QuestionLast summer I was riding with my fuel valve set to on when I ran out of gas. When the engine started to stall I switched the valve to the reserve position, but it still stopped and I was stranded until I got more gas. Since then the reserve has not worked. It is as if the reserve is always on.
I bought the bike used in 2003 and it only had 3,000 miles at the time. Now it has about 7,000 miles. I heard there was a recall on the bike because of the valve? Do you know if that is true?
If there was a recall and the previous owner ignored it then I would just take it to a dealer for a free fix.
Otherwise, what do you think could be wrong with it? I do a lot of my own work on cars and motorcycles. I understand that the valve closes when the vacuum is reduced to zero which would mean that the vacuum line must still be working in order for gas to flow.
AnswerSam, I am a Honda guy. If you have questions about recalls, check the web or with local H-D Dealerships on defective parts. The parts counter guys would surely know about any defects like that. Usually recalls that are safety related like this would have no end date for compliance, but maybe after 14 years they have shut the program down. At any rate, ordering a new one would get you the latest version which seems to cost about $42.
http://www.bikebandit.com/harley-davidson-motorcycle-xlh883-1995/o/m1784
Vacuum-operated petcocks generally do shut down when the engine is turned off. When their diaphragms fail, you usually get a combination of an air leak and fuel shut off. If the reserve is all that functions, then the tube that normally feeds the ON section of the fuel supply must have cracked or broken at the base of the tube, so that fuel is drawn all the way down to the bottom of the tank. Take a close look at the part and see if there are some obvious defects.
Bill MrHonda Silver
