Gasoline odor in the trunk

[GoSlo]

When I open the trunk, there is a strong gasoline smell and everything inside smells like gas. There is no odor outside or when riding, and no leaks that I can see.


Any ideas?

[Gorilla]

When I open the trunk, there is a strong gasoline smell and everything inside smells like gas. There is no odor outside or when riding, and no leaks that I can see.


Any ideas?

Is this a TRI GLIDE or a conversion? If a conversion does it have an auxiliary tank? If it is a tri glide there is no way raw gas can get to the trunk. Now if it is exhaust smell thats a different story. More info please.

[DTR 11TG]

Is this a TRI GLIDE or a conversion? ... More info please.

He has a Tri Glide

[msocko3]

Is this a TRI GLIDE or a conversion? If a conversion does it have an auxiliary tank? If it is a tri glide there is no way raw gas can get to the trunk. Now if it is exhaust smell thats a different story. More info please.

Only other thing I can think of is he may have over filled the fuel tank. The gas from the overflow hose blew towards the back and onto the bottom of the trunk.

[sandrooney]

The overflow/vent would be my guess as well.

[Bikerbozo]

Ditto on the overflow. Maybe hose is not aimed down.

[GoSlo]

Ditto on the overflow. Maybe hose is not aimed down.

Thanks for all the feedback. What's on the trike is in my signature, so I didn't bother rewriting that, sorry. This is not a one time thing. It's every single time I open the trunk. Doesn't matter if it's been sitting all week or after long or short rides, cold or hot outside. That's why it's so confusing to me. I'll have someone check the overflow hose to make sure it's in the correct position.

Thanks to all that replied!!

[Sloufoot]

Thanks for all the feedback. What's on the trike is in my signature, so I didn't bother rewriting that, sorry. This is not a one time thing. It's every single time I open the trunk. Doesn't matter if it's been sitting all week or after long or short rides, cold or hot outside. That's why it's so confusing to me. I'll have someone check the overflow hose to make sure it's in the correct position.

Thanks to all that replied!!

Try & take the trunk liner out & clean it. Someone could have spilled gas on it. Also do a good wash job inside the trunk when you get the liner out.

[trikermutha]

Are you sure its a gas smell and not the liner that smells?? Had to ask..

[Phu Cat]

Goslo, Did you buy the bike new?

Pulling the liner out and cleaning the inside of the tour pak and the liner as suggested above then riding a day or two without the liner in will at least narrow it down to one or the other where the smell is coming from.

Phu Cat

[MB1953]

Are you sure it's gas? Ever since I bought my '14 TG, there has been a strong gas-like smell whenever you open the trunk. Not the tour pack, just the trunk. I kept thinking, I know that smell from somewhere... I think that the trunk smell is under- or over-catalyzed epoxy/fiberglass resin leaching out of the walls of the trunk. In my hot rod (younger) days, we laid up a lot of fiberglass parts like flares and hood scoops, and that was the same smell. Living in FL, the heat really makes it powerful. It has been getting less potent gradually over the past few months. There is absolutely nothing wet or even damp inside, even with the liner pulled away.

Not 100% sure that is what you have, but I am pretty confident that is what I have. And I was amazed at how strong it is!

[GoSlo]

Are you sure it's gas? Ever since I bought my '14 TG, there has been a strong gas-like smell whenever you open the trunk. Not the tour pack, just the trunk. I kept thinking, I know that smell from somewhere... I think that the trunk smell is under- or over-catalyzed epoxy/fiberglass resin leaching out of the walls of the trunk. In my hot rod (younger) days, we laid up a lot of fiberglass parts like flares and hood scoops, and that was the same smell. Living in FL, the heat really makes it powerful. It has been getting less potent gradually over the past few months. There is absolutely nothing wet or even damp inside, even with the liner pulled away.

Not 100% sure that is what you have, but I am pretty confident that is what I have. And I was amazed at how strong it is!

