Fubar Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 This should have been an easy 80 mile round trip ride on my day off. The day started easily enough, wake up - too early - and get the kid up and to school on time. Then the fun part, the 40 mile trip to mom's house to take care of the pool and a few misc. other things. But then, things got.....strange. The tires felt a little low even though I topped them up about 10 days ago, so after just a mile out, I return home to check and top off again if needed. False alarm. OK, take two. Gotta get go-juice first, only 45 miles range showing. Pull into the station, open & fill as normal. Almost. As I neared the top of the tank, I released the handle to reposition myself to better see the fuel level to avoid a mess. Here's a point that became very important to me immediately: When you stop the flow of fuel by releasing the handle a pretty strong spring in there forces the valve closed. The pump, hidden inside that shiny metal box, is still running to keep the fuel flowing. This combination causes the pressure in the hose between the pump and the now closed valve to increase. If there is a weak spot in the hose, this is the point it will burst. Can you see where this is going? The hose burst. And began spraying the bike, the ground, the pump housing (but not me) with premium. Fortunately I know where the emergency fuel shutoff is. (I used to work in the petroleum industry so I look for these things. Anal, but useful.) I ran into the bldg. and slammed that big red button, astonishing several other customers and a few staff not least because I still had my fullface helmet on and was moving at a high rate of speed. That and I'm 6'5" and 245 pounds wearing an armored jacket in 90 degree weather. In relatively short order I pushed the bike out of the pool of fuel, the staff got it contained, turned the pump off, etc. They even gave three gallons worth of cash back so I didn't have to pay for the spilt fossil squeezings. The day progressed in a more "normal" fashion from then on. After wiping down the bike to avoid any remote chance of immolation, I ran my errands, came home and washed the bike. I finished just in time to go pick the boy up from school. So much for an easy day off. Link to comment
Firefight911 Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Trying to earn your board name in a more "real" sense, eh? Glad it turned out fine! Link to comment
Fubar Posted September 25, 2009 Author Share Posted September 25, 2009 Trying to earn your board name in a more "real" sense, eh? Sadly, life likes to give me a swift kick in the nuts on a fairly regular basis, just to see if I'm awake and paying attention. Link to comment
Bernie Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 I have seen that happen to a fellow rider on club ride. That is why I will not sit on the bike while I am refueling, or leave the motor running. Glad you are OK. Link to comment
Fubar Posted September 25, 2009 Author Share Posted September 25, 2009 I have seen that happen to a fellow rider on club ride. That is why I will not sit on the bike while I am refueling, or leave the motor running. Glad you are OK. Very good points both. Hard to run away from a flaming bike if you're still straddling it. Link to comment
Matts_12GS Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Friend of mine put the seat back on her bike and pinched a wire that caused a short which started a fire. Someone at the station hit the shut off on the pumps thankfully. I had another photo of the bike after the fire was out, all 3 hoses at the pump had burned clean away. Link to comment
bmw_rider Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Bet the insurance man loved that one. Link to comment
Duane n Oregon Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 I'm glad to hear it wasn't any worse than it was. A small annoyance is so much better than a major disaster! Link to comment
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