Do you use the octy or not?

[Clerek]

I am debating whether or not to use the octy or not use the octy. Are there any benefits besides not having to turn off the petcocks after each ride?

[WMarshy]

As far as I have read the biggest benefit to getting rid of octy and going with on/off petcocks is knowing for sure your fuel is off (if you remember to turn them). Your sig says you have a 79F... it shouldnt have an octy, so why do you inquire, you pick up another bike? I just got a 79SF and I will be ditching the octy!

[CatatonicBug]

Being the purist that I am, I figure that if it came on the bike, there's no reason to remove it if it can be repaired. It is there for a reason, and though it can be safely bypassed, I see no good reason to remove it just for the sake of removing it. It doesn't make anything more difficult, and adds a tiny bit of insurance to the fuel system.

[Silent]

Leave it. I took mine off, but only because I switched to a standard tank that has the vacuum petcocks anyway.

[trbig]

It doesn't make anything more difficult, and adds a tiny bit of insurance to the fuel system.

Except being in the way on carb synchs and removing & installing carbs, along with SEVERAL more connections and opportunities to leak.

I get rid of them. I don't feel the need for a third backup system, and they look all cluttered like a rat made a nest under the left side of your tank.

Just my opinion though..

Tod

[ManitoulinLad]

Take it off. That was the 1st thing I did to the bike when I got it. Man alive I can't believe they even set up something like that - what a mess, & what an amount of chances for a failure with all the lines & conections. Just turn off the petcocks like any other bike, then you know the fuel is off for sure. 3 steps in shutting it down, kill switch off, key off, & petcocks off then walk away. turns into a habit. reverse when you start up. sometimes things just have way to much thought in them. - Dan

[bikerphil]

I thought it was a good idea to leave it until it failed and left me stuck out in the middle of bumf**k. If your carbs are in good shape and you can remember to turn off your petcocks after done riding, you sure don't need it, IMHO

[TopCatGr58]

And if you're using the newer style viton rubber tipped needle valves,(along with inline fuel filters) then there's even less chances of leakages, and so you don't really have to turn the petcocks OFF with every stop. Would still recommend turning them to off when you park for extended amounts of time, overnight, etc.. But I got rid of mine, and when I'm running errands and such around town, I turn the Petcocks ON when I start, and just leave it that way till I get back home. The float valves do their job and the carbs don't flood when it's parked for short shopping stops and such.

The earlier style carbs can be fitted to accept the viton tipped valves, just need to use the Virago 900 seats and valves IIRC, that's another topic that's going to be a tech tip one of these days!
T.C.

[Larrym]

Never had an Octy....

My special came to me without the octy. It also had carb problems related to someone "trying" to fix an electrical problem. They boogered up both original petcocks along with tossing the original octy in the trash. I did have to find aftermarket petcocks and install them.

I live with the fact that I have to shut off the fuel every time. Always had to do that on the previous bikes so it's a hard habit to break.

I haven't spent any time trying to find an original octy or original petcocks to install. Quite happy now to do without it.

[tarzan]

Clerek you have a standard.It shouldn't have an octy.Only the specials do.
Why add one?Your standard tank has the petcocks that do the same thing.

[Ivan]

If you have a standard, the vacuum valve in the petcocks is the same thing as the octy on a special, so you have two of them instead of one.

[Clerek]

I am not going to use the octy...It seems to be just another fail-safe, and I have always turned to fuel off when I turn the bike off, no matter how long I am off the bike.

I do have a standard, but I got a special tank, and petcocks, and octy from andreas(I like the look of the special tank more...)

-Rick

[Geezer]

My last bike was half 80 special and half 79 standard. I couldn't wait to ditch the octopus.

Geezer

[jjwaller]

.

I do have a standard, but I got a special tank, and petcocks, and octy from andreas(I like the look of the special tank more...)

-Rick

Less volume and function for a Hardley look?

Sorry,... no, really!... no, I mean it!!

[Clerek]

Less volume and function for a Hardley look?

Sorry,... no, really!... no, I mean it!!

No! I hate harley's! My grandfather just got one and let me ride it and let me tell you, even though I haven't been able to ride this bike yet, I have ridden older, dingier, smaller bikes that were far superior to his Harley!

I changed it because I am building a bobber, and the way the seat is mounted my arms were too close to the tank. So I switched to a smaller tank. I have drag bars on it, and a solo spring seat...Now I just got to figure out why it keeps clicking and not turning over!!!

-Rick