Lil bit o' leakage

Lil bit o' leakage [Resolved - I hope!]

I've had the bike for a month now. Ridden it pretty much to / from work as I am able to (not a ton of time recently for fun riding though). No issues at all.

The other morning its about 45 degrees out. Ride into work around 5am. Come out in the afternoon (65ish) and notice some minor leakage on the ground. It's clearly coolant, but again not a ton. Just some splatter on and around the side stand and the hoses on that side of the bike. Get home, not noticing anything really new, clean off whats there and let the bike sit. No new leaking. Inside of the fairing is clean (ie its not collecting a slow leak keeping it from hitting the ground or anything). Im unable to ride for the next bunch of days. The bike is garage kept and the floor is dry / clean with nothing on it from the bike.

Last night I pull the left side fairing off, coolant level is just around the low mark. Add enough to get it halfway between low / high. Inspect all visible hoses / connections. Nothing has fluid on or around them, nothing right at the connections showing seepage either. Button it back up.

Rode in this AM - again between 45-50 out. And again there's fluid down near the kickstand, also on the inside of the left fairing - only on the bottom corner, basically underneath the plastic coolant tank.

I'm looking for thoughts / ideas. I suspect that I'll wipe everything down before the ride home this afternoon (supposed to be 80ish) and i'll have no leakage / spatter when I get home.

 

my intent is to pull both side panels (even though right side is clean). perhaps even to / from work.

unfortunately with the panels on visibility is nil. Once it's nice cold out again, i'll give it a go and see what i see!

 

If dripping is coming from the small hole on the underside of the water pump, there's a bearing and seal going bad in there.

As mentioned above, radiator hoses tend to squish down over time and could stand a periodic re-tightening of the clamps.

 

Squish down over time?
Carefull what you read or KNOW, get a real or professional opinion
Not for nuthin, but a hose usually gets weaker over time and expands more with pressure and heat, if hose clamps were properly fitted when installed, you would not ever have to worry about the clamp being tight.
Coolant change lately? (air bleed incorrect?)
T-stat stuck? ( too much heat and pressure causing the radiator cap to let off more coolant than usual and blow over the overflow tank)
Filler up often til you get her fixed

 

bahahah - that is an awesome image!

like I said once I can pull the lower fairing off both sides and then get it out when its cold again (which should be soon the way our weather is going), i'll give it all a good look. I'm also certain i'll have nothing this evening on the way home with regards to leaking / dripping / etc.

 

ride home last night, about 78 degrees out. inside lower fairing dry as can be. no noticeable coolant anywhere (or any fluid for that matter). unfortunately no time to pull the fairings and the bike is in the garage out of the rain today.

 

ha hahahahahahahahahaha --- nice tink.

stop putting fluid in the over flo, it will find its own level, it never seems to be the mark on it.
send it back to Elwray for warrenty repair, ha hahaha
no really sounds like the cold weather mine does the same thing the first few cold days and then goes away.

 

Hmmm, Tink is in CO. Elwray is in Jersey. I'm gonna hate myself for asking this, but WHY do you have a picture with him and a chicken?

Anyway tmy, I had the same issue on my 5th gen. Random intervals of a few drops of coolant, and always when it was cooler outside. Tightened up all the fittings and seems to have taken care of it.

 

I found that to be the case on my shadow and was instantly what I thought of here. But I'm not making any assumptions until I can see whats happening. Wish there was more time in the day!

 

Too damn busy Had it out friday for about 1/2 hour - long enough to pick the 8yr old up from his bus stop. Was about 90 out. While waiting for him to arrive, figured i'd look around best I could with the fairings still on. Noticed coolant on the inside of both lower fairings (instead of just the left side). Coolant level still plenty sufficient (so im not leaking TONS). Temperature gets up to about 220ish and hangs out there.

We had an offer accepted on a house we wish to buy. Now we're working overtime to try to get our current house sold. I'll probably be lucky to have time to just pull the fairings anytime soon.

 

Since I still haven't had time to even look at this, it was suggested that I just continue to bash elwray. So I will. Whats with the chicken? I mean it'd explain many things i've found with the bike, but still!

 

OHHHHH that makes so much more sense

 

Why do cars with two doors called coupes? If they only have one door it would be called a CHICKEN coop.

When my hoses leak the same in cold weather, I just tighten the clamps and all is well.

 

Tink how did you get the pictures???