Fuel petcock for EFI

[nealwp]

OK I have a question about the solenoid petcock that came with my V11 Bassa. Replacements are no longer available and I installed a manual one in instead. Except for tank maintenance where I'm removing the tank or draining the fuel, why bother closing the petcock. It's not like there's a float bowl that will overflow and leak.

[Aaron D.]

You can leave it open. In fact you should.

[s1120]

You can leave it open. In fact you should.

Why should you?  I dont see much harm in it..  But why is it better? 

[yogidozer]

I can't say for sure, but didn't the electric one shut down when key was off?
I replaced my EV one with a manual one. What if the gas line leaks?
Besides, all my other bikes have carbs., so I shut it down out of habit.
What can it hurt?

[Kev m]

Why should you?  I dont see much harm in it..  But why is it better?

Because the external fuel pump can be quickly destroyed if you forget to open in before attempting to start.

No fuel is going to leak while it sits that wouldn't when it was running.

Really the only reason it had any petcock was service or maybe MAYBE so the fuel tank wouldn't drain all over should a line become damaged. Maybe during a crash for instance.

If it's the one I'm thinking of it isn't really designed to be shut off each use. You have to thread it shut, not give a quick quarter turrn.

It makes more sense to shut a petcock with a carb because a stuck float could allow a bad leak. Carbs aren't pressurized systems. It makes no sense to shut it on an EFI bike.

[marcmorrison]

Which manual petcock in particular did you install??  I may replace mine as well before the original craps out!!

[yogidozer]

Because the external fuel pump can be quickly destroyed if you forget to open in before attempting to start.

No fuel is going to leak while it sits that wouldn't when it was running.

Really the only reason it had any petcock was service or maybe MAYBE so the fuel tank wouldn't drain all over should a line become damaged. Maybe during a crash for instance.

If it's the one I'm thinking of it isn't really designed to be shut off each use. You have to thread it shut, not give a quick quarter turrn.

It makes more sense to shut a petcock with a carb because a stuck float could allow a bad leak. Carbs aren't pressurized systems. It makes no sense to shut it on an EFI bike.

Just like I turn it off by habit, I turn it on by habit. After close to 50 Years of riding, you develop habits 
And what if the gas line leaks?

[yogidozer]

Which manual petcock in particular did you install??  I may replace mine as well before the original craps out!!

MG cycle has one.

[s1120]

Because the external fuel pump can be quickly destroyed if you forget to open in before attempting to start.

No fuel is going to leak while it sits that wouldn't when it was running.

Really the only reason it had any petcock was service or maybe MAYBE so the fuel tank wouldn't drain all over should a line become damaged. Maybe during a crash for instance.

If it's the one I'm thinking of it isn't really designed to be shut off each use. You have to thread it shut, not give a quick quarter turrn.

It makes more sense to shut a petcock with a carb because a stuck float could allow a bad leak. Carbs aren't pressurized systems. It makes no sense to shut it on an EFI bike.

Good point. Im not worried about the line failing. Heck cars have lines that are full at all times. I do see the point about running the pump dry. I guess the worst thing that can happen, is the petcock valve getting stuck when you need to close it to remove the tank or lines.. you know like a seldom used faucet can leak after being used for the first time in years.

[yogidozer]

Forget to turn it on? Yeah, might forget to take your bike off the center stand too 

[Texas Turnip]

Which manual petcock in particular did you install??  I may replace mine as well before the original craps out!!

The electronic petcock served many of us high milers thousands of miles with no problems. Back in the late 90's one or two had problems with the electr onic petcock and mass hysteria set in.

The pearl white is a stunning color.
Tex

[yogidozer]

The electronic petcock served many of us high milers thousands of miles with no problems. Back in the late 90's one or two had problems with the electr onic petcock and mass hysteria set in.

The pearl white is a stunning color.
Tex

Yes, mine was one of those that failed. Manuel one hasn't failed in the last 20 years....so far 

[Kev m]

Just like I turn it off by habit, I turn it on by habit. After close to 50 Years of riding, you develop habits 
And what if the gas line leaks?

Again, unless there's a new style petcock for EFI Tonti Calis, the one I installed many years ago was threaded which meant you had to twist, twist, twist, twist....uhhh half a twist... ok finally shut.

It would be plain moronic to close/open that each use. There's literally no point.

OMG what does every other EFI motorcycle do when they don't have a petcock? But what happens if a fuel line develops a leak?!?

(Yes, there is a small difference, on most EFI bikes the fuel lines coming out of the tank a high pressure and not LOW pressure. So uh, I would argue even more prone to the possibility of a leak no? Of course I would think most EFI tanks with in-tank pumps wouldn't potentially empty there tank if a leak occurred, but again WTF would a leak just magically occur).

This seems silly - do what you want, but closing it is a super waste of time. And this is from a guy who used to always close the vacuum controlled ones on his carb bikes. But again that's only a 1/4 turn.

[yogidozer]

but closing it is a super waste of time.
Yup, all 15 seconds 

[Kev m]

but closing it is a super waste of time.
Yup, all 15 seconds 

But you've been doing it for 20 years. 

[yogidozer]

He Kev, please take this as it was meant to be, a joke. 
When you were a tot, and your mom said "Kev, zip your zipper"
You replied, "but mom, it's a TREMENDOUS waste of time" 🤣
And actually it's been closer to 50 years of riding with manual shut offs

[Kev m]

He Kev, please take this as it was meant to be, a joke. 
When you were a tot, and your mom said "Kev, zip your zipper"
You replied, "but mom, it's a TREMENDOUS waste of time" 🤣
And actually it's been closer to 50 years of riding with manual shut offs

Ha ha, no offense in the slightest....


...and I was talking about 20 years with the manual on your Cali....or at least that's what I thought you'd posted earlier.

It's all good - RIDE SAFE!

Kev

[Rich A]

There is a reason to close the valve, at least once in a while. If the valve stays open for a long time, it may not seal completely when you finally close it. Dripped some gas out of that valve when I removed the tank from my Jackal.

Rich A

[Kev m]

There is a reason to close the valve, at least once in a while. If the valve stays open for a long time, it may not seal completely when you finally close it. Dripped some gas out of that valve when I removed the tank from my Jackal.

Rich A

Yeah, that does make sense... at least once in a while.... If I still had my Jackal I might have done it over winter or something. But I feel like when I had my Jackal the damn tank was coming off for something often enough I never had to think about it lol.