A common misconception among new riders is that there is a "reserve tank" on a motorcycle which is actually a separate tank from the main tank. Some also worry that the reserve tank might run out of gas independent of the main tank, but they can't figure out how to fill it.
This picture shows you how the tank is actually set up:
The yellow arrow points to the petcock intakes (or "straws" in the following discussion). The blue area is the "fuel reserve," and is accessed by the short tube. The red area is unusable fuel. The white area above the blue, inside the tank, is the "normal" fuel, and is what the longer tube can reach. Each tube has an opening at the end, preventing it from reaching the fuel which is lower than its upper end.
There is no separate reserve tank. Almost all motorcycles have just one gas tank. It's the big metal or plastic bulgy thing with the filler cap on top that sits in front of the seat and behind the handlebars*. On bikes with petcocks** (like our Ninja 250s), there are usually three or four settings available***. On the Ninja 250, we have three: Off, On and Reserve. On the ZZR250, there are four: Off, On, Reserve, and Prime.
The Off setting is pretty self-explanatory -- it shuts off fuel from the tank to the carburetors, and is how you want to leave the bike if it's going to sit for a long time. On the Ninja 250, this is when the long side of the valve handle is pointing straight back.
The On setting is where the petcock should be set for normal riding. This setting allows the fuel from roughly the top 80% of the tank to flow to the engine. The way it does this is by putting a tube a few inches up into the tank, so it can't reach the fuel on the very bottom. This is exactly the same as having a SuperDuperMegaGulp but grabbing the SuperGulp-sized straw: there's that last little bit that you just can't reach because the straw's too short. On the Ninja 250, when the long side of the petcock handle is pointed straight down, it's in the On position.
The Reserve setting is just like finding a longer straw. It allows you to get that last 20% of the fuel in the tank. It's not a separate tank, just a separate straw. Practice switching to reserve when you're riding -- it's quick and will save you a lot of frustration and danger compared to letting the bike die and having to crank it at the side of the road. Remeber to switch it back to On when you've filled up the tank! Reserve is selected when the long side of the petcock handle is pointing straight forward.
The Prime setting (only on the ZZR250 -- if you're living in the US, you have an EX250, not a ZZR250) is used to bypass the vacuum diaphragm that normally stops gas from flowing unless the engine is running. The vacuum diaphragm needs low pressure to allow gas to flow, which normally means that the engine needs to be running. The Prime setting allows gas to flow regardless of whether the diaphragm gets vacuum or not. This is very useful if your engine won't start right away because it's been sitting a long time, ran out of gas in the On position, or just fell over.
Again, note that the EX250 (Ninja 250) does not include Prime, just On, Off and Reserve.
Why is the bike set up like this? "Because" seems to be the best answer. Motorcycles (and even cars, many years ago) all worked like this: when you get near the bottom of the tank, you "run out of gas" on the regular setting, so you switch over to the reserve setting when you feel the engine start to stumble. Once you've switched, you know you've got around 40-50 miles to find a gas station before the engine stops running. It's a very inexpensive and traditional "gas gauge." Most motorcycles don't include a normal gas gauge like modern cars do, for weight, complexity or cost reasons.
It's best, when getting to know your bike, to use the trip odometer as a kind of gas gauge. Reset the trip meter to zero when you fill the tank, then take note of how many miles are showing when you have to switch to reserve. On the Ninja 250, it's between 200 and 250 miles for most folks, although other extremes are certainly possible (I've had my bike hit reserve at 180 miles, but that's unusual).
Once you know it's (for example) 200 miles, then you can tell that at 100 miles, you've used about half a tank of gas. If you can do simple arithmetic in your head, you can also tell how many miles until you'll have to switch to reserve, and plan when you need to fill up again. The trip odometer becomes a kind of gas gauge.
* Some motorcycles have more than one gas tank, or have the gas tank in a "weird" spot, like under the seat. I think there's even one bike that stores gas in the frame tubes. Most motorcycles only have the one tank, and it really is the tank-shaped thing between the seat and the handlebars.
** Fuel injected bikes do not have petcocks, nor do some carbureted bikes. Motorcycles without petcocks usually have a "low fuel" idiot light, which is equivalent to hitting reserve. Some have a car-type fuel gauge.
*** The fourth setting on some petcocks (on the ZZR250, but not the Ninja 250, alas) is called Prime. This setting is detailed above. Note that some bikes only have three settings, but have Prime, On and Reserve, with no Off setting.
Hooray for diversity!
Created by Ian Johnston. Questions? Please mail me at reaper at obairlann dot net.
Why Your ATV Only Runs on Reserve
by Lee
The reason why your ATV will only run on reserve is that your higher inlet in your gas tank is clogged. Let me go into more details about this and what you can do about it.
The Point Of Reserve
In a carbureted engine like what many ATVs have there is a petcock or also called a fuel selector. This fuel selector will have 3 different positions – ON, OFF, and RESERVE.
Due to price, many ATVs won’t have a gas gauge and instead will use this petcock as a way to let you know you’re almost out of gas.
When you have it on the “ON” position, the carburetor is sucking gas from a higher place from inside the gas tank. When you get below that spot, you flip it to reserve which sits lower and allows you to get the last bit of gas. When you get to this lower spot its time for you to get some more gas or you run the risk of being stuck.
Why It Gets Clogged
Since you use the “ON” position of the fuel selector more, it’s going to get clogged a lot more. You’ll usually have a pre-screen or something to stop the big chunks, but over time it will get plugged anyway.
This becomes especially true if you let your ATV sit without any fuel stabilizer in its tank for months without riding it. You don’t want gas to sit for too long especially in your carb.
