[lilgman]

Hi there, Dingir.

There are so many more knowledgeable people on this forum than I am, but I'm going to see if I can answer a couple of your questions at least. My bike is a Big Boy 250 from South Africa, so there may be some differences, but from everything I'm reading here, the Storm, Hawk, etc. are all pretty much the same.

-how to use and fill the reserve tank, and will the bike die and i have to switch it over to reserve or does it just go to reserve automatically?

The little silver valve in this picture (I'm sorry that it's oriented wrong) is the answer to your question here. You can select ON, OFF, or RESERVE with this valve. There isn't actually a reserve tank. When the selector is ON, it draws fuel from the tank a little ways above the bottom of the tank. When the fuel runs so low that it's below that level, the engine will sputter and probably die. You can then turn the valve to RESERVE and it opens up a lower outlet in the tank so you have a bit more fuel to hopefully get you home. Don't forget to switch it back to ON when you fill up again, or you won't have any warning the next time you run out.

-how to find the fuel filter/air filter.

These motorcycles don't really have a fuel filter like on a car. There's a fine screen over the two outlets (ON & RESERVE) in the tank that keep the worst junk out of the carb. At the bottom of that fuel valve, there's also a little cup that screws off where water can accumulate. If you think you've gotten water in your gas, turn the valve to off, clean this out, and then turn it to RESERVE for a few seconds to drain any other bad gas/water off. Close and reinstall the cup.

The air filter is a little harder to access and may differ from bike to bike. In general it's under the seat, though. On my bike, you have to take the two plastic side panels off. There's a bolt on each one that needs to be removed, and then they have plastic points that fit through a rubber mount. Be gentle as you pull these off, as the plastic isn't especially tough. Once the side panels are off, you have to take the seat off. Once again, on my bike there is a bolt on either side that holds the seat on. Once you remove these bolts, the seat unclips by sliding backwards. After the seat is off, my bike has a cover with four screws that opens to reveal the air filter. I hope that will help. Here's a link to a picture of a Hawk with the air filter out. Maybe that will help. https://hawk250.com/wp-content/uploa...r_filter_3.jpg

Someone from the USA should maybe answer this question, but any unleaded petrol/gasoline should work fine. Avoid ethanol if you can.

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable with help with your other questions.

One more tip: There's tons of info on these bikes on the forum under the Dual Sport/Enduro section. I would suggest that you post other questions in that category. It seems like the most active part of the forum.

Have a great day!