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Posted by Goombah
- August 13, 2013, 21:33:05 PMHow crazy ! I just had the same thing happen to me a few days ago. I was not riding very fast though,so I'm not sure there is a connection with speed. I was on 2 lane,running about 60 I guess. I reached down and turned the petcock and started right up again.Only went about a mile,and did it again. Ended up doing it 4 times in the 5 mi. I had left to ride home. I have not riden it since,and wasn't sure where to start looking for the problem.I figured probably the filter or petcock. I don't ride very much any more either,so thought perhaps my gas was getting a bit too old. I will take a look at my cap. I was wondering where the filter was as well,so now I have that info as well,thanks. The idea of breaking down wasn't much fun. Logan has never left me sitting on the shoulder before,and I didn't care for it much.
Posted by chief
- August 12, 2013, 20:00:49 PMQuote from: DriftinGirl on August 11, 2013, 19:51:39 PMI think that proves you have a vent problem... you need to look into that!Thank you forum!!! My daughter had my Drifter out for a little trip today and lo and behold it just "died" while she was on the Trans -Canada (read - going fast). Thanks to this thread I told her to try opening the gas tank cover, close it, then try starting up again. She did and it worked perfectly....arrived back at the house an hour later all smiles and impressed with how smart Momma was. Let her brag me up for awhile then confessed I had read it here.
I think we may become a two drifter house....she seems to be leaving her Harley at home if Mom will let her take the Drifter.
Posted by 49Reo
- August 12, 2013, 09:01:46 AM 
Posted by DriftinGirl
- August 11, 2013, 19:51:39 PMThank you forum!!! My daughter had my Drifter out for a little trip today and lo and behold it just "died" while she was on the Trans -Canada (read - going fast). Thanks to this thread I told her to try opening the gas tank cover, close it, then try starting up again. She did and it worked perfectly....arrived back at the house an hour later all smiles and impressed with how smart Momma was. Let her brag me up for awhile then confessed I had read it here.
I think we may become a two drifter house....she seems to be leaving her Harley at home if Mom will let her take the Drifter. 
Posted by chief
- August 11, 2013, 15:36:58 PMQuote from: greenbarn on August 09, 2013, 16:56:06 PMMy 1500 has always "hissed" when the tank is almost full and the weather is hot. That's the pressure relief "valve" in the cap. If you open the cap, it relieves the pressure and the hiss stops for a bit. I've never had a bit of a problem with my fuel system however.That reminds me, on hot days, I hear a hissing noise @ the cap. Seems like I'm more likely to hear it with a full tank. I never thought about it, but perhaps that's another sign the cap isn't venting.
I'll have to check out the vent and lines. ....or ride under 70MPH....
Opening the cap should relieve any venting problem... temporarily as well. That would indicate a problem with venting.
Posted by John Hopkins
- August 09, 2013, 17:10:56 PMI agree with those who said the tank vent needs looking at.
John.
Posted by greenbarn
- August 09, 2013, 16:56:06 PMThat reminds me, on hot days, I hear a hissing noise @ the cap. Seems like I'm more likely to hear it with a full tank. I never thought about it, but perhaps that's another sign the cap isn't venting.
I'll have to check out the vent and lines. ....or ride under 70MPH....
Posted by CDNRatMan
- August 09, 2013, 10:46:58 AMok makes me remember that I did some riding last summer after I bought the bike and never noticed anything about the tank or fuel cap. However over the winter, I did a lot of cleaning and messing about with the bike and I did clean the vent and around the fuel cap. This year on hot days and such I can hear the tank venting, which I never heard last year. So perhaps the vent is not allowing air in to let the fuel flow.
Posted by Troll
- August 09, 2013, 09:52:40 AMCheck the vent hose and the vent in the cap. I had my W-650 do that to me once. The vent hose was kinked, and the vacuum in the tank was enough to keep the fuel from flowing. The cap has an interesting pressure/vent system in it for emission purposes, and they can cause problems.
Posted by DKtime
- August 09, 2013, 09:31:49 AMThis exact thing happened to my wife on our way to Daytona earlier this year!!!
We normally don't ride the interstates but time constraints forced us to, in order to get where we wanted to be when we wanted to be there.
We were doing high seventies to low eighties for 77 miles, then her bike did just as you described. We stopped an refueled and it held less than 2 gallons. I thought as others posted trash got caught in the fuel line or the petcock screen got clogged ect. ect.
We decided to push on, the bike ran fine in the petcock run position for around 70 miles then it happened again, she switched to 'res' and again we stopped to refuel. When I opened the fuel cap there was a noticeable vac. pulled on the tank.
My theory is that the fuel cap vent cant supply air as fast as the fuel being used at those speeds, and turning the petcock past prime relieves enough vacuum to allow the fuel to flow again.
Just my theory, not a definitive answer....
Posted by waltervl
- August 09, 2013, 02:01:08 AMThus the air vent in the fuel cap work? When there is a vacuum in the tank this could happen perhaps?
Posted by 49Reo
- August 08, 2013, 21:53:41 PM 
The muffin is in the mail....
Posted by greenbarn
- August 08, 2013, 21:39:19 PMQuote from: CDNRatMan on August 08, 2013, 21:34:56 PMjust curious now, what do you normally ride at speed wise on both main or 4 lane and 2 lane roads.
I came back from my sister's and it is a 5 hour ride, all 2 lane highway, and I was pretty steady at 65 to 69 mph till the last 2 hours when the route becomes a major 2 lane highway and there I was running along at 68 to 72 mph. I never had any issues with the problem you are talking about. I have noticed a huge difference between using 90+ octane fuel and the 87 octane fuel, seem to get a lot more miles from the 91+ and so use that.
When I first bought my bike it seemed to run out of fuel faster then I thought it should so like 49 said I took the petcock apart and cleaned it and it was a bit gummed up and so cleaned it and cleaned the screen in there .
if he sends you some Saskatoon Muffins that might help
I usually ride 60 or so if I'm on a leisurely ride, or many times cruise at 65-70. This is probably the first time I've been cruising at a steady 70-75 for that long of a time.
There is no way I was out of gas - I only put 1.5 gallons in.
And I second the muffin idea. I think I'd feel a lot better if I could try one of those....
Posted by greenbarn
- August 08, 2013, 21:36:03 PMNo problems once I filled up - put it back on "on" (regular, non-reserve position) no issues.
And I had the tank off and cleaned it to a pristine condition over the winter, and switched the valve with a new one - the screen is on the valve, so it's new too. No trash in the tank.
Posted by CDNRatMan
- August 08, 2013, 21:34:56 PMjust curious now, what do you normally ride at speed wise on both main or 4 lane and 2 lane roads.
I came back from my sister's and it is a 5 hour ride, all 2 lane highway, and I was pretty steady at 65 to 69 mph till the last 2 hours when the route becomes a major 2 lane highway and there I was running along at 68 to 72 mph. I never had any issues with the problem you are talking about. I have noticed a huge difference between using 90+ octane fuel and the 87 octane fuel, seem to get a lot more miles from the 91+ and so use that.
When I first bought my bike it seemed to run out of fuel faster then I thought it should so like 49 said I took the petcock apart and cleaned it and it was a bit gummed up and so cleaned it and cleaned the screen in there .
if he sends you some Saskatoon Muffins that might help