Uh-Oh!!!!...off Facebook...

[warp9.9]

I was planning on posting about this here at some point but that's my bike. It went up in flames this past Sunday. I was about getting some fuel before going on a ride with some friends. I had the nozzle all the way in the tank to the plate and was holding the trigger with my hand.

I looked up for a split second to see how much fuel was going in because it was taking a while since I had a third of a tank left. When I looked down the pump was still pouring with full force. I stopped pumping and paused for a second in panic, then everything went up in flames.

I was really lucky that I kept my helmet and gloves on otherwise I could have had life-ending or life-threatening damage. I've got 1st and 2nd degree burns on my arms and face (through the visor).

Gas station rep called it a faulty pump. Fire investigation detective watched the footage and said it was the pump. I'll be pursuing legal action immediately.

Insurance will cover the bike and I've got great health insurance through work. I'm on medical leave for the rest of the year.

This isn't my first bike and it isn't the first time filling up my Rocket. A couple drops of overflow is normal, not the amount that was in this situation for all you "arm chair experts."

The most important thing is your ok. Now for your safety lecture!
You have to be careful!!!!!!

 

[phar2slo]

I always watch when I fill the bike and never stick it into the tank always hold it just above so I can fill it up.

About 40 years ago I went out with my uncle who did farm fuel delivery.

I was so happy that he let me do the filling of an in ground petrol tank I was keeping an eye On the over flow pipe a few feet away as we had pumped a lot of fuel when I heard a noise so looked down at the moment about 5 litres of petrol sprayed out of the tank.

The auto shut-off failed I was covered in petrol from head to toe.

My eyes and mouth was full of the stuff. And I was rolling around on the ground screaming and spewing all over the place.

Phenix sorry to hear of your bad luck.

That's another great reason to keep your gloves and helmet on while getting fuel.

I wish you a speedy recovery

 

[wjb]

I've been using the McCuff fuel spill protector when I gas up my bike. It works as advertised, fills up the tank while keeping gas from spraying out. Of course there's not much you can do if the nozzle doesn't shut off when it should, no matter what your technique is.

 

[ruzzle]

Those fully-auto pump nozzles with lock-on triggers have been banned in Oz for many many years....it was possible for somebody to hang up the nozzle with the trigger still engaged, so the next person was sprayed with petrol as soon as they picked the nozzle up off the pump.

Bluddy good thing!

Now they just shut off when full as usual.

And repeating - if you stick the end of the nozzle into the R3 tank just below that splashback plate, you won"t have a problem.

 

[golly]

" And repeating - if you stick the end of the nozzle into the R3 tank just below that splashback plate, you won"t have a problem. "

Any chance you can post a picture of what you mean, as this sounds like a contortionist's trick? I never fill mine when sitting on the bike, and the intuitive thing, to me, is to put the nozzle vertically into the tank regardless of which side I am standing.

 

[mr hunt]

Tough break @Phenix3939 ... all the best for a full recovery

 

[Stillserving]

Those fully-auto pump nozzles with lock-on triggers have been banned in Oz for many many years....it was possible for somebody to hang up the nozzle with the trigger still engaged, so the next person was sprayed with petrol as soon as they picked the nozzle up off the pump.

If you watch that video I posted it references how they corrected that issue with a "pressure sensitive" nozzle, meaning if there's no pressure from the pump, like when you hang it up, the nozzle is supposed to trip turning off the flow.

 

[elcanaco]

More than a decade ago, I was on day 1 of one of my rides around Mexico (at the time on my ‘04 Road Glide) and was fueling up in Santa Ana. I never let the Mexican pump employee fill the bike but give the attendant a propina anyway. Just as the tank was nearing full I glanced at the pump readout for only a second. In that split second I’m smelling gas, LOTS of gas! The shutoff didn’t work and I have bathed the tank in fuel, enough that it’s run down onto the cylinders. I look at the attendant, he at me and we both step back a few feet. The fuel vaporized off the hot cylinders and tank but no ignition. The lesson I learned to this day is I NEVER take my eyes off the tank opening if I’m pumping, regardless which bike I’m filling. Great Husky vid on the innards of a properly working present-day nozzle.

 

[msdunkel]

Glad you're going to be OK. I had the exact same thing happen to me last week. I wasn't paying full attention assuming the auto-shutoff would work as it has for the last 33 years I've been filling vehicles with gas but this time it didn't. When I looked down I'd pumped at least a half gallon of fuel onto the tank and ground, no idea why yours lit up and mine didn't but I think this is something all R3 owners need to pay strict attention to. There is obviously a defect in our gas tank which is not triggering fuel pump shutoffs the way they should.

 

[aquilla]

@msdunkel, I imagine your bike was on the side stand and fuel didn't massively hit the headers. I sometimes kept the bike straight when fueling to get more fuel inside, hence a few more kms to ride but I have observed that bikes do not like too much gasoline in the tank, especially when hot outside.