Greg,

This line you are talking about, would this drain fuel out of the carb when the bike is stored.

I went out to the garage the other night and was hit with the smell of gas. Further inspection revealed that it was coming from a clear hose attached to the carb.

I turned off the fuel and ran the bike until she shut off . . . no more smell.

 

That would be the one Loyal. I always forget to shut off the gas. I'm going to make a sign in my shed on the back wall reminding me to shut it off. Just make sure that you plug that hose if you plan on getting in deep water or mud. It will drawl water and dirt into the carb. Been there done that
Rick

 

I'm confused here. My overflow tube has a one way check valve that lets the carb overflow drain out but doesn't allow anything going the other direction. Is that the same tube you are talking about? If so, how does water back up thru that check valve? I actually have checked the check valve to make sure it only flowed one direction and it did.

 

I'm sure under normal conditions or driving they work great, but getting under water will creat enough pressure to force water and dirt into the valve. Greg knows more about this then I do, he's the person that told me about it. My dealer said the same thing, how can water and dirt get in the carb from there? I can't imagine that there would be that much dirt in the gas, I only have 340 miles on it at about 110-120 miles per tank, so 3 tanks total. The air filter still looks new so that can't be the culprit. I would guess that the valve gets dirty and sticks open allowing junk to get in.
Rick

 

Loyal,

Yes it is the same drain line; however, yours should not drain while sitting still. That over flow is just in case the float sticks or bounces during transport. It sounds like your float is sticking. How old is your bike. You may want to rebuild the carb and replace the float while you are at it. Pretty cheap fix.

Crawdad,

All carbs come with a little check valve in the carb bowl. Most of them do not work. They are usually good for about a month or two. If yours works, and you never get water in the carb, you may be OK. I see some people that ride like I do, and they drain their carbs 5 times a day. Does not make sense to me.

Greg

 

You know, look at the new street bikes Vulcan 800 for example. They have a drain hose that terminates in a little "hooch bottle" this may work well!

 

This person that goes by GregSims seems to be some kind of ATV god or godess (whichever). You all should be proud to have him on this forum because the few secrets we have he shares with everyone. You have sinned again.

TAZ