wayne z
Well-Known Member
I had just finished strecthing her legs a bit around 75 -80, cruising the rural highway on the way home from a 40 mile test run.
While downshifting and braking to turn onto the road to my house, I felt heat on my right calf. Kinda freaked when I looked down and saw flames!
I stopped quickly and stopped motor and set it on the side stand and it was on fire in the fuel pump/ battery area.
I pulled off my old leather jacket and tried to snuff the fire but the seat was igniting big time. good thing I hadn't put the seat bolts back, I just unlatched it and threw it in the ditch, where it eventualy made a huge smokey fire.
While I was trying to snuff the fire unsuccesfully with my jacket, the wires fused,and the starter engaed and pulled the bike off the sidestand since it was in some unknown gear, and it fell. tried a bit to snuff the fire layin on it's side but gas was coming out the tank and wetting and igniting on the asphalt.
The starter had quit so I pulled it up by the left bar turned full right for the most leverage fartherest from the fire, then rolled it away about 10 ft from the flames on the asphalt and set it on the side stand again.
Proceeded to try to snuff fire in fuel pump area again, starter engaged again and it went down again and starter kept running this time.
Pulled clutch and picked bike up again and tried to wait out the slow winding down of the battery while holding clutch with one hand and stuffing my jacket with the other.
Then, just before the starter quit, the dang motor started and idled a few seconds!
Then, a lady stopped an gave me her water bottle, ans it was just barely enough to extenguish the engine fire!
I almost gave up a couple times and was gonna step back and let it burn, but I'm glad now that I fought for it. Sweet running bike with only 14K and a good 2nd gear.
Pretty uneventful after that, was only 3 miles from home and neighbors helped with retrieval.
I was REAL lucky the fire started after that hi speed run instesd of during!
Post ride inspsction shows suprising little serious damage. Wiring harness, plug wire and boot fuel pump,, plastic cowling over rear cyls and battery box are the most major things.
Looks as if the fire started at the motor end of the fuel pump area, electrical? Or, it could have been a fuel leak onto the ex manifold, causing secondary fire in the harness/pump area.
Anyways, I feel lucky, and I'm looking for parts.
Regards,
Wayne
While downshifting and braking to turn onto the road to my house, I felt heat on my right calf. Kinda freaked when I looked down and saw flames!
I stopped quickly and stopped motor and set it on the side stand and it was on fire in the fuel pump/ battery area.
I pulled off my old leather jacket and tried to snuff the fire but the seat was igniting big time. good thing I hadn't put the seat bolts back, I just unlatched it and threw it in the ditch, where it eventualy made a huge smokey fire.
While I was trying to snuff the fire unsuccesfully with my jacket, the wires fused,and the starter engaed and pulled the bike off the sidestand since it was in some unknown gear, and it fell. tried a bit to snuff the fire layin on it's side but gas was coming out the tank and wetting and igniting on the asphalt.
The starter had quit so I pulled it up by the left bar turned full right for the most leverage fartherest from the fire, then rolled it away about 10 ft from the flames on the asphalt and set it on the side stand again.
Proceeded to try to snuff fire in fuel pump area again, starter engaged again and it went down again and starter kept running this time.
Pulled clutch and picked bike up again and tried to wait out the slow winding down of the battery while holding clutch with one hand and stuffing my jacket with the other.
Then, just before the starter quit, the dang motor started and idled a few seconds!
Then, a lady stopped an gave me her water bottle, ans it was just barely enough to extenguish the engine fire!
I almost gave up a couple times and was gonna step back and let it burn, but I'm glad now that I fought for it. Sweet running bike with only 14K and a good 2nd gear.
Pretty uneventful after that, was only 3 miles from home and neighbors helped with retrieval.
I was REAL lucky the fire started after that hi speed run instesd of during!
Post ride inspsction shows suprising little serious damage. Wiring harness, plug wire and boot fuel pump,, plastic cowling over rear cyls and battery box are the most major things.
Looks as if the fire started at the motor end of the fuel pump area, electrical? Or, it could have been a fuel leak onto the ex manifold, causing secondary fire in the harness/pump area.
Anyways, I feel lucky, and I'm looking for parts.
Regards,
Wayne
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