can usually be accomplished by trickle charging overnight.
This might be interesting:

Battery Maintenance/How Batteries Work

Of course, if you are one of those people that insists on starting the engine and letting it idle until warmed up at regular intervals you should know that the alternator can't supply enough power to charge the battery at idle so the battery should be re-charged after every time you do that.
Not that I am condoning doing that. It is the equivalent of waking a person up and making them sit up and answer questions for 10 minutes every hour during the night; All it achieves is to waste fuel, pollute the air and increase the unburned hydrocarbon content and moisture content of the oil.

 

[Gerard]

Thanks for the link, you are right about the idling of engines , does not charge a battery, also it's not good for the alternator. On the vehicles that I cant drain the gas ,I start once a month and run them long enough to get fresh gas in the carbs or fuel injectors . This is done only after charging the battery and I run them at fast idle speed to get oil through the engine. I dont run them any long then it takes them to run right and get the oil to the heads.
On my bikes I prefer draining carbs, tank and pull plugs and crank it with kill switch in off position till the oil light goes out. Cheers