jjprit Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I got a yamaha not to long ago. Its a 1987 Yamaha Virago. It doesnt have an instrument panel due to the previous owners wife putting a hammer to it. Currently i clock my miles with the Odometer. I reset it to all Zeros when i fill up the tank. The bike starts to choke between 75-80 miles then i have to put it on reserve before i get to a gank station. It takes 10 dollors to fill it up... If im Somethings not right. $3.53 a gallon of gas 10.00 to fill up Thats 2.83 gallons in my tank. 75 miles divided by 2.83 gallons... thats 26.5 miles per gallon I know im a new biker but doesnt that just not seem right? Can i get any suggestions? What could be causing this, Does this MPG sound correct? I just put new sparkplugs. I put the tripple Iridium spark plugs in. Oh on another note i wanted to add alot of times when im ridding i heard some popping, my neighbor says thats extra gas burning which is that popping sounds. My next question is Since i do not have an instument panel i do not have a Low Fuel Light. I was wondering can i buy one of those Single light from advanced auto parts that people use for like Gear shifting ect. If so how would i hook it up. I have the wiring schimatics here. 2 wires come from under that tank. green and black. Looks like the black goes to a ground and the green goes to the light. Where does the power come from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neversaydie Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 XV1100 tank range155 miles tank capacity 4.4 US gallons should average 40 to 50 mpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjprit Posted July 26, 2012 Author Share Posted July 26, 2012 How can my tank be 4.4 gallons when my tank chokes out after 75-80 miles? and it cost 10 dollors to fill it up at that point and gas is $5.53? That math doesnt add up with the tank being 4.4 gallons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Campaman Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 A quick google search clearly finds that the standard tank on a 1100 Virago will hold 4.4 Gallons (16.8 litres), so unless your bike does not have a standard tank then it should hold that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neversaydie Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Fill it up the bottom of the neck tube Reset odometer to zero Ride bike normally When you get to around 70 to 75 miles, open the tank and have a look in (take the cigarette out of your mouth), you SHOULD still see plenty of fuel over the hump Take a photo of the bike/tank and post it on here. Popping tends to happen on the overun ie when you let off the throttle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjprit Posted July 30, 2012 Author Share Posted July 30, 2012 again. at 70-75 miles it starts choking so i have to put it on reserve. What would looking in the tank at 75 miles do if i have to put it on reserve? There is no way my tank is 4+ gallons when Gas being 399 a gallon for 93 octain. 10 dollors max fills up the tank when i have it on reserve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neversaydie Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Looks like a standard Virago tank ok, that holds 4.4 US gallons. Whats the thing sticking out from under the tank, just in front of the petcock? I've a feeling that the bike is not set up right. You say theres no control panel? I can see that theres no tacho, and the low fuel light would have been mounted on the tacho unit. I'm no electrical expert, but could the wiring circuit for the low fuel level (which I assume is still there and connected up somewhere) be connected up in such a fashion that it is causing premature cutoff? That might explain why you're only able to put less than 3 gallons in the tank, cos theres more fuel in than there normally would be. I'm only guessing here. Nice bike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Campaman Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 4.4 gallons full, 0.8 gallons as reseve, so you should be able to get 3.6 gallons in when you fill from reserve so you seem to be around a gallon out. Are you filling to the bottom of the filler neck by looking into the tank, or just shoving the pump nozzle in and letting it auto stop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjprit Posted August 8, 2012 Author Share Posted August 8, 2012 Looks like a standard Virago tank ok, that holds 4.4 US gallons. Whats the thing sticking out from under the tank, just in front of the petcock? I've a feeling that the bike is not set up right. You say theres no control panel? I can see that theres no tacho, and the low fuel light would have been mounted on the tacho unit. I'm no electrical expert, but could the wiring circuit for the low fuel level (which I assume is still there and connected up somewhere) be connected up in such a fashion that it is causing premature cutoff? That might explain why you're only able to put less than 3 gallons in the tank, cos theres more fuel in than there normally would be. I'm only guessing here. Nice bike Also i just remember something. The dealer i got it from told me the engin is from a 1997 yamaha virago. so it was updated. Could this take part of it? The engine number is 1te-003563 cant find anywhere to see what year or information on that engine. The thing coming from under the tank is a Toggle switch installed for lights and as an ignition switch. If your talkign about the Round thing infront of it those on my horns. One on each side. Also im not going by a low level light. When im driving and the bike starts choking out as in it outs of gas i put it on reserve and go to the gas station ( at this point if i dont put it on reserve my motorcycle dies) at the gas station it takes no more then 10 dollors. if i put more its pouring onto the ground on the tank. 3.99 a gallon. for 93 octaine. 