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R1150GS Riding in the Rain


roger 04 rt

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roger 04 rt

Yesterday I got caught two hours from home in a moderate rain storm. The options were few so I rode though it. It occurred to me that the bike's harness and fuel tank hadn't been subjected to water since I owned it but I had recently replaced the old HES.

 

About fifteen minutes into the two hours, I realized I'd need fuel and stopped under cover at a gas station. When I opened the filler there was water in the neck and I could see the drain was clogged. The cap seemed to be sealing well so I filled up and headed out but I wondered how much water would find its way into the tank.

 

Other than getting soaked to the skin and the gloves dying my hands black, the next hour and a half was mostly uneventful. I say mostly because for a while I was imagining that some roughness had developed during light throttle acceleration. The more it rained and the more I rode, the less I noticed and by the time I arrived home I decided I was imagining it.

 

Everything is pretty well dried out and when I opened the filler neck there was still about a tablespoon of water which I sopped up.

 

Now I'm left wondering how much if any water entered the tank. Will the E10 fuel I run absorb any water that did get it? Should I just add a can of dri gas? Or do I need to pull the tank and affirmatively dry it out so that I know for sure? Do these metal GS tanks rust? I'm think a piece of SS wire will clear the clog.

 

What's your experience been?

Edited by roger 04 rt
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Yesterday I got caught two hours from home in a moderate rain storm. The options were few so I rode though it. It occurred to me that the bike's harness and fuel tank hadn't been subjected to water since I owned it but I had recently replaced the old HES.

 

About fifteen minutes into the two hours, I realized I'd need fuel and stopped under cover at a gas station. When I opened the filler there was water in the neck and I could see the drain was clogged. The cap seemed to be sealing well so I filled up and headed out but I wondered how much water would find its way into the tank.

 

Other than getting soaked to the skin and the gloves dying my hands black, the next hour and a half was mostly uneventful. I say mostly because for a while I was imagining that some roughness had developed during light throttle acceleration. The more it rained and the more I rode, the less I noticed and by the time I arrived home I decided I was imagining it.

 

Everything is pretty well dried out and when I opened the filler neck there was still about a tablespoon of water which I sopped up.

 

Now I'm left wondering how much if any water entered the tank. Will the E10 fuel I run absorb any water that did get it? Should I just add a can of dri gas? Or do I need to pull the tank and affirmatively dry it out so that I know for sure? Do these metal GS tanks rust? I'm think a piece of SS wire will clear the clog.

 

What's your experience been?

 

Afternoon Roger

 

That is kind of a known problem so I used to spray WD-40 into the drain then lightly blow out with compressed air about once a month (lots worse if you ride off-road in the sand & dust).

 

You might have had some water enter but probably not a lot, problem with the old GS is that water settles WAY down in tank wings & can just sit there until you ride aggressively of go off-roading.

 

E-10 will pick some of that water up BUT then the E-10/H2o molecules weigh more than the other gasoline & it too settles to the bottom of the tank & THAT stuff is corrosive. It, as well as dry gas type products, do work BUT to do their job efficiently you need to run most of the existing fuel out of the tank & not allow it to settle & just sit there long term. Problem with the GS is it is difficult to burn out the fuel deep in the tank wings.

 

Have you cut the bottom of your tank vent hose at a 45° angle (the one that comes out behind the R/H foot peg)? There was a BMW bulletin on this as riding in a heavy rain or lots of road water can take a LOT of water into the tank, or into the Evap can then black goo into the tank. The 45° cut keeps road water from running down the hose then bridging the straight hose outlet then getting sucked into the vent hose. Just imagine how much volume of water/air can get sucked in if you burn 2 gallons (volume) of fuel out the tank & that 2 gallon volume is replaced with same volume of outside air/water?

 

The metal tanks do not rust easily if clean moisture free fuel is kept inside BUT E-10 with some moisture mixed in can ruin them pretty fast as it seems to contain some sort of it's own oxidizer. There is a valid reason that a most boat marinas sell non E-10 containing fuel for boat usage.

 

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roger 04 rt

Good Afternoon DR,

I have to say that neither me nor the motorcycle was prepared for a long trip in the rain. There was half an inch of dusty, rusty sludge in the filler drain. A drill, wire and some WD40 follow by compressed air has done the trick, thanks.

 

I think I'll run add some dry gas, pull the tank and mix it then run till the bottom. Then dri gas and rinse, lather and repeat. Even full the tank is pretty easy to get off and shake, only weighing about 40 lbs full.

 

I had not cut the hose and this bike is canister-less so I will get to that next. Good pointer.

 

RB

Edited by roger 04 rt
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Good Afternoon DR,

I have to say that neither me nor the motorcycle was prepared for a long trip in the rain. There was half an inch of dusty, rusty sludge in the filler drain. A drill, wire and some WD40 follow by compressed air has done the trick, thanks.

 

I think I'll run add some dry gas, pull the tank and mix it then run till the bottom. Then dri gas and rinse, lather and repeat. Even full the tank is pretty easy to get off and shake, only weighing about 40 lbs full.

 

I had not cut the hose and this bike is canister-less so I will get to that next. Good pointer.

 

RB

 

Afternoon Roger

 

"Riding in the Rain"-- isn't that a song? Well should be anyhow!

 

If you aren't going to ride that bike enough to almost empty the tank a couple of times then your plan sounds like the safest approach as you REALLY don't what rust to start in the tank.

 

 

 

 

 

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