Running out of gas

[TDean]

I have an '01 B6 that will occasionally start sputtering like it is running out of gas. Still has plenty of gas, inline filter is clean and petcock filter is clean. I checked the fuel line and vent hose and nothing is kinked. After thinking about the times that this has occured I think it is vapor locking due the the hot weather that we have had lately. Previous owner said that he never had this problem.

I know that on some bikes people will enlarge the vent holes on the gas cap to prevent this from happening. Has anyone here ever done this on the bandit?

[Red01]

Pretty rare for this to be a problem that's traced to the size of the vent, usually when there's a venting problem on a Bandit, it because something isn't right with the system, as in being clogged, pinched (I know - you said you checked that), or the vent line has a problem inside the tank (usually causes fuel to leak out the vent hose until the tank reaches a certain level).

There's been a B4 or two that have had venting problems when a tank bag is covering the cap, but I've yet to hear of any reports of this on a B6 or 12... but even this usually indicates there's something wrong with the vent system.

One thing you could try when it starts acting this way - open the cap and listen for a whoosh or hiss - that would be a sign the tank isn't venting well. If you ride around a bit with the cap unlatched (as a troubleshooting measure) and the symptoms disappear, you know it's a venting problem.

[TDean]

Pretty rare for this to be a problem that's traced to the size of the vent, usually when there's a venting problem on a Bandit, it because something isn't right with the system, as in being clogged, pinched (I know - you said you checked that), or the vent line has a problem inside the tank (usually causes fuel to leak out the vent hose until the tank reaches a certain level).

There's been a B4 or two that have had venting problems when a tank bag is covering the cap, but I've yet to hear of any reports of this on a B6 or 12... but even this usually indicates there's something wrong with the vent system.

One thing you could try when it starts acting this way - open the cap and listen for a whoosh or hiss - that would be a sign the tank isn't venting well. If you ride around a bit with the cap unlatched (as a troubleshooting measure) and the symptoms disappear, you know it's a venting problem.

I've opened the cap and haven't heard anything but I haven't been in a quiet area any of the times that is has done it. Once the cap has been opened the bike will fire back up and run fine after the bowls on the carbs fill back up. I've removed the vent hoses, blown them out and double checked them to make sure they are not pinched or kinked.