History:  This winter SiSF worked some magic in to my old carbs.  I have been riding the bike since then with great results.  On Monday, I went out to the garage and smelled gas.  Checked under the bike and carbs found nothing, shrugged it off to the mower maybe and left.  Got to school and parked and smelled it worse, stilll no leak.  After school the same, smelled it, but no fluid.  Got home and the same.  At this point I open the fuel tank and wipe down the seal and rim thinking maybe vapors leaking out there.  This morning was the next chance I had to ride it and same smell.  Get to work and park it and it smells again, this time I see fuel dripping out of carb #1 and steaming off of the pipes.  It then stops leaking and #2 drips some out then stops.  The bike is on the side stand.  I don't think the petcock is suspect since it doesn't do it when the bike is off.  Now I know very little of carbs( Why are there 4?)  Could the fluel level be too high?  Thanks for your help.

 I take it you don't have the overflow tube system hooked up on there?

  I set fuel levels on every carb that goes out of here, but a piece of trash on the needle seat will hold the valve open and cause the issues you're having. there are a couple other possibilities, but that's the most likely to me. I'd suggest to drain the bowls and blow down through the fuel ine with some compressed air, the refill the carbs and see if the issue is settled. Feel free to email me also if that doesn't get it solve the issue. Steve

Sounds like it could be when when the bike is on the sidestand that fuel is draining from 4 & 3 into 2 & 1 in that basic order and going above the level of the overflow tubes due to the angle that the bike is parked. If I were you I would try parking on the center stand and the petcock turned OFF or in the case of the stock vac operated unit left in the straight up & down RUN/ON position a few times to see if the problem stays or goes away; this will help confirm what is going on. One thing is that you could have a defective petcock that is leaking by and that is something that you would like to find out about before it causes further problems. I would try pulling the fuel line from the petcock to see if it is leaking by.

I have trouble with my overflow toobs on rough roads, it makes the fuel slop all about and overflow.
The people who make roads around here are not very good at it. But that's another story. 

On smooth roads there is no issue.

Are you taking the off-road track to school?

A thought just struck my dimly-lit mind....we don't actually have an "off" position on these stock petcocks, do we? Unless the handle straight up is off, and I've never tried it because my fingers won't go that far under the tank?

A thought just struck my dimly-lit mind....we don't actually have an "off" position on these stock petcocks, do we? Unless the handle straight up is off, and I've never tried it because my fingers won't go that far under the tank?

NO REAL OFF POSITION.... This is a vac operated petcock in that fuel is only supposed to flow when the engine is running. Straight up & down is RUN, Forward is Reserve and to the Rear is Prime

(Did I get front and back positions right? As I have a converted to manual petcock)

Prime gets its fuel from the same location as Reserve but works without the engine running to provide the vac to open the valve. 

I think that Tony hit the nail on the head.  If you look at how the carbs are mounted to the intakes, I think you would agree with me that by elevating the front wheel on a piece of wood, it would make it easier to get it on the center stand and any fuel leak would go into the air box instead of the engine.  Look at it and see if you don't agree. If it were me, if I was going to park my bike overnight, I would put it on its center stand.  If I was going to park it longer than that, I would set in on the center stand with the front wheel elevated.  JD

I realized it started after getting some as from a local station.  It stops leaking after I shut off the bike so the petcock is working.  It starts again as soon as start it or put the petcock to prime.  It is a pretty good leak out of carb #2.  Steve, blow air down the fuel line leading from the petcock?  While the drian valves are open.  Is 100 PSI too high?

*edit* Correct on no tubes tied to the drain lines.  I couldn't get the tubes to stay on, but ow I have some small zip ties and I am going to attach them.

I take it you don't have the overflow tube system hooked up on there?

  I set fuel levels on every carb that goes out of here, but a piece of trash on the needle seat will hold the valve open and cause the issues you're having. there are a couple other possibilities, but that's the most likely to me. I'd suggest to drain the bowls and blow down through the fuel ine with some compressed air, the refill the carbs and see if the issue is settled. Feel free to email me also if that doesn't get it solve the issue. Steve

Bubba, it's a simple factthat evryone knowsmore than you and I, I can't tell you how many carb jobs I've done, installed, and synched, and took my aux tank of...telling the owner "completly dump, clean, and install that tank and use FRESH CLEAN GAS FROM A NEW ...NEW, GASCAN...
only to get a call a few days later, and listen to someone sheepishly admit they put the tank on in a hurry, and ran the carp thru it once again....
you just can't fix that part Steve...you just can't....
 

