Petrol coming out trying to start it up

Big-Blue

Joined
Apr 14, 2025
Messages
8
Age
55
Location
Cambridgeshire
Bike
ST1100
Hi Everyone,
A few months ago I had my ST1100 in for a head gasket replacement. Long story of poor quality garages messing it up.
When I brought it home it wasn’t used for a couple of months. I tried to start it and it wasn’t used so different I almost gave up. When it did lump into life petrol ‘poured’ onto the ground from the lower part of the engine.
So I am guessing a stuck float in the carburettor. Any ideas, should I take it back to the garage that took weeks and weeks to put a new head gasket on it or try myself?
Best to you all and thanks in advance.
 
It may be too early yet, to consider swapping those carbs out for fuel injectors.
I'm sure I shouldn't have posted that, sorry.
But others here will undoubtedly be along soon with some actual ideas to help you.
 
Carbed bikes do not like being sat for any length of time with fuel in the float bowls. Chances are your starting problems are due to blocked jets (fuel evaporates and leaves a gummy residue in the fine passages) and the same has affected the float needles. You should pull the carbs off and remove the jets and floats/needles for a thorough clean, especially the low speed jets.
 
Your going to have to take some covers off. Maybe a fuel line wasn't clamped and came off, fuel cut valve could be be leaking or floats in carbs.
 
Did you run it when you picked the bike up?

If at that time it did not dump gas there is a good chance that it is a stuck float as you mentioned. I've had bikes that have done this after storage and on some they fix themselves after running. I always move the offending bike out of the garage before trying to run it, just in case it goes up in a fireball I don't want my other bikes and garage to go up in flames.

For my bikes that get stored, which is all of them as I have the Snow Bird trait, I always do the last couple of fill-ups with pure gas and add stabil, I don't drain the carbs as I feel like it's better to keep the rubber o-rings and air cut off valves wet with fuel, but that's just me.

As Sadisor said you could swap out the carbs for FI and a timing chain.
 
Sadlsor said:
It may be too early yet, to consider swapping those carbs out for fuel injectors.
I'm sure I shouldn't have posted that, sorry.
But others here will undoubtedly be along soon with some actual ideas to help you.
Click to expand...
Thank you, I honestly had no idea that the carbs could be replaced. That’s a very interesting thought.
 
TerryS said:
Carbed bikes do not like being sat for any length of time with fuel in the float bowls. Chances are your starting problems are due to blocked jets (fuel evaporates and leaves a gummy residue in the fine passages) and the same has affected the float needles. You should pull the carbs off and remove the jets and floats/needles for a thorough clean, especially the low speed jets.
Click to expand...
That sounds a sensible thing. I’ll be honest I’ve never done much work on it myself but I’m not the worst with my hands. Used to take bikes to bits and assembly them! in my youth.
I think with a good guide I could do that suggestion of cleaning the carbs.
Thank you.
 
Mike M. said:
Did you run it when you picked the bike up?

If at that time it did not dump gas there is a good chance that it is a stuck float as you mentioned. I've had bikes that have done this after storage and on some they fix themselves after running. I always move the offending bike out of the garage before trying to run it, just in case it goes up in a fireball I don't want my other bikes and garage to go up in flames.

For my bikes that get stored, which is all of them as I have the Snow Bird trait, I always do the last couple of fill-ups with pure gas and add stabil, I don't drain the carbs as I feel like it's better to keep the rubber o-rings and air cut off valves wet with fuel, but that's just me.

As Sadisor said you could swap out the carbs for FI and a timing chain.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your reply. I’ll need to have a look when the weather picks up a little and I get some time off work.
 
Definitely check what others have mentioned first but, I had a problem with fuel leaking under the carbs and I couldn't see the source.
Pulled, checked and replaced Carbs several times before I found the fuel rails had leaks caused by old o-rings. Had to disassemble the carb bank to get to the
O-rings (VERY fiddly)
 
Slydynbye said:
Definitely check what others have mentioned first but, I had a problem with fuel leaking under the carbs and I couldn't see the source.
Pulled, checked and replaced Carbs several times before I found the fuel rails had leaks caused by old o-rings. Had to disassemble the carb bank to get to the
O-rings (VERY fiddly)
Click to expand...
Oh! Sounds like a job and a half. I must have been lucky all these 26 years not to have had this before. I guess it’s stood for too long this time. I didn’t see any petrol coming out when I fetched it back from garage after the gasket replacement although they had it many many weeks.
 
Bush said:
He was pulling your leg! There is no such swap available! I believe he was insinuating you should buy a ST1300 instead.
Click to expand...
Many thanks. My bike hasn’t seen much road action in the last two years and I think all that sitting about in the garage has not helped it.
 
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