Water in Fuel tank. Repercussions?

[Stiffler]

Hi all,

Background:
Today I washed my bike the same way I always do and as I finished I started my bike to help dry it off. It ran perfectly for about a minute then the engine started to die. It sounded like just like it was running out of fuel. Then the engine completely stopped. The tank was freshly filled but never the less I quickly checked the fuel filler cap to make sure the fuel hadn't all leaked away. Anyway the fuel was there but the moat around the tank spout had failed to drain and was full of water. Obviously this had then entered the tank.

I removed and drained the tank refilled it with some fresh fuel and now the bikes working again. The drain tube for the fuel filler cap moat had kinked and was blocked.

The drained fuel had around 100ml of soapy water in it at the bottom... SO what else should I do to ensure the water doesn't have long term effects?

I'm considering changing the oil. The sparks are due to replaced anyway (over their service interval by 1000 miles) so I'll do those too...

Any other recomendations?

Thanks

Tim
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Current Bikes - Kawasaki ZX-6R (636) | BMW G650GS

[Kickstart]

Hi

Water sinks to the bottom of the tank, so will get taken into the rest of the fuel system rapidly. On a carbed engine it will land up in the float bowls and stop the engine running (might idle but die as soon as you use any throttle). On a fuel injected engine it might cause the injectors problems, but assuming they can flow the water it is probably less of a problem (it will be pumped through and out rapidly).

I wouldn't worry about the oil to be honest, nor the plugs. Might be tempted to change any fuel filter.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Ditto]

You should be alright tbh. I had the same problem,except it took me an age to figure out what it was. The water just stayed in the float bowls cause the engine couldnt ignite it.

No reason why it should drain into the sump or ruin the plugs.
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CG 125 > Bandit 600 > CBR 600 FY > Street Triple R

[mr rip]

methylated spirit is a good thing to have handy if you haven't quite got all the water out of your tank

if you find the bike starts to play up next time you take it out, drop about quater of a bottle in a full tank of petrol

it absorbs the water & mixes quite readily with petrol making the water burn off with the fuel no problem & saves you keep stripping it to blow the main jets out
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never criticise a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes, then when the muck hits the fan you'll be a mile away & you'll have his shoes