Refused fuel..!!

[Old Git Ray]

Sorry, all this is just nonsense.

There is a huge difference between fuelling on the side stand and upright in terms of how much fuel you can get in (applies to most bikes). If you get off the bike and fuel it on the stand, lots of people will push it upright anyway to get more fuel in, and in risk terms, the risk of the bike falling over the other way is greater than the risk of spilling fuel and it igniting if you sit on and fuel. The pumps have cut offs remember, and no one wants fuel on themselves.

Also, igniting on the TT pit is something else entirely. Huge heat from a race engine, massive requirement to fuel as fas as pos means more scope to spill, and race fuel which is nothing at all like pump fuel

The comment in the article about fuel expansion would be a fair one if we lived in a very hot country, but we don't, it's nonsense.

These "rules" are dreamt up by people who aren't riders and have nothing better to do. Compliance with HSE legislation is all about risk assessment, and this is not the result of a true risk assessment, its simply people thinking what if, which is not at all the same. It hasn't fully been thought through.

Ditto using phones and fuelling - there has never been a reported case of a spark from a phone causing a fire in a fuel station. Ever. and laughable anyway if you're fuelling with a car with diesel, it simply cannot ignite with a spark anyway, even if a phone did cause a spark.

The helmet removal thing is a pile of crap as well. People wear baseball caps all the time and fuel up from cars

Can't argue with any of this except possibly the expanding fuel thing. When underground the fuel is very cold and when bought to the surface it does expand but modern tanks have a neck so long that it is difficult to overfill it anyway. On top of that, all modern bikes have an overflow outlet and tube that extends to below the bike. So in reality it is only a problem if you fill up and take your bike straight home and park it in a garage. I have had my bike take a piss on several occasions whilst having a bite at a service area after a fill up.

[DavidS]

Have you not seen boiling fuel in a Freeride then?

I can't see the problem in parking the bike to fill it and losing 30 seconds of your life taking your helmet off and putting it back on.
It's respectful to the garage staff as well. Just because hoodies or caps stay on, it doesn't make it right.
Theft in garages is a big thing so can you blame them?

Quite a few local garages are going to a pay at the pump option now so the problem isn't there.

[AlanHolt]

Pay at pump makes an ass of these rules. You turn up to a manned petrol station, have to get off your bike, remove your helmet to draw £20 worth of fuel. Turn up to an unmanned petrol station, stay on your bike, keep your helmet on, smoking a fag and making a phone call and draw £20 worth of fuel. If the rules are essential for H&S reasons, ban pay@pump and unmanned garages.

[paul_tim2000]

If I brim the tank on my Stelvio when it's on the center stand, then close the cap, the heat from the engine will cause fuel to run out of the tank overflow whilst I'm queuing to pay behind the people trying to buy their weeks shopping in the petrol station (my pet hate) so heat expansion can happen even in our cool climate.
As for removing helmets I don't use any garage who have insisted I remove mine, simple answer is not to give them your business. I had this happen at a Tesco garage about 4 years ago and have not used them for bike or car petrol, or my shopping, since. If we all did this, and told them, I wonder how long the cumulative loss of sales would take for them to reconsider their decision (might never happen but I feel better doing it).

[Craig-SM]

I can understand the point of not allowing fuelling up whilst sat on the bike. I've had petrol spurt back on me and also had a foot slip away on spilt diesel at petrol stations. For the amount of time it takes it not really an issue and I really can't see why you'd want to.
I've haven't removed my helmet for years unless I'm having a rest stop too. I also regularly use the stations were you see on Facebook the photos of idiots on bikes protesting that they have to remove their helmets but people wearing burkas don't and then asking you to boycott these stations. The two stations near me were they reckon this to happen, have never refused me or any one of the others that ride with me. The last time I was asked to remove my helmet wasn't even this decade and not by the people at the counter but the idiot behind me in the queue saying repeatably that I wouldn't be served unless I did so. After been served with my helmet on I did remove it when I got to my bike so I could push it away from the pump and block the idiots car whilst I very slowly sorted myself out much to the amusement of the staff.
I've never had the need to wear a crash helmet in the local Tesco supermarket and no idea why anybody would need to do so unless it was for the Black Friday sales whilst people fight over reduced crap they can't sell.

[vRSG60]

Sorry, all this is just nonsense.

There is a huge difference between fuelling on the side stand and upright in terms of how much fuel you can get in (applies to most bikes).

Less than a cup full on mine (R1200GS LC)

[ollydog]

must admit, iam a lazy arse, pay at the pump, dont get of the bike just flick out the side side

steve

[bowber]

Sorry, all this is just nonsense.

Also, igniting on the TT pit is something else entirely. Huge heat from a race engine, massive requirement to fuel as fas as pos means more scope to spill, and race fuel which is nothing at all like pump fuel

The exhaust on my KTM 1050 glows red on tickoever, presumably due to the lean burn, so if you've been in traffic getting to the station there is a good possibility that the exhaust is at it's hottest and easily capable of igniting spilt fuel.

Steve

[Chalky723]

Mines designed to be filled on the sidestand, but even with my previous bike I did it - the amount of extra fuel I could get in was negligible - if I was that bothered TBH I'd carry a litre fuel can with me at all times.....

I agree with removing full face helmets - they can be quite intimidating to some people which is why I got a flip front.

I got told to remove my flip front helmet before they'd turn the pump on by a local garage via tannoy once - I've never used it since.

D

[gazxt1200z]

I have never SAT on my bike to refuel,always got off then if I was filling it right up,just push it upright with my thigh,then walk in the garage with me helmet on,already refuelled so they ain't going to refuse payment.