NHTSA Complaint #10470513 — 2004 HONDA ST1300A

MOTORCYCLE DEMONSTRATED ONCE BEFORE THE BOILING OF FUEL IN FULL FUEL TANK AFTER DRIVING. A COUPLE OF WEEKENDS LATER I DECIDED THAT I WOULD REMOVE THE FUEL FROM THE TANK BECAUSE I BELIEVED THAT THE GAS MAY HAVE CONTAINED TOO MUCH ALCOHOL WHICH MAY BOIL AT A LOWER TEMPERATURE. I REMOVED ALL BUT ABOUT 2 GALLONS OUT OF THE 7.7 GALLON TANK. I RODE TO A FUEL STATION AND REFILLED TO ABOUT 3/4 OF AN INCH BELOW THE FULL MARK. I LEFT SOME EXPANSION SPACE DUE TO THE HOT WEATHER. THE OPERATING TEMPERATURE OF THE BIKE WAS NORMAL AS ALWAYS. UPON RETURNING HOME I STOPPED THE BIKE OUTSIDE OF THE ENCLOSED GARAGE JUST TO CHECK THE TANK BEFORE I BROUGHT IT IN SHOULD THERE BE ANY PROBLEMS. I WAS CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO REMAIN ON THE BIKE AND REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION TO UNLOCK THE FUEL TANK. WHILE SITTING ON THE BIKE WITH MY HELMET, JACKET, AND SUNGLASSES STILL ON I INSERTED THE KEY INTO THE CAP AND OPENED IT. UPON UNLOCKING, THE CAP BURST FULL OPEN AND INSTANTLY FUEL SHOWERED ME AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL OF THE BIKE AS IF A HOT RADIATOR CAP WAS OPENED. RELIEVING THE PRESSURE IN THE TANK ALLOW THE FUEL TO SPONTANEOUSLY BOIL . AFTERWARDS I WOULD ESTIMATE THAT 1.5 TO 2 GALLONS CAME OUT OF THE TANK IN A MATTER OF 1 SECOND. COVERED IN FUEL I QUICKLY JUMPED OFF THE BIKE STILL HOLDING THE KEY WHICH BROKE OFF IN MY HAND. MY CONCERN IS FOR OTHER RIDERS THAT MAY ENCOUNTER THIS PROBLEM. I TAKING THE BIKE TO GET THE TANK VENT SYSTEM REPAIRED BY A HONDA DEALER. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS THE VENT SYSTEM HAS FAILED TO AN UNSAFE CONDITION. *TR