| Author | Message | ||
     Dwardo |
It's been too cold to ride my new M2 for the last few weeks so it's sitting in the garage. I dont' have an owner's manual yet but I figured it had a vacuum-controlled petcock like other modern bikes I've seen so I just left it turned on. Just got my shop manual last night and I see that it is just a straight petcock. My question is: is it a major no-no to leave the gas turned on? I guess if gas was sneaking past the needle and seat if would be running out the overflow tube? I'm going to go turn it off now. Thanks. | ||
| Lake_bueller |
Because I live in the Frozen Tundra of Green Bay, I winterize my bikes and shut off the petcock. But during the riding season, I never shut mine. It might not be the "right thing". But with a combined milage around 75k on two bikes, why change now  | ||
| Buellfighter |
I'm in the habit of turning of the gas from years of dirt bikes. Have this phobia of worrying about what if the gas did overflow in the garage overnight! I always shut if off at the end of the day. | ||
| Aesquire |
My old yamaha 750 had a vacuum petcock, which leaked, filling the crankcase with gas, twice. If the needle & seat on the float is clean, no problem, but a bit of dirt can fill your engine, and hydro-lock can bust something, or just wizz gas all over your legs, like mine did. Best to shut off after a ride. If you are anal about it, and shut off whenever you park, ( like me ) & forget to turn it back on, ( like me ) after a short stop you completely blow the image as you go vroom- vroom- cough wheeze sputter pause vroom down the road. | ||
| Djkaplan |
I never turn mine off and it bit me one day. Apparently some debris cause the needle to stick open and the rear cylinder filled with gas. I was lucky I didn't damage something when the cylinder hydraulicked and the bike wouldn't turn over. I still forget to turn the petcock off, and when I don't, I always forget to turn it back on before I ride away. | ||
| Dwardo |
I'm paranoid about it because all my experience is with British bikes and if the petcock is left open and the needle doesn't seal it will run into the engine and contaminate the oil like Aesquire's Yamaha. I don't mind turning it off because that's what I'm in the habit of doing but it moves rather stiffly, I think, and it's made of plastic. It doesn't seem very robust. | ||
| Bad_karma |
Dwardo I always turn it off. In addition I let the engine run it dry before shutting it off. Joe | ||
| Road_thing |
I'm like you, Dwardo, years of British bikes put me in the habit of turning off the gas. It can't hurt. rt | ||
| Bomber |
British machine made good teachers -- not so much good as devices to move you from place to place (at least, no tthe place you inteded to move to), but great teachers | ||
| Djkaplan |
"In addition I let the engine run it dry before shutting it off." I used to do this, but an old mechanic once told me that it would dry out float bowl gaskets and make the carb more likely to leak later on. I was pretty young when they old guy told me this and I'm kind of old now. They may have made gaskets out of sheep's bladders (or something) back then, so the point may be moot. | ||
| Spiderman |
>>>They may have made gaskets out of sheep's bladders "Why are ya makin a gasket outa me haggis!?!" (read with a cheap Scottish accent) Carb gaskets used to be made outta cork so that coulda been his reasoning... Sheep Bladder LOL That's the name of my new racing team "The Sheep Bladders" | ||
| Bomber |
Spidey -- there's a group with a CD out name of "Bad Haggis," sounds right up your alley! | ||
| Spiderman |
I didn't think haggis could get worse   | ||
| Dwardo |
Here is a pix of the Norton, aka "The Pig". It has been a good teacher and not a bad transportation device either. Also, a great attention-getting device. Park it next to a row of 25000-dollar hogs and nobody looks at those anymore. Also my new M2, which I have hardly ridden due to the weather. Drat.   | ||
| Cyclonemick |
I have owned my M2 for 7 years and I have never turned off the gas. No problems | ||
| Buellboiler |
Dwardo, Nice Hudson in the 2nd photo. Reminds me of my grandfather's old 51 Kaiser (somewhat). Nice X-1 too. | ||
| Road_thing |
 Gotta love those old "Not-Runs"... rt | ||
| Dwardo |
Hey Road_Thing, that's sweet! Is it a current Not-Run or a former one? How is that Corbin seat? | ||
| Road_thing |
Thanks! It's currently in my garage, and actually running the last time I kicked it. Corbin seat feels great! That's my son in the saddle--I'm older and much better looking...  rt (Message edited by road_thing on February 13, 2007) | ||
| Dwardo |
Cool. Mine runs just great, which is should given the money I've spent on it. MUCH more than for the Buell. Go figure. | ||
| Jackbequick |
I'm a petcock off every time I park it. That is a learned reflex compliments of a 1958 Triumph and Amal carbs. Bikes are a lot of fun but for a night at a drive in movie, I'll take dibs on the back seat of that Hudson. One of my buddies in high school had a Hudson four door that could accommodate two couples in real comfort and relative privacy. By today's standards you could almost play half court basketball in the back seat. Jack | ||
| Dwardo |
That's a 1953 Hornet 4-door. You could literally put 8 people in it if they like each other. The seats are well over 60 inches wide and you can sleep in the back on a road trip. I own that jointly with my uncle and we also have a 1954 Hudson Super Wasp that was the "smaller" car, with a 119 inch wheelbase instead of 124 inches. Glad you enjoyed the pix. | ||
| Bad_karma |
Djkaplan Never know, I will keep it in mind and watch for signs. Joe | ||
| Captainkirk |
I "learned myself" the habit of turning it off every time I shut the bike down after an acquaintance's son burned down his bike, car, garage, tools and half the house due to a leaky petcock (according to fire forensics guys). Not worth the risk IMHO. | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Tom, That's a very sweet bike! There's something about a Norton that has always spun my crank..... Brad | ||
| Road_thing |
Brad: thanks, but let's keep your crank out of this! tom | ||
| Jackbequick |
Thanks Dwardo, you just described my buddies car to a "T". And those big Hudson flathead straight sixes were no slouches on performance. They broke the hearts of many V-8 owners on both the street and strip for many years. Read the "History of Clifford Performance" for the details. The reason we love v-twins is torque, the Hudson sixes were torque monsters! Jack | ||
| Dwardo |
My uncle bought a full house Hornet engine from Jack Clifford in the mid-60s. It has a massive bore and stroke and all the goodies like big valves and weber side-drafts. Then he got interested in airplanes and never used it so it's sitting under his workbench. We are sort of looking around for a car to put it in. Too many projects! |
