Gas smell - Please give me a clue.

Hello, all.

I've put over 1,000 miles on my 1997 KZ1000P since the motor and carbs were partially rebuilt. Lately, there is the smell of gas in the garage after riding. The smell must be coming from the KZ, since nothing else has been in or out of the garage. There are no seeps, damp spots, drips anywhere on the bike. Gas cap is secure. Carb gaskets are tight.

Where else should I be looking to find the source of the fumes?

Cheers,

Dave

based on my general mechanical knowledge....pull your air cleaner out and look in the air box. Float bowls stuck open and could be over fillng or gas tank petcock maybe stuck open. I had a float stick on my bandit once and the gas leaked out the bowl but that was obvious and visible to someone looking from 20 feet away at the side of the bike.

Thanks, cadmonkey. I'll pull the air filter and have a look. Didn't occur to me that gas could get back into the air box from the carbs.

The fumes are present whether or not I close the petcock. BTW, the petcock was cleaned and new fuel lines, new boots installed when the carbs were rebuilt in July 2012.

Cheers,

Dave

it might be the gas cap, how does the rubber gasket look?

Hello, gengomerpyle.

Gas cap seems to seal tight -- takes a lot of pressure to squeeze it shut and locked.

Cheers,

Dave

Fuel level sending unit??

Good Fortune!

It's almost always a problem with the valves/needles in the carbs or fuel levels set too high. Those valves are easy to replace and adjust height on.

Any of the above suggestions could be the culprit...your gas cap is a venting gas cap and if you have been riding when it is warm out, then park for the evening in an enclosed space, then you could be getting a whiff of the vented air/fuel mixture.