September 27th, 2016, 04:32 PM | #1 |
ninjette.org member
Name: J
Location: Washington, dc
Join Date: Aug 2016 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250 Posts: 18
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Is this a dumb idea? Magnetic gas cap rain cover
My gas cap is leaking (I assume, since I found a ton of water in my tank), and I street park on a city street.
I don't really want to deal with a full motorcycle cover every time I ride, and that also won't do much if I'm riding in the rain. Instead, I'm thinking about a small tarp about 1 square foot, with magnets around the sides. The magnets hold the tarp down tight over the top of the gas tank, the gas cap is protected from the rain, no more water in my tank. I was thinking about making a square from this magnetic strip and gluing the tarp to it: https://www.amazon.com/XFasten-Flexi...magnetic+strip |
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September 27th, 2016, 05:02 PM | #2 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: Aaron
Location: Winder, GA
Join Date: Jun 2012 Motorcycle(s): 2013 Ninja 300 Posts: 718
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Might just be easier to fix the problem, I'd think.
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September 27th, 2016, 05:11 PM | #3 |
ninjette.org member
Name: J
Location: Washington, dc
Join Date: Aug 2016 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250 Posts: 18
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If you have a suggestion for how to fix it, I'm all ears!
As far as I can tell, I can't buy the gasket to replace it, new OEM gas caps are almost $200 and I haven't seen any aftermarket ones without reviews complaining of water leaking. |
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September 27th, 2016, 05:45 PM | #4 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Tom
Location: Northern Virginia
Join Date: Jul 2015 Motorcycle(s): 2001 Ninja 250, 2019 Harley Ultra Classic, 2001 Suzuki SV650 Posts: A lot.
MOTM - Jan '16
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Cut a new gasket out of a sheet of gasket material?
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September 27th, 2016, 07:27 PM | #5 | |
Daily Ninjette rider
Name: Hernan
Location: Florida
Join Date: Mar 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2007 Ninja 250 Posts: A lot.
MOTY - 2016, MOTM - Dec '12, Jan '14, Jan '15, May '16
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Quote:
It may not work well while riding in strong winds. At least for the pre-gen models, there is a drain tube (inside the tank) from the cup of the cap that connects to a hose that discharge on the road. Sometimes, that hose gets kinked, the drainage is interrupted and the cup overflows into the fuel. Sometimes, that internal tube develops a hole and water runs directly into the fuel, before reaching that hose. Please, see: https://www.ninjette.org/forums/show....php?p=1064021
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Motofool .................................Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly "Mankind is composed of two sorts of men — those who love and create, and those who hate and destroy. Love is the bond between men, the way to teach and the center of the world." - José Martí |
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September 28th, 2016, 05:35 AM | #6 |
ninjette.org member
Name: J
Location: Washington, dc
Join Date: Aug 2016 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250 Posts: 18
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Yeah, my idea may not work for actual riding.
Motofool, that's a great description and photo, thank you. It explains another comment I read in another thread that I didn't understand. Do the 2008+ models have that system, too? |
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September 28th, 2016, 06:41 AM | #7 |
EX500 full of EX250 parts
Name: Bill
Location: Grand Rapids-ish, MI
Join Date: Jul 2012 Motorcycle(s): '18 Ninja 400 • '09 Ninja 500R (selling) • '98 VFR800 (project) • '85 Vulcan VN700 (sold) Posts: A lot.
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Most bikes have a system like that. There's a drain around the filler hole, so that any water that collects will run out, instead of building up and running into the tank.
My suggestion is also to fix the root problem, rather than coming up with crazy ways to deal with the symptoms. If the cap is otherwise in good condition, making your own gasket might be the best solution. But if water's been going where it doesn't belong, you may have rust issues elsewhere on the cap. Before you rule out the idea of buying a new cap, make sure you really don't need a new cap. You might be able to find a part-out to get a replacement cap (either in full or as a parts donor) cheaper than buying new, though you'll obviously want to be careful about condition of the gasket. If you do want to rig up some sort of cover, I suggest a full magnetic sheet. Something like http://www.mag-knight.com/Simple%20Sheet.htm, though you might be able to find something comparable cheaper (I love my Mag-Knight tank protector). With a heatgun, you can form it to perfectly match the top of the tank over the cap, and it will be completely sealed anywhere it touches the tank. I think that's a much better solution than trying to add pieces of magnet to a piece of a tarp, in both form and function.
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September 28th, 2016, 12:17 PM | #8 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Al
Location: York, Pa
Join Date: Dec 2012 Motorcycle(s): 2013 Ninja 300..............2008 Ninja 500-sold...2009 Ninja 250-Crashed Posts: Too much.
MOTM - Sep '14
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tank bag is all you need
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October 31st, 2016, 12:24 AM | #9 |
ninjette.org guru
Name: Chris
Location: Bristol, UK
Join Date: Feb 2016 Motorcycle(s): ZZR250, VFR800 Posts: 491
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be careful if you do that, as any fuel with ethanol could damage the paint with the trapped fumes. Ask me how I know ;(
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