TOPIC:

My carbs have never had them attached, does this affect performance at all. Should I put forth the effort? 79 KZ400

Performance, no. It's really a safety issue. If you were to dump the bike instead of gas running all over the hot engine it would spill back behind the swingarm or another safe place.

I know mine tend to drip a bit when parked too, so if I didn't have them I would be wiping up gasoline mess off my bike all the time.

El Duderino (since I'm NOT into the whole brevity thing!), I don't use 'em...I like the way the spilt fuel keeps the top of my crankcase clean!!!! You don't need 'em, but they're a good idea.

Oz

Here's a really dumb follow up questions to this thread. Are you all talkings about a hose that runs from my carborator, through my frame, and comes out below my swing arm? 79 KZ650SR. I am a total newbie, and I put my bike up on the center stand for the first time yesterday, got under to have a look and saw what looked like a severed hose...and, well, kinda freaked out.

Ideas?

Yes, that would be the hose or hoses that are routed from the carbs down to below the swingarm area, but it could also be the Battery Vent hose.