can am spyder reserve tank???

[sledge]

phhhhhhh that ain't Good....LOL

[UtahPete]

This is the first time I've heard about the issue of fuel pump damage from running a tank to empty. Maybe I just haven't been paying attention or it just hadn't penetrated my gravity-fed carburetor brain yet!

I think I remember some scoffing at the idea of carrying spare fuel anywhere in the lower 48. I've personally experienced being stranded in Nevada on 3 different occasions, the first being my trusty old V-Star that did have the manual petcock.

Trying to estimate the remaining miles in a tank can be a bit tricky when battling headwinds, traffic jams, road construction and the like. Filling up at the 1/2 way mark isn't always an option. I've sweated it out but made it more times than I've run out, on bikes and in cages. I don't do it for the thrill of it, but sometimes it's a tossup what to do.

So far, I've not experienced any issues with any of the vehicles that I've run the tank dry on, even though I've kept them years and many miles afterward. I hate to think the subsequent owners had to pay the price of my mistakes.

Thank you for bringing this issue into the discussion!

[canamjhb]

Quick story..... I was riding my 2014 RTL leading a GL1800 and another Spyder RTL on a multi-week trip. I was a new Spyder owner and obviously not familiar with ALL it's functions. I knew we were getting low on fuel (the Spyders) but was confident we could make it to our destination. I kept watching for a fuel light but didn't ever see one. Pulled into a gas station (finally) and my friend riding the other Spyder asked if I was nuts.....? His fuel light had been on for many miles! It was then that I learned that the RTL fuel light was on the tachometer! I was watching the fuel gage for the light. Silly me! I should have known that BRP would put that warning light somewhere other than by the fuel gage..... Go figure. Jim

[cravenfun]

Peters' advice also applies to your 4 wheel cages also.
Gas lubes and cools the in-tank fuel pump. E doesn't mean enough. Treat the 1/4 mark as empty and you will tremendously lessen any fuel pump issues in any fuel injected vehicle.
Repair shops love E lighters, makes for steady work.
I've taken many a FI fuel pump to 250k miles in vehicles on the OEM pumps.
The days of gravity fed carburetors and switching to reserve are long gone.

[UtahPete]

Peters' advice also applies to your 4 wheel cages also.
Gas lubes and cools the in-tank fuel pump. E doesn't mean enough. Treat the 1/4 mark as empty and you will tremendously lessen any fuel pump issues in any fuel injected vehicle.
Repair shops love E lighters, makes for steady work.
I've taken many a FI fuel pump to 250k miles in vehicles on the OEM pumps.
The days of gravity fed carburetors and switching to reserve are long gone.

That's really good to know. I thank you and Peter for bringing that to my attention. I'll take that advice seriously from now on.

[RangerRick]

I had a Yamaha Raider, and that had a small sub-tank under the seat that held the fuel pump, when the fuel from the main tank ran out, then as this tiny tank was drawn down the low fuel light came on. Doing this was a sure way to shorten your fuel pump's life. I would never let any modern vehicle get to the point where the pump is is exposed to air and loose the cooling of being immersed in fuel