4.00 divided by 10 dollors is 2.5 gallons sry but this is extremely confusing. When i fill the gas tank i put it at the rim and watch it until the gas goes to thee rim at the top of the tank. Of course there is a bubble there becuase of the angle the tank is placed. Do u think that is the extra space im missing that they take account of even though its impossible to get gas there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neversaydie Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Also i just remember something. The dealer i got it from told me the engin is from a 1997 yamaha virago. so it was updated. Could this take part of it? The engine number is 1te-003563 cant find anywhere to see what year or information on that engine. The thing coming from under the tank is a Toggle switch installed for lights and as an ignition switch. If your talkign about the Round thing infront of it those on my horns. One on each side. Also im not going by a low level light. When im driving and the bike starts choking out as in it outs of gas i put it on reserve and go to the gas station ( at this point if i dont put it on reserve my motorcycle dies) at the gas station it takes no more then 10 dollors. if i put more its pouring onto the ground on the tank. 3.99 a gallon. for 93 octaine. 4.00 divided by 10 dollors is 2.5 gallons sry but this is extremely confusing. When i fill the gas tank i put it at the rim and watch it until the gas goes to thee rim at the top of the tank. Of course there is a bubble there becuase of the angle the tank is placed. Do u think that is the extra space im missing that they take account of even though its impossible to get gas there? 1TE/1TA engines are 1986 and 1987 To simplify, the reason you cant put more than 2 to 3 gallons in is because there's too much still in the tank, ie the level at which it needs to switch to reserve is too high. Hence my previous comment regarding premature cutoff. The switching level looks to me like it needs to be lower, this would allow you to run longer before switching to reserve. You'e filling up with the tank still half full. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjprit Posted August 8, 2012 Author Share Posted August 8, 2012 1TE/1TA engines are 1986 and 1987 To simplify, the reason you cant put more than 2 to 3 gallons in is because there's too much still in the tank, ie the level at which it needs to switch to reserve is too high. Hence my previous comment regarding premature cutoff. The switching level looks to me like it needs to be lower, this would allow you to run longer before switching to reserve. You'e filling up with the tank still half full. so is that a pitcock issue? and if thats teh case. Why is it when i Switch to researve i look inside the tank and i dont see any gas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Campaman Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Right thinking about the petcock, could it be that its not original and is a replacement that is not giving you the range that a standard one does. You could fill the tank then drain it into cans to determine that you are getting the 4.4 US gallons in it. If the tank is original and holds what its supposed to then you either have crap miles per gallon and that means the bike needs attention, or the reserve is kicking in at the wrong time = wrong petcock. What are the positions available for your petcock? Mine is down for on, up for reserve and off in the middle, has yours got similar markings or does it have a prime position? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjprit Posted August 12, 2012 Author Share Posted August 12, 2012 Right thinking about the petcock, could it be that its not original and is a replacement that is not giving you the range that a standard one does. You could fill the tank then drain it into cans to determine that you are getting the 4.4 US gallons in it. If the tank is original and holds what its supposed to then you either have crap miles per gallon and that means the bike needs attention, or the reserve is kicking in at the wrong time = wrong petcock. What are the positions available for your petcock? Mine is down for on, up for reserve and off in the middle, has yours got similar markings or does it have a prime position? Up is reserve, Right is Prime, Down is on then i have 2 letters/numbers on the pitcock . The part that connects to the tank v4d Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Campaman Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Right you have a vacuum operated petcock, it could be that there is a fault in either the petcock or the vacuum pipe that also goes to it causing it to make you think you need to switch to reserve because its no longer pulling the fuel through. I would check the vacuum pipe first as if it has a small hole and is drawing in air, you could find that when you have a full tank the pressure of the amount of fuel is enough to allow for the vacuum leak, but then when it reaches a certain level it causes fuel starvation, so you switch to reserve which then increases the fuel pressure as the petcock is then getting the fuel from father down the tank. Another thing you can try which could help prove the above is that when the bike starts spluttering and you think you have ran out, switch the petcock to the prime position not reserve and see what happens, if the bike then runs you do have a vacuum problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjprit Posted August 29, 2012 Author Share Posted August 29, 2012 @ Campaman Ok. I filled it up when i started dieing with 10 dollors full tank. These are the steps i did accourding to your suggestion.. 