Know Your Reserve Switch

Almost all the sub-155cc bikes in Bangladesh are carbureted. Some new fuel injected ones are coming in though. In most cases the bike has a fuel petcock valve. Usually these have three positions: ON, OFF, and RES.

What it does: It controls fuel flow from the tank to the engine.

Why bother with it? If you keep it in the off position, you don't get any fuel. As you ride along and the tank comes close to empty, your engine will start to choke. What's important is to know exactly where it is and how you can reach down quickly if needed and switch it to RES (reserve). It's suggested you pull to a side before doing so. But you can also just reach down without taking your eyes off the road.

What next? Head to a pump, refuel and twist it back to 'ON'. A lot of bikes like the older first gen Yamaha Fazer 125 didn't have fuel gauges. The shuddering before hitting reserve gave a good indication of how much further you could go.