Fuel issue with the RF400.

[nudemetalz]

Greetings,

Been having a little bit of an issue with the RF400.

First of all it's got very high consumption for a 400, namely only getting 12-13 km/l, that's just cruising around !!. It carburetts fine and runs perfectly, with the plugs showing a good tan colour.
Also there's quite a petrol smell in the garage while it's parked.
I suspected a fuel leak so looked around the fuel tap, bottom of tank etc but appears to be okay.
So then figured (with help of Crasherfromwayback) the carbs overflow might be leaking due to one of 2 stuck floats.

So went to work to pull off the carbs.
Took the airbox off and then noticed something weird between the carbs, a connection pipe that looks like it should be connected. There's nothing on the airbox that relates to it.
It's like its a spare fuel line connector. Perhaps it's the cause of the fuel smell too.
I don't have access to an RF400 manual unfortunately so hopefully someone here who has experience with these or GSXR400 motors (which they're closely related to) can help??

I will still strip the carbs but want to check this out first.

I've enclosed some pics to show what I mean.

Thanks,
Chris

[MSTRS:Me]

Vacuum tube to trigger the solenoid in the fuel tap?? Is it smaller guage than the other two hoses from the tap?

[James Deuce]

That's about what I used to get out of my VFR400 vis a vis fuel consumption.

[Lil_Byte]

I always had that petrol smell when I had my old RF400 parked up. I ended up always tyrning off the fuel when it was parked.
In those days I never was interested in fuel consumption so was not sure what I was getting.

[nudemetalz]

Hiya,
Thanks for your replies.

Vacuum tube to trigger the solenoid in the fuel tap?? Is it smaller guage than the other two hoses from the tap?

The fuel tap is manually operated with an "off' position and all of the hoses for that are connected.
It's the same gauge as the other hoses.

That's about what I used to get out of my VFR400 vis a vis fuel consumption.

Not convinced that it should be this bad, more 15-17 km/l would be realistic.

I always had that petrol smell when I had my old RF400 parked up. I ended up always tyrning off the fuel when it was parked.
In those days I never was interested in fuel consumption so was not sure what I was getting.

I'll get her to do this in future and see what difference it makes. Prehaps the carbs leak overnight.

[Hans]

Don't take what I say too seriously, because I unfortunately have way more know-how when it comes to cages, but I think that's the right answer. If you don't have vacuum carbs, the fuel needs to be turned off EVERY time you turn the bike off. Even for five minutes. Otherwise the fuel just goes into the carbs as quick as it evaporates, not even talking about the possibility of overfuelling a standing engine and then bending something when you try to start it. Good luck.
Oh and btw, PM me sometime and stop by. We can have a coffee and talk bikes and planes.

[nudemetalz]

Heya,

What you say makes perfect sense. I'll tell herladyship to do that. Let's just make sure she remembers to turn it back on every morning !!
I know I would probably forget too !!!

Yes def like to catch up sometime.
Will do that.

[Dark Crystal]

I reckon you have a fuel leak somewhere. I too have an RF400 (96'), i park her in the garage and sometimes don't use her all week, i never turn the fuel off and she never smells like fuel... you got a problem there by the sound of it. When i first got my bike one of the fuel lines to the tap from the tank had a crack in it, and she smelled of fuel all the time, i coulden't see the crack in the line till i had the tank off though... check that out for sure.

and yes, that hose your talking about goes to... no where, just hangs there, well mine does anyway.

I really have no idea on my fuel consumption though... iv'e put 6000km on the clock so far and never bothered to check.... she is very cheap to run though...

[nudemetalz]

Thanks for the advice, Dark Crystal.
Had the carbs fully rebuilt, but still doesn't run cleanly, so the whole bike is going into the shop this time, hopefully sort it for good.