Your irresponsibility towards your motorcycle can burn it. I have seen many riders enjoy riding but never care for their bikes. But if you know the reasons for burning a motorcycle, then you can avoid such a situation.
Here I have compiled 7 possible mistakes that can cause burning your motorcycle. You must follow the tips shared below to be safe and keep your bike safe.
Why Does A Motorcycle Catch Fire?
Sure, a motorcycle may catch fire. Motorcycles can ignite in a number of different ways. We’ll talk about the top seven causes of fires.
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1. Shifting Mistakes
First, let’s talk about shifting mistakes because they are common among new riders. The most common mistake is downshifting while your motorcycle is at high speed. We are not blaming anyone because upshifting and downshifting in the wrong way is a widespread mistake.
It is a dangerous mistake because it puts too much strain on the engine and transmission. This pressure can cause engine damage, transmission damage, and overheating. Another shifting mistake is upshifting at the wrong time.
For example, when you are at a low speed, you must use first gear if you have a single-speed motorcycle.
While using first gear, you must accelerate slowly while using the clutch to avoid stalling your engine. You can switch to second gear when you are at a moderate speed. It would help if you switched to third or fourth gear at higher rates.
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If you try to accelerate too fast while using first gear, your engine will stall and can catch fire.
2. Loose Electrical Wires
Loose electrical wiring is one of the most common causes of your motorcycle catching fire. A short circuit that results from a flexible wire could ignite the fuel. Your bike will consequently explode and catch fire.
Wires can come loose for a variety of reasons. One of them is the engine’s vibration rattling the cables free. The incorrect placement of the wires during installation is another factor.
By frequently checking the threads, you can avoid this issue. Before each ride, you ought to check the lines. Replace or tighten any wires that you find to be frayed or worn. You should also check the fuse box to confirm that all the connections are correctly connected.
3. Hot Engine Oil
Engine oil is one of the hidden dangers of riding a motorcycle. The engine oil can overheat, especially if you ride your bike in extreme weather conditions. While overheating is terrible for your engine, it can ignite and cause your motorcycle to catch fire.
If you ride in extreme weather conditions, you should check the engine oil regularly to ensure that it is neither too cold nor too hot. Another hidden danger of riding a motorcycle is that the hot engine oil can spray onto you.
If the engine oil sprays onto your skin, you can suffer severe injuries like burns. If the engine oil sprays onto your clothing, you can get a stain, but it will not cause any harm.
4. Faulty Exhaust System
If your motorcycle has a faulty exhaust system, the exhaust gases can leak back into the engine and cause damage.
If the exhaust gases are scorching, they can ignite and cause your motorcycle to catch fire. Worn-out or damaged mufflers are another reason your motorcycle can catch fire. If the exhaust gases are too hot, they can ignite the engine oil and cause your bike to catch fire.
5. Fuel Leaks
Fuel leaks are a significant cause of motorcycle fires. Besides the exhaust gases, the spilled fuel can ignite and cause your motorcycle to catch fire. When the fuel leaks from the fuel tank, you should check it and clean the area.
You should also replace the damaged parts. You can prevent fuel leaks by regularly checking the fuel tank and the fuel lines. You should also return the fuel lines if they are damaged.
6. Damaged Cables and Hoses
Your motorcycle’s damaged cables and hoses are another reason it caught on fire. Cables and hoses transport fuel and engine oil from one place to another. They also help you turn on and turn off the engine.
The most common cause of cable and hose damage is improper storage. It would help if you stored your motorcycle in a dry and clean place to avoid damage to the cables and hoses.
If you are new to riding a bike and worry about these hidden dangers, you should start with a simple and cheap motorcycle.
You can buy a used motorcycle to avoid the high cost of a new one. Even if you start with an affordable bike, you can upgrade to a more expensive one when you become a skilled rider. You can learn to avoid these hidden dangers by researching and reading articles online. You can also ask a seasoned rider for advice.
7. Unbalanced Fuel Ratio
Another cause of the fire is the wrong ratio of fuel and air. It would be best if you mixed the perfect balance of engine oil and atmosphere as the motorcycle manual prescribes.
If the engine has more or less fuel, it won’t get a sufficient amount for combustion, so super hot or unburned fuel escapes towards the exhaust pipe, where it will explode and burn. Always put the proper fuel in the tank—neither too much nor too little—to avoid the problem.
Can heat cause your motorcycle to catch fire?
We know that heat is not a factor in most motorcycle fires. Most fires on motorcycles are caused by mechanical problems or an exhaust system that hasn’t been taken care of or isn’t working right.
