Two Questions...

So I am still struggling with my 84' 500... It is doesn't run right and now it has a new problem. When I turn the steering all the way to the right all the lights turn off and it makes a horrible grinding noise from the alternator area. Any ideas?

This is a stupid questions... I have a little less than a gallon of gas left, should I be in RES instead of ON? I was told way back when that it doesn't matter if it is in RES or ON, it is still sucking from the tank. Just want to clarify.

 

Hey,

As far as the on reserve thing. The Kawasaki 440 I had to be put on "reserve" to keep running when the gas got low.

I don't know about a VF500.

The noise its making have someone turn the handlebars and YOU watch the front and see if a wire/cable, etc. is being pulled tight or being moved when it shouldn't. Its probably something right in front of you.

My 2 cents.

BZ

 

When you turn the handlebars to the right, is the starter button hitting the gas tank or anything else? That might explain the lights going out and the mechanical noises.

The only difference between "reserve" and "on" (on any bike that I have had) is a small tube that is usually about one inch long that feeds the "on" position. When the fuel level drops below the level of the tube, it is time to use reserve just to make it to a fuel stop. When the petcock is in the reserve position, it will access the fuel in the bottom of the tank, but it will also access accumulated bits of debris that have settled over time. So the general thing to do is not use reserve unless you have to.

 

My petcock doesn't have the tube in it, so I guess that answers my question. Now that you mention it, the starter button may have hit the tank, but I think it also did it before the handlebars were all the way over.

 

Man, I thought I was going to have a good one there, but LGN is on the BALL!