Potential water in gas tank?

[kryptek49]

Hi all,

My brother 2002 GS500e has water inside the fuel lock thing.

He's also had a few problems recently with the bike losing power.

Could water be getting into the tank from where it is pooling around the opening or is this common on GS's?

Mine is kept ina  garage so I can't compare if it's normal or not.

Thanks

[Endopotential]

Most motorcycle fuel openings have that indented ring around the central opening, to collect any rain water that seeps in.  Somewhere along the bottom of that indented ring should be a rubber tube that drains the water out the bottom of the motorcycle.

Good picture from an older thread  http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=15062.0

You could try filling that ring with a tiny bit of water (or maybe gasoline?) and see if it drains out.  If it pools then that would be bad.

The bike losing power could come from a hundred possible causes.  If there's concern about water accumulation, is there rust in the gas tank?

[qcbaker]

If there's concern about water accumulation, is there rust in the gas tank?

Also check for rust in the carb bowls or anywhere else fuel sits.

[gregjet]

Drain the fuel bowls ( they have drain screws on all models I think) into a glass container. That will show up and water immediately as it sits in the drain area on purpose.
If it has dump some methylated spirits into the tank and let it slosh around. The metho will dissolve the water and mix with the fuel. You can then dump it with the water gone.. Give it a second metho treatment and dump that. Blow it out with lots of air and try NOT to do it on a day of high humidity or you will just put water from the air back inside from the expanding and cooling compressed air. All the water should be gone.
I suggest NOT running it with the alcohol in it even though it will run ok. Much garbage has been spread about alcohol in enegine, but one place is true and that's in carburetted motors with brass and pot metal ( our carbs are Al so the bodies are fine. The jets and brass fittings are not fine)