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Problem with my Suzuki RF600 motorbike?

On the way into work this morning coming down the motorway my fuel light came on so I switched my fuel dial to the reserve marker (usually have approx. 20 miles left), more or less instantly the bike started to splutter and die on me. I thought at first I hadn't turn the switch fully and had put it onto the off position but after checking I hadn't anyway after trying several times to start the bike it wasn't goin anywhere so my mate and me pushed oit to the petrol station and filled it. I tried to start the bike agian but it still wouldn't start after trying several times it started to drain the battery luckily I was near a garage and lent a pair of jump leads but still there was nothing in the bike. After bouncing it about a bit to get the fuel in the pipes the bike eventually started up but just about and as soon as I tried to give it some gas it cut out. I've now got the bike to work (on the back of a van) and checked the fuel pump and defo petrol going through it anyone any ideas?

Public Comments

1. Carbs, need to be checked and cleaned. You also may have a clogged fuel line when you switched the petcock over to the reserve something may have been flushed into the carb. Its an older bike so I would have it tuned if it has not been in some time. Good Luck
2. Sounds like you have some gunk in your fuel line and it is causing problem with the carburetters. You will need to clean your fuel tank and clean the carbs. Good luck.
3. first check the current to the spark plug, then find if there is water in your fuel tank then find if something is blocking the air inlet to the air filter.
4. You may have some foreign matter(crap) in the gas. Water and other unwanted liquids tend to settle to the bottom of the tank, There are 2 outlets for Petrol/gas in the tank. When you first run out, the small extension is now now longer immersed in fuel, switching to reserve opens the lower outlet and allows you to use the remaining fuel. I think what happened is when you switched to reserve, something other than fuel entered the carbs or injection system. The solution is to remove the fuel line from the tank, drain it completely, check filters, change them if the are plugged. If you have carbs, they have reservoirs that will need to be drained. If it was water, check your spark plugs, they may be fouled/wet.
5. Something almost identical happened to me once, and it was down to water in the fuel tank. Draining the tank and carbs, and refilling with clean fuel didn't solve the problem because some of the electrics (can't remember which bits) got fried by trying to fire a spark plug through air and water instead of air and petrol. I could get it running, but never on all the cylinders. It was quite expensive in the end. Sorry, and I really hope yours is an easier cheaper solution.
6. Remove the tank and drain it completely. Remove the fuel tap unit from the base of the tank, usually two 10mm bolts Hold it on. Be careful removing it as the gasket is nothing more than a shaped O ring and can distort easily....if you can get it off without disturbing the gasket then do so....makes life easier. Remove and wash the gauze filters that sit on the fuel tap unit in fresh petrol, blow them out with compressed air, same goes for the fuel tap unit. Have a peek in the tank, if it contained water you will see it beading up inside the tank, giving the insides of the tank a quick blast of WD-40 will do it no harm. Drain the float bowls of all 4 carbs......preferably into a milk bottle or other clear container, if the fuel had water in it you will see it instantly. Re assemble and just give the bike a few 10 second bursts on the starter to get the fuel through, she will run rough for a minute or so while the bowls fill up again. Hope that cures it mate. PS: while the tank is off give the insides of the plug boots and the plug holes a quick squirt of WD as well.