2000 R1100RT fuel leak

[littledog]

My bike had been sitting on the side stand (don't think that should make a difference) for a couple of weeks when I decided to take a late fall ride. I placed the bike on the center stand, started it, left it on fast idle, and went inside to get my gear. When I returned within about five minutes I noticed a substantial fuel leak on the right side. Not a steady stream but a dripping that created a puddle of fuel on the ground. I looked as best as I could but with the all the plastic in the way there isn't much space to see anything. It did appear to be coming from above the right throttle body. Afraid the bike might catch fire I shut it off and the leak stopped. The fuel tank is a little less than half full, and several years ago I installed aftermarket metal fuel disconnect fittings and added a fuel filter above the air cleaner. I have had no problems with this setup.
Yesterday I removed the seat and right side fairing and started the bike to see where the leak was. No leak! Absolutely dry. Today I repeated the procedure, let the bike run for about ten minutes and still not a trace of a leak. Any ideas?

 

[jnrugg]

Probably quick disconnects, if still plastic.
https://www.beemerboneyard.com/fuliqudise.html

Not hard at all to replace, check the hoses too for cracking.
Do a search here for quick disconnects and you will find a plethora of information.

 

[pglaves]

Caution. The Manual says start the bike and ride away. Letting the bike idle for several minutes will cause it to overheat and I suspect that the overheated condition caused a fuel line to leak. I think it is good luck that there was not a fire.

I think you need to carefully look at all the fuel line fittings looking for any sign of heat stress. Good luck because the point of failure may not be very obvious.

 

[m_stock10506]

Paul gives you good advice, never let the bike sit and idle. Your issue is fairly common. Fuel hoses dry out, either from age or heat or a combination. When started, especially after sitting for a while, gas leaks from the fuel line connecting points. After the leak, the hoses swell from soaking up some gas and the leak has stopped. Check all of your fuel connections for tightening. If the hoses seem to be a bit hard, replace them.

 

[senseamidmadness]

How old are those fuel lines? And what was your procedure when installing those metal disconnects?

It's possible to pinch or move one of their internal O-rings when snapping them together, which can cause a leak.

 

[g4444l]

I added a second stainless steel hose clamp where the rubber hose connected over the hard plastic tubing on the right side of the bike. The leaking began during cold starts. Did this 10 years ago. No leaking since then.

 

[AntonLargiader]

...I placed the bike on the center stand, started it, left it on fast idle, and went inside to get my gear. When I returned within about five minutes ...

It really just boggles my mind that people are still doing this after years and years of being cautioned not to. I have fixed so many of these bikes and it can get expensive. On one of them the melted HES took out the Motronic.

 

[johnrt1100]

I had a similar experience a few years ago when starting my 1998 R1100RT for the first time after winter storage. Installed the battery, put the bike on the center stand and started it and gas started dribbling onto the floor. Seemed to be coming from the center of the bike where the fuel regulator is. Shut it off quickly and hung my head thinking of all of the crap that has to be removed to get at the regulator. Went out the next day and started it again to get another look and no leak. It hasn't leaked since. Ghosts in the machine.

 

[rogerc60]

My 2003 RT had the same kind of leak a couple of years ago. I tracked it down to where the rubber fuel line from the tank connects to the hard line going into the pressure regulator / distributor. It would leak when the bike was cold (like below 50 degrees F), but stop once some heat from the engine warmed it up. I removed the OEM Oetker clamp and replaced it with a fuel injection style screw clamp. Since then I've had no more leak.

 

[littledog]

It seems like I may be having the same experience as johnrt1100. My bike has been sitting since I started this thread 26 Oct. Today I decided to try to find the leak again. With the right side fairing panel removed I started the bike and let it run at fast idle for several minutes. I kept a close eye on the oil temp gauge to make sure it didn't get too hot while I searched for the leak. Nada. I then rode it for about 5 miles and still could not detect any leak. It is a total mystery to me. I guess I will reinstall the fairing and ride the bike, avoiding any long distance touring for a while.

 

[rogerc60]

Is the leak temperature related? I.e., leaks when the temperature is low, doesn't leak when the temperature is warm.

 

[littledog]

Referring to my original post, the bike was cold, I started it and let it run on fast idle for a few minutes. When I returned to the bike there was a puddle of fuel under the bike and fuel dripping from the right side near the throttle body. I have tried to duplicate this situation several times to find the leak with no success.Most of the fuel lines are only about five years old and I have checked all the connections that are visible with the right fairing removed. There are hard plastic lines running inboard that I haven't traced, but it is really strange that the leak seems to have disappeared.