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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Leaving the petcock on
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Message started by Eegore on 07/17/17 at 14:17:36

Title: Leaving the petcock on
Post by Eegore on 07/17/17 at 14:17:36

So I bought two more 95's and am in this situation where I have 2 with the petcock change and one stock, so I forget to shut them off sometimes.

Since they are all started daily for different reasons the longest I leave it on is maybe 18 hours. So far the bike starts, but I am wondering what an indicator is that I've done damage by leaving the petcock on too long.

Title: Re: Leaving the petcock on
Post by stewmills on 07/17/17 at 14:25:55

When your air box or crank case is filled with fuel and the bike is flooded, its been too long!

Most people have no ill effects so long as the float and needle do their job, but when they fail, it floods.

Title: Re: Leaving the petcock on
Post by Eegore on 07/17/17 at 14:41:30

Floods as in we see fuel around the bike, or floods as in it just wont start?

I assume there will be fluid on the ground as well.

Title: Re: Leaving the petcock on
Post by Serowbot on 07/17/17 at 14:50:32

It's only a problem, if you have a stuck float...
Mine's been on for years... :-?
I only shut it off to remove the tank...

Still, it's not a bad habit to get into...
I just don't... Lazy, mostly... forgetful, too...
Terrible... :-[

Title: Re: Leaving the petcock on
Post by gizzo on 07/17/17 at 15:01:34

he he I.forgot to turn the fuel taps off on my other bike the other day. had about 2 litres of fuel in the sump next morning. lucky I noticed, was about to embark on a big day ride :o

Title: Re: Leaving the petcock on
Post by IslandRoad on 07/17/17 at 15:05:50

The manual petcock is literally just a little door that lets the fuel out of the tank, gravity does the rest. The actual switch that controls the fuel flow is the float in the carb. As stewmills pointed out, if the float is working properly then it will shut off the fuel, when the fuel in the carb reaches the right height, and it will allow it flow again as the bike uses the fuel from the carb.

If the float malfunctions (it can stick if a bit of debris in the fuel gets caught in around the spring) then the fuel will just keep flowing until it finds its way out of the carb. That's usually out the back into the airbox and out the front into the engine. You'll probably smell the fuel before you see it.

Some guys don't bother turning it off at all. Others, like myself, have got into the habit of switching it off whenever I remove the key.

Title: Re: Leaving the petcock on
Post by verslagen1 on 07/17/17 at 15:09:25

It's going to vary between bikes.
with a cafe conversion, shortened front forks and longer shocks, you're more likely to dump it in the sump.
with a stock bike, it's 50/50, a slight incline 1 way or the other and you'll either fill up the airbox or the sump.
hopefully, it's a slow leak. ;D

Title: Re: Leaving the petcock on
Post by IslandRoad on 07/17/17 at 19:02:41

... and if the bike's upside down .... you've got bigger things to worry about! ;D

Title: Re: Leaving the petcock on
Post by ohiomoto on 07/17/17 at 19:44:11

I turn mine off if the bike is going to sit more than 2-3 hrs and leave it on shorter stop. I know others on here do the same.

Title: Re: Leaving the petcock on
Post by jcstokes on 07/17/17 at 21:55:26

As others have said, if all the bits in the carb are good, the stock petcock should be fine, you can't turn it off. For peace of mind you can turn the Raptor or other manual petcock off if you wish.