Raw fuel smell
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Tourer
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 455
Likes: 35
From: SW Ohio
Raw fuel smell
Was out of town yesterday and got back this evening, first thing my wife says is there's a strong smell of gasoline in the garage. The bike was covered so I pulled it off and it seems to be coming from it - instead of the car (which I thought it might be). There's no obvious 'wetness' I can see but definitely stronger smell if fuel when I stick my nose closer to the breather area. Suggestions where to start looking (tomorrow or this weekend)? Thanks
Dale
Dale
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Tourer
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 455
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From: SW Ohio
Originally Posted by Zerk
As opposed cooked gas?
Advice, get rid of the cover. Spend your time riding.
Did you fill it just before coming home? Maybe the tarp trapped the smell.
Advice, get rid of the cover. Spend your time riding.
Did you fill it just before coming home? Maybe the tarp trapped the smell.
It was filled up on Monday but was ridden for a little bit before parking it and sticking the cover on it.
Dale
Banned
Joined: Jul 2009
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From: Straight Jacket Memories and Sedative Highs
Huh????????
Dried fuel smell? Huh?
If you fill it right to the brim, and then park it a couple blocks later, at an angle, you may notice it. Maybe more on a hot day. Maybe you just got gas on something.
Myself, I'd see if it persists.
If you fill it right to the brim, and then park it a couple blocks later, at an angle, you may notice it. Maybe more on a hot day. Maybe you just got gas on something.
Myself, I'd see if it persists.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2012
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From: Oklahoma
The key may be that you were out of town during the critical time. I fill my bike at the end of a ride so it will be full and ready to go the next time. Heat from the engine will make the gas expand enough to run some out the over flow tube. This may have happened to your machine but because you were out of town, the small puddle had a chance to evaporate before you got home. Fill it and park it, then a couple of hours later check for possible overflow from heat expansion. I made a jiffy stand "pad" from a 2 X 4 and a 1 X 4 nailed together and that thickness under the jiffy stand keeps the bike almost vertical and it never over flows in that position.
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 926
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From: Central, NJ
I have this consistently with my bike. If you search the forum or the web in general, there are many threads where it's said to be normal due to heat, gas expansion and venting. I never had this with my TC but almost always with the M8. It happens when the tank is full, 1/2, 3/4 1/4, you name it. I've only started noticing it in the past 2-3 months but my research has lead to discovering this is "normal'.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2009
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From: SE Michigan
Tons of threads on this already. You can read them here: https://www.google.com/search?client...3Ahdforums.com
Was out of town yesterday and got back this evening, first thing my wife says is there's a strong smell of gasoline in the garage. The bike was covered so I pulled it off and it seems to be coming from it - instead of the car (which I thought it might be). There's no obvious 'wetness' I can see but definitely stronger smell if fuel when I stick my nose closer to the breather area. Suggestions where to start looking (tomorrow or this weekend)? Thanks
Dale
Dale
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Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Mar 2018
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From: SW Ohio
Yeah, all of you are probably on to something here! The puzzling thing to me though, I've never had this happen but I close to never fill it, ride home, put in garage and stick the cover on. Bet that's what had happened! I'll keep a sharp eye out on it. Thanks guys
Dale
Dale
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2012
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From: Oklahoma
tcatnat: Overflow from a tank not close to full is NOT normal. It may be "common" in a certain series of bikes due to an engineering or assembly error, but that does not make it "normal" by any means. In Oklahoma it is common to have a "utility closet" in the garage containing the water heater and furnace/AC unit. When houses here start exploding due to this "normal" fuel venting it will eventually cost Harley a bunch. If your scooter is still under warranty, get it checked out. Fuel venting from a 1/4 full tank is ridiculous and dangerous. If there is a large number of bikes doing this, there should be a RECALL.
Last edited by btsom; May 1, 2019 at 09:04 PM.