Draining the last bit of fuel out of the Kawasaki KLR650’s 6.6-gallon IMS tank using Aerostich’s E-Fill siphon. Once the tank was dry I was able to remove and disassemble the petcock.
A leaky petcock. It makes my wife giggle every time I talk about it, but the condition is no laughing matter. First your petcock begins to weep, then it starts to seep, and before you know it there?s a smelly puddle on the floor.
A corn-rich diet is to blame, in this case gasoline blended with ethanol, which wreaks havoc on rubber parts on older motorcycles.
Motorcycle Fuel Stabilizers and Short-Term Storage
My problems began when I took my 1998 Kawasaki KLR650 out of long-term storage (read: months of dust-covered neglect) to go on a dual-sport ride. I fiddled with my petcock several times on the ride?from Off to On to Reserve, back to On, and then finally Off at the end of the ride. Nothing like a cold January dual-sport ride to get the blood pumping…and the petcock leaking. Over time, ethanol in the gas had caused several rubber O-rings and gaskets to deteriorate. (Photo by Bruce Gillies)
The next morning I opened the door to my garage and was punched in the nose by the smell of gas. Walking over to the bike I saw a small puddle just below the petcock. Gulp.
I took advantage of Kawasaki?s handy online library of parts diagrams and downloaded a PDF of the fuel tank schematic and parts list for my bike. Then I called my local dealer?s parts department, and the fellow on the ...