Triumphrat

RedBird

I went on a 300 mile round trip July 4th. It rained on me some in the morning on a newly asphalted road...talk about a dirty, grimey bike. On the return trip, two blocks from my planned fuel stop, my gas cap fell off. I stopped very quickly, jumped off, and watched it roll from the side of the road back to the middle of the road. The first two cars moved over to miss it, the third car didn't...the plastic part with the threads lost the battle with the auto. Now, I'm still 125 miles from home and no gas cap, and the dark clouds are getting thicker. I rode two blocks to the gas station, filled it up with fuel and dug into my seat bag for a dirty sock (below the ankle SmartWool sock no less). I stuffed it in the tank and headed for home...he!!, I've seen many a pickup truck with a rag stuffed in for a gas cap back in the good ol' days. Sure didn't think I would ever use one--especially on a motorcycle.

Twenty-five miles later, I stopped and put on the rain gear. Five miles later it began to rain--same stretch of newly paved road where I got rain in the morning. Sure was glad I had the Parabellum Scout fairing...at 60 mph, no rain was hitting the sock. I kept a watchful eye out for the water that comes up from the bottom front of the tank and over the top..none, wasn't raining hard enough.

8:30 p.m...Home, safe, and sound with a dirty, grimey bike and no gas cap until the dealer's order comes in next week or the next. Haven't figured out what to use to seal the tank so I can wash poor bonnie.

The only thing I can figure is I forgot to tighten the gas cap at the previous fuel stop (100 miles prior). I always tighten it past the first click, and I can't see how it could have come loose if I had done this...it's not as tight as when new, but still takes extra effort to loosen some times...well it did...now it's history. :-D

Larry

P.S. I don't think I would recommend doing what I did...I sure wouldn't recommend having a wreck with a sock as a gas cap!

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Larry
2003 T-100 (790cc), NARK, NH Togas, 8100 rpm rev limiter, 158 main jets, 42 pilot jets (less than 1 turn out on pilot screws), stock needles--no shims. 13 A/F ratio from 1100 rpm to 4000 rpm; 12 A/F ratio from 4000 rpm to 6000 rpm; 13 A/F from 6000 rpm to 8100 rpm.:D
2007 Tiger 1050--White:D--SW-Motech crashbars, Skidmarx rear hugger/chain guard, Calsci +7 windscreen.

rodburner

Larry,thats crazy. Never heard of them coming off on their own. I bet this is the second time you were glad you weren`t Don Johnson,eh ? :-D I`m sure Triumph doesn`t use a propritary cap/tank combo,so there must be a UJM cap that will fit. Anybody tried one? :???:

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" A man is only as old as the women he feels" G Marx

rodburner

Larry,kinda a dark pic,but the cap from my daughters 92 Toyota Corolla screwed right on and clicked. might need a different gasket [her`s is an o-ring] ours is flat.

Atleast a temp until the chrome one comes in. :???:

[ This message was edited by: rodburner on 2006-07-06 22:22 ]

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" A man is only as old as the women he feels" G Marx

mecscc

Great idea, Rod.

Sorry for your troubles, Larry, but glad you got home without getting a ton of water into that gas.

Rod: if you've got a photo program, like Irfranview, etc., you can bring the pic up quite a bit by using gamma correction. it won't look great but you can clearly see it. I did it and would upload it but with a slow dialup I wouldn't be able to go to bed tonight waiting for it to upload.

Monte

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Monte

"The Old Ohio Preacher Man"

rodburner

Thanks Monte. I need glasses bad.My Sony P71 has flash,but the menu is hard to read to turn it on.

__________________
" A man is only as old as the women he feels" G Marx

Ossimer

New Bonneville.com has locking gas caps. Anyone tried those? I was thinking about ordering one myself.

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Tank pads; bobbed rear fender; bolt-on sport light kit; black M-bars; CRG LS bar ends; snorkel removed; K&N free flow; predators; needles & rejet; a little bit of silver paint on the seat.

RedBird

Thanks Steve,

That's really good info to know--especially if it happens again. I just went out and tried the gas cap from my '90 Honda Accord--it screws on OK--a little long and the outter rim will touch the paint on the tank; however, it would sure be better than the sock--wouldn't look as good as the sock, but what the hey, you can't have everything. Thanks again. I'm off to the salvage yard looking for gas caps. :-D

Larry

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Larry
2003 T-100 (790cc), NARK, NH Togas, 8100 rpm rev limiter, 158 main jets, 42 pilot jets (less than 1 turn out on pilot screws), stock needles--no shims. 13 A/F ratio from 1100 rpm to 4000 rpm; 12 A/F ratio from 4000 rpm to 6000 rpm; 13 A/F from 6000 rpm to 8100 rpm.:D
2007 Tiger 1050--White:D--SW-Motech crashbars, Skidmarx rear hugger/chain guard, Calsci +7 windscreen.

wonderdog

When I last stopped for fuel my cap also was loose. Normally very tight, this time it spun right off. I always tighten mine also to just after one click. Hmm, maybe I should get a spare to carry also.

Thanks,
Dennis

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Waste is a terrible thing to mind.

TonyThruxton

Probably the best reason ever to splurge for a Monza cap.

wonderdog

Did a search on the Monza cap and found this site in Florida with adapters, etc. pdf file has prices and everything.

Who is the vendor that sells the Bonnie Monza cap?

For anyone who might wish to check out BAT go here.

Dennis

__________________
Waste is a terrible thing to mind.