How common is it for a bike to catch on fire?

soren346
Profile picture for user soren346
Posts
364
Joined
8/25/2009
Location
Charlotte, NC US
soren346
Edited Date/Time 9/9/2018 7:41pm
Been seeing quite a few pics of bikes that have caught on fire lately. Is it more common on 4 strokes or 2?
|
GeorgiePorgie 9/7/2018 12:54am
9/7/2018 12:54am
I know just the guy to respond to this, gonna send him the link now.
1
Hershey
Profile picture for user Hershey
Posts
37
Joined
6/3/2014
Location
Canal Fulton, OH US
Hershey 9/7/2018 4:37am
9/7/2018 4:37am
Lol......I only know about trailer fires! Did see a 4 stoke quad explode into flames at a Briarcliff mx race once though!
kb228
Profile picture for user kb228
Posts
6154
Joined
1/31/2018
Location
Mansfield, OH US
kb228 9/7/2018 4:44am
9/7/2018 4:44am
Its not common. Anything with electronics, heat, and gasoline can catch fire.
rmoto003
Profile picture for user rmoto003
Posts
926
Joined
2/26/2017
Location
Gulf Shores, AL US
rmoto003 9/7/2018 5:01am
9/7/2018 5:01am
The only fire on my bike is my graphics kit ???
5

The Shop

See All »
Rickyisms 9/7/2018 5:26am
9/7/2018 5:26am
bikes are just too lit these days
12
F150Motocrosser 9/7/2018 6:10am
9/7/2018 6:10am
The only bike I've ever seen catch fire (and this was a YouTube video) was a vintage bike in a woods race at Mid Ohio Vintage Motorcycle Days this year

Let's see some of these *lit* pics you've been coming across...
731chopper
Profile picture for user 731chopper
Posts
4224
Joined
1/2/2015
Location
DFW, TX US
731chopper 9/7/2018 6:21am
9/7/2018 6:21am
My 1975 KX250 caught fire last year once in the airbox when it backfired while trying to start it. I quickly put it out so it wasn’t a big deal but, yeah, it did happen.
DYE
Profile picture for user DYE
Posts
237
Joined
2/23/2016
Location
KY US
DYE 9/7/2018 6:39am
9/7/2018 6:39am
My 13 250 xc caught on fire a few years ago. I was washing it when I noticed smoke coming up from behind the front number plate. It immediately caught my attention because the bike was 100% cold so I knew it couldn't be steam and shouldn't be coming from there anyway. Put down the pressure washer to check it out and my wiring harness was in flames! luckily I had on thick gloves because it was the middle of winter so I just stuffed both hands in there and smothered it out.
3
F150Motocrosser 9/7/2018 6:43am
9/7/2018 6:43am
DYE wrote:
My 13 250 xc caught on fire a few years ago. I was washing it when I noticed smoke coming up from behind the front number...
My 13 250 xc caught on fire a few years ago. I was washing it when I noticed smoke coming up from behind the front number plate. It immediately caught my attention because the bike was 100% cold so I knew it couldn't be steam and shouldn't be coming from there anyway. Put down the pressure washer to check it out and my wiring harness was in flames! luckily I had on thick gloves because it was the middle of winter so I just stuffed both hands in there and smothered it out.
wtf???? did you ever figure out exactly how / why this occurred????
mayzo
Profile picture for user mayzo
Posts
330
Joined
10/13/2008
Location
AU
mayzo 9/7/2018 6:46am
9/7/2018 6:46am

10
WoodsRacer 9/7/2018 7:05am
9/7/2018 7:05am
So back to the original question, how common is it, I'd make a guess around 1 in 50,000.
JM485
Profile picture for user JM485
Posts
5793
Joined
10/1/2013
Location
Davis, CA US
JM485 9/7/2018 7:28am
9/7/2018 7:28am
rmoto003 wrote:
The only fire on my bike is my graphics kit ???
Made the mistake of passing my mixtape out at a race one time, next thing I knew trailers were burning up left and right bro.
5
slipdog
Profile picture for user slipdog
Posts
10055
Joined
7/25/2009
Location
Nor Cal, CA US
slipdog 9/7/2018 7:29am
9/7/2018 7:29am
There was a #3 KX450 that caught fire every moto this summer when an orange # 25 was out front...

Don't forget to tip your waitress, folks!
11
1
Brad460
Profile picture for user Brad460
Posts
4408
Joined
5/15/2012
Location
Richfield, WI US
Fantasy
438th
Brad460 9/7/2018 7:48am
9/7/2018 7:48am Edited Date/Time 9/7/2018 7:49am
Only 2-strokes catch on fire Tongue Seriously though, how many times have you seen a 2-stroke catch fire when someone is checking for spark and it ignites the gas fumes coming out the plug hole?! It's usually just a flash fire..

