This is one of those "don't I feel stupid stories" but if it helps someone down the road, my embarrassment is worth it.

Out riding Friday, creating excuses to ride. I save the stamps on those local utility bills - deliver them by hand myself. On my way home I stop for gas anticipating a long Saturday ride. Its starting to get dark and cold. I go about 4-5 miles, taking the twisties back to my house. After a turn onto the last road she starts to hiccup and cough like it does when cold in really cold air. I don't think anything of it until the engine stalls.

So, I'm on a back road (less traveled of course), the bike is stalled and won't start, its cold and getting colder (I'm not dressed for it because I anticipated being home by now), and its too dark to see if anthing is obviously wrong. Suddenly I'm second guessing my decision to invent riding excuses.

Had the sense to call the dealer as I still had about an hour before they closed. But the cold numbed my brain and couldn't remember the number. Wife was on the phone at home so couldn't get through there. Had no flashlight. I have power and sounds like spark but acting like its getting no fuels. But that can't be, I just filled the tank.

Here's where the mind starts to play tricks on me....I put deisel in by accident. No way. Maybe my bike is one of those Friday-Monday bikes. I have one with problems like molsenice's went through. A string of *@#$%^&* words flow from my mouth. [sm=WTFsgign.gif]

Eventually I get through to the wife. From her I get the dealership number. Call those guys and service advisor hooks me up. Sounds like its out of gas. Explained its not. So there is fuel in the tank but its not getting to carb. Duh. Ok, well narrowing the problem, look for the vacuum line on the back of the petcock behind the fuel line. Yeah, sure. Let me try to see that using the display from my cell phone to illuminate things.

Feeling around I realize the hose has indeed slipped off its fitting. I try to cram my frozen fingers back in there to try to reconnect the hose. The dealer loads a trailer and starts to head my way and I get the wife to come too with a flashlight and needlenose pliers.

After fiddling for a bit I get the hose reconnected. Bike fires right up. Wife pulls up. Call the dealer and say thanks, got it. Managed to catch them before they left so saved them a trip.

So for anyone who has a Sportie that just stalls out on them, the vacumm hose/fitting for your vacuum actuated petcock is located on the bottom of the petcock, directly behind the fuel line. Its not easily seen but its felt with your finger. (There should be a pic here) At least it is when its connected. If not, and its dark, and your fingers are cold, the hose will dangle between the heads and hide from you. But if that is the case you will at least feel tht it is not there, which is just as good, as I found out.

Happy Motoring.



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Glad it was a no-cost item for you, but sorry about it happened to you! Is that vacuum line a slip-fit, or does it have a clip/band to hold it on?

Thumper26

 

Its just a slip fit. Assuming it was just never on there all the way.

 

Hey, I like the breakdowns where all ya gotta do is find the little hose and stick it back on! So much cheaper!! Glad it all worked out, bummer about getting stuck out in the cold like that. Oh, yeah, NEVER question yourself about inventing excuses to go ride!! Rationalize if ya hafta, but ALWAYS come up with more reasons to go ride!! Thanks for the heads up story.

Enjoy the ride.

 

This is not just a Sportie thing. All newer HD's have a vaccum operated petcock on them. A friend's 1996 EG did the same thing, and right after he had just put in a custom 100 inch RevTech engine. We thought for sure that something bad had gone wrong with the thing.

Glad you got yours going, and thanks for offering this good info that is bound to help some member sometime down the road. You might want to also post in the fuel section and General HD Chat to insure coverage for some that might not check out the Sportster section.

Regards,

Bill

 

Great write-up! Just the kind of tid-bit to remember just in case. Thanks for sharing.

In another thread, maybe even on another forum, we discussed difficulty starting after a week or two of sitting. While the Sportster owners manual doesn't mention it, metric bikes I've had with vacume petcocks say to turn the fuel to reserve, which is gravity feed, to prime the carb if the bike has set long enough for the fuel in the float bowl to evaporate. I've done this on my Sportster and it seems to aid starting. Apparently there's not enough vacume while cranking to make the petcock flow. I'm wondering if switching to reserve might have got you running.

Has anyone turned the petcock to reserve with the fuel line off to see if it flows without the engine running?

Also, not to hijack this thread, but what is that hiccup that occurs while riding in cold air? Mine does it below 50 degrees. Carb icing maybe?

 

No need to feel stupid after that SNAFU!

I would never have thought to look for that.
And yesterday I started mine after a 2 week sit....it's in a heated garage and it was still a real bitch to fire. Darn near ran the battery down!
I'll try the reserve trick next time..........and at least you're riding........it's been single digits here in Indiana and 5" snow!

SUCKS

Thanks for sharing and I'll file this one away in my memory bank (I hope it stays!)

 

bensonjv, I had the same thing happen to me on my Road King. I was at one of the (somewhat) local aftermarket shops and came outside and saw a guy "looking" at the bike. I didn't give it a whole lot of thought, but after I started it and let it warm up, i got to the bottom of the drive and the same thing like it's out of gas. Nope, tanks full. Pushed it back up the hill, the guys and I start checking this and that and someone says vacuum line. That was it. I had been riding all day and for a long time prior with no problems and once it was back on the petcock, I rode like a bat out of hell for 100 + miles to get home and it still was tight as a drum once I got there. I don't know if that guy was just admiring my bike or if he was tampering with it. I don't usually look to the bad side of people but it does strike me as odd, no problems before or since. Just in case though, I put a (real) small hose clamp and on it and snugged it down, it probably doesn't need it, but it gives me piece of mind. If someone is tampering with the bike they will either leave it alone or have to cut the line, either way I would know with a feel. Glad you found the problem and didn't have to pay for a service call or worse. I posted this before reading all the other posts. From what I read it is uncommon but not rare. Like I said I don't know and still don't if that guy was tampering or not, but since then with that clamp - no problems.

 

This has happened to me...twice. Both times riding about 100 miles after a scheduled service. The next time the bike is at the dealer I am requesting they put a clamp on it, I am guessing both times it was not put on tight, when I put it on there was no problem.

I wish I had known about this back in early July.

 

Thanks for the info Benson....I'm going to check mine to make sure it's on there good and tight...Glad everything worked out for you...And next time....Bundle up! It's cold out there ;-)