Having been a firefighter for 20 years with continuing education in the field of fire science I'd guess there is a lot you don't know about fire. Before you call BULLSHIT do a little research. Your careless post may cause injury to another. We in the fire service have studied ignition sources such as cell phones, static discharge from truck bed liners, plastic fuel cans etc etc etc. I for one am happy when anyone educates the general public on ways to improve their safty. On the otherhand I abhor those who render advice on things they know nothing about! You Sir have been corrected.

a little light reading for the uninformed: http://search.aol.com/aol/imageDetai...re+tetrahedron

and now you have been schooled!

 

Fuel will spntaneously combust from heat. fuel on a hot engine can ignite.

All this tells me, is that if Shell wnats to start babysitting me, perhaps I need to take my business elsewhere.

If I am paying for the fuel, then they need to STFU.

~Joe

 

Answer: Yes

Some of us don't have two wheeled RV's with humpteen gallon tanks. My low-fuel light comes on at 90 miles. So yeah the extra few onces have been the only reason I've made it to where I was going. If you've been riding so long then I'm going to assume that you have ridden in the South-west. We have roads here that have longer stretches between towns than my bike can go on a full tank. So yes, I always stay seated on my bike when I fuel up so that I can get those "few ounces" you speak of.

 

....Sounds like you need to get a bagger, sarge.

 

One of these days I might for the long-hauls. But not yet.

 

'Different strokes for different folks'!
I've refuelled many times both on and off my ride & don't consider myself strange! Most times I'm off the bike 'cos I've gotta get off to pay the cashier anyway, but I appreciate Shell's safety comments (although I suspect it's more a case of protecting themselves against potential lawsuits than worrying about the health & safety of us bikers!)

 

I've seen gasoline hit a hot exhaust manifold (car) and ignite. I think it's at least within the realm of possibility on a hot, air cooled motorcycle engine.

 

Let's see.....gas is flammable, motor is hot, customer is stupid, Shell is condescending.

Got it! Duh, thanks.

 

Shell is a huge, vertically intigrated company...they are "notorious" in the oil and gas industry for being the most stringent on safety, to the point of silliness by normal standards; ie truckers have to don fall arrest gear to unhook a load on their highboy; so this "guidline" of theirs dosen't surprise me. However; if they really believe you take an unnaceptable risk to them of burning down their station and other customers then you'll just have to go somewhere they don't see it as being such a risk...lots of choices out there.

 

Gasoline turns to vapor (flash point) at -45F and ignites (autoignition point) at 495F

But once it turns to vapor with oxygen (real easy) any minute spark can cause ignition. Can your exhaust pipes at the header reach 496F? I have only measuerd mine with a IR thermometer at about 300F on a hot day.

That said...the act of straddling a hot motorcycle while pumping explosive liquid fuel into it is really dumbass IMO.