Bike stalled on a high speed road.....

AJ22_ChinaRider · 01-19-2023, 10:34 PM

........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?

Magician16 · 01-20-2023, 07:48 PM

My Magician has a reserve, and I've switched on the move several times because it holds less than 2 gal.

Bob Kelly · 01-21-2023, 06:38 AM

if your tank has a petcock it should be fairly simple to just buy a after market petcock
that has a reserve position to it.... all that is is 2 tubes (usually with filters over the ends)
that one is taller than the other you ride till you run out of gas and switch to reserve which selects the shortest tube and you have some gas to ride on.....
if your bike doesn't have a proper petcock and just an on/off valve for gas... there are a few things you might do... if a small jar will fit in the gas tank you could just chain it to the inside of the lid for a few minutes of fuel... just pull it up and dump it out inside the tank.... a axillary gas tank is probably preferable as you really should have at least a quart of gas to get back on.... a quart water bottle does that job fairly well....
Most bikes will have a petcock on them but they save money by not putting on a petcock that has a reserve and usually most after market petcocks will fit... just look at the shape of it and see what you can find...
....good luck !
Bob......

01-19-2023, 10:34 PM	#1
AJ22_ChinaRider Join Date: Jul 2022 Posts: 105	Bike stalled on a high speed road..... ........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?
	0

01-20-2023, 07:48 PM	#2
Magician16 Join Date: Aug 2019 Posts: 468	My Magician has a reserve, and I've switched on the move several times because it holds less than 2 gal. __________________ 2018 Bashan Storm(sold) 2016 Magician 250
	1

01-21-2023, 06:38 AM	#3
Bob Kelly Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Weed, California. Posts: 271	if your tank has a petcock it should be fairly simple to just buy a after market petcock that has a reserve position to it.... all that is is 2 tubes (usually with filters over the ends) that one is taller than the other you ride till you run out of gas and switch to reserve which selects the shortest tube and you have some gas to ride on..... if your bike doesn't have a proper petcock and just an on/off valve for gas... there are a few things you might do... if a small jar will fit in the gas tank you could just chain it to the inside of the lid for a few minutes of fuel... just pull it up and dump it out inside the tank.... a axillary gas tank is probably preferable as you really should have at least a quart of gas to get back on.... a quart water bottle does that job fairly well.... Most bikes will have a petcock on them but they save money by not putting on a petcock that has a reserve and usually most after market petcocks will fit... just look at the shape of it and see what you can find... ....good luck ! Bob...... __________________ It's too late when you've gone too far !
	2

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