Safety Tip

Have never understood pumping gas while sitting on the bike. I just don't get it. Same goes for center stand.
 
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In my entire motorcycle-cognizant lifetime this is the first ever such incident I've ever heard. I wonder in real life how many times this has occurred. And I've never seen a sign saying to dismount etc.

It doesn't affect me as stopped the practice after my GL1000 for no particular reason. I dismount and use the center stand because it's just easier and it gives me a chance to stretch my legs.

Of my two riding buddies one does as I do and the other only fills from the side-stand. He wants to leave room for the gas to expand. I feel we use it up faster than it can expand.
 
Gas station pads are notoriously slippery from fuel/oil drippings or cat litter. That was always reason enough for me to use the kick stand or side stand, never straddle the bike to fill it.
 
Wow! I made mention of this once on a LDR forum & was ripped to shreds for my statement. Sort of like saying car tires on motorcycling is lunacy, you will be flamed.
 
The other reason you fill the bike on the stand (either one) is so that if there is a fire, you won't drop the bike on its side during your getaway and add whatever spills out of the tank as fuel.

:tent3:

--Mark
 
In 50 yrs. of Ridin' I've never sat on a bike while fueling it; always on the sidestand standing next to it. Just common sense. No one had to say it to me.

The concept of sitting on the bike (a vulnerable position and obstacle to a fast move of any sort) while leaning forward, peering into a tank of volatile liquid that's venting explosive vapor while holding a nozzle that's dispensing said volatile liquid always seemed to be an invitation to The Darwin Awards, even before I knew the DA was a thing.

Good Ridin'
slmjim
 
slmjim said:
In 50 yrs. of Ridin' I've never sat on a bike while fueling it; always on the sidestand standing next to it. Just common sense. No one had to say it to me.
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My thoughts exactly.
 
Being 6'3" , & also having long arms , all I've had to do to fill up a bike was to lean it slightly to reach the pump's controls , but I will change. ( I do remember when I had just gotten my 1st GoldWing back in the late '70s and stopped for gas at a station that still pumped the gas for you in Greenville , Ohio . I turned around and noticed this attendant pouring gas in my tank complete with lit cigarette hanging out of his mouth with about a 1/2 " of ash curling over above the tank opening ! He got an ear-full ! something about blowing us all sky-high !) But , since I never smoked myself , I never considered the issues in this article .
 
BakerBoy said:
When I was younger, I thought common sense was common.... :noway:
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LOL

Just habit; turn bike off, put down sidestand, put on center stand, (with my ST1300 and tankbag) remove gloves, remove tankbag, fill bike, reverse the order... Never any problems! :D
 
Curious... for those who put it on the centerstand to gas up, is this just habit or do you have a specific reason?

Seems the only time I put mine on the centerstand is to work on it.
 
paulcb said:
Curious... for those who put it on the centerstand to gas up, is this just habit or do you have a specific reason?

Seems the only time I put mine on the centerstand is to work on it.
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Most of the bikes I've owned had had a centerstand and the gas cap is centered on the tank. I could always get more fuel in when it was on the centerestand. Not so important with ST1300's large tank, but I've had bikes that barely go much more than 100 miles before re-fueling so it's become a habit.

I did own a bike without a centerstand and the gas cap was offset so the tank could still be topped off.

And I never even thought about re-fueling while sitting on the bike.
 
I've filled my ST1100s for many years while sitting on them due to various physical afflictions in my lower extremities. But then I've been know to run with scissors also ... :D One trip to Canada it was so painful to mount and dismount (I was carrying a walking stick), that I would get on in the morning and not get off until I reached the destination. Understand that

1. The ST1100s are efficiently watercooled and don't really run that hot unless you get caught in traffic.
2. The ST1100 bodywork tends to shield the engine very well from errant fluids.
3. The ST1100 gas opening has a nice 'catch bowl' around it with a drain pipe to ground.

I have doused the bike with gas while not on it when I looked away and the automatic shutoff didn't work. No ST1100s were harmed in the process, but it sure stunk for a while. And when I do get off, I do put the ST1100 on the centerstand because if you decide to get into one of the saddlebags, you could tip her over if you are not thinking well. ;-)
 
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It amazes me sometimes, at the enthusiasm people will use when posting their opinions.

Reference to peoples choice of gas tank filling​ and Darwin awards or "common sense".

Yet others just post without judgement........

I fill my tank all three ways and will continue to do so depending on my need for speed.....
 
I'll just remember when I'm racing on the Isle of Man on a high powered race bike running hotter than blazes to get off and take my walking stick with me before I let someone else fuel it. And I bet what they were using didn't have any corn squeezings in it either ... :D It's hard to get this ethanol stuff to burn in a motorcycle as fuel much less with a match ... ;-)
 
Common practise for us when touring two up, may think twice about it now that is if MSO is willing to get off! IMO I'm much much more likely to drop the bike than have a flash fire, it is a precarious process balancing a big heave bike plus passenger, plus luggage with your groin! but hell if that an't living what is?
 
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