Heat is a factor in only 3% of motorcycle fires. It is because motorcycles are designed to run at high temperatures (not in hot weather) and be exposed to heat for extended periods.
If a motorcycle catches fire, the heat from the engine has likely ignited the fuel. Riders should know about fire hazards and what to do if a bike catches fire.
Riding Motorcycle under Hot Weather Is Dangerous:
Riding in extreme heat is often dangerous; therefore, if it’s too hot, merely don’t ride. However, if it’s not too hot and you’re prepared for it, biking in the heat will provide you with many days of excellent weather for riding.
Prepare ahead of time and check that you have enough water to recognize wherever your stopping points are mid-ride and the area of your choice if you would like to bail out halfway through.
Riding in the heat can also make it easier for your VO2 to go up and help you lose weight. Keep it safe and reasonable, and you’ll return to relishing riding in the heat.
Work Smartly When Your Bike Catches Fire:
1. First thing first, get off the bike! If you’re still on the bike, you must stop riding immediately. You could be seriously injured if you fall off while your bike is moving.
Next, try putting out any flames using whatever means you have. Try not to touch the love directly since touching it could cause severe burns.
Instead, use something like sand or dirt to smother the flames. Once the flames are extinguished, check the bike area to ensure no sparks are left behind. If they were, then you’ll want to clean them up before continuing.
2. Now that you’ve checked the area around the bike, you’ll want to look for anything else that may have caught fire. Check the tires, the engine, the gas tank, etc. Make sure nothing else is damaged.
If everything seems okay, then you can continue riding the bike. However, if you notice any damage, you’ll want to take care immediately.
3. If you don’t feel comfortable riding the bike after checking it over, you’ll want to tow it back home.
If you live near a garage or auto shop, you can ask someone to help you bring it back home. Otherwise, you’ll want to find a safe place to park the bike until you can safely drive it home.
4. If you didn’t catch on fire, then congratulations! You probably just had a minor accident. You should be able to ride your bike again soon.
Using water to cool down your bike is a bad idea, Know why?
When water is thrown on a hot engine, you can see the water evaporate so fast. In this case, the water quickly soaks up the heat from the crankcase’s outer surface while the temperature of the crankcase’s inner surface stays high.
So it makes a massive difference in temperature on the same area of the crankcase.
Moreover, it doesn’t absorb the temperature from the whole surface equally but only from where the water comes in contact. So again, you can find vast favoritism of temperature on the same crankcase. The central component in the engine goes under a substantial thermal shock.
Now you can say you did this thing several times, and still, your bike is okay. So what is the reason to be cautious about it? In answer, you’re lucky enough as the bike’s engine-building material is strong enough to deal with that malpractice.
But the truth is it has a long-term harmful impact you may not understand caused due to such carelessness. Here are the implications of throwing cold water on a hot engine.
Crankcase dramatically loses its strength and regular flexibility and becomes partially fragile.
Creates partial microscopic cracks, which may increase over time.
It damages the gasket and starts an oil leak.
Head gasket damages and losses the cylinder compression.
It hurts the spark plug and makes the ignition spark plug’s ceramic body fragile.
It damages the crankcase color, pain work, and external finishing.
Causes rust, corrosion, and oxidation in joints and bolt areas.
The hot steam is directly liable for damaging electrical parts like CDI, ECU, and other electronic devices.
It dramatically reduces the cooling radiator working life.
It frequently causes cooling system leakage.
Tips To Prevent Fires to Save Your Motorcycle:
Some helpful tips can prevent motorcycle fires. You should try them and keep your bike alive forever.
1. Read Manual Carefully: Every vehicle or gadget that could catch fire comes with a user manual containing all vital information regarding safety, maintenance, and other things.
2. Invest for Parking: If you think of saving a small penny while parking your bike under direct sunlight, you are putting yourself at a considerable loss. Hot weather can enhance the temperature and catch fire.
3. Always Use Good Quality Parts: Instead of buying cheap motorcycle parts, invest in excellent quality. Your one-time high investment lasts longer, whereas wasting on low materials can lead to fire or destroy heavily.
4. Keep Away From Fire: Whenever you park your bike or cross the path, don’t take a risk by parking it near the fire. Motorcycles run on fuel prone to fire, and your small mistake can create disaster.
5. Do Regular Checking: After every ride, take a few minutes to inspect all parts to see whether they are working or if something is messy. A cure on time is always better than care after an accident.
Conclusion:
I think you are now more aware of motorcycle safety. Ignoring the seven reasons listed above could be harmful to your bike. If you want to keep your motorcycle from catching fire, pay attention to the causes and heed the advice.
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