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Bike went into mini-hibernation

Surely there is an aftermarket alternative? Anyone?

Most likely. You'd have to measure the connections and find something.

For CDN$60, I'd just buy the Honda part with the replacement hoses and clamps. I've heard that insurance companies do detailed investigations of vehicle fires and if you installed some non-OEM filter here and experienced a leak/fire it might end up with a claim denial.

I bet that the fuel filter is fine. I'd bet the situation was caused by ethanol separation / water in the tank.

Visual inspection of inside of the tank and voltage measurements of the battery should be performed. You could have crap in the tank that would plug your new filter. Or it was the battery all along and the new filter was wasted $. Or it's the gas station where you fill up and the same thing will happen again despite $$$ on a new battery and/or filter.
 
for what? to save some money on a 60$ part?

Yes, to save on a sixty buck filter.

The fuel pump gasket on my Triumphs is $20, the OEM fuel filter is $60. The equivalent Wix filter from Napa is six dollars, one tenth of the cost.

Looks like a significant saving to me.



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I've heard that insurance companies do detailed investigations of vehicle fires and if you installed some non-OEM filter here and experienced a leak/fire it might end up with a claim denial.

C'mon! With respect, this is nonsense. What about an aftermarket air filter, a K&N perhaps? Oil filter, brake pads? Where does it end? If this was the case, the entire automotive aftermarket would not exist.

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My friend's Ford Explorer (he bought it used) caught on fire one day due to faulty hitch wiring (added by previous owner). He told me that the adjuster told him that all vehicle fires are investigated fully. Even though the fire was limited to the rear taillights/bed area, Ford would replace a wiring harness so the vehicle was a write-off. He was covered...

The fuel filter in this case is under the tank on top of the engine. If you are confident that an alternate filter would not leak gasoline onto your hot engine then go for it. Your insuror may even cover you in the remote case of a fire. Or perhaps not if they didn't like you using a different filter. I'd spend the $60. Scotiabank tells me that I'm richer than I think.
 
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The only investigation done in the case of a vehicle fire is if there's any sign of fraud, IE traces or signs of an accelerant being used.

They are not going over crusty burned and destroyed wiring looking for any issues there.

OP, I wouldn't rush to just replace the battery...throwing parts at a vehicle with an issue is an expensive method of fixing things...which many not actually end up fixing anything - diagnostics come first, so at least have the battery load tested before assuming it's the culprit. It may very well be. Or it might not.

BTW Brian, Ultramar's premium fuel is no longer ethanol free, they quietly stopped offering ethanol free options a year or three back. The only ethanol free options now in the province are Sunoco premium, and Canadian Tire premium.
 
Diagnose first THEN repair.

There is a HIGH probability that the original poster's problem relates to "water in fuel" for whatever reason, and/or ethanol phase separation which is potentially linked to "water in fuel".

It is NOT necessary to replace parts in order to fix this. If the bike continued running in some fashion and cleared up (which appears to be the case) ... no action is required. Simply keep riding. Be aware of the possibility of the occasional misfire or hesitation due to left-over water in the tank until it all gets purged out. If the bike is running ok then simply ride it until it is very low on fuel (low fuel light flashing) and fill up.

Gas line antifreeze can help to get water dispersed in the fuel.

I highly doubt if the real issue is a clogged fuel filter, because clogged fuel filters don't miraculously un-clog themselves. The symptoms would not have cleared up as described. The symptoms would have gotten progressively worse. Bike would have simply gotten slower... and slower ... and slower ... and rougher ... until it quit running and needed a tow. That's what happens when a fuel filter gets clogged.

I also doubt that the issue is the battery, because generally if the battery has enough power to crank and start the engine, the alternator will take over and maintain charging system voltage once the engine is running. (Do check that the battery terminals are secure, though. That costs nothing.)

