Smell of petrol / fuel

You smell a strong fuel odor while riding, at a stop, or when entering the garage. Warning — deal with this as a priority: gasoline and especially its vapors are highly flammable, and a leak near a hot engine, a spark, or a flame is a real fire risk. Never ignore a persistent fuel smell. The main causes: a leak in the fuel system (a cracked hose, a loose fitting, a leaking fuel-tap or carburetor float-bowl gasket — you'll see damp marks), a blocked tank vent (the tank can no longer breathe, pressure fluctuates, fuel off-gasses, and you hear a 'hiss' when opening the cap), a carburetor flooding (a float/needle valve that no longer closes, fuel overflowing the bowl — especially on 2-strokes), or, on a fuel-injected bike, a leaking injector (fuel dripping into the combustion chamber). You can tell them apart by inspection (is there a visible damp mark?), the fuel-cap test (a pressure 'hiss'?), and timing (smell at rest in the garage vs. while riding/starting). Urgency threshold: high from a fire-safety standpoint. If you see an active fuel leak (dripping), don't ride and don't start the bike until it's fixed, work in a ventilated space away from any flame, and store fuel properly. A fuel smell is never 'normal': find the source and fix it quickly. Three simple checks steer the diagnosis: a visual inspection (do you see a damp mark?), the fuel-cap test (a pressure 'hiss'?), and when the smell is strongest (at rest in the garage, or while riding).