A bad day

[MonsterBiker]

After reading this I went straight out and turned off my gas valve.  I have been having the occasional "hard start", especially after it has been sitting for a few days, even with the battery tender connected and showing 13V on the meter.  I think I found the answer to a question that I was about to post.

[MonsterBiker]

10 hours ago, RDawson said:

I mentioned the same thing, kind of an I-D-10T proofing step. I got out of the habit of turning off the gas with my 1st gen and never got back into it. My bike is setting in the shop right now with the gas on. We got in around 75 miles and supper this evening. 

A solenoid valve connected to the ignition circuit sounds like an idea worth investigating.  Assuming one compact enough can be sourced it should not be a difficult mod either.

[Pro procrastinator]

Just make sure its fuel rated. For my 2 cents worth id put in the vacuum style you can always put a tee in and run a line out to provide vacuum when its sat for a while. I shut the fuel off and run the carbs dry on the dirt bikes pretty much every time i know they will be sitting a while. They still surprise me tho.

[RAGING BULL]

Thanks I will check it out 

[Flyinfool]

Just taking a quick look.

https://ussolid.com/u-s-solid-motorized-ball-valve-1-4-stainless-steel-electrical-ball-valve-with-full-port-9-24-v-ac-dc-2-wire-auto-return.html

https://ussolid.com/u-s-solid-1-4-brass-electric-solenoid-valve-12v-dc-normally-closed-viton-air-water-oil-fuel.html

The solenoid valve is not for continuous duty, BUT the duty cycle is 8 hours, Not many can go 8 hours on a bike without having to either fill up or empty out. Both of these will close with the power off and open when the power comes on. The motorized one is a bit slow at 3-5 seconds, that may be to slow for the fuel pump to fill the carbs.

 

There are many other brands and styles to choose from, this was just the first that popped up in my search. Prices are also reasonable.

[RAGING BULL]

does anyone no the difference between 1300 xvz tf and xvz tfs?

[RDawson]

47 minutes ago, RAGING BULL said:

does anyone no the difference between 1300 xvz tf and xvz tfs?

 

47 minutes ago, RAGING BULL said:

does anyone no the difference between 1300 xvz tf and xvz tfs?

I think the “S” refers to the midnight edition each year. There shouldn’t be any difference in the engine. Somebody correct me if I’m wrong. 

[RAGING BULL]

Thanks 

[Phoneman1981]

So sorry to hear of your engine damage. Turning the fuel petcock off when bikes are in storage is a good idea but that alone will not prevent hydrolocking. The rubber o rings and needle seats deteriorate over a period of time and allow fuel to seep into the crankcase. Diluting the oil and if let go long enough will fill the cylinder full of fuel and bend rods or send them out the cylinder head. That is precisely why it is important to check the oil level on our machines often. I only add 3.5 quarts of oil at an oil change. No more than 1/2 way up in the site glass. Then I keep an eye on the oil level to make sure it does not expand above the 1/2 way mark. A good sign of possible fuel getting into the oil. I always wanted to learn how to rebuild my own carbs but due to time I chose to contact Mike Eykamp last season and opted to swap carbs with him. It costs some money but it was not difficult not remove my carbs and ship them to him. He immediately shipped a rebuilt set to me. I installed the new carbs and have enjoyed knowing I have some piece of mind that I can rest easy knowing I did what I could to prevent becoming a victim of hydrolocking. Good luck with your search for an engine. I hope this helps another owner.

[GrumpyGrampy]

So, after considering selling my RSV, I spoke to a dealership while shopping who warned me of this exact issue. My bike has been sitting for 4 years with the fuel valve open. I removed the tank to start, but not sure what to do next to insure I don't suffer the same fate. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Is this something easy for me to rectify, or should I just trailer it and drag it to a dealership? I've got plenty of tools and a garage, just no experience fixing bike above 250cc.

2009 RSV XVZ13TF

[Squidley]

1 hour ago, GrumpyGrampy said:

So, after considering selling my RSV, I spoke to a dealership while shopping who warned me of this exact issue. My bike has been sitting for 4 years with the fuel valve open. I removed the tank to start, but not sure what to do next to insure I don't suffer the same fate. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Is this something easy for me to rectify, or should I just trailer it and drag it to a dealership? I've got plenty of tools and a garage, just no experience fixing bike above 250cc.

2009 RSV XVZ13TF

Pull all the plugs out of the cylinders and spin the motor over. If your not going to be using the bike for an extended period, shut the petcock off and run the carbs dry. This will ensure the carbs won't leak down into the engine.

[videoarizona]

On 3/9/2021 at 4:28 PM, RAGING BULL said:

After looking at it today you guys are right, sticky float. It started hard a couple times, I just thought it was due to weak battery. Boy was I wrong, hate learning this way lol. Gas in the oil.  Still looking for an engine, pinwall didn't have any and having a hard time finding one around here.  Next time I have problems I will ask here,  you all are pretty knowledgeable, thanks for the info and help.  It is much appreciated. 

And that is the reason I always turn off the fuel when I shut the motor off. Even for a few minutes. Sad to hear. Scary.