If the issue is a plugged fuel tank vent, I already described how to diagnose it. To fix it, lift up the fuel tank and inspect the routing and condition of the vent hose. Pull it off the nipple underneath the tank and make sure it isn't blocked. When you set the tank down again, take care that the hose doesn't kink in the process of doing so. On that bike, "lift up the fuel tank" first requires removing: Passenger seat, rider's seat, left and right side fairings (because they plug into grommets that are part of the fuel tank - don't forget the screw underneath the headlight on each side, and the one facing inward near the exhaust pipe at front of engine), unbolt and release but don't fully remove the side fairings underneath the rider's seat (because they attach to the fuel tank), the little trim panel at the front of the fuel tank, which reveals the center bolt that holds the front of the fuel tank down. Sounds intimidating but it takes 10 minutes once you know how to do it.
 
Takes no $ to load test it. Just effort and time.

Eliminate that first
 
There is no issue with using aftermarket parts. Though it's best to use ones that are rated as OEM equivalent spec. Most are.
 
Brian dealing out good advice again
 
If the fuel hose is high pressure 8mm FI type, then you could try a NAPA Gold 3032 fuel filter. This is $6.00 from NAPA and is an aftermarket filter recommended for BMW and Moto Guzzi among others. It's all metal so should be able to withstand the typical injected fuel pressures or 30 PSI. Make sure to use FI-rated hose clamps and not worm clamps.
 
The fuel filter in question (which is 99% certain NOT to be the problem) is a low-pressure filter on the suction side of the pump.
 
Update: I checked the battery load test, 13.6 when ON, 15-16v when started/revving. No voltage dips or anything (numbers looks like uncalibrated, probably a crappy multimeter)

Fuel tank is clean, no visible debris in there.

Changed air filter while at it... the old one wasn't that dirty either.

Bike's running normal ever since yesterday, took it to work, totally working as usual.

So most likely it was because I left the bike out in the rain a month ago, and some water got into the tank?

Thank you everyone, even I did nothing to repair the bike, I still learn quite a bit about troubleshooting.
 
Your voltmeter reads high. A normal lead acid battery "at rest" but fully charged should be 12.8 volts, and the voltage with the engine running should be 14.4 volts give or take a couple tenths.

The one thing that is perhaps worth some investigation is WHY water got into the tank. Make sure the drain is not plugged. You can see the drain hole with the fuel cap removed - it's a small hole on the left side of the main fuel filler neck. That leads to a drain opening on the bottom of the fuel tank.
 
Your voltmeter reads high. A normal lead acid battery "at rest" but fully charged should be 12.8 volts, and the voltage with the engine running should be 14.4 volts give or take a couple tenths.

The one thing that is perhaps worth some investigation is WHY water got into the tank. Make sure the drain is not plugged. You can see the drain hole with the fuel cap removed - it's a small hole on the left side of the main fuel filler neck. That leads to a drain opening on the bottom of the fuel tank.

some meters have an adjustment for setting to zero. yes this one sounds consistently high.
 
question- isn't shell 91 ethanol free? Is it no longer available?
I was actually wondering the same thing last night. Haven't had the bike out in a while and thought I should fill up at Shell and then thought of PP's post.

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looking at the op's numbers- 15-16v running, and 13.6v standing; I did a little bit of rough math. the output from the alternator is generally ~14.2 to 14.4v and we know this as a given. the op found 15-16v on his meter bike running. so lets say the meter shows 15.5 average, or about 10% high. if we extrapolate that 10% high reading to the standing (resting) voltage...13.6v MAY BE in the ~12.4v range. a little low and indicative of a battery on its way out.

these numbers above are not a battery load test. meme is correct in suggesting bringing your battery to a auto parts place or ctc to have a proper load test done - this is the best way to truly test your battery's condition. and costs nothing for the test.

Op - I would go through the little work req'd to bring in your battery for a load test- before heading out on your trip. its free insurance ..
 
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Take the battery out, get it load tested would be my first action.

At six years old I would consider the battery a well used part. Since it's out putting in a new one instead would be my route. Dead bike on shoulder is a pain. It may not cure the problem but would have to be done soon anyway.
 
OP your initial issue sure sounds like bad gas, either water or 'bad gas' , the water may not have gotten in at the bike, its not unknown for a station to occasionally have water issues, you may have caught that?

I'd also look into a battery load test, or just replace it. 6yrs in my opinion is a life span, Im not going on a trip with any questions
 

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