Heartbroken

[ZOA NOM]

I think it was a fuel leak

[TexasDave]

Sorry Rick. I am at a loss for words. I know you put a lot of work into that bike and were very happy with it.

Dave

[ZOA NOM]

Thanks Dave, I'm still in shock. It went up in a second. I barely got off the bike. Just unbelievable.

I had just commuted for an hour, lane splitting all the way from Fremont to Brentwood with no issues. I recall a pretty jarring dip/bump at an intersection that bottomed out the bike pretty hard, but I didn't pull over and check anything as I was about to arrive at my destination. Something must have jarred loose and allowed fuel to leak down onto the hot motor and poof!

[Steve_in_Florida]

Rick,
I hope you replace it with something comparable.

VERY sad to read/see.

Steve

[ZOA NOM]

more pix...

[ZOA NOM]

Randy, should I even call the salvage yard and ask for anything? About the only thing that might be worth getting would be the engine bars.

[FJmonkey]

Glad that you are safe, major bummer. I saw a bike for sale just the other day. I took a picture. The price seems a little high.

[FJmonkey]

Is the front wheel stock? If its 3.5 wide then it also might be worth saving. And the fork lowers for anyone wishing to upgrade.

[ZOA NOM]

Too soon, Monkey. I'm still fragile.

I'll start over. It's on the back burner for now, tho. (pun intended).

[Flynt]

I'll start over.

Holy cow Rick...  glad you're OK.  Want us to start shopping for you?

Frank

[ZOA NOM]

Thanks Frank, no, I've got a pretty busy schedule for now. I'll settle in soon and have the time and money to get started again maybe after the Holiday season this year. I'm not ruling out getting a modern bike for the commute first, then start looking for another FJ to modify.

But if something in a sexy '93 wanders across anybody's screen, poke me. I'm prone to impulsiveness. 

[Pat Conlon]

Glad you're ok Rick. Such a shame. I hate to see this...

We can assume that the petcock elbow didn't fail. Were you running oem fuel lines? I would guess that your tank cracked when you went over the bump.
Before this, had you seen any signs of rust in the tank?

Hang in there amigo!

[ZOA NOM]

All great questions Pat, alas with no good answers. Complacency has probably done me in this time. I've been preoccupied with life changes, and haven't tended to the important stuff. I'm already looking around here and on craigslist nationwide, so I'm not planning to disappear. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for the well wishes.

As I watched her burn, I did notice what appeared to be a large gap at the junction of the carbs and intakes, where the intake manifolds were, and wondered later if they could have been jarred loose by the dip I took. With the Dual Pod filters, the carbs aren't supported by the factory filter box, so they may experience enough vertical load to separate there. It had burned for several minutes before I could get close enough to look, however, so the gap might just have been the absence of the manifolds which burned away.

[racerrad8]

We can assume that the petcock elbow didn't fail.

The late model petcock does not have that elbow that can pop out.



Randy - RPM

[Pat Conlon]

Correct, what's why I said that....