Fuelling a Motorcycle: Should the Reserve Petcock Be Open or Closed?

Well now, if you’ve ever looked at the fuel petcock on your motorcycle, you might’ve wondered what in the world that little valve does. It’s a funny thing, ain’t it? You see, that petcock’s job is simple—just controls the flow of gas from your tank into the engine. But folks get mighty confused about whether to leave it on, off, or reserve when they park their bikes. So, let’s talk a bit about how it works and what you should do when you’re done riding.

Now, first things first, let me tell you about the three main settings on that fuel petcock. There’s ON, OFF, and RESERVE. Pretty simple, right? But let me explain ‘em a little more so you don’t go making any mistakes. When the petcock’s set to ON, that means your bike is good to go, running like it should, and gas is flowing just fine. When you’re riding, always keep it in the ON position. It’s the one you’ll need when you’re just out there on the road.

Now, when you stop to fill up, or when you’ve got your bike parked and you ain’t ridin’, you might wonder if you should leave that valve open or shut. Well, here’s the thing. You want to turn it to OFF when you’re not riding. This helps make sure no gas is leaking into the carburetor or flooding your engine when you don’t need it. Just like shutting off a faucet when you’re done using it, you gotta turn off that petcock to keep things safe.

But what about that RESERVE setting, huh? Well, that’s for when you’re runnin’ low on gas, and you need just a little more to get to the next station. You see, motorcycles have a bit of extra fuel hiding in the tank, and the petcock can help you tap into that. When you switch to RESERVE, you’re basically getting that last little bit of gas that would’ve gone unused. It’s not a whole other tank or anything, just a backup to keep you from running dry.

Some folks get confused ‘cause they think RESERVE is a different fuel tank. Nah, it’s just a way to pull from the bottom of the tank where the last bit of gas is sitting. It’s kinda like using a straw to get the last sip of your drink, you know? Just turn the petcock to reserve, and you’ll be able to squeeze a little more out of that tank before it’s time to fill up again.

Now, there’s something else you gotta keep in mind. Some bikes got these fancy vacuum-operated petcocks. What that means is that the petcock stays shut when the engine ain’t running. Once the engine starts, it opens up, letting fuel flow to the carburetor. This kind of petcock makes sure you ain’t wasting fuel when the engine’s off. Pretty clever, right?

So, when you’re riding, keep that petcock in the ON position, especially when you’re filling up. When you’re done for the day and parking the bike, turn it to OFF to make sure everything’s shut down right. And if you’re running low and need that last bit of fuel, just switch it to RESERVE, and you’ll be good to go for a little while longer.

But I gotta tell ya, it’s always good to keep an eye on your gas. You don’t wanna find yourself stuck on the side of the road with a bike that won’t start ‘cause you forgot to switch to reserve or turn off that petcock. So remember, ON for riding, OFF when parked, and RESERVE for when you’re running low.

That’s about all there is to it, folks. I hope this helps clear up some of that confusion about your bike’s fuel petcock. It’s a simple little thing, but you sure don’t want to mess it up. Now, go on and ride safe, and don’t forget to check your petcock before you hit the road!

Tags：[motorcycle petcock, fuel petcock, motorcycle fuel, petcock settings, fuel reserve, motorcycle fuel valve, motorcycle maintenance]