2008 R1200R leak

[spoonyfork]

Ok, I've put about 1,400 miles on my recently purchased 2008 R1200R and have had in for the 600 mile check a couple weeks ago. Today, after a short ride to the grocery store and back I came back out to see a puddle under the bike near the kick stand. A tube running down the frame ending at the shift lever was dripping not a small amount a yellowish fluid. I can't identify the smell but if I had to guess it was like oil. I have never seen this before. The tube appears to be open-ended. Is this some kind of run-off? I posted a picture with the tube circled. I searched the forums but couldn't find anything related. I'm really starting to freak out about this.

[lewellen]

First, don't freak. (I know, easier to say when it's not your bike...)

"Mission-critical" systems like the engine oil, brakes, clutch, etc., generally don't have open drain lines to the outside word.

This is, I believe, the overflow line from the charcoal canister. Did you recently refuel the bike? Have you ever overfilled the tank? (Remember, on this bike, you're supposed to fill only to the bottom of the orange neck thing.)

It was probably gas, or a mix of gas plus whatever was in the charcoal can (besides charcoal). I don't know if this system also handles crankcase venting (Don?) but if so, this sounds like a classic description of the "sludge" that can build up there.

Getting raw gas into the charcoal can, can cause other issues, but probably doesn't indicate an imminent, massive mechanical failure.

Best,

- Lewellen

[deilenberger]

There are actually two of these hoses.. one is the rain-drain for the filler cap, that prevents water from rain from sitting around the cap seal and dumping into the tank when the cap is opened.. the other is - as mentioned by Lewellen - the vent tube from the charcoal canister. They are on opposite sides of the bike. From memory (frequently faulty - so don't take it as gospel) - the left shifter side is the tank/canister vent. But I could be wrong on that.

So - washed the bike lately? Or overfilled the tank?

It's not good to overfill the tank if you have the charcoal canister in place - it will eventually saturate and stop venting, leading to drawing a vacuum on the fuel tank, which can collapse it, or cause bad running, or both. There have also been reports of the charcoal backstreaming into the fuel tank, which causes no end of problems.

If you don't have a charcoal canister - the vent hose will drip raw gas if the tank is overfilled (and particularly if it then heats up and the gas expands) - which presents it's own hazards like fire and explosions and bad stuff like that.

[thepeacebullgrunt]

Same thing happen to me at the beginning....dealer told me to stop "overfill" the gas tank and the canister will dry by itself.

When I fill my gas tank I stick the pump tube all the way down and wait for the automatic shut off to do his job...so usually that way it never overflow, as far as I noticed.

My bike run great approaching the 6k..its even better... gears are smoother and power engine seems a bit more strong and free.

I can't wait to do the 6k review
some peoples on this forum wrote that they noticed a real change in the way the bike behave.

An advice...don't tel to your dealer that you overflowed your gas tank it will give him a chance to ask you every little pennies for the time he will spend with you talking about it and check the bike.
The instruction book said "Do Not Overflow the Gas Tank".

[spoonyfork]

Oh my, how embarrassing for me. Why yes, I did fill up last night and one could very easily classify it as an overfill. I remember now thinking that as I paid. Usually I'm very careful about that but last night I was tired after a long ride and was perhaps not as observant as I should have been.

Just to put my mind at ease I went out and sniffed the fluid. While my neighbor gave me funny looks, it did smell like gas. I took it out for a short ride in the shade to use some gas up. No more leaking. Hopefully I didn't damage anything. I'll be more careful in the future. Thanks everyone for helping this noob out.

[ka5ysy]

One thing I have noted after a tank fill is that on a warm or hot day the tank will vent fuel if you have the bike on the side stand. I usually leave it on the center stand after a fill to avoid the venting and associated puddle of gas on the ground under the bike.

[famousperson]

I had that leak once, early on. I had just filled the bike (I always overfill), and had the bike on the kickstand on a leftward slope. When I saw the leak (and smelled it--it was gas) I freaked. I've never had those circumstances, nor leak, since.

[FredRydr]

I'm reopening this thread for good reason - mine has been dripping lately. It's the canister vent line.

Will the liquid fuel in the canister simply evaporate and be drawn out of the charcoal as the bike is used, or does liquid fuel damage the canister contents such that I can expect dripping until the canister is replaced?

By sheer co-incidence, I have a spare canister from a parts buy.

Fred

[deilenberger]

I'm reopening this thread for good reason - mine has been dripping lately. It's the canister vent line.

Will the liquid fuel in the canister simply evaporate and be drawn out of the charcoal as the bike is used, or does liquid fuel damage the canister contents such that I can expect dripping until the canister is replaced?

By sheer co-incidence, I have a spare canister from a parts buy.

Fred

Wouldn't hurt to swap them out. The canister is attached to an intake vacuum line on the left throttle body which is electrically controlled to open after the engine is warm. If the canister is really soaked - you're sucking raw gas into that side of the engine, which isn't a good thing. I'd swap them out, and leave the old one someplace it can evaporate the gas without the fumes causing an explosive mixture (like outside on a dry porch..) As I mentioned before - if done repeatedly, the charcoal starts to turn to a slurry that can be sucked into the intake or block the tank vent. That's not a good thing.

Then don't overfill the tank..

[PhilSB]

After searching through my Haynes Service and Repair manual I eventually found a reference to "Evaporative emission control system -US models."
Happily in the UK we don't have it .

Phil