Coolant Everywhere..

Just rode into work, and upon shutting the bike off, I hear a nice little hissing noise. Look down, and I've got a nice little puddle of green underneath me. I'm at work, so I can't remove the fairings to investigate just yet. Would it be a bad idea to drive the 5 miles home to the garage (urban driving)? Is there a max temperature I should pull over at and allow the bike to cool down?

Thanks.

 

I say do not ride it until you figure out the problem. If you dump the coolant out on the rear tire you run the risk of dumping the bike , coolant is very slippery, not to mention the risk off damage to the engine . If the coolant level falls below the sensor the temp gauge will not read correctly.

 

Thanks for the advice. I left the bike, came back and took off the side panel. Couldn't find any apparent leaks. Filled the reservoir back up and ran the engine, no leaking. Drove a short distance, no leaking. So I drove it again later, about 25 miles, and at the end I had another puddle under my bike..

I filled the reservoir up to the max line. When I did, it filled right up, as though any tubing attached to the reservoir was already full. Ideas?

 

I had a little leak on mine that would have been near impossible to find if I hadn't seen the infamous trail running down the side of the block. I wasn't even getting a puddle I was just getting a whiff of coolant when stopped. Turned out it was just a loose hose clamp. Give em all a check if they're easily accessable. Mine tightened up and no more leaks. Oh, and :welcome:

 

I just had to replace several hoses on my 2000 due to them being 10 years old. The hardest one to find was connected to the thermostat housing under the throttle bodies behind the frame.
I suggest letting the bike run on the center stand in the driveway until it heats up then following the coolant system. You'll find it eventually.

 

Is your fan working. Mine once overheated and I found the fan was stuck against the shroud. I flicked it with my finger and it started spinning. Worked fine ever since

 

another cause could be that the coolant cap isnt on correctly/completely. Mine feels like its on and then takes another 1/4 turn to close

 

HIJACK That Avatar is sick Beta, good job!!

 

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I haven't had a chance to test any of them out over the weekend, but I'll be hitting the garage tonight.

 

Beta, you nailed it. Cap wasn't on all the way. Weather's been crappy, so I haven't been able to test it now, but should know in a couple days.

Thanks.

 

glad I could help... this one definitely falls into the "been there, done that" category for me. Do yourself a favor and hose down the engine before riding... otherwise you will smell burning coolant hand have a "oh no, not again" feeling