1) I filled up my tank with 87 octain gas and a half can of SeaFoam. (friend told me to add that to clean carbs) and filled up a 1 gallon gas can to keep in my sattle bag 2) I drove 82 miles and it started to choke (lose power) 3) So i switched it to "Prime" instead of reserve like u suggested. 4) After i switched it to prime i made it to 112 miles and it died on me completely 5) i put it on reserve and it would not start. i only attempted to turn it over 3 times. 6) So i put 1 gallon of gas in it that i had in the gas can 7) It was running Rough when i added the gallon in it. Im assuming because i ran it completely out of gas Before hand but after i ran it alittle it ran normal 8) Went to the gas station and another 3 gallons fit in it. (so it does fit 4 gallons in my tank) So with this info i found out that my gas tank does fit 4 gallons. and i made it 112 miles on a full tank. since im making it 112 miles on 4 gallons of gas that means im getting 28 miles per gallon? ( 4 divided by 112) isnt that extemely low? I followed the instructions u asked me to do. What do u think the problem is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dt502001 Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 40-50 mpg is the best you can get out of the bike driving lightly on the throttle... gas it hard a couple of times during a tank full and that can drop down to 30 mpg add your weight + extra gas + what ever else you carring+ milage on the bike ( lower compresssion than new) and it gets worse. 28 is not to far off for a 1987 with high miles a 240 lb rider +++ might get a we bit better with 93 octain but not likely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjprit Posted August 29, 2012 Author Share Posted August 29, 2012 40-50 mpg is the best you can get out of the bike driving lightly on the throttle... gas it hard a couple of times during a tank full and that can drop down to 30 mpg add your weight + extra gas + what ever else you carring+ milage on the bike ( lower compresssion than new) and it gets worse. 28 is not to far off for a 1987 with high miles a 240 lb rider +++ might get a we bit better with 93 octain but not likely yes but none of that had to do with the issue we were having. why was my motorcycle running out of gas at around 80 miles in the ON position. and when it runs out at 80 miles i fill it up with gas and it just takes 10 dollors which is alittle over 2 gallons of gas to fill my tank. Earlier in the thread we came up with the idea that the pitcock is kicking in to early but we havent narrowed the issue. It was said its either the pitlock or a leak in the pitcock valc. Trying to figure out what it is so i can take off my pitkock and know what im looking for. I dont ride my throttle heavy at all because i do not have a tachometer. I always tay in 5th gear even if im going 30 miles an hour. i only weigh 190 pounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neversaydie Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 40-50 mpg is the best you can get out of the bike driving lightly on the throttle... gas it hard a couple of times during a tank full and that can drop down to 30 mpg add your weight + extra gas + what ever else you carring+ milage on the bike ( lower compresssion than new) and it gets worse. 28 is not to far off for a 1987 with high miles a 240 lb rider +++ might get a we bit better with 93 octain but not likely Youll be lucky to get that from an old 1100 Virago. Expect more like 30 to 35mpg. 87 Octane? I reckon you should be using mid 90s So tank is standard. It still looks like the petcock to me. It may have been swapped out at some point in the past, and the outlet sits higher in the tank, which is why it runs out earlier. Try to find second hand /old one, take your own off and compare, or look for a photo or drawing in the parts manual to give you an idea of what you're looking at. At some point, I think you'll have to bite the bullet and take your petcock off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjprit Posted August 29, 2012 Author Share Posted August 29, 2012 i dont mind taking it off. its 2 screwes no biggie. I just talked to my local dealer and there telling me that a 1987 yamaha virago xv1100 does not come with a pitcock. the 700 does but not the 1100. Its not suppose to have it This is the current pitcock on my bike. http://s826.photobuc...nt=IMAG0038.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjprit Posted September 1, 2012 Author Share Posted September 1, 2012 can anyone confirm this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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