Couldn't swear to it, but it sure smells like gasoline. And like you, it's only in the trunk, not the tourpak. I've had it now for almost 2 years and the smell is still there. Maybe I'll leave the trunk door open when not riding and see if I can air it out more. As for something being spilled inside, there's never been any liquids put in it, so I don't think that's it either.

Thanks again for everyone's input and suggestions.

[DK Custom Products]

Are you sure it's gas? Ever since I bought my '14 TG, there has been a strong gas-like smell whenever you open the trunk. Not the tour pack, just the trunk. I kept thinking, I know that smell from somewhere... I think that the trunk smell is under- or over-catalyzed epoxy/fiberglass resin leaching out of the walls of the trunk. In my hot rod (younger) days, we laid up a lot of fiberglass parts like flares and hood scoops, and that was the same smell. Living in FL, the heat really makes it powerful. It has been getting less potent gradually over the past few months. There is absolutely nothing wet or even damp inside, even with the liner pulled away.

Not 100% sure that is what you have, but I am pretty confident that is what I have. And I was amazed at how strong it is!

My 11 TG did not have this smell. But the 14 does have it...at first I thought it was the liner, but it is not...it is the actual trunk body. It is slowly dissipating over time.

Kevin

[GoSlo]

My 11 TG did not have this smell. But the 14 does have it...at first I thought it was the liner, but it is not...it is the actual trunk body. It is slowly dissipating over time.

Kevin

Dissipating, as in the odor is fading, or the trunk is dissolving and will disappear over time?!?!?! That would be as good an excuse as I could ever come up with to get a new TriGlide!

Seriously, thanks Kevin.

[woody]

wife has so much stuff in there I couldn't smell the gas if there was some.

[Bubba49]

Could be the smell from the silicone adhesive they use to glue the tour pak brackets to the top of the trunk (stick your head in there and look up to see the brackets). They use a nasty smelling adhesive to hold the brackets in place while they put the tour pak on. Also functions to seal up the holes after the bolts are put in place.

Just a thought...

Bubba

[Rainmore]

When I open the trunk, there is a strong gasoline smell and everything inside smells like gas. There is no odor outside or when riding, and no leaks that I can see.


Any ideas?

No... it is not raw gas. It is fumes from exhaust coming back from exhaust tips being sucked into trunk. It is an ongoing issue with back draft. Hint check if exhaust ends protrude from end of trunk or are they under trunk. Loosen mufflers and ease out more to clear trunk, it will not take much but check and make sure muffler still seals at clamp areas. If not then add a 2-3" spacer infront of mufflers connecting to header pipes.

[DK Custom Products]

Dissipating, as in the odor is fading, or the trunk is dissolving and will disappear over time?!?!?! That would be as good an excuse as I could ever come up with to get a new TriGlide!

Seriously, thanks Kevin.

ROFL, yeah the smell.

Kevin

[GoSlo]

No... it is not raw gas. It is fumes from exhaust coming back from exhaust tips being sucked into trunk. It is an ongoing issue with back draft. Hint check if exhaust ends protrude from end of trunk or are they under trunk. Loosen mufflers and ease out more to clear trunk, it will not take much but check and make sure muffler still seals at clamp areas. If not then add a 2-3" spacer infront of mufflers connecting to header pipes.

My pipes extend out past the base of the trunk by a good three or four inches, so I don't think it's exhaust. Plus it has that smell even if it's been sitting for a few days, not just when I ride.

There's been lots of good ideas that I'll try and see if I can get rid of the smell, so thanks again to all that have offered suggestions.

[GoSlo]

For those of you that haven't gotten a bit of sleep wondering why my trunk smells like gasoline, I finally have an answer. Had service check the overflow, and that wasn't it as some suggested (sounded good to me so I asked them to check that first). They took everything out of the trunk and there was nothing spilled and nothing leaking in that they could see.

The service tech then noticed that I had a bottle of fuel additive in my tool bag. He sniffed it and said it didn't smell the same, but maybe that was causing the problem. Took it out of the trunk and put it in my tourpak. After a few days, my trunk doesn't stink but the tourpak does. Mystery solved.