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ES2 reserve tank

Submitted by christopher_shepperd on Fri, 05/06/2015
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Singles

Last night, I was out for a ride with mates and went on to the reserve towards the end of our ride. We went our sepatate ways and I ran out of fuel after only about 5 miles from going on reserve. Is this normal? The bike is a 1957 ES2 and fairly new to me. My previous bike, a 1956 AJS would go about 20 miles before running out. 5 miles is cutting it tight with petrol stations closing all over the place. I look forward to your comments.......Chris

Submitted by dan_field on Mon, 08/06/2015

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That'll learn ya! I had to push my gasgas from the white horse up hill to the petrol station once, nearly killed me! I expect you can increase the height of the reserve tube? Maybe yours has fallen off?

Dan

Submitted by michael_sullivan on Wed, 10/06/2015

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Does your bike have one single tap for on-off-reserve or does it have two taps, one side for running and the other side for reserve?

If it has two taps are you sure that the taps have not been switched from side to side by a previous owner? A little experimentation is in order I think. Completely drain the tank. Pour in a measured gallon (or 4 liters for those of you who are metric afflicted). Disconnect fuel lines and drain one side back into a measured container. Close the tap you just used and re-fill tank and drain the other side. Compare results and while tank is empty pull the taps and check the standing pipes.

Easy enough to fix as Dan and Robert said.

Submitted by david_cooper on Sun, 14/06/2015

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The bike in question must have a saddle tank - not the flat-bottomed Feartherbed type. So by looking in the filler cap only one half of the tank is visible.On my single I only use the right tap and the left is only opened if the right side is fully drained. It hasn't happened yet...Then there should be more fuel available from the bottom of the left side. Neither tap has (or needs) a dipper tube.Is the postwar ES2 tank very different and has a cross-passageway low enough for one tap to drain both sides?This thread is a good warning to me in these days of scarce fuel stations. I must experiment by draining each side in turn - and checking the mplitre figures.

Submitted by christopher_shepperd on Mon, 15/06/2015

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Previously David Cooper wrote:

The bike in question must have a saddle tank - not the flat-bottomed Feartherbed type. So by looking in the filler cap only one half of the tank is visible. On my single I only use the right tap and the left is only opened if the right side is fully drained. It hasn't happened yet... Then there should be more fuel available from the bottom of the left side. Neither tap has (or needs) a dipper tube. Is the postwar ES2 tank very different and has a cross-passageway low enough for one tap to drain both sides? This thread is a good warning to me in these days of scarce fuel stations. I must experiment by draining each side in turn - and checking the mplitre figures.
Oh................I assumed it would be the other way round. Hunting for the reserve left-handed seems a bit hard on the majority of riders who are rihjt handed. As stated above, experimentation will be required.

Submitted by richard_payne on Mon, 15/06/2015

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Most of the ordinary Norton singles seem to have a filler cap on the right. This means that if the left tap is used as 'main', a visual inspection will suggest plenty of fuel when in fact it can be more than half empty.

I also find that being able to keep the throttle open means less chance of the bike stopping completely before reserve cuts in.

Submitted by barry_carson on Mon, 15/06/2015

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would it be a case of less petrol in the right side of the tank with it having the bigger cut out to clear the cylinder head.

 


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