On my 1994 fireblade which way should the fuel tap face for normal tank compared to reserve? my fuel tap is long at one end and short at the other but which end is normal for fuel?

There are 3 positions (as you probably know). Reserve, on and prime. Under normal conditions with a properly working fuel tap, prime is the by-pass that allows fuel to flow through without the engine running. On and reserve will only allow fuel to pass when the engine is running (uses vacuum from the carb).

• PRIME has the handle facing down
• ON is when it is facing the front
• RESERVE when it faces the rear.

Do not leave the tap in the prime position EVER as this allows the fuel to fill the carb and with the engine running or attempting to start will cause hydrolock that will bend the pistons con-rods. Only use it to fill the carb with fuel and turn it to on or reserve as soon as you can.
If the bike runs using the prime position but will not run when on or reserve, then you may have a vacuum problem or a dodgy tap......assuming you have fuel that is.
Hope that helps.

Hi it must be a blockage in the fuel tap there is a filter under the tap. Remove the tank and the tap clean the filter and blow through the two pipes turn the tap to on then blow through the long pipe and in reserve the short one. Good luck

well reserve tank really just takes the tap for the fuel further down in the tank
ie if you place the fuel tap to reserve then you can access the full tank if its on normal you can only access so much down in the tank

anyway its down for reserve and up for main
look here in this you tube vid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVtL_z7ytxE

94 zx7s have separate hoses that sit at the very back end of the tank. They take a nice twisty course to get to the tank. Could be that the main line is kinked and the reserve is not.

Or you may need to rebuild the petcock. I've got 3 ZX7s, 93, 94, and a 01. None of them had petcock issues but I've had fuel line routing issues before. So I'd check the lines first before servicing the petcock.

A fuel tap normally has 3 pipes, 2 in and 1 out. If you have a fuel tap they you have a manual reserve. The first pipe will be linked to a long tube (main fuel supply) the second will be linked to the "reserve. It is all in the same tank space. When the fuel gets low the main pipe will **** air and the bike will starve fuel. Switch to the reserve and you will be drawing from the lower pipe (reserve, ie start looking for a fuel station) It is not recommended to use the reserve as the fuel in your tank normally has sediment at the bottom and blocks your filters. This sediment comes from the tank rusting and from the fuel pumps drawing bits from the concrete fuel tanks at the fuel stations.

If you strip the tap you will be able to see which is the main and which is the reserve.
Hope this helps

there is only one tank to fill on your bike, your getting confused by the reserve. The reserve is just on the fuel tap itself. It has three positions, on , off and reserve. In the on position your fuel tap will be able to drink about 90% of your fuel tank and then it wont be able to drain anymore, then you must turn your fuel tap to the reserve position and it will be able to drink rest of your tank approx 10% that is left. So next time you fill up at a petrol station make sure your fuel tap is set to on, then when your bike starts to splutter out of fuel you can turn your fuel tap to reserve and get yourself to the petrol station to fill up, making sure you then turn your tap to on again. If you keep running out on the reserve it can cause debris in your tank to clog your carb up.
hope this helps
steve

by fuel tap i take it you mean to select between the reserve tank, and to switch the fuel off... on from 'new shape' models (2006 onwards) there is no switch: it has a vaccum system which sucks any unused fuel back into the tank..

when the fuel light comes on the 'reserve tank' is in use, so go fill up with some juice!