2005 Yamaha FJR1300

THIS REPORT IS IN REGARD TO THE SECOND EVENT REGARDING FUEL GEYSERING OUT OF THE FUEL TANK. DURING A REFUELING STOP IN GUNNISON, COLORADO, I OPENED THE FUEL CAP. THERE WAS A WHOOSHING SOUND AND FUEL LITERALLY SPEWED INTO THE AIR ABOUT 3 FEET, COVERING ME AND MOST OF THE MOTORCYCLE IN GASOLINE. PRIOR TO OPENING THE TANK CAP, I ESTIMATED ABOUT 1/4 TANK REMAINING. IT APPEARED THE FUEL TANK WAS STILL UNDER PRESSURE WHEN I OPENED THE TANK CAP. LOOKING AT THE FUEL REMAINING IN THE TANK, I COULD SEE THE FUEL BUBBLING, NOT FROM HEAT BUT BECAUSE THE AIR WAS COMING OUT OF SUSPENSION DUE TO THE RAPID REDUCTION IN PRESSURE. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO SPARK NEARBY BECAUSE THE CONSEQUENCES WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC FOR BOTH MYSELF AND THE GAS STATION. A YEAR BEFORE, THE SAME THING HAD HAPPENED. AT THAT TIME, I ATTRIBUTED IT TO EITHER AN ANOMALY OR SOMETHING THAT I HAD DONE WRONG. AFTER THE SECOND EVENT IN COLORADO, I TOOK THE BIKE TO A MOTORCYCLE SHOP TO GET REPAIRED. AT THE SHOP, THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT YAMAHA REPRESENTATIVES HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM BEFORE, EVEN THOUGH A FIVE MINUTE SEARCH ON THE YAMAHA FJR1300 INTERNET FORUMS INDICATED THAT THIS WAS NOT AN ISOLATED EVENT. TROUBLESHOOTING DETERMINED THAT THE VENT ON THE FUEL CAP ASSEMBLY WAS VENTING MUCH TOO SLOWLY AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE FUEL CAP ASSEMBLY. I WOULD RESPECTFULLY RECOMMEND THAT THIS INFORMATION BE PROVIDED TO ALL FJR1300 OWNERS BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY. I HAD WRITTEN YAMAHA HEADQUARTERS IN CALIFORNIA REGARDING THIS ISSUE A FEW WEEKS AGO BUT HAVE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. A COPY OF THIS LETTER IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. *TR

GAS TANK ON A 2005 YAMAHA FJR1300A ERUPTED IN A GEYSER OF GASOLINE. WHAT HAPPENED?: ON MONDAY 7-16-07 I STOPPED FOR FUEL. IT WAS ABOUT 95 DEGREES, AND THE BIKE WAS HOT. IT WAS NOT OUTSIDE OF NORMAL OPERATING TEMP. - I HAD TWO BARS ON THE TEMP GAUGE. I OPENED THE FUEL CAP/DOOR AND LIQUID GASOLINE SPRAYED UP IN THE AIR ABOUT 5 FEET, IT LOOKED LIKE OLD FAITHFUL. LIQUID GAS RAINED DOWN ON THE FJR AND SOAKED THE TANK, FAIRING AND SEAT, AND IT CRACKED BOTH MY HEADLAMP LENSES INSTANTLY. THE EVENT VOIDED THE TANK OF MOST OF THE GAS - IT WAS INSTANTLY EMPTY. IT DID NOT CATCH FIRE. AFTER REGAINING SOME COMPOSURE, I WASHED THE BIKE OFF WITH WATER, MOVED IT AWAY FROM THE GAS PUDDLE BEFORE STARTING IT, AND DROVE HOME (2 BLOCKS AWAY). WHY DID IT HAPPEN?: I LIVE AT APPROX. 5,000 FEET. I HAD BEEN RIDING AT 10,000 FEET ALL MORNING. I CAME DOWN FROM THAT ALTITUDE IN ABOUT 1 HOUR. ALTITUDE LOWERS THE BOILING POINT OF LIQUIDS. I HAD PURCHASED THE MORNING'S TANK OF GAS AT SAFEWAY (WHICH I HAD NEVER DONE BEFORE), IT HAS A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF OXYGENATES (MTBE, METHANOL) THAN OTHER BRANDS. THE TANK WAS SUPER-HEATED SINCE IT WAS CLOSE TO EMPTY (AT '3-BARS' ON THE DISPLAY), AND IT WAS OBVIOUSLY SUPER-PRESSURIZED BY THE HEAT. WHEN I RELEASED THE GAS CAP, THE INSTANT LOWERING OF THE PRESSURE INSIDE LOWERED THE BOILING POINT, AND THE GASOLINE EXPANDED RAPIDLY (IT 'BOILED') AND EJECTED FROM THE TANK. SINCE GAS EVAPORATES QUICKLY, WHEN IT TOUCHED THE HOT HEADLIGHT LENSES IT'S EVAPORATIVE COOLING REMOVED HEAT TOO QUICKLY , CAUSING THE SPIDER CRACKING ACROSS THE LENSES. IT ALL HAPPENED IN ABOUT 5 SECONDS. THIS SERIES OF EVENTS IS A NEW OCCURRENCE FOR ALL OF US BECAUSE OUR GASOLINE QUALITY IS CHANGING, IT'S GETTING WORSE TO MAKE A PROFIT AND APPEASE THE 'GREEN' CONTINGENT. THE 'HOT' FJR SYNDROME IS NOW A CONCERN BEYOND JUST BODY COMFORT! WORST CASE I COULD HAVE BEEN BURNED ALIVE IF THE GAS HAD IGNITED. I KNOW OF NO WAY TO CORRECT THIS UNTIL I TALK TO A SERVICE REP.