Ditch that locking gas cap!

Having found the locking gas caps on my SW and 110 Elite to be a PITA, I found an old cap in my box of Helix parts and it fit both scoots. Needing a second gas cap, I found a new aftermarket one here:

http://www.helixparts.com/usa/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=17&products_id=187

Since many Hondas use the same gas cap, one might find one at their nearest cycle salvage, but I opted to get a new one that also included the rubber washer.  Caps from Honda cost more and do not include the washer.

It might have been possible to remove the pins from the locking mechanism on the stock cap, but I didn't want to do that in case I might want to use it again someday. My SW is always garaged when I'm not riding it and rarely if ever parked where I can't watch it. Not too worried about it being tampered with.

sctr199 wrote:

Having found the locking gas caps on my SW and 110 Elite to be a PITA,

Locking gas caps are installed on a variety of internal combustion engine's fuel tanks for a reason. Sure they're a PITA, but I'd rather have my fuel intact and uncontaminated in exchange for the small amount of effort it takes to unlock the cap with the ignition key.

bigbird wrote:

sctr199 wrote:

Having found the locking gas caps on my SW and 110 Elite to be a PITA,

Locking gas caps are installed on a variety of internal combustion engine's fuel tanks for a reason. Sure they're a PITA, but I'd rather have my fuel intact and uncontaminated in exchange for the small amount of effort it takes to unlock the cap with the ignition key.

I agree bigbird. It is not that big a PITA for me... Now the bar that bisects the filler neck? That is a PITA.

"PM",
You have a bar that bisects your filler neck??? Mine's an '05 and doesn't incorporate such a device...

I found the locking gas cap to be a pain in the tank.On our 4,500 mile trip to and around Colorado I removed the little locking device from the cap.Take out the two screws from the bottom of the cap,remove the cylinder and the little metal dog locking mechanism and put in a plastic pill box(need I tell you my age) and store it in one of the glove boxes, reinstall the cylinder and your set to go. Have not had any problems in 45,000 miles.

Oh how lucky you are in the US to enjoy no crime and fuel prices that are so low that it isn't worth stealing.

 

+1
It means also that there's absolutely no chance of riding off without putting the fuel-cap back on.

DickO wrote:

"PM",
You have a bar that bisects your filler neck???  Mine's an '05 and doesn't incorporate such a device...

Yes and it makes it so you can't seat the filler nozzle well. In California; it means you have to pull back on the rubber boot BEFORE the fuel will flow... Da*n emission crap!!!

Have you tried filling up a 650 Burgman wnen you have a set of soft panniers/saddlebags fitted. You've got the fuel hose in one hand as you fill the tank, and the other is holding the weight of the bag clear of the filler flap. The lardass Burgman is also too heavy to rock on it's main stand to clear those air pockets that prevent you brimming the tank.

The Silver Wing is a doodle to fill in comparison even when when I'm using my tunnel bag, it's on and off the Velcro tabs on the tunnel in a few seconds and onto the seat out of the way. I can brim the tank easily and can't start the scooter without removing the keys after locking the filler cap back on, what exactly is a PITA about that?

I've had a lot of MZ's and none of them had a locking filler cap, and some earlier ones had a measuring cup fixed underneath the filler cap to measure the doses of two-stroke oil you carried with you and added to the petrol/gas every time you filled the tank. Other bikes had a separate auto-lube tank fitted with a dipstick to regularly check.  I've gone Euro touring with up to a dozen or more plastic bottles of two-stroke oil stored in tank bags, panniers, and luggage bags because good quality oil was had to find in Eastern European countries back in the old Iron Curtain days.

So in comparison stretching down to turn a key to remove or replace a locking filling cap is hardly an inconvenience.

Meldrew wrote:

I can brim the tank easily and can't start the scooter without removing the keys after locking the filler cap back on, what exactly is a PITA about that?

So in comparison stretching down to turn a key to remove or replace a locking filling cap is hardly an inconvenience.

