my mc16 stinks of fuel, not massively but enough.

when i come back from a ride, i turn the tap off.

i checked for leaks and i didn't see any.

i have a sneaky suspicion the choke is not working cleanly as the spark plug is black fouling alittle on edge of plug (brown-tan on the electrode), the operational feel of the lever is like it only opens when fully pulled but doesn't give me the feel is returning fully when closed.
or
because i just bought the bike recently i'm wondering if it has been stood about for ages and the float needle is past its best. does this sound like the source of the problem.

the air box is clear, the tap is turned of and the tank breather pipe is clear too. what i have notice is that the previous owner has fitted an extra long fuel line to the bike probably making access easier (how long is the pipe normally) and could this be the problem that their is too much fuel still evaporating after i turn the tap. should i run it empty before stopping or just clean the carbs up.

is this normal on the mc16? thanks

hey man i have the same problem too and makes a hell lots of smoke during start up, same as yours about the choke, kills the plugs way before 2000km, tell me if you find a solution, or if its just the way it is.
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feel the wind

Thanks for the reply as i was starting feel ignored. i guess the question was a bit long and basis but i thought i'd see if anyone would put me in the right direction first to save me time.

1 the choke was loose at the lever and didn't notice until i went to adjust so did that and the choke works much smother now.

2 the most likely problem re the petrol smell is a dirty float bowl and sticking needle, it could be a worn float bowl needle. i'm not going to do it yet as i don't want to be stuck with a problem free bike during the winter, with the weather we are experiencing now. the excess smoke you describe is probably excess oil build up in the float bowl cos the fuel evaporates leaving the oil in the bowl and then you put more in when you turn the tap on next time around plus a little extra with the choke on as well and you've got a very smokey bike at start up.

3 the last thing is if the fuel hose is too long and is filling up the carb after i turn it off then hey presto more oil, more smoke more smell.

hope that helps.

can you measure your fuel hose to see how long it is as i don't have a guide.

its short, and stock. i have to put the tank on and sqeeze my hand in to fit it on. will check to choke.
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feel the wind

when you get the opportunity give me a measurement of it. i'm in no rush but just in case you need to get at the carb and are removing the tank give me a rough measure.

thanks

just around 25cm.
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feel the wind

I have a rc18 I pickup up that was left outside in a yard ( I live in the tropics) for a long time and when I got it home and tried to get it to start the Left expansion chamber was full of petrol. And I mean FULL. I now have the carbs off and have cleaned them and both floats are out. but one is way worse than the other.
Unfortunately I am trying to find how to set the float height on these and havent found thebheight nor how (where) to measure it.
Suffice it to say, is beginning to appear as if this is a VERY common problem. If I discover a permanent fix, I will post it. Once it is ready to race I will put a second fuel tap in line and run dry and drain tank after raceing. Not an option for road users , of course.

The fix tends to be a new set of float valves, these are still avaliable for Honda. As a rule they dont give any trouble.
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If I have to take the carbs off once more...

gregjet wrote:Unfortunately I am trying to find how to set the float height on these and haven't found the height nor how (where) to measure it.

It's in the oh so easy to find tech resources page
Try here, as for how to set them, Andy posted this an age ago.

Also if it just stinks of fuel sat there and doesn't appear to have any other problems check the fuel cap
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Please do not PM me technical questions, if you can't find it on the Forum start a thread

Just for interest purposes,

i found out the fuel line to the carb was badly fitted, not obvious but slowly leaking petrol.

replaced pipe and hey presto no smell any more. Phew, nearly stripped the carbs.

thanks for all your help

Thanks VERY much!!! Missed this section somehow but I am very new to the site.
BTW I think I have an Idea on why the carbs leak fuel even when the floats are adjusted as per proper way.
The float pivot pins are held by the bent metal rolled around the pin. On both , the pin had a lot of slop around it to the float . When you turn it up the right way , the float now goes up furthur because of the side slop. This MAY be why we all are having the fuel leak problems.
I clamped the roll down to a more snug fit ( NOT clamped) and it seems to maintain the correct distance. WE SHALL SEE