Each time I fill up I'm surprised at how little gas the tank holds. Yesterday on the way home the bike began to sputter so I switched to reserve and all was well. It was only 5 miles to the gas station. When I filled up it only took 3.2 gallons. This is the 2nd time for this.
If the tank holds 4.8 gallons then why did it only take this much if I was running low?
I filled it to what looked like 1cm below the "inner fill lip." Can I fill more?Is there room forthe other gallon or so in this 1cm?
I always fill with the bike on the center stand.

 

It's not a silly question at all. I have the same problem with my '06, (but strangely didn't have this problem with my '02).
The problem is the little towers in the fuel tap must be trimmed to get down to the gas at the bottom of the tank.

(Hopefully buykawasaki.com will allow the image to be viewed in here.)

If you want to fix it, it's a simple matter of draining and removing the fuel tank, unscrewing the two large phillips fasteners that hold the fuel tap in the tank, and trimming the tubes down.
It's on my to-do list, but I've been too busy.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Peace!
-CCinC

 

hmm.. after thinking about it.. wouldn't it be better if you left the tube alone? this is to minimize deposits (like dirt) from going deeper into the fuel system.

 

You could do that. OR you could get into the habit of simply never going more than 160 miles before filling up. This way you'd be able to keep those little bits of rust & crap from getting to your float bowls AND you'd still have access to that last 3/4 gallon for those jaunts across the Utah desert.

Meep-Meep!
Peace!
-CCinC

 

Both tubes are too tall?Isthe reserve short enough to allow the remaining gas to be used? Going that mileage is what I've been doing, 178 the other day but I was pushing it. As long as I know what's going on I don't mind, I just thought I was missing something.

 

this is what a fuel filter is for. IMO installing one is job 1.

 

I considered that a while ago, but according to FOG, the only filters that actually do anything productive are too restrictive for a gravity-feed system like this.
I'm dying to know if it will work. My ZX9R has a fuel filter, but it also has a fuel pump.
Please share your results/knowledge if you do this!
Peace!
-CCinC

 

ive got one on my bike like this



no problems so far, either with fuel delivery, or clogged carbs

 

also, isnt the petcock a vacuum feed and not a gravity feed on our bikes?

 

Almost. The petcock is vaccuum-activated--(no running engine = no vaccuum = petcock stops.) But the flow of fuel is actually gravity-fed.
I don't mean to belittle the filter you have, but I nearly got one a few years ago, but decided against it after everyone in the FOG-forum slammed them and called them worthless.
And really, a fuel filter isn't necessary IMO. When my 9R had 40,000 miles on it (which is about 286 fill-ups) I replaced the fuel filter and cut the old one open. The paper filter element was stained yellow/tan after filtering nearly a thousand gallons of premuim, but there were no specs, flecks or crud in it.

I've had a little shred of rubber caught in my previous 500's main jet:

(It was actually about the size of a pencil-lead)
And one very determined, but nevertheless dead ant plugging my current 500's jet. Sure, a filter could have caught those things, but they didn't damage my engine. And they were easily blown out of the carb jets.
YMMV. Peace!
-CCinC