Exactly! My friend has a 2006 Gold Wing; the fuel door locks but not the cap. Anyway, we were on a trip and he realized he had left his cap behind at a fuel station. By the time he realized this it was 200 miles behind us...
Having the key in the cap eliminates this scenario and would have saved him $36 or so...

I have a 2010 Swing and don't find the locking cap much of a problem. My earlier 2001 model didn't have one. That bar across the filler neck is an annoyance but I suppose it's there to stop the UK shaped fuel nozzle from going to far in and causing pressure build up that would shut off the pump too quickly?

Though the gas cap on the SW is not as difficult to get to as some, I will still be getting a non-lock version as I prefer the convenience when touring. If I end up parking in an area I am concerned about tampering, I can easily swap it. I found that a standard car gas cap fit our Burg400. It was $12. It is good to have the part number that fits the SW, thanks.

sctr199 wrote:

Having found the locking gas caps on my SW and 110 Elite to be a PITA, I found an old cap in my box of Helix parts and it fit both scoots. Needing a second gas cap, I found a new aftermarket one here:

http://www.helixparts.com/usa/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=17&products_id=187

Since many Hondas use the same gas cap, one might find one at their nearest cycle salvage, but I opted to get a new one that also included the rubber washer.  Caps from Honda cost more and do not include the washer.

It might have been possible to remove the pins from the locking mechanism on the stock cap, but I didn't want to do that in case I might want to use it again someday. My  SW is always garaged when I'm not riding it and rarely if ever parked where I can't watch it.  Not too worried about it being tampered with.

Sounds like a sensible compromise. I didn't check automotive caps for SW fit. Maybe there is one.

Actually it is a different type of system than the Burg, for the cap to screw in. Just a couple hours ago I found a nice looking Helix repro on Ebay for under $13 including ship. Here is a link to it on Ebay, so I have one coming in.  Now I need to instal the HyperPro kit that came in last week and wire for my GPS. So many projects…..

NWSSC wrote:

I found the locking gas cap to be a pain in the tank.On our 4,500 mile trip to and around Colorado I removed the little locking device from the cap.Take out the two screws from the bottom of the cap,remove the cylinder and the little metal dog locking mechanism and put in a plastic pill box(need I tell you my age) and store it in one of the glove boxes, reinstall the cylinder and your set to go. Have not had any problems in 45,000 miles.

Why go thru all the fuss and money hunting for a replacement cap, Just remove the dog and save it if you ever want to restore the lock to normal.

Perhaps one of those who claim the lock to be a PITA could explain why they find it so troublesome.

…Or why you need a separate gas/filler cap for touring? I've found filling the tank is the same procedure whether you're touring, commuting, or generally out for a ride.

If there was a demand for 'non- locking touring gas caps', Touratech, Twisted Throttle, or even Honda would have had them out years ago.

It's just daft old men farkling for the sake of it.

If Honda supplied a non-locking gas cap, I bet there would be some name-calling like cheapo, crappy, imbecilic, money-grabbing, @%@6, and assorted other names. Locking gas caps take a few seconds of your time, but save you thousands in preventable mishaps and criminal activity.
I can safely say that it was put there after much thought to the peace of mind of the owner. The owner can do whatever the @#%&* he wants. It's his or her bike.

This topic is so aggaravating: Owners can throw away the offending article into the milky way for all I care. Let them ride their bikes and their cars with open gas tanks, why bother with a cap at all ! !$#@%%$#. Of course, on here, we are all entitled to our opinions. I just expressed mine.
I will keep my locking gas cap. Thank You.

Meldrew wrote:

…>>If there was a demand for 'non- locking touring gas caps', Touratech, Twisted Throttle, or even Honda would have had them out years ago.<<

Ooo,...Touratech has a non-locking gas cap? I want one.

Then I can impress the local Beemer guys. Oh, never mind, now that it's below 50* their bikes are all in the garage covered up & winterized.

Tim

Calm down boys, it's only a key - the same one we use for the ignition. Now THAT IS a PITA. I'd like the engine to keep running all of the time, so that it's warmed up and ready to go whenever I want!!

