Gas Tank

[krt]

I was riding today and the trip odometer showed 125 miles and it just died. It had been coughing and chugging but would take off again, but finally died. Had my wife bring a gallon of gas and went straight to the nearest gas station. It took 3.2 gallons. With the gallon I put in that makes 4.2. What happened to the other gallon that we are suppose to have? Hate to ask the next question, I can't find the fuel shut off valve. Is there one? I can't find one. mIne is 06 1600.

[dogdoc]

No fuel shut off valve Im aware of, I own a 1600. And you cant burn the last 1/2 gallon out of the tank. it will go dry before as you witnessed.

[Yellow Jacket]

I too have a 2006 1600. There is no fuel shutoff valve.

Here are the top five amounts of fuel in gallons that I have put in without running out:

5.179
4.999
4.806
4.783
4.621

Others results may vary.

[ringadingh]

At 125 miles on the odometer that seems like rather poor mileage, unless a trike uses that much more. I can usually get 180 miles on a tank and have touched just over 200 a couple times. When I notice my mileage dropping I clean the throttle body with Seafoam and that brings it right back up.

[macmac]

I ran out and took on 4.8 something just once.. it is a real bad idea to see the yellow light ever!

On a bike if you run dry and the engine quits, you can lean the bike hard left, hard right a fer times the last time hard left and go a little more, and you can do it once more maybe..

I did that the day I took on 4.8.

The fuel pick up is not at the very bottom of the tank..

The reading of 125 miles bothers me.. I hope you made an arror and didn't fill the tank like you think, resetting the trip meter accidently some how maybe checking the time?

Otherwise you have no way to gauge fuel as the blocky things are useless IMO.

And if you really used a whole tank at 125 miles something else is up. If it is please come here and run that engine in my back dooryard to tame these skeeters!

The 06 is injected and has no fuel shut off. There is a check valve in the pump and when the pump is off there is no fuel going anywhere. You can pull the fuel line and no more than 3 drops would leak.

In reality if you burned up 4 gallons in 125 miles you would smell raw fuel and see black smoke out the tail pipes.. Lots and lots of black sooty smoke would fill the air and other people would say something..

I think you made some error. I know i did as the other day I started out from home and my meter said 3.4 miles.. There is no way I could have purchases gas and only gone 3.4 miles to get home because the closest station is more than 7 miles away.

.................................................. ......................

I can't even guess how Bob got a reading of 5.179 These bikes won't run much under 4.8 in my experience, and this would leave Bob with an in theory 0.021 gallons in the tank he can't get..

My best guess is that gas pump was fubarred bad!


The fuel pump needs some reserve to keep fuel pressure up, and with out it the injectors will not spray a proper pattern, with out a proper pattern the fuel is not going to 'atomize', and dribbling fuel is not going to burn.

With plenty if fuel and plenty of pressure a bad injector can shut is down with a steam pattern caused by crudlings at the injector valve. If a solid gets caught at the nozzel an cloges the valve from opening all the way the valve which looks like a tire valve sort of gets pushed to one side. The result is a srteam of gas like, uh, err, um, a guy takin a leak out in the bushes... and is not a wide fan shape like a garden hose set to mist as wide as possible which the fan shape should be and even more refined than the garden hose.

[duneseven]

Just a thought if you unhooked the battery or if it is getting @ the end of its lfe maybe tripometer was reset during start up or battery unhook I know mine will reset if bike sets for seversl weeks without use and then is started

[macmac]

duneseven if you don't have a battery tender or a Shumaker autofloat (auto charger) rated at no more than 1.5 amps you are killing your battery. get one and use it. Thank me later.

The shumaker costs apx 20 bucks at walley world. Any time you are not riding, or parked at work the bike should be on that charger.

If you do you may get 8 years of service, or maybe you would have had you been in this habit.

If the trip meter and clock forget the battery has lost a certain amount of life right now, but you can do better.

The OEm battery is one of the better things about these bikes, and if well cared for will last a very long time.

[dogdoc]

trikes will get way less mpg than a Nomad. Even our Nomads vary at least 10 mpg on the hwy between what people are getting.

