Mayonaise in oil, how do i confirm this is head gasket please?

Hi
I have recently serviced my 5th gen and after changing the oil noted that i have mayonaisse inside the oil filler cap and what i assume are the clutch friction plates below it.
I checked the coolant level and marked this, checking again two weeks later to see if this had dropped noticably but it appears the level has remained constant and not moved.
Was thinking i had a head gasket leak somewhere initially but am not so sure now as the coolant is the same and does not appear to be losing any.
Whats the best and most cost effective way for me to confirm or rule out the head gasket and locate the problem if this is not the issue.
Thanks for any advice

 

Its a 5th gen 2000 FI-X and i have owned it for about 5 years. Never noticed mayonaise before although i am currently doing a lot of short commutes.

Is the cooling system test easy and does it require any special equip? Or is it possible to get cooling system checked at dealers and is this likely to be expensive?

Thanks for the prompt reply

 

The short commutes is your problem, you need to take your bike for a 30+min ride at least once a week to burn off moisture that gets trapped in the oil.
Preferrably consistent highway riding.

 

Go flog that bike for 30 to 60 minutes. She's not even breaking a sweat for you, and is all wet on the inside. You need to ride her, show her who's boss, and then she'll treat you right.

 

Are you going through coolant? If not, then that tells you things are fine.

If you are seriously concerned, they you could insert an aluminum piece of tubing in line with your coolant hose and fit a pressure gauge to it. That is a bit of work, but cheaper than a shop visit and you would have a cool diagnostic tool/accessory.

Jose

 

Mayonaise is in the inside of filler cap, all over the clutch plates and also shows in the sight glass. Seems to be quite a bit, which is why the stable coolant level suprised me, but this has remained stable for quite a while.
Short of pressure testing the coolant the only other way i can think is too flush the oil system to get rid of mayonaise in there and refill with clean oil although i am not a big fan of flushing the oil

 

Run it like people suggested. A nice long run should evaporate the water from the oil.

If it doesn't clear up, then replace the oil and keep an eye on it for a couple of weeks. If it truly is a head leak, the oil gets contaminated quickly.

Jose

 

OK, so try this. Go get yourself a can of Seafoam. Put some in the crankcase. Let it run for a while (idle, if you prefer). The change the filter and oil and THEN go flog the shit out of her.

 

Just for giggles check your air box drain tube, and air box. It might have water in it and the water may be going back down the crankcase breather tube.