Terrible start to the 2008 riding season

[Guest Banny]

After struggling through the "longest winter ever" we now have good enough weather to bring the bikes out from storage. There had to be at least 50 or more bikes travel down the highway past my place today, I also decided to begin my 2008 season. Uncovered my clean bike, installed the fully charged battery, wheeled it out of my garage and after 3 attempts to start, it fired up. Without any warning, gasoline started spraying out onto the ground from behind the leftside air breather. Unfortunately I didn't realize I had the gas leak soon enough to prevent major damage to the asphalt surface of the driveway, a lot of gas sprayed out. NOT IMPRESSED!!!!!! I took off the left side cowling to see where the gas was coming from. There is an open ended rubber tube that is not connected to the breather but is secured to the plastic housing. I cranked the engine once again and witnessed without view obstruction, this is the source of the gas leak. Of course this is Saturday late afternoon, the bike shop is closed til Monday and I am no mechanic, so I washed the bike, wheeled it back into the garage and did my best to clean up the fuel that was eating up my driveway. Can anyone explain why this happened??????? Thanks in advance!

[Venturous Randy]

My first suspicion is you have a stuck float. Try hitting the carb bowl with a small hammer.

RandyA

[kbran]

Hey buddy, sorry to hear this. It sounds like a float stuck. The tube on thel lower fairing does come from the carburator. Others who are more knowlegable than me will chime in, but if you can reach in their and tap on the bowl of the carbs with the handle of a screwdriver it will probably free up. At any rate the warranty will take care of it. Sorry this happened to you my freind, esp. after waiting so long for a chance to ride.

[Yammer Dan]

Randy is right. Tap on it with small hammer or anything you can "peck" on it with. Sharp taps don't try to break it. Tap and check, tap with it on if you can. Draining bowls sometimes cures this but I haven't had any luck that way. If you get it to stop next step is a full can of Sea-Foam in that first tank.

[Venturous Randy]

This brought up memories of my hot rod Chevelle. I always kept a Holly hammer close by.

RandyA

[bongobobny]

The electric fuel pump on my old '64 MGB. Kept the batteery cover off and a hammer close by in the back for when,, as I was cruising down the highway, the fuel pump stoped going click click. A couple of persuasive taps and then clickety click click and all was well again...

[wild hair 39]

shut the gas of then run all the gas out,then turn it back on,or you can open the carb drains,remembir that the fuel pump only runs about 5 sec each time you turn the switch on,or till the bike starts,that mite flush the litt cretter out of there

[Guest Banny]

Thanks for your response, I really do appreciate it. Despite the suggestions received, I was unable to correct the problem at hand ........ I will trailer my bike to the bike shop on Friday ( their 1st available opportunity to be able to look at it ). Oddly enough, another 2007 Venture owner called the same bike shop this morning with the exact same problem! Our bike shop has already put a call into the Yamaha Rep people, sooooooo we will see what happens this Friday????????

 

Once again, thanks for your help!