The motorcycle was going in excess of 80 miles per hour as I illegally pass a Suburban in the carpool lane when the bike begins to clank, sputter and refuse to go any faster. 'Fuck, all in the name of saving .60 cents' I think as the motorcycle coast to a halt along the 110 freeway.
Gas was .20-cents a gallon cheaper near my work then near my home so I touch the fuel petcock to remind myself 'forward is farther' in case the motorcycle runs out of gas on the freeway.
Passing the Suburban the bike runs out of gas so I switch the fuel petcock forward to let the reserve gas flow but the bike continues slowing down. Letting the Suburban re-pass me I coast the bike off the freeway and onto the shoulder. Opening the gas tank I smell gasoline vapor but confirm there is gas in the tank. Double checking the petcock I confirm that 'forward is farther' and does allow the reserve gas to flow. Odd.
I tap the starter and the engine just spins. In the back of my mind I'm thinking, 'if I'm late again I'll get fired and I already left my house a few minutes late.' I add some choke in the desperate hope that the bike will start before the battery dies and how will I push start the motorcycle on three feet of shoulder on the edge of a freeway. The bike starts and idles high so I remove the choke and motor onward.
I repass the Suburban and make it all the way to the gas station where I add 3.36-gallons of gas. Odd, the gas tank holds 3.5-gallons and the reserve holds .5-gallons of gas, so why did I need to switch on the reserve if there was still .14-gallons of gas left in the tank? And I made it work with one-minute to spare.
Gas was .20-cents a gallon cheaper near my work then near my home so I touch the fuel petcock to remind myself 'forward is farther' in case the motorcycle runs out of gas on the freeway.
Passing the Suburban the bike runs out of gas so I switch the fuel petcock forward to let the reserve gas flow but the bike continues slowing down. Letting the Suburban re-pass me I coast the bike off the freeway and onto the shoulder. Opening the gas tank I smell gasoline vapor but confirm there is gas in the tank. Double checking the petcock I confirm that 'forward is farther' and does allow the reserve gas to flow. Odd.
I tap the starter and the engine just spins. In the back of my mind I'm thinking, 'if I'm late again I'll get fired and I already left my house a few minutes late.' I add some choke in the desperate hope that the bike will start before the battery dies and how will I push start the motorcycle on three feet of shoulder on the edge of a freeway. The bike starts and idles high so I remove the choke and motor onward.
I repass the Suburban and make it all the way to the gas station where I add 3.36-gallons of gas. Odd, the gas tank holds 3.5-gallons and the reserve holds .5-gallons of gas, so why did I need to switch on the reserve if there was still .14-gallons of gas left in the tank? And I made it work with one-minute to spare.
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