Photo: screenshot from LiveLeak
Refueling a motorcycle seems a lot easier than doing so on a car. The quick access to the gas tank makes some riders think it's safe to refuel while sitting on the bike to keep it perfectly vertical and fill the container to the brim, but this maneuver might backfire eventually.
Take this video for example. The guy pulls into a gas station, parks near the pump and lets the attendant fill up his tank while he’s still sitting in the saddle. It doesn’t take much time, and the whole thing suddenly lights on fire.
Why did that happen? If you ask us, we’d think the automatic fuel shut-off nozzle failed to do its job. Gasoline filled up the tank pretty quickly and at one point started gushing out on the sides, most probably hitting the hot exhaust.
So, what can you do to prevent fire accidents like these? We got some tips:
I do this every time and nothing bad happened so far.
[LIVELEAK=http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c63_1472960403]
Why did that happen? If you ask us, we’d think the automatic fuel shut-off nozzle failed to do its job. Gasoline filled up the tank pretty quickly and at one point started gushing out on the sides, most probably hitting the hot exhaust.
So, what can you do to prevent fire accidents like these? We got some tips:
- Don’t let anyone else refuel your bike. It is you who knows how much gas can be poured into it and when to stop
- Put your bike on the kickstand and eventually leave your handlebars pointing forward to keep the bike as upright as possible
- Turn off the engine and get off the motorcycle
- Take out your gloves and touch something metallic that is grounded to discharge any static electricity
- Grab the pump nozzle and start filling up your bike while keeping an eye on the tank
- Don’t go full throttle on the nozzle to avoid splashing gasoline outside the tank
- Usually, pumps are fitted with an automatic shut-off system that kicks in when the fuel rises enough in the tank to touch the tip of the nozzle. If it works, you can’t bring up your tank to full, and you’ll need to take out the nozzle and pour gasoline from the brim of the tank. Do it gently to complete the fill-up, but don’t overdo it
I do this every time and nothing bad happened so far.
[LIVELEAK=http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c63_1472960403]
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