Leaking Petrol? New bike

[loply]

Hi folks,

I brought a Yamaha SZR660 home today (first bike) and parked it up in the garage at about 6pm. I had an hour or so play with it, lifted the fuel tank up but didnt remove it, trying to find the restrictor. Anyway I couldnt so bolted the panels back on.

Went out for a drink and came back in at 12pm, house /stunk/ of petrol. Between me and the bike was about 40ft, two doors and three rooms but the smell of petrol was unmistakable.

The bike is carbed, but for the life of me I cant find a petrol tap. There is a patch about 10cm x 7cm beneath the gearbox which I cant identify but is a liquid that is either petrol or oil.

Any ideas what the problem is here? Does the bike have a fuel tap (I cant find reference to one in the manual)? Where should I start to identify the source of the leak if not?

Is this dangerous? The bike is in a garage alongside a gas boiler...

[stinkwheel]

I would have thought it should have a fuel tap, but I am not sure where. Normally where the fuel line leaves the tank (and it definatley has a fuel line leaving the tank whatever, it comes off on the left side on an XTZ which has the same engine I think). Look harder, follow the fuel line up from the T-piece where it goes into the carbs, use a torch not a match

I am a fan of dipping my finger in mystery bike haemorrhages and tasting them. Petrol will make your lips sting and is slightly bitter, oil is tasteless. Be warned that I got caught out badly one time doing this with battery acid which is a distinctly unplesant tasting chemical (a lot worse than petrol).

On consideration, it is probably best not to do this

EDIT: Having just looked at some pictures of your bike, I can't see one either. It SHOULDN'T be able to leak fuel from out of the tap even if the fuel line has become detached as a vaccuum fuel tap is undoubtedly fitted.

You mentioned it being in the same room as a gas boiler. So it has just come from the cold into a warm room. Probably just the petrol vapour in the tank expanding and coming out of the breather.
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[tgabber]

[mchaggis]

Unsafe? Um, petrol vapour is what goes bang inside engines. Now imagine your garage as the cylinder, and think bang!

It's very unsafe to have clouds of petrol vapour around, you might be wanting to open the windows and doors, and see if you can get a breeze through the garage to disperse it a bit and blow it out. (So long as the wind isn't just going to blow it further into the house.)

Avoiding lightswitches and things which make sparks is probably a good idea as well. I should think the risks are somewhat similar to a gas leak, except I doubt Transco would be impressed if you called them.
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[loply]

Ugh fess.

For the life of me I cant find a fuel tap. Its certainly not on the side and nice and visible.

I spent fucking ages staring at both side of the bike for a fuel tap but concluded there wasnt one. SZR660s do have a "Fuel Low" light.

Wheres the first place I should look to identify the source of the liquid leak that is on the garage floor?

[Frost]

Carb breather pipes?

[JonB]

This may seem really stupid? But GET THE F*** OUT OF THAT HOUSE! I'm surprised you can still type and have not been blown to smitherines! I hope your gas is turned off!
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[PsychoHippy]

Sounds to me like you have dislodged a pipe when you were lifting the tank. Get back in there ASAP and try to make sure that they are all seated correctly.
As for the dangerous thing - er, yes. Very. In fact I'd be inclined to move it out of the garage to let the air/wind disperse the fumes.
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[stryker]

The petrol won't ignite until you get just the right balance of air vs petrol in the garage. I mean look in the workshop forum for all those threads about getting the mix right, its harder than you think.

Just open a window.

BTW, does your bike have a switch marked "RES" on the right handle bar? I ask as it has a warning light so may have an electronic res function.
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Now what?

[Kickstart]

Hi

It might not have an easily reached fuel tap. Some bikes just have a connector on the tank that you do up / undo to turn the petrol on / off (and sometimes these leak if you undo them all the way.

Normally they do have an external switch though, even if it is bolted to the frame well away from the tank. Lift the tank up again and follow the fuel pipe.

All the best

Keith
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[loply]

Hmm.

The place still smells of petrol now, Ive put kitchen roll underneath the gearbox and the leaking appears to be slower.

My instructor (ex-owner of the bike) reckons it might be the breather pipe leaking out a load of fuel cus it hasnt been ran for a few months (I ran it last night).

Im going to try and remove the tank tonight. If the house is still there.