Shell's motorcycle fuel up policy

[RockyDS]

I usually straddle my bike while refuelling and earlier today I was accosted by a pump attendant at Shell Canada who told me I had to get off my bike to refuel. I said it would fall over, so I was staying just where I was. The ground by the pump sloped away and the bike would indeed have pretty well fallen over on the side stand and would still be at a less than ideal angle on the centre stand.

Anyway when I went inside to pay she said "So it was going to fall over was it? But now it's not?". I pointed out that it would be pretty hard to fill with the bike at the angle it was and and maybe she should go look if she didn't believe me. I asked why she told me to get off my bike as I've never been told that before, not even at that gas station, where I've been many times before. She said it is Shell policy and also the law. I asked for proof and eventually got to speak to the manager. They couldn't provide any proof so I left.

Later a quick google search revealed that it is indeed Shell policy, but not the law.

http://s05.static-shell.com/content/dam/shell/static/can-en/downloads/consumers/safety/fuel-safety.pdf

I also found the following post on another site:

Good morning, Riders.

Here's some information related to those who fill up their bikes while straddling them.......

Responses to questions is normally directed through to the customer service group. In this case, I am also an avid rider with more than three decades of riding so I thought I would respond directly to this inquiry.

While the station attendant was correct in requesting that the rider dismount their motorcycle before fuelling, his explanation of the reason for this was not entirely complete.

The reasons for asking riders to get off their bikes:

This reduces the riders exposure to breathing gasoline vapors by increasing the distance from the fill point

This reduces the possibility of the riders skin and clothing being exposed to fuel splash and overflows if they occur

Should a refueling fire start, the rider's ability to quickly separate themselves from the fire is improved if they are already off the motorcycle

If a fire forced the rider to jump off the bike, the risk of the motorcycle falling over and spreading the fire is greatly reduced

As you can well imagine, Shell being a global company also operates in many countries where motorcycles are used as the primary mode of motorized transport. This allows us to review incidents all over the world and apply best practices developed in other countries that may have more experience in a particular area. In this case the policy came about as a result of investigations into multiple incidents that were compounded by the individual remaining on the motorcycle while fuelling. In most cases the damages were relatively minor and related to fuel spills and tank overfills resulting in the customer who was straddling the motorcycle being splashed with gasoline. In more severe cases the fuel splash has reached hot engine parts resulting in fires and in a tragic case, the resulting fires caused fatalities when the rider jumped of the bike knocking it over with it's still open fuel tank and the resulting fuel splash exposed the rider, as well as other individuals in the vicinity with burning gasoline.


There is currently no provincial, state or national regulation requiring riders to dismount prior to fuelling, but Shell believes it is our corporate responsibility to ensure that we create as safe an environment as possible at our stations. We have not widely communicated to the motorcycling community our global policy, partially because we are not aware of any other major oil company adopting a similar policy. We do not wish to create the mistaken impression that Shell is not motorcycle friendly because of this policy. Our motorcycling community is still relatively small, so we have tried to manage this policy by asking station staff to reinforce this policy with customers in a respectful manner. We do have a pamphlet available at all our locations called "Shell Helps with Gasoline Safety" that does mention this subject.

I hope you find this explanation adequate and that you consider how Shell is doing this to improve rider safety when you make your choice of fuel supplier. I do understand the difficulties in topping up a fuel tank while the bike is on the side stand, but from a technical standpoint the tank should not be filled beyond 95% capacity to allow for expansion and the design of a modern Harley fuel tank is such that this limit should be able to be reached even when the motorcycle is on the side stand. The center stand is also an alternative.

So it is definitely Shell policy but a guideline and by no means enforceable in my opinion.

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Oh and her manner was not exactly "respectful" either.

 

[RCDantzscher]

Simply put: Their Gas. Their Rules. Don't take it personal. Park at a different angle next time or move to a better pump. Safety first is the rule of law.

 

[Twisties]

Never heard of any rules or laws, but I think the response from Shell that you post is very good advice.

 

[RockyDS]

Simply put: Their Gas. Their Rules. Don't take it personal. Park at a different angle next time or move to a better pump. Safety first is the rule of law.

I don't disagree except that it's a guideline it is not the rule of law.

 

[RockyDS]

Never heard of any rules or laws, but I think the response from Shell that you post is very good advice.

It's definitely good advice and good practice. The attendant needed an atitude adjustment though. ::26::

 

[MojoToot]

I have always stayed on the bike...but when I was in OZ they wouldn't turn on the pump until I got off...They didn't have pay at the pump over there.

 

[GrahamD]

My local service station in Oz is OK with me sitting on the bike and leaving my helmet on.

A few that have recently been held up, have given me grief about the helmet. I plan to buy a Burka and wear it under the helmet for those occasions ;D

A few in my travels have insisted I remove the helmet and get off the bike.

It depends on how "realistic" the attendant is at the time. Those "gas" stations that exist in "bike tourism" hot spots are a bit more sensible about loosing business though.

The getting off the bike thing is a duty of care thing. If the bike bursts into flames it's better if you can remove yourself from the scene quickly.

Maybe they had a bike burst into flames and someone sued them for "negligence" at some point. It usually has somethjing to do with that or the potential of that in some ones imagination.

