Motorcycle Repair: fuel valve adjustment, yamaha 650, reserve fuel

Question
I've just recently purchased a 1983 Yamaha 650 Heritage Special (XS650, i believe) and after replacing a dead battery and some burnt out lights, I found out the hard way that the main and reserve fuel levels aren't different enough to give me any gas with which to find a gas station. Is there any way to adjust the positioning of the different levels? or perhaps there's something that i'm not doing correctly when switching to reserve?

Answer
Hi Matt.
 When the bike get switched to reserve, you should have about 20-30 miles before you run out.

The problem may not be the reserve fuel setting, but the fuel valve itself.  The fuel valve has a small tube in it that will allow fuel into the system.  When the fuel falls below the level of the tube, then you switch to reserve.  There could be a problem in the tube, or more likely, the valve is in need of replacement or rebuilding.

What may be happening is that the reserve fuel valve is seeping enough fuel to allow you to run into the reserve a bit, but not enough to run the bike without switching to reserve.  Thus the need for replacement or rebuild of the valve.

Good luck.
FALCON