[krt]

I check my mileage every time I fill up and I average about 33 mpg every time. This time I ended up going 131 miles(6 more from where I ran out) and it took 4.2 gallons. That is 31 mpg. Lets assume that is all anyone can get before running out. Why would Kawasaki design the tank that way and say it is 5.2 gallon tank? also, I was reading the book and it says to use only 90 octane gas. I haave been using 87 because that is all I have ever had to use on a bike. It doesn't ping. Should I use the 90?

[ringadingh]

Ive used 87 octane ever since Ive had my bike with no problems, if it doesn't ping on 87 you don't need the 90. Id still clean the throttle body and run some Seafoam through the bike just to eliminate a couple things. If youve never done this, youll be amazed at the difference.

[Yellow Jacket]

Normally when filling the tank the bike is on it's side stand and therefore is leaning over. Since you have the trike kit on it the bike would always be sitting straight up. I wonder if that may possibly be not allowing the tank to accept the full 5.2 gallons?

[petenomad]

I too only get about 30-33 MPG and generally put 4.1 to 4.3 Gallons, so max around 135 miles per tank. no black smoke or raw fuel smell. I moved up from a 900 that could routinely get 180 miles per tank. This has been my only dissapointment with the Nomad. Especially when I see others getting into the 40s.

[Yellow Jacket]

Originally Posted by nomadderdadder

I was riding today and the trip odometer showed 125 miles and it just died. It had been coughing and chugging but would take off again, but finally died. Had my wife bring a gallon of gas and went straight to the nearest gas station. It took 3.2 gallons. With the gallon I put in that makes 4.2. What happened to the other gallon that we are suppose to have? Hate to ask the next question, I can't find the fuel shut off valve. Is there one? I can't find one. mIne is 06 1600.

nomadderdadder,

Back to your original question highlighted in yellow in the quote above.

I'm assuming that the bike in your signature picture with the trike kit installed is the bike you're talking about.

I did a little experiment today while I was out riding. When I refueled I stood the bike up straight and added gas until it just started to cover the metal plate inside the filler. At this point I had added 2.443 gallons.

I then leaned the bike back onto the kick stand. The fuel level immediately dropped below the metal plate. I then added fuel again until the level just covered the metal plate. It took 1.08 gallons more to get to that level.

So, it seems that if the bike is being refueled while standing straight up it will only take 4.2 gallons, if starting with an empty tank. It looks like as long as you have the trike kit on the bike you're not going to be able to completely fill the tank.

That sucks, but I don't know any way other than leaning the bike over on the kick stand to completely fill the tank. At least from this one experiment. ??? ???

I would be interested to hear from anyone else that has a trike kit installed on a Nomad as to whether they have the same issue or not.

[rewindgy]

That thing about the bike being sitting upright is interesting! If I fill mine up on the sidestand and then pick it up with the cap open, it will puke all over the place. don't ask how I found out! Now if I close the cap and stand it up, nothing pukes out and all is well. Not sure why, but it does appear to work that way? Also, I was on a ride where they supplied the fuel and put it in your tank at every stop - my bike never took as much fuel per mile as if I put it on side stand - so it amy not be full when sitting upright!

[barrynfla]

Originally Posted by Yellow Jacket

nomadderdadder,

Back to your original question highlighted in yellow in the quote above.

I'm assuming that the bike in your signature picture with the trike kit installed is the bike you're talking about.

I did a little experiment today while I was out riding. When I refueled I stood the bike up straight and added gas until it just started to cover the metal plate inside the filler. At this point I had added 2.443 gallons.

I then leaned the bike back onto the kick stand. The fuel level immediately dropped below the metal plate. I then added fuel again until the level just covered the metal plate. It took 1.08 gallons more to get to that level.

So, it seems that if the bike is being refueled while standing straight up it will only take 4.2 gallons, if starting with an empty tank. It looks like as long as you have the trike kit on the bike you're not going to be able to completely fill the tank.

That sucks, but I don't know any way other than leaning the bike over on the kick stand to completely fill the tank. At least from this one experiment. ??? ???

I would be interested to hear from anyone else that has a trike kit installed on a Nomad as to whether they have the same issue or not.

Bob.......you are blessed with a great amount of common sense. :)