 

The only word of caution on gas caps I can say is be carefully when using a different style gas cap other than what is recommend by the manufacture. For air pollution control,fuel tanks (including automobiles and commercial engines) have different style caps depending on the system they use.I have seen fuel tanks sucked in to the point that it stooped the engine from running.   Howard

So, now I am wondering where I can find a freaking rhinestone farkled fuel cap??

In a Freaking Rhinestone Farkled Fuel Cap store.  

I would probably like to get rid of my locking cap since I store my Swing in my garage every night. Back when I lived in apartments and such you needed to have one. People love to screw with bikes. I found knife blades broken off in the ignition, that kind of thing.

It is kind of weird that both my cars do not have locking gas tanks anymore. The vehicles with 15 gallon tanks are wide open, but the scooters all have locking tanks, the ones that hold 2-3 gallons.

But since bikes tend to get messed with more, I'd say having the locking tanks by default is a good thing.

OK fellas.  It looks like this topic has been cussed/discussed/beaten to death enough.  As the one who started it all, lets move on & let this thread get buried. . . . please!

Colin B wrote:

Calm down boys, it's only a key - the same one we use for the ignition. Now THAT IS a PITA. I'd like the engine to keep running all of the time, so that it's warmed up and ready to go whenever I want!!

   

I can show you how to keep the engine running with the gas cap off and side stand down ......       

sctr199 wrote:

OK fellas.  It looks like this topic has been cussed/discussed/beaten to death enough.  As the one who started it all, lets move on & let this thread get buried. . . . please!

You started this topic but you never gave a reason why a locking gas cap is a PITA for you, only where you parked your scooter and a link to somewhere selling non locking caps. Maybe you didn't get the response you expected.

It's a bit like that old topic about disabling the side stand ignition cut-out switch, that's a PITA for some but I've yet to read a creditable explanation for doing it.  

I tend to agree with Meldrew!

If a member makes a bold statement about modifying/adding/removing a safety/security/structural feature, it is likely to cause some debate. That's what the forum is about. I think, therefore, they should, at least, state the logic behind their action.

I think the post should remain open, but lets keep cool. I'm still intrigued to know why a locking cap is a problem.

It must be a right PITA for sctr199 having to use that same darned key to turn the ignition on and off, operate the steering lock, and open the seat latch. So I'm eagerly awaiting links to some labour saving non-locking touring alternatives!  

DuggleBogey wrote:

It is kind of weird that both my cars do not have locking gas tanks anymore. The vehicles with 15 gallon tanks are wide open, but the scooters all have locking tanks, the ones that hold 2-3 gallons.

Ford doesn't even use filler caps any more on some of their vehicles, let alone locking ones.
My Toyota has a remote locking filler door, and I'm happy about that.

Jeezus, give people a break.

If something is a completely unnecessary hassle, it's a PITA. Period.

\"Meldrew wrote:

>>It's a bit like that old topic about disabling the side stand ignition cut-out switch, that's a PITA for some but I've yet to read a creditable explanation for doing it.  

Well, why not disable the side stand switch so that you could keep the scoot running while you removed the non-locking gas cap to fill up the tank while you caught a smoke.

Tim

Cosmic_Jumper wrote:

Well, why not disable the side stand switch  

I can help with that, he said mischievously.

"If something is a completely unnecessary hassle,......".

But it isn't; it is necessary in some situations.

Something for everyone!

cotetoi wrote:

The owner can do whatever the @#%&* he wants. It's his or her bike.

Couldn't have put it any better.  No matter what I say my reasoning is, someone will try and find fault with why what works for me doesn't work for them, and the debate will linger on and on and continue to get more sarcastic. If I had to do it over again, I would have chosen a different title for the post, such as "Source for non-locking gas cap."  If anyone interpreted the title as me telling them they should do this, that's not what I meant. I was just pointing out a source for for the apparent very few of us who don't see the need to lock their caps.

Beside the reasons cited in my original post, I personally find it inconvenient to have to unlock the gas cap each time I get gas, just my personal preference. Seems that the majority here doesn't feel the same way, but a couple seem to.

Thanks to all of you who posted constructive comments. Seems the Nays have it.

Points made, thread locked.