Thankfully, the owner will at least get his money back from a part out. It's quite some consolation to him. The bike is already stripped for sale and there's a few of us helping him out over beers!
Being able to share anecdotal evidence with forum members is such a great resource. Thanks guys.

Quote from: He Man on April 25, 2016, 02:56:36 PM
That's very strange....

I had a 95 M900. I sold it and shipped it to a guy in California. He felt something strange about the bike pulled, over and it burst into flames too. it ended up being the voltage regulator. It sat right underneath the airbox and the airboxing being plastic and it isn't long before it melts the fuel line to the carbs.

To bike heaven! RIP Gina!

It happend to me a few years ago .....  I was looking for the metal pin that locks the gas tank to the frame.... turn out it was stuck on the wires just beside the voltage regulator..... there was some chaffing on the wires and well..... it burst into flames while I was riding


Sorry for your lost Koko

I'm totally gutted mate I saw the photo of her burning and could have cried....  

RIP a very sad loss.  

I'm amazed after seeing the photo how we minimized the damage. It was well alight with a full  tank of fuel. Shame that she won't be reborn, that was a generous offer to help. It would have been fun restoring her as we discussed. If I had kept her that's what I had planned, a major restoration for the bike.
Again thanks for your generous offer of help, we could have done it.

yeah I saw the pics as well... did well to save what was left.

And the silver lining: for myself at least...

 

A pic from the Bro's camera shows how bad it got!

water? really? . . .

Three garden hoses and three extinguishers at least. Gotta buy a bigger one

Quote from: GK on April 30, 2016, 07:15:30 AM

A pic from the Bro's camera shows how bad it got!

The pic was taken by the owner. Garden hoses actually protected other parts of the bike and kept the tank area cool. There were probably more than three extinguishers used as neighbour's ran in and out their homes to use them. I'll remind the owner to visit those homes and buy some extinguishers and beers. I think the whole street will be buying larger extinguishers than just the small kitchen variety.

I was saying due to the river of flames . . .

That's such a sad picture. 

Reminds me of someone in Oz that lost a fuel line on his S4, sputtered and stopped.
He dismounted, then bike bike went up, and that started a giant bush fire.

Maybe a decade ago?
Matty?

Quote from: DarkMonster620 on April 30, 2016, 02:33:55 PM
I was saying due to the river of flames . . .

Yeah. He left the fuel tap on. The tree caught fire too.

Quote from: Speeddog on April 30, 2016, 03:05:35 PM
That's such a sad picture. 

Reminds me of someone in Oz that lost a fuel line on his S4, sputtered and stopped.
He dismounted, then bike bike went up, and that started a giant bush fire.

Maybe a decade ago?
Matty?

Not sure. Luckily only one tree caught fire this time.

There was a 3-4" hole in the lower, front airbox that sits between the regulator and where the fuel line runs into the carb. That part of the fuel line was the only part missing directly in line with the regulator. Even the Visu in line fuel filter was intact. Like a hole saw went through.

Quote from: Speeddog on April 30, 2016, 03:05:35 PM
That's such a sad picture. 

Reminds me of someone in Oz that lost a fuel line on his S4, sputtered and stopped.
He dismounted, then bike bike went up, and that started a giant bush fire.

Maybe a decade ago?
Matty?

yeah pretty sure that was here in WA at one of the Ducati club runs.. promted a few people to get rid of their plastic fuel line fittings...