Gas cap Seal???

[snark]

So I come out of work the past couple of days...weather in the high 80's and up...and I find an oilly film on my gas tank around the cap. Is there a seal on tha cap that can be replaced or do I have to look for a whole new cap? In the years I've owned the bike, this is the first time I've ever seen anything like that.

[txironhead]

On some bikes there is a small vent hole in the filler neck area that can get clogged. Check and see if you have it and that it's clear.

If it is your seal, I believe you can replace it. Check the schematic at bikebandit.com.

[bwringer]

I wasn't able to find this seal separately, at least for the square-ish gas cap on the later models. And it's not just a simple piece of rubber with a hole in the middle, either.

You have to buy a whole new gas cap and transplant the lock guts so you can still use the same key.

YMMV, of course -- I'm not sure which models use the same gas cap as mine.

If I were you I'd carefully disassemble and clean to make sure the venting is working. And remember that gas expands quite a bit when it moves from the cool underground tanks at the station to a motorcycle tank that's baked from above by the sun and from below by the engine. You should definitely not park in the sun with a full tank. I try to fill my gas tank in the evening right after I leave work, so when I park at work the next day, at least 25-30 miles' worth of gas has been used.

[Big N daft]

Had a similar problem with my 850 here in the UK. The gas cap is subject to the MoT test here which is a yearly mechanical test. The seal on my cap was perished and compressed. I too couldn't get a replacement so ended up bying some nitrile sheet and making my own which works great. IIRC there is a small screw that holds the assembly together under the cap. Remove it and you should be able to get the old gasket out. it comes with a 2 piece metal ring that it sits around. Just remove the old gasket and trace around it on the nitrile sheet and refit.