[TimDog]

I had an interesting dilemma this past weekend on a country road in the middle of Wisconsin while i was running an "unofficial" road race.

I lost power in a turn. Twisted the throttle and had no response. The bike died and I pulled over in the weeds next to a barn. Nothing but farmland for many miles. Nearest Dealer was Ducati Milwaukee about 200 miles away.

I immediately thought the fuel line problem but i had racked up 15k miles w/out any problems to date. I checked the lines and they were ok, no fuel leaking anywhere. I checked for spark on all wires- everything ok.

I could hear the fuel pump cycling on for 3 seconds when i turned the key but i was still convinced there was a fuel delivery problem as the bike would start roughly but then die when i twisted the grip.:think:

finally i pulled the pump out. It seemed fine but after some inspection there is a short length of fuel line connecting the fuel filter to the pump. The line had a small split. I cut a piece of replacement line from tank drain hose but this may be a smaller ID. Not sure yet. Buttoned her back up, she started right away and rode twisties for another 300 miles that day and 300 more miles the next. Needless to say after an hour and a half of tinkering i did not win the race. That and i got mega lost.

I havent heard of this problem yet on the forum which is why i posted. So, the dreaded fuel line problem can also be inside your tank.

 

[koucki]

fuel line problem

TimDog!! Bad timing... Did it really have to happen during the race?!
The same has happened with my bike in the middle of a track session.

Sorry to hear about the loss, but glad you were able to fix your issue!!
Here's the fule line recall:
http://www.webbikeworld.com/ducati-motorcycles/gt-1000/gt-1000-fuel-line-problem.htm

You're right! The fuel line connecting the filter to the pump gets loose inside the tank.
Hence, no fuel leaking, and you could still hear the fuel pump cycling when you turn the on the key.

Better luck next year!!

~k

 

[Blacked Out]

I had an interesting dilemma this past weekend on a country road in the middle of Wisconsin while i was running an "unofficial" road race.

I lost power in a turn. Twisted the throttle and had no response. The bike died and I pulled over in the weeds next to a barn. Nothing but farmland for many miles. Nearest Dealer was Ducati Milwaukee about 200 miles away.

I immediately thought the fuel line problem but i had racked up 15k miles w/out any problems to date. I checked the lines and they were ok, no fuel leaking anywhere. I checked for spark on all wires- everything ok.

I could hear the fuel pump cycling on for 3 seconds when i turned the key but i was still convinced there was a fuel delivery problem as the bike would start roughly but then die when i twisted the grip.:think:

finally i pulled the pump out. It seemed fine but after some inspection there is a short length of fuel line connecting the fuel filter to the pump. The line had a small split. I cut a piece of replacement line from tank drain hose but this may be a smaller ID. Not sure yet. Buttoned her back up, she started right away and rode twisties for another 300 miles that day and 300 more miles the next. Needless to say after an hour and a half of tinkering i did not win the race. That and i got mega lost.

I havent heard of this problem yet on the forum which is why i posted. So, the dreaded fuel line problem can also be inside your tank.

I have to honestly say that sort of thing only happens to Ducs that spend an excessive amount of time in Queens. Something about the air, water and people that does weird and often damaging things to fine pieces of machinery.

Good job in detecting the problem, I tip my hat to you. One for the books for sure. How did you get your bike out there?

 

[TimDog]

I have to honestly say that sort of thing only happens to Ducs that spend an excessive amount of time in Queens. Something about the air, water and people that does weird and often damaging things to fine pieces of machinery.

Good job in detecting the problem, I tip my hat to you. One for the books for sure. How did you get your bike out there?

in a van with a friend on a 71 honda 350. The 350 beat me to minneapolis. It took me 11 hours to finish after all the crap.

 

[papawheelie]

as far as I know, the "fuel line issue" is a clamp coming apart. Sounds like timdog has another issue. This is a "cracked fuel line". It just so happens that it is in the same place as the clamp issue. I have had fuel lines crack on my tractor, but that was after 20 years, not 3. Is this what is next for the rest of us?

 

[egrafx2006]

My guess is that both problems (fuel line loosening and coming off or fuel line splitting) are caused by ethanol in the gas breaking down the fuel line material.

 

[debby]

Do a search on "submersible fuel line" (or just "submersible" if you don't like typing) and read up. There's been a lot of discussion about this on the ST board recently.

Apparently the fuel line disintegrates with exposure to gasoline and needs to be replaced every few years. It sounds like ethanol fuel accelerates the deterioration. You can buy submersible fuel line from NAPA for about $25 per foot or you can buy the regular stuff and plan on replacing it every couple of years.

Guess I'd better check mine soon... :think:

Debby

 

[TimDog]

yeah its pretty crazy, when i pulled the pump out I couldnt believe that the whole contraption just sits in fuel all day long with the wiring, tubing and all. I thought the split was more a function on pressure than disintegration. though I'm not sure what psi the system is under.

you can easily put a couple inches of tubing and 2 clamps under the seat and not think about it till it happens.