 

[k woo]

Not bad advice, but corporate arrogance none the less. Shell needs to remember that they work for their customers, their customers DO NOT work for them. The first time Shell or any other company attempts to dictate to me when I'm "allowed" to sit on MY bike I will take my $$ elsewhere. End of rant.

 

[barkingllizard]

It is amazing the excuses humans invent to prove right.
Hot engine, electricity, flammable liquid..... Darwin Award in the making.

 

[creggur]

I always view fuel-ups as a chance to stretch the legs a bit. If I'm local I'll leave it on the side stand, if I'm on a trip I'll use the center stand to squeeze in as much as possible.

Remove my helmet, though? Don't understand that one at all - of course everything is pay-at-the-pump here now; no chance of a gas-and-go, so maybe that's the reason for that rule.

 

[Xdriver]

I just read their reply. Some good common sense safety stuff there, which I didn't realize myself. Maybe I'll dismount in the future.

 

[squarebore]

Having investigated a number of refueling fires I would support getting off the bike. Having the side or centrestand in contact with the ground provides a very useful earth and reduces the chance of a spark. If you have a nozzle malfunction (it happens quite a lot) whilst sitting on the bike you may well get saturated with petrol (gas for the septics ).

The helmet removal thing is a PITA in Oz. I could have a burka on and that would be OK though.

 

[colorider]

Never heard of any rules or laws, but I think the response from Shell that you post is very good advice.

Agree. It's hard enough trying to react to a spill OFF the bike - I can't even imagine trying to react ON the bike. And if there was a sudden explosion/fire, I think you wuold be much more likely to be caught up in it and have little or no chance of escape.

Just my $0.02

 

[Dallara]

~


I've always dismounted to re-fuel my motorcycles. But then I worked as a gas pump jockey back in the early '70's and got to see all sorts of fuel pump mishaps. Re-fueling with gasoline is in all reality a very dangerous business, and you're in a much better position if you're off the bike when something goes wrong. If it's too sloped to park on one of the stands while I'm re-fueling then I find another pump - or another station.

Just not worth the risks. That's my two centavos... YMMV.

Dallara



~

 

[RockyDS]

I just read their reply. Some good common sense safety stuff there, which I didn't realize myself. Maybe I'll dismount in the future.

I agree with this except for the fumes element.

This reduces the riders exposure to breathing gasoline vapors by increasing the distance from the fill point

I can't see that making any significant difference.

The other stuff does make sense but all within a specific context. I could choose a better pump, etc. but then again I always extend the side stand, so if I had to to a quick get-off, I wouldn't drop the bike. In this very specific instance it was the only available pump and I will avoid this pump in future due to the excessive slope, even if it means waiting. And I will use my centre stand if I am intending to brim the tank. We all have to be responsible for our our actions I believe.

Again, society doesn't seem to work that way these days - due to litigation, etc. so maybe that's why Shell adopted this policy.

I've been riding bikes for over 40 years and I've never spilled fuel; does that mean I've just been lucky? Or does it mean this whole issue has been blown out of proportion?

Some important lessons for us all I think.

 

[bruised]

if this is thier policy they need to post it at the pumps im about 50/50 on the dismount thing no problem complying if thats what they want

 

[EricV]

I view this as a personal preference item. Yep, I've seen all manner of pump mishaps. Not one of those happened because the person pumping the gas was paying attention. :

I don't use the lock on the nozzle, I WATCH for the fuel getting to the top of the tank. I don't neglect the pump at any time, I'm in constant attention to what I'm doing. Be it car or bike, that is always the same.

FWIW, I stay on the bike. Maybe it comes from the old days of no gauge and needing to pay attention to how much gas you're putting in and how full you fill the tank? I've had exactly one incident of fuel spilling, and that was in OR when the attendant used the nozzle lock and it failed to stop when full. (OR still has laws that prevent self serve, though Motos can pump their own gas when the attendant hands them the nozzle.) And that was on a car where I did not have the option.

Be smart. Do what feels best for you. Oh, and if you need to get off and stretch, it's a good opportunity to do so. While you're off the bike, consider why you needed to stretch, then FIX THAT. Ergos are adjustable. You don't need to be uncomfortable.

 

[TierHawg]

I'm not coordinated enough to fill the bike while balancing on it.

 

[scott123007]

Sounds just like the helmet issue to me. If you guys choose to be idiots when all the logic of why it's safer is out there, I guess it's your option.

 

[Rasher]

On poor surfaces I would find being on the bike safer than the bike being unstable and having to worry about the bikes balance whilst trying to fill.

I sometimes fill on the bike, especially on a quick re-fill on a pay-at-pump station, but I am very careful and watch what I am doing, on the bike I can actualy better see what is going on. Assuming nice surface I use the main stand so I can get a good fill, no real issue if I need a leg stretch or have to get off to pay anyway.

Of course common sense is outlawed in most parts of the wolrd now and there must be some written policy that states the f***** obvious and inconveniences those with the aforementioned common sense, yet is beyond the grasp of those without it, typically making the entire policy and utter waste of time - except for keeping a large amount of people employed to state the f**** obvious.

I suppose it also helps in court after some moron has dowsed himself and his hot engine in petrol before lighing a match to see where it has been spilt, and now wants to sue the Petrol Station for not warning him that a match could indeed ignite spilt fuel.