I see this is an old thread, but I do a lot of finishing on wood products, I use paper towels to scuff the surface and take out some minor blemishes between coats of lacquer -- they work great as they are an abrasive -- I also use brown paper bags for the same reasons. not as rough as 400 grit but still do the job toward the end of my finishing sequence.

 

Let the gas dry, if you actually ride your bike its going to get plenty of scratches and crap hitting it from the cages wondering past the lines on the road while texting anyway. How anyone can worry about scratching their car in the summer at the drive-thru car wash when they drive the same vehicle in the winter in the salt boggles my mind.

 

I carry a cotton bandana in my right hip pocket at all times. It's not for rubbing gas off my tank with a snot-soaked rag, it's for keeping gas from dripping onto the tank in the first place.

 

Looked at buying a dealer rental bike. They had 6 or 8 rental bikes they were selling. ALL of them were scratched to various degrees on the gas tank from people taking those paper towels at the gas station and wiping the tanks down. Why do people feel compelled to scrub the entire gas tank with a paper towel after getting gas?

 

I've found if you flick the nozzle down after you take it off of the pump, you'll get most if not all the gas out. That and cupping to be safe and I'm good.

 

Part of my regime is every time I leave the house I take a Micro Fiber rag with me, but I very seldom get any gas on the Ol Shovel

 

I cup free hand under the nozzle, with a folded-over paper towel covering my palm. Catches drips better than bare hand. No contact, no worries. I do park the bike with its left side toward the pump. No spilled cupfuls dripping onto hot engine. Is gas flammable?

ps why did MoCo put left hand threads on the left hand tank cap? (99 evo Heritage)
................................................
Kayakeeeuurrrr Bud

 

To make sure the vented cap is always on the right.

 

I have never spilled fuel on my tank, guess I'm extra cautious. I have noticed that some nozzles are harder to control, it's either full on or off. When I'm fueling with a nozzle like that, I never try to top it off. I also ride a Electra Glide with the tank console, so there of sort a buffer.

 

[QUOTE=3Dog;1337989]Take the paper towel and hold it on the end of the gas nozzle..any drips will be caught by it and there will be no reason to wipe the tank. [QUOTE] this is what i do, no dips and if a drop does get on iti only dab at i