is this weird

  • December 10, 2013 8:17 AM PST

    It just the way I was brought up on bikes and several of my friends give me a hard time about it. When I turn off the bike I automatically turn off the gas petcock. The key is right there and it's a natural movement for me. Is that strange? Little do they know I also use a non-vented gas cap. you have to unscrew it a little to allow it to vent. I tell you this I don't worry about leaving the key in it. you won't get far if you try to steal it

    • 5417 posts
    December 10, 2013 8:42 AM PST
    I don't think its weird at all. I always used to turn my petcock off when I parked too. Don't have one any more though.
    • 567 posts
    December 10, 2013 2:51 PM PST
    Not weird. Just an old habit that you've kept. Nuttin wrong with it.
    • Moderator
    • 16795 posts
    December 10, 2013 3:51 PM PST
    I've turned off the gas on all the bikes that had petcocks I have owned.
    Being Harleys the vibration sometimes misaligned the carburetor float and stop.
  • December 10, 2013 5:05 PM PST
    That's just how it is it can leak out. some of my buddies grew on bikes too and they're why in the hell do you turn off the gas? they think it's getting ready to break down because I do that. I turn the key off reach my finger and shut the cock. It's a natural movement for me part of turning the key
  • December 10, 2013 9:27 PM PST
    I do it also, just habit I guess.
    • Moderator
    • 19004 posts
    December 10, 2013 10:50 PM PST
    Not Weird, just the way it was done for many years. I do too.
  • December 11, 2013 1:06 AM PST
    I always turn off the gas....never gave it much thought. ....I even do it to the clothes dryer in the house when I'm done. Hmmmm...wonder if I have some underlying issue....
  • December 11, 2013 7:19 AM PST
    Naw - just tells me you are an old school biker - before "they" started putting the Vacuum Operated Electrical Switch (VOES) on to cut the fuel to the carb bowls --- if you didn't, you might come out to find your bike sitting a BIG pool of gas because a carb bowl float and stuck open
  • January 22, 2014 9:26 AM PST
    Nothing weird about that ... The "funny" part is, you'll ALWAYS do it. Been years since I've had a motorcycle with a petcock but everytime I shut my 2003 Softail off, I STILL fumble for a sec expecting to turn off the gas. Like AZBiker said, "if you didn't, you might come out to find your bike sitting a BIG pool of gas because a carb bowl float and stuck open" -- Who in Hell cares what "they" think anyway.
    • 846 posts
    January 23, 2014 6:55 AM PST
    Again nothing weird about that I've done it for years. I still can get over not having one with fuel injected bikes.
  • January 24, 2014 8:46 AM PST
    Not weird at all. I still turn off mine on the two bikes I ride that have petcocks. What is weird to me is the name petcock, who is responsible for that word I wonder.
  • January 24, 2014 9:55 AM PST
    LOL Wheels you can go to a plumbing supply and get "cock grease" used mostly on stop cocks, throttle cocks, Gas cocks and of course petcocks. Everyone should grease their cocks every now and then so they work smoother and don't get stuck
  • January 25, 2014 7:09 AM PST
    Before "vented" gas tanks, you had to turn off the gas to keep it from flooding the carb bowls if the float stuck. Once the tanks were vented it prevented it, but us old coots just kept turning off the petcocks. NOW, they took away the petcocks on the EFIs and I STILL reach for it every time. Kind of sucks when bikes advance and the brain does now.
  • January 25, 2014 7:17 AM PST
    never took key out of my bike even at bikeevent