Wow, where did that come from?  I had dumped out last years gas and used it in the mower.  I have run through a few tanks of gas since the carb rebuild with no adverse reactions.  This I suspect was caused by dirty gas from a station I refuel all my vehicles from.   MOB, I respect everyones opinion on this forum board, but when I see your name on a post I can pretty much assume how it is going to go.  Someone asks for help, some people give advice, and you belittle the OP.  If you don't have anything nice to say, please don't.

.... Someone asks for help, some people give advice, and you belittle the OP.  If you don't have anything nice to say, please don't.

Yeah the wizdumbs come free of charge with the wisdom... 

Wow, where did that come from?  I had dumped out last years gas and used it in the mower.  I have run through a few tanks of gas since the carb rebuild with no adverse reactions.  This I suspect was caused by dirty gas from a station I refuel all my vehicles from.   MOB, I respect everyones opinion on this forum board, but when I see your name on a post I can pretty much assume how it is going to go.  Someone asks for help, some people give advice, and you belittle the OP.  If you don't have anything nice to say, please don't.

sorry....you never said a thing about the state of affairs with the tank.
You have to understand Steve and I both have seen just about every permutation of problems on this subject, and if either of us becomes a bit sarcastic, it is only out of frustration.
I was speaking to Steve (aka BUBBA...) by the way.
If you don't wish to read my posts, so be it, just remember who will likely respond when you have a serious problem......and they might just assist you. Or not.

  I had dumped out last years gas and used it in the mower.  I have run through a few tanks of gas since the carb rebuild with no adverse reactions. 

toojeep4u   Dont worry about those guys.  We get our fare share of blasting from them too. It just means you are now part of the family and they love you!!

As far as your carb(s) go , You have 4 carbs because you  have a 4 cylinder engine which is derived from  the first Ninja motorcycles like the one   you saw Tom Cruise ride in the movie  Top Gun.

 I just re read your post and you do indeed have dirt or debris in your carbs causing  fuel to leak out those hoses.
You need to do what SSIF said to do and look for  dirt or tiny bits of debris in the gas you drain. You can check that all is well again by turning you petcock lever to PRIME and wait. There should be no fuel flowing out of those tubes. Dont forget to put the petcock back to RUN. You may have to drain, blow and refill a couple of times before the over flow tubes stop leaking.



Steve in Sunny Fla
I'd suggest to drain the bowls and blow down through the fuel line with some compressed air, the refill the carbs and see if the issue is settled. Feel free to email me also if that doesn't get it solve the issue. Steve

Please forgive me if I seem  too condescending. (That means: Talking down to people)

Now that's funny 

Now that's funny 

Yeah, I took it out. I thought some one may get offended.

Another possibility is something I lived with for years. I kept getting sand in my carbs and leaking all the time. Very very fine sand from where I live  next to the beach.
Turned out it was a split/cracked  air box all that time.

Yeah, I took it out. I thought some one may get offended.

 
     WELL.... I'm offended!!   What'd you say?? 

I think that Tony hit the nail on the head.

Not quite. Tony got it backwards.  Forward is PRIME, to the rear is RESERVE.

Not quite. Tony got it backwards.  Forward is PRIME, to the rear is RESERVE.

An dat be why I posed it as a question....  It's been a long time since I've seen the stock petcock; I converted mine as soon as I saw Dan's kit at Murph's.  But your right in that now I remembers R stands for Rear as well as Reserve. I was thinking it was da other way around cause with Dan's kit you put the main part back in back and I know that the reserve is facing to the rear.... Oh well never mind! 

I understand your frustration MoB, I fix computers for people and it seems like I ask if their virus protection up to date some many times only to hear, "Virus protection?"  I find it hard not to hang up the phone at this point.  I did as Steve suggested andfound black flakey garbage comeout of the drain.  Fuel line I assume.  The leak stopped after that.  So now I am ordering new line and flushing all 4 bowls.  I didn't mean to sound snippy, just been a long week and yesterday was my only chance to ride and a gas puddle stopped me.  BTW, what size is the allen head in the drains?