Do Can Am Spyders have a 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

[Star Cruiser]

I thought it was a fair question. That is why I came on the site, to find an answer to that exact question!

The manual states the Fuel Tank Capacity is 27.00 litres (7,13 US gal) & Reserve Fuel Capacity is 4.50 litres (1.19 US gal)

I don't think it's such a bad question.
My answer is:
There is no Fuel petcock switch. Your fuel range indicator will tell you how many km or miles you have left, depending on if you are set to Metric or Standard. When you get to the last 4.50 litres (1.19 gal) you will have hit your "Reserve". You will be able to tell by the 3 dashes (- - -) where you range is normally indicated.

[vito1943]

On my 2021 Spyder RT I have yet to see the low fuel warning light come on. I never let it go beyond about 150 miles before stopping to refuel. Usually once I hit 100 miles I am in need of a short break, so stopping to fill up is the best solution. If I were ever planning on being in a part of the country where I might have to go a considerable distance for a gas station, I would buy a couple of those safe to fill with gas bottles and keep an extra gallon with me at all times.

[Peter Aawen]

The manual states the Fuel Tank Capacity is 27.00 litres (7,13 US gal) & Reserve Fuel Capacity is 4.50 litres (1.19 US gal)

I don't think it's such a bad question.
My answer is:
There is no Fuel petcock switch. Your fuel range indicator will tell you how many km or miles you have left, depending on if you are set to Metric or Standard. When you get to the last 4.50 litres (1.19 gal) you will have hit your "Reserve". You will be able to tell by the 3 dashes (- - -) where you range is normally indicated.

It never hurts to add to the knowledge pool, but do be aware that you're responding to a thread that started in 2015 and where the last post prior to yours was put up almost 2 years ago. Even that post you quoted was put up back in June 2022!
So, it ALWAYS pays to check the date of the first post in a thread AND the dates of at least the last few posts before replying!

That said, the V-twin Spyders only ever had a gas tank with a usable gas volume of about 20 litres - it's only the 1330 powered Spyders that got the larger gas tank; and even then, I'm not all that sure that any Spyders before about 2018 at the earliest (or was it 2020?) even had a 'Fuel Range' indicator to tell you how many km or miles you have left. Mind you, regardless of how the manual puts it, as you've sorta alluded, that statement of the gas tank's capacity should more correctly be shown/stated something like this:

"the 1330's Fuel Tank Capacity is 27.00 litres (7,13 US gal) & OF THAT 27 litres, Reserve Fuel Capacity is approximately 4.50 litres (1.19 US gal) after the Low Fuel Light should come on."

So the 1330's really only have a SAFELY USABLE Gas Quantity of about 22 litres - running your tank much lower than that is only asking for trouble; maybe not instantly, but definitely eventually, if not inevitably!

[BajaRon]

Oldies but Goodies!

Some things get better with age. But not necessarily forum threads...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tOOyKkkWT0

[larryd]

Oldies but Goodies!

Some things get better with age. But not necessarily forum threads...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GsG08GRmuA

I GREW UP IN THE 50's & 60's...BEST TIMES EVER...THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS LINK...larryd

[EdMat]

Oldies but Goodies!

Some things get better with age. But not necessarily forum threads...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GsG08GRmuA

Coming up as Video Unavailable with Video is Private underneath it.

[Peter Aawen]

Coming up as Video Unavailable with Video is Private underneath it.

Bugga! It worked for me early this morning, just a few hours after Ron posted it (it's fairly late Tuesday night here in my part of Oz now! ) Lotsa 'oldies' but goodies in there! Doesn't work now tho... Private Video msg.

[BajaRon]

Bugga! It worked for me early this morning, just a few hours after Ron posted it (it's fairly late Tuesday night here in my part of Oz now! ) Lotsa 'oldies' but goodies in there! Doesn't work now tho... Private Video msg.

I don't get it either. I changed the link and it now works again.

[EdMat]

I don't get it either. I changed the link and it now works again.

Yep, working....................Thanks

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I don't get it either. I changed the link and it now works again.

Not for me today, 6/3/24.

[EdMat]

Yep, it's gone private again