........user error: dumbass owner (yours truly) forgot to check gas levels
I'm safe, glad it happened as I was preparing to stop at a red light. Lots of traffic, but I know the roads so immediately got onto the pavement and pulled into a parking lot. I know the sheriff and I know he would be nearby, so called him and he showed up a minute later to help.
I am ok, and I'd like to share what I did as a general PSA in case this ever happens to you:
1) immediately communicate your intention to stop and that you may have to get off the bike and cut across the road.
2) maybe even use one hand to signal to cagers farther away to switch to a different lane.
3) Flashy gear helps as well.
4) Some cagers are helpful and could even offer to 'shield' you from faster cars behind who may not see what's going on, while you pull over to the edge of the road.
5) It may take a few tries/repeated hand gestures to get the attention of drivers behind you, especially if it's getting dark. So ensure they understand your situation before you just pull over or start pushing the bike across the lanes.
This also brings me to ask: how easy is it to install a petcock, or add a reserve indicator of some sort like bikes had in the good old days?