CB550 gas mileage and switching to reserve

I found the answer to this question a few days ago. I rode from Honolulu to Aiea and the tripmeter showed about 130 miles on this tank of gas. On the return trip the Honda started to sputter and I switched to the reserve.

As I got back into Honolulu, the Honda started sputtering again. Shoot, I had only driven about 15 miles after switching to reserve and it looked like I might have to walk! As I pulled along the side of the highway I realized that this bike does not have a crossover tube at the bottom of the tank. The petcock is on the left side, fuel on the right side doesn't trickle over through a hose. I got off the bike and tilted it as far left as I could without letting it hit the ground.

After that, I got back on the bike and pushed the starter button. It came to life and I headed for the nearest gas station. I thought about how lucky I was for not having to walk. In the future, when it hits reserve I'm heading straight to the gas pump!

When I filled up the empty tank the tripmeter read 150 miles. I put about 3.9 gallons in the tank, which works out to around 38 miles per gallon. That's pretty much the MPG I've experienced with each fillup.

Advice for fellow riders: when you go over 100 miles on a tank of gas, plan ahead for a fuel stop. And when you switch to reserve, find a gas station right away.

Happy riding, Mike