Years ago when I was working for one of the current bike manufacturers we had a 30 foot enclosed trailer burn to the ground. A portable generator on the side of the trailer had a gas line leak and caught fire and eventually ignited the propane tanks and oxy acetylene tanks in the trailer...

seth505
Profile picture for user seth505
Posts
10172
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
SD, CA US
seth505 9/7/2018 7:51am
9/7/2018 7:51am
I'm assuming he saw that new Kawi on fire, I think it was on instagram a few days ago. Not common
1
mattyhamz2 9/7/2018 8:05am
9/7/2018 8:05am
I remember the bikes catching fire when guys weren't putting fire proof filters in after removing the backfire screen on their 4 strokes. Heard of it happening quite a bit some years back.
olds cool
Profile picture for user olds cool
Posts
4172
Joined
1/17/2010
Location
Claremont, NC US
olds cool 9/7/2018 8:55am
9/7/2018 8:55am
Nobody has mentioned the fire scene in On Any Sunday yet? Tongue Laughing
2

Pit Row

See All »
scott_nz 9/7/2018 9:24am
9/7/2018 9:24am
Seen it a few times over the years , one was a early electric start Ktm450sx , a crashed ripped the gas cap off and then also damages the start button causing it to ignite ,

As above I have seen a rm80 catch on fire Shen someone was checking for spark

And I saw an old tt350 catch fire on a trail ride
aroark247
Profile picture for user aroark247
Posts
556
Joined
2/25/2014
Location
TX US
aroark247 9/7/2018 9:34am
9/7/2018 9:34am
All the time. especially when I'm smoking crack at the gas station/ filling my tank etc. pretty much anytime crack is involved.
3
Honda Man 66 9/7/2018 9:39am
9/7/2018 9:39am
I was at a hare scramble and a guy on a yzf pitted for fuel. The rider slid to the back of the seat to make room for his gas man. His gas man spilled gas all over the bike and rider, saturating his pants. The hot header ignited the fuel. Bike and rider went up in flames. Rider was severely burned.
eric513anderson 9/7/2018 9:40am
9/7/2018 9:40am
Hershey wrote:
Lol......I only know about trailer fires! Did see a 4 stoke quad explode into flames at a Briarcliff mx race once though!
Ha I seen BarsMx pictures of that!
FlickitFlat 9/7/2018 9:50am
9/7/2018 9:50am
Vince Friese had his bike burn to the ground at one of his first nationals.
NorCal 50+
Profile picture for user NorCal 50+
Posts
1455
Joined
5/31/2017
Location
Grass Valley, CA US
NorCal 50+ 9/7/2018 9:56am
9/7/2018 9:56am
If you count the spark plug it happens to every bike thousands of times per minute.
2
bh84
Profile picture for user bh84
Posts
1750
Joined
8/20/2012
Location
Peterborough , ON CA
bh84 9/7/2018 11:01am
9/7/2018 11:01am Edited Date/Time 9/7/2018 11:01am
olds cool wrote:
Nobody has mentioned the fire scene in On Any Sunday yet? Tongue Laughing
ah yes the infamous "signal fire"
2
DYE
Profile picture for user DYE
Posts
237
Joined
2/23/2016
Location
KY US
DYE 9/7/2018 11:21am
9/7/2018 11:21am
DYE wrote:
My 13 250 xc caught on fire a few years ago. I was washing it when I noticed smoke coming up from behind the front number...
My 13 250 xc caught on fire a few years ago. I was washing it when I noticed smoke coming up from behind the front number plate. It immediately caught my attention because the bike was 100% cold so I knew it couldn't be steam and shouldn't be coming from there anyway. Put down the pressure washer to check it out and my wiring harness was in flames! luckily I had on thick gloves because it was the middle of winter so I just stuffed both hands in there and smothered it out.
F150Motocrosser wrote:
wtf???? did you ever figure out exactly how / why this occurred????
No here's the backstory on it...In 2015 I ran an 8 hr ironman mudder. When cleaning the bike I had to pull so many parts off I said heck with it I'm taking it to the frame and going through everything. (mainly just wanted to get it powder coated and new plastics/graphics to make it match the 15's. which is still probably my favorite looking bike ever). I trail rode and raced it several times the rest of that summer/fall/winter with no issues and washed it right after each time. Then it randomly caught on fire sometime in jan-feb of that next year when washing it. Idk if it was something I did wrong putting it back together with the wiring or what.. And to answer your question, no I never figured out the cause. Some of the wiring got melted and was exposed so I just used electrical tape to seal everything back up and took the battery out so it couldn't randomly catch fire in my building and burn everything down. My plan was to investigate when it warmed back up since I don't have a shop (hence the rebuild in the summer). I ended up getting use to kicking it again and don't trust my electrical skills enough to put a battery back in it without fear of it catching on fire lol.
jorgechavez 9/7/2018 12:06pm
9/7/2018 12:06pm Edited Date/Time 9/7/2018 12:07pm
Didn't a KTM battery set the whole inside of the BTO truck aflame at Unadilla two years ago?
mattyhamz2 9/7/2018 12:21pm
9/7/2018 12:21pm
jorgechavez wrote:
Didn't a KTM battery set the whole inside of the BTO truck aflame at Unadilla two years ago?
yup
Marty1028
Profile picture for user Marty1028
Posts
930
Joined
10/5/2017
Location
Lafayette, IN US
Marty1028 9/7/2018 2:03pm
9/7/2018 2:03pm
ive seen peoples calipers catch fire all the time
Falcon
Profile picture for user Falcon
Posts
12240
Joined
11/16/2011
Location
Menifee, CA US
Falcon 9/7/2018 2:12pm
9/7/2018 2:12pm
olds cool wrote:
Nobody has mentioned the fire scene in On Any Sunday yet? Tongue Laughing
bh84 wrote:
ah yes the infamous "signal fire"
I was searching Google all morning looking for an image of that!


"He's still got 28 payments on that signal fire."
1

Post a reply to: How common is it for a bike to catch on fire?