best way to not spill gas?

[dsenart]

I haven't had to fill my tank yet, so can anyone tell me the best way from keeping gas from overflowing or dripping down your tank?

Thanks

[robertc729]

Don't overfill it seriously stand to the right side of the bike, and look into the tank as you are filling it, don't go above the bottom of the filler neck.

[Atlas68]

Originally Posted by dsenart

I haven't had to fill my tank yet, so can anyone tell me the best way from keeping gas from overflowing or dripping down your tank?

Thanks

Same way you fill a jerry-can.
At least that's how we do it here in Canada...

[dsenart]

what the hell is a jerry-can? lol

I just bought the bike yesterday (yamaha fz6) I honestly didn't even open the gas tank and look inside, i have no clue what the inside looks like. Right now it is under a cover because I am awaiting my insurance man to get me setup, and although I should know better cause I am a deputy sheriff, I am going to ride it around once it is insured eventhough I can't take my license test until the 4th.. I need to learn the basics until I can get to a course in may.

[DragonRider]

If you really want to know:It's a five gallon (water,deisel,kerosene) gas can invented by the Germans.
Jerry was what they called the german soldier. They strapped the Jerrycan to jeeps and such,they were almost indestructible.
Jerrycan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Most,if not all modern gas nozzles (I think it's a law in the US)have an automatic shut off that will shut the gas off when it reaches the end of the nozzle,there are small holes about an inch from the end.
Get your self some of the paper towels that you use at the gas station to wipe windows and keep ready to catch any drips from the end of the nozzle after filling. Tip the Nozzle up after filling so any gas runs back into the nozzle.

[ORBrit]

Use a paper towel to cover the nozzle moving it to and from the tank.
Be careful when you first squeeze as the pressure is normally pretty high - make sure you have it way down in there but not so far down that it will spray right back up out of the hole. Don't squeeze the handle all they way - the fast pumps around here will deliver a gallon in about 5 seconds.
The filler neck is the cylinder going a couple inches down from the hole in the tank. With your bike on the side stand you should stop filling when the gas level reaches the bottom of the filler neck.

[PhotoJoe]

Originally Posted by dsenart

.....although I should know better cause I am a deputy sheriff, I am going to ride it around once it is insured eventhough I can't take my license test until the 4th.

You DO have your license! It's called a badge!!!

[tallannie]

Welcome...and, of course, you WILL arrest yourself if you give in and ride before the course...right? right??

I will add that pump pressures vary (at least around here) and I found one that runs nice and slow with a gentle squeeze so I often go there.

You will also notice that certain directions of gas flow will cause more splash back upwards...so experiment a bit and see what direction is best.

[GregR1]

i do a two-step approach:

i sit on the bike (kickstand deployed just in case) to keep it vertical, paper towel in hand to keep drips from hitting the bike's paint. not sure if it's legal / ok to sit on the bike while refueling, but i do it and nobody has said anything yet.

first, put the nozzle in fully and pump in most of what the tank will hold (gotta know how big your tank is, and a guess as to how much is left). that takes care of the bulk quickly. then, i pull the nozzle up and keep it only 1" to 2" inside the filler neck of the gas tank, so that i can see the gasoline flowing i. squeeze the pump a bit to get a controlled flow, and let the level come up right to the bottom of that metal insert thingy that's in the filler neck (it's maybe 2" down from the top of the tank). that way, the tank is about as full as it's going to get, and it gets done fairly quickly.

cap the tank, put the nozzle back (paper towel to keep drips away from bike), get off, and walk in to pay.

[dsenart]

hmm i looked inside my tank today, about an inch down I have a metal grate with a few holes in it (none are big enough for a gas pump to fit down in) and it doesnt seem to give way if i push it, i guess im going to have to pump really slowly.

[tallannie]

This sounds like a crazy desgin...only an inch?? something wrong there.

Originally Posted by dsenart

hmm i looked inside my tank today, about an inch down I have a metal grate with a few holes in it (none are big enough for a gas pump to fit down in) and it doesnt seem to give way if i push it, i guess im going to have to pump really slowly.

[reddeth]

I don't know about a guard with holes in it thats an inch down, but on my SRAD if you look in the tank, directly below the fill hole, about 2-2 1/2 inches down is the cutout for the airbox, maybe thats what you're looking at?

At any rate, you ALWAYS need to pump the gas very slowly, for one if you go to fast it can splash back up and get you and the bike soaked in gas (which really sucks because the fumes get stuck in your helmet), it can also kick the pump off because it will splash back and make the pump think that its done filling.

Just go slowly, keep paper towels handy, and just remember how much money you spent on the bike. Do that and you'll be plenty cautious enough.

[POE-BOY SAMICH]

Originally Posted by dsenart

hmm i looked inside my tank today, about an inch down I have a metal grate with a few holes in it (none are big enough for a gas pump to fit down in) and it doesnt seem to give way if i push it, i guess im going to have to pump really slowly.

That's a crazy design.

As others posted: GO SLOWLY.
Pull the pump trigger as little as possible to get fuel out, then increase the pressure if you can do so without splashing.
Keep an eye on what you're doing and DON'T OVER FILL.

[dsenart]

i put gas in it today, well i was wrong the grate thing inside my tank, well the big hole is exactly the right size for the nozzle to fit, and I held 3 paper towels right under the nozzle when i lifted it out i covered the nozzle, not a drop spilled!! its the little things in life that get us along

[Atlas68]

LOL. Then fill yer boots dude. Put some miles on her so you can do it all over again.

[Stasy]

I just use my hand over the nozzle. Then again, I like the smell of gas. And I wear gloves most times when riding, so the glove protects my ride.

I also strattle the bike to keep it upright during refueling. Seems to help with the refueling sight into my tank, esp my Shadow.

[jwalcik]

What about the new Shell pumps that have to "seal" around the filler opening? When I was filling up my bike a few weeks ago I thought I needed about 2.5 gallons of gas, but without being able to see what was going on, when I hit 2.4 gallons, I got a bit of a surprise. Any suggestions for those (my current plan is to avoid the stations that have the new pumps)?

[SoCalCruisin]

The "seal" you're talking about is all we have out here in California. It's a pain in the azz, but I guess you get used to it. To fill up completely, you have to hold and pull that seal up while you pump the last of it.

[Apertureguy]

See...now if you really loved your bike you would be filling it a mouthful at a time...like a bird feeding its young.

Then, at least, you wouldn't have to worry about spilling any.

[inspiron]

Well, I've filled my current bike about 65 times so far, and never spilled more than a drop. Then again, we don't have the vapor-lock system here, so I can see what's going in and I know when it's full.