[arsenic]

I do now I didn't post that yesterday, I posted that TODAY

[Dingo]

lol thanks Arsenic

[arsenic]

no problem

[Jax]

I don't know if this has been addressed on these valves but has anyone had a problem with them being sheared off due to hitting something underneath? Also can you take the Kat on the track having one of these valves?

[arsenic]

no and no. To install the Fumoto you need to grind off the lip that you need to safety wire your stock oil valve to for the track, so you would have to improvise a new place to safety wire the drain valve. If you hit something hard enough to shear your drain plug, you got a lot more to worry about then that.

[arsenic]

that clamp is a great idea, were'd you order the clamp from?

[thetable]

I don't know if this has been addressed on these valves but has anyone had a problem with them being sheared off due to hitting something underneath?

On the post to hit the valve you would have to do one heck of a number on the exhaust and the belly pan before you even get close to the Fumoto.

[ctandc]

On the post to hit the valve you would have to do one heck of a number on the exhaust and the belly pan before you even get close to the Fumoto.

Even on the pre (of course i'm running a 01 engine / pan / exhaust)....if you hit something to damage the Fumoto valve, I think you'd be more concerned with either buying a dirt bike to jump stumps (because that's almost what you'd have to be doing to mess up the Fumoto Valve) or the fact you wrecked it bad enough the bike would be totaled out long before they found the broken Fumoto...

[Bright Wire]

I have a Pre with the fumoto. You don't have to grind anything off to install and maintain it. I don't know about Post though.

As for the clamp, you can make one with a bit of wire with a high tensile strength by making the dimaeter slightly smaller than the fumoto and then adding pinch prongs - or - you can buy one fromt he guy who sells the valve for $2 I believe.

[arsenic]

yeah, the post you certainly have to grind the lip off. For anyone interested that clip for the F series Fumoto is 5/8" and you can get it at any hardware store.

[FloridaKat]

Over 1 year with the Fumoto and zero issues. In fact, I bought one and put it on my cager. Oil changes are a snap.

I'll stick to my guns; this is the best $25 upgrade for the Kat.

[brooder]

I finally changed my oil with the fumuto installed yesterday. Best issue of "set it and forget it" I've ever used. No more worrying about the drain bolt rolling under a car or something. Just have to remember to reset the valve before adding oil. Almost missed that last night.

[Black_peter]

I finally changed my oil with the fumuto installed yesterday. Best issue of "set it and forget it" I've ever used. No more worrying about the drain bolt rolling under a car or something. Just have to remember to reset the valve before adding oil. Almost missed that last night.

Yeah but you can do that with a oil bolt too..
(yup guilty!)
At least with the valve you can shut it right off.. Rather than fumble with the bolt while oil pours all over you.

I'm a bit worried about the length.. With no belly fairing is it a target? Anyone used one on a non faired bike?

[The CyberPoet]

The header pipes hang a good 1.5" or more lower than the bottom of the fumoto valve on the 98+. I'd imagine on the pre-98, it'd be the same. Even the lower engine cradle (frame) sits about as low as the bottom of the valve -- so as noted above, you would have pretty much sheer off your forks, shatter your belly pan all the way and mash the exhaust headers flat before you the ground close enough to put any significant pressure on the valve.

I've had Fumoto's on five cars and four bikes (including 3 Kats of my own). The cars racked up over 200k miles. The Kats alone racked up over 60k miles without ever leaking/scraping/any other kind of problem with the valve -- except getting lots of sand into the mechanism from riding high-speed in rain storms in Florida, making it hard to open. 30 seconds with WD-40 before I try to open the valve to spray the sand away from the spring & latch mechansim solves that issue.

NOTES:
Most race-tracks (track days, etc.) will not let you pass inspection with a Fumoto in place. They typically require a cross-drilled oil drain bolt (available from PartsUnlimited for about $15) with safety wire to meet their printed regulations. That said, I've never seen a fumoto let go by accident.
You can order them directly from the US distributor here:
http://www.quickoildrainvalve.com/ (others have posted other vendors that sell for a couple bucks cheaper, but I've always gotten mine from these guys, formerly at www.fumotovalve.com ).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[brooder]

Yeah but you can do that with a oil bolt too..
(yup guilty!)
At least with the valve you can shut it right off.. Rather than fumble with the bolt while oil pours all over you.

True. And I always had a tendency to drop the bolt into the drain pan while trying to avoid oil all over my hands.

I'm a bit worried about the length.. With no belly fairing is it a target? Anyone used one on a non faired bike?

I would think, as CP said, that you'd have the same issues of length on a faired and non-faired bike. If you're worried about someone seeing it and letting the oil go, I wouldn't think so. They'd have to get pretty low to the ground to notice it (I have to squat).