Replaced the fuel hoses on my Cali’ 3 about two years ago perhaps, I always turn the fuel tap off after stopping.
Fuel tap on, started the bike after a six week lay off, bike started first time, petrol pissed out from under the tank.
yes, you guessed it, cheap fuel hoses, are not resistant to unleaded fuel, hose was split and perished further along from the tap. Luckily I had some fuel line indoors, it is printed with some relevant standard, so I used that.
I have often wondered how much relevance there is to the unleaded / ethanol debate… now I know!
It’s the ethanol that causes the problem. Unleaded has no effect on fuel lines. This is only going to get worse as the ethanol content of fuel is increased. I’ve replaced all my hoses with so called ethanol resistant pipe, and so far all is ok. It’s not that simple to do though, as the new pipe is twice as thick walled as the original, and bends soon become restrictive kinks…
Like you, I always turn the taps off, but I hear ethanol degrades the tap seals…, so we’re all doomed…
Worth buying from a known/reputable source too.
I have bought hose marked as “FUEL/ETHANOL PROOF” only to have it fail.
if it seems too cheap it probably is
The only stuff guaranteed to last is Viton, hard to come by at the moment. There used to be a Dutch guy attended the Netley Marsh Autojumble who had reels of the stuff, thin walled 6mm ID at £5 a metre.