It’s best to run the engine and flip it to “OFF” to let it use whatever gas is in the carb if you’re not going to ride for a month or more. Then place some fuel stabilizer in the gas tank to keep it fresh.
Will It Hurt To Run on Reserve All The Time?
No, it won’t hurt to run your ATV on the “RESERVE” switch but its best not to do that. The Reserve is supposed to be your back up plan and just enough to get you back to refuel.
Unless you carry extra fuel tanks with you on every trip, you don’t have a plan-B. So its best to get this issue fixed.
How To Fix It
Your biggest issue now is that you might have junk in your tank. This junk that is clogging the inlet can lead to some problems that could be dangerous. For example, this could cause your carb to overfill and dump into the overflow and spill gas (fire hazard).
And Whatever clogged it in the “ON” position is sure to clog it in the “RESERVE” position too, so its best to get this fixed right away.
So, how do you fix an ATV that only runs on Reserve?
The answer is to get the carburetor rebuilt and a new fuel filter if you have one. Even a proper cleaning of the fuel tank would be wise too. Add some new fuel lines, and you should be better than new.
Here is a great video showing you how to clean the carbs on an ATV
What I have Done Before
I can’t guarantee this will work for you, but I have had some ATVs that even though I clean the carbs and do all I can it still will not run right.
So one day I decided to explore a bit to see what could help. One thing everyone likes to mention is SeaFoam and to be honest, it did not help me. SeaFoam has helped me with my fuel injected machines but not so much with my carbureted machines.
What I did find was Fuel System Restorer From Restore (Amazon Link Ad) that made my old Suzuki Eiger 400 run like new again.
I got some fresh 93 Octane Gas and filled up the tank. Then I poured in the recommended amount of the Fuel system restorer. I let it sit for an hour and then started it up and played with it till I got it to purr like new again.
As I said, I don’t know if this will work for you, but this stuff has become my go to. I’ll even try it before cleaning a carb just to see if it helps since its so easy to do. It’s no magic bullet but its worth a shot.
What kind of gasoline to fill in an ATV: 92 or 95
For most modern ATVs with an injection engine, manufacturers recommend 95 gasoline. What is the reason for this and what will happen if you fill in 92 - we will tell in the article.
How the engine works on the right gasoline
To begin with, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the principle of engine operation in general terms.
There is a cylindrical tube inside the motor. A piston moves along it, which is attached by levers to the crankshaft. When rotated, this part transfers energy to the wheels and makes the ATV go. nine0003
For the whole system to work, a fuel-air mixture is needed. When the piston goes down, it enters the combustion chamber. And when moving up, it contracts and ignites. As a result, a strong pressure is formed, which again pushes the piston down.
Normally, the mixture is ignited by the spark plug and burns slowly.
The principle of operation of a four-stroke engine
What is the difference between 92 and 95 gasoline
92 and 95 is the octane number. The lower it is, the more likely it is that the fuel will not withstand compression in the cylinder and spontaneously ignite. This is dangerous because of the risk of detonation - a sharp explosion of the mixture. nine0003
How gasoline can ruin the engine
A sharp explosion due to self-ignition of the mixture primarily damages the piston: when moving up, it receives a strong blow and can break. A large load falls on other parts of the piston.
What determines which gasoline to fill in
The type of gasoline required depends on the degree of compression of the engine - it is indicated in the instruction manual. The compression ratio indicates how many times the air-fuel mixture is compressed in the cylinder. The higher the number, the more resistant to detonation the fuel should be. As a general rule, if the compression ratio is between 10.5 and 12.5, manufacturers recommend 95 gasoline.
This is how the type of gasoline depends on the engine compression ratio:
Engine compression ratio
Gasoline type
Up to 10. 5
92
10-12.5
95
12-14.5
98
For carburetor-powered ATVs, gasoline is often recommended, which burns faster - 92. This is due to the simpler fuel injection system. There is no computer here to monitor what is happening in the cylinder. The mixture always ignites at the same moment. And there's a chance that 95 gasoline will burn out already in the pipe leading to the muffler. This can cause the exhaust system and valves to overheat.
All CFMOTO ATVs are equipped with an injection engine, so only 95 petrol is suitable for them.
Where to Find What Type of Fuel Your ATV Needs
See your ATV owner's manual for recommended fuel.
Please note that the manual may contain different designations for the required type of fuel - AKI, RON and MON. This is due to the fact that the names of gasoline differ at gas stations in different countries: for example, our 92 in the US is already 87. In order not to get confused, look only at the RON designation.
How 95 gasoline can turn into 92
Over time, fuel deteriorates - it oxidizes, additives break down, and fractions evaporate. One of the consequences of this process is a decrease in the octane number: 95 gasoline approaches 92 in properties. It is already dangerous to drive on such fuel. Therefore, after long-term storage - for example, when the ATV has stood in the garage for more than six months - it is better to drain the old gasoline and replace it with fresh one. nine0003
Brief
Refer to the owner's manual for the recommended fuel type for your ATV. Most modern models need to be filled with 95 gasoline. It is more resistant to self-ignition than 92, so there will be no fuel explosions in the engine that can cause harm.
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This is dangerous because of the risk of detonation - a sharp explosion of the mixture. nine0003 
5 
In order not to get confused, look only at the RON designation. 
15) 
Again, note that the EX250 (Ninja 250) does not include Prime, just On, Off and Reserve. 
Once you know it's (for example) 200 miles, then you can tell that at 100 miles, you've used about half a tank of gas. If you can do simple arithmetic in your head, you can also tell how many miles until you'll have to switch to reserve, and plan when you need to fill up again. The trip odometer becomes a kind of gas gauge. 
Hooray for diversity! 
