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[RayG]

Dan your a genius,  I have removed my tank numerous times.  2 front bolts, one disconnect over the coil and a few more bolts & disconnects under the seat and a quick disconnect for the gas tank and you are done.  My generator has a quick disconnect for the 7 gallon tank.  Thinking about the insurance there has to be a way to store these to satisfy their requirements.  I have a Log home so my insurance is already wicked high.  You just can't paint a wall or do a partial repair you have to do all the logs over. 

[Ridgerunr]

Here you go.

"Your gas hot water heater seems safe enough, sitting there day after day providing a continual supply of water when you need it.

But if you store flammable substances in its vicinity, that same water heater could trigger a fire or even explosion.

According to estimates by federal safety officials and heater manufacturers, hundreds or even thousands of fires and explosions occur each year because people use or store gasoline, paint solvents or other flammable substances near gas-fired hot water heaters in basements, garages and other locations.

``Those vapors accumulate and could be ignited by the pilot light,'' said Robert A. Hauserman, director of customer service for Connecticut Natural Gas Corp.

But the issue has caused such concern that gas appliance manufacturers have spent more than $6 million since 1993 studying the problem and running a national education campaign to warn the public. Those efforts were prompted by the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is hoping the industry can find a way to build a heater that is both economical to buy and resists setting off volatile gases.

Federal officials are concerned about incidents such as the one in June 1992, in which a heater was blamed for igniting gasoline vapors from a motorcycle being stored in a two-family home in Essex, Mass. The structure was severely damaged by the resulting blaze. In August 1983, a 2-year-old boy suffered first- and second-degree burns when a hot water heater ignited gasoline fumes in a home in Manomet, Mass. Investigators concluded that the child knocked over a container of gasoline when he went into the basement to look for his father.

Although furnaces and kitchen ranges also can pose such a danger, hot water heaters most often are to blame, causing about 76 percent of all incidents involving the ignition of flammable vapors. In contrast, ranges cause about 20 percent, and heating equipment 4 percent."
Source: articles.courant.com/.../

New gas hot water tanks are sealed, but I still wouldn't store gas near one. As for garage heaters most are up by the ceiling, and as I stated previously the fumes stay low, plus garages are not as air tight as a house.

[Fired00d]

Sinker,

I'm not sure what bike you have, so this may not be relevant to your bike as much as some other model.

I just bought a new J&M front amp and was in the process of installing it and in the instructions is says to remove the tank and run the power wires back to the battery.

I thought this would be a BIG deal and it was really easy.  Two front bolts and the two under the front of the seat were all that holds it on.  I have an '09 SERG and on that year touring, not sure about other years, the only fuel line is the main from the tank to the injectors.  This is a push up quick disconnect and it popped of easily without narry a drop of gas.  The tank lifted off at that point.

If it were my bike in your neighbor's basement, I would fill the tank and then pull it off and take it home and store it in the shed or garage and not worry about it.

Fired00d, I think if your insurance agent knew that you stored your mower, bike and gas cans etc in your house, they might have to say something about it.  Let's face it, a small electrical fire someplace and then catch your bike on fire with a full tank of gas, that would do tons of more damage to your house that may have been able to be saved without the accelerant of the gas.

Hmmm... you must work for H-D (said w/tongue-n-cheek) ... Your statements sounds similar to the MoCo denying warranty for crankshaft twisting because I don't use Syn 3. You should take a look at the label of a lot of common household goods that are in the normal home... many are flammable. Have you ever held a match or lighter and sprayed any aerosol products over the top... nice little torch/flame. I have over 31 years in the fire service w/8 of them in the Fire Marshal's Office... If the cause of the fire is not because of the motorcycle than I have never seen an issue with insurance. Fire's are investigated for their origin and then the cause to determine how they start. If one was working on there motorcycle (gas tank or some other component) where flammable fumes were being emitted and found an ignition source then maybe the insurance company could/would deny the claim. I did say there may/could be some risk... but IMO there wasn't that big of risk (remember I did state I have electric appliances [gas/water heater]). Oh... one other thing... I never said I stored a gas can in the basement... that is stored outside.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[Sinker]

Thanks for all the good feedback. I never thought about just taking the tank off, that is the way I will go. Appreciate the advice!

[Dan_Lockwood]

Fired00d, I stand corrected...    No gas in your basement, I'll make a not of that.    No gas appliances, check.   

I understand the flame of the aerosol can and the lighter, used to kill bugs that way as a kid.  But a motorcycle does have a vented system and it "could" create an issue if close enough.  Or if for some reason there was a fire that started by something totally non motorcycle, but as the small fire spread and then caught the bike on fire, the fire would be greater and cause more damage than without the bike to add fuel to the fire, so to speak.

I hope we never hear of anyone here with a fire issue.