Reserve fuel problem

[skull6]

I have a 2003 and had an issue where I would use most of gas in tank before reserve was needed and reserve had very little available.
I rebuilt petcock with new tube and rebuild kit. I purposely rtan low to test and all was fine untill yesterday I went to reserve at 150 miles which is about normal for me. How ever bike was still starving for fuel and I limped off hiway and pushed to station. I only took 4.3 gallons. Before I filled I could see fuel sloshing around when I moved bike side to side.
How does reserve work and could I have done something wrong when I rebuilt?

[roboto65]

Simply put the long tube is the ON fuel and reserve is whats left in the tank if you were to take the valve off and the filter you would see the tube and if you look down the tube to the top of the valve you would see a hole that is where the fuel for reserve comes from. 

[dreamaker]

Maybe your filter screen in the tank is twisted like mine was. The twist is in the reserve area.

Dan

[Mr.BubblesVRCCDS0008]

I had a bike once that the previous owner never used res. After I got it the first time I ran it to res it wouldn't work because the pickup hole was plugged with trash in the bottom of the tank. I almost always run mine to res. now to keep the bottom of the tank clean.

[Grandpot]

Skull6:

Several of us have had this problem lately.  See this post from a few days ago:
http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,6596.0.html

Most likely your stock petcock diaphram is going bad.  If the diaphram goes, you will not get gas in the normal position or reserve position.

Options are:
1. Rebuild the old petcock.
2. Convert the old petcock to manual operation (no vacuum) only and add a solenoid valve to shut off the gas when the engine is not running.
3. Install a Pingle petcock and add a solenoid valve to shut off the gas when the engine is not running.   

[skull6]

Thanks for the quick replys but I had replaced the tube and rebuilt petcock about 6 weeks ago so all is new.

[lee]

I am assuming that when you say you replaced the TUBE you are talking about the SCREEN or FILTER.
Sounds to me like the valve is not switching.  Are you Feeling and/or Hearing the valve click when
you switch from on to reserve.  Takes two clicks to get from ON to RESERVE.

[Ghillie]

The chrome cover switch is bad about coming loose from the actual activation switch. Stranded myself on the side of the road when I first got mine before I realized it wasn't connected.

[skull6]

Thanks again for more great info and pics.
Yes I ment to say the screen. I hear and feel distinctive clicks when I turn valve. The lever screw was loose but was still turning lever. I tightened it up.
Before I remove tank and investigate I think I will test by siphoning gas out and leaving half gallon in to see if reserve works and switch back and forth to see if bike dies and comes back as I go to reserve.
if problem is re-created then I will take off petcock to check and clean.

[MP]

Put in a "cover set" while you are at it.  Will not hurt, and probably will fix the problem.

MP

[bludragon]

As mentioned previously it is very important to occasionally run the tank on reserve.  main reason being you can get a build up of water ( from condensation) over time and if you ever really need the reserve she will stall because of dilution of fuel by water

[Farther]

With the "new" ethyl alcohol used for the oxygenate the moisture problems have disappeared in both the vehicles and underground storage tanks.  If you still think you are getting water in your fuel then just run some SeaFoam or the Chevron Tech stuff through your tank once a year.