500 mile report and Water pump weeping?

Quick question for you long time owners. My bike only has 500 miles on it at this point. I simply love it. It is exactly what I expected and does everything I want it to do. Great long distance mount for me and compliments my other bike perfectly. This thing is a winner, I am amazed that more do not sell. I know it is expensive and complicated, but what high end sport tourer is not. Has anyone seen the maintenance and service requirements for the k1300? Insane.

It is breaking in nicely. Smoothing out and just feels better as the miles start to add up. I have been very meticulous looking it over after every ride for any new bike gremlins, like oil leaks, loose bolts etc. It has been perfect. The only thing that I have noticed is that I get a drop or two of coolant out of the water pump weep hole every ride. The service manual says that that is normal and not to worry unless there is a large or continuous flow. I was wondering if you guys had the same experience with yours. I am not overly concerned about it as the amount out of it is miniscule and the coolant level is stationary. More curious if you all have the same. The way I notice it is that it drops on the left cat just below it and dries up and leaves a telltale dry coolant mark. I clean it off and it seems I get a drop back on it after every ride.

This is a fantastic machine. I can ride it all day long. Damned thing is so smooth you forget that there is a motor under there when you are doing 75 in 6th gear. Did 200 miles Sunday and was not even tired. I actually look forward to getting back on it after we stopped for lunch. My buddy rode his K1300 with me and we switched bikes for 50 miles just to get a feel for the other's bike. I couldn't wait to get mine back and he commented how much lighter and more nimble the VFR felt. The K1300 is a freight train. It is long and very strong but you have to wrestle it around turns. The VFR is just as powerful but WAY more nimble. The brakes on the VFR are way better as well. He even commented that he never felt brakes that strong on a heavy sport tourer. I can say that these brakes are every bit as good as the ones I have on the KTM RC8R. Overall a very happy new owner. I just wanted to post something positive after reading all the negative comments from others that don't even own the bike. This VFR is a keeper for me.

 

Personally, if I spent the kinda scratch that you spent on a new scooter and if I couldnt park it on my hard wood floors with-out it "marking its territory" I would bring it back to the dealer till it was oil/coolant tight! Thats just me though, and others may differ; remember its all relative to the amount of force exerted on "dah-benjamins."

I have had bikes that leaked under warranty and I bitched and moaned till it was set straight, this is going back 25 years though :tongue: now I would sort out my own stuff and never, and I repeat never get an extended warranty! :cheers:

 

+1 for taking it back to the dealer.

I personally have ridden my 98 VFR for 18k miles so far, and did not have a drop of coolant or oil leak since it was new.

I can not speak for new model though, but water pump should not leak at all, in my view, on any vehicle. If it does, leak could be caused by extra pressure in the system due to faulty radiator cap, or you could have bad seals around the pump .... Either way, I say have it fixed.

 

Thanks for the replies gents. To be clear it is not leaking on the floor when parked. It never leaves any coolant on the ground. It is a simple one to two drop weep per ride that burns off on the exhuast which is right under the pump. It is not leaking from any gasket, there is a weep hole in the body of the pump. I called the dealer and they told me it is normal and they have seen it on all of the 1200 they have sold so far (5 of them). This confirms what is in the service manual as it says it is normal as well. Maybe over time they stop all together. I'm not worried about it. I love this bike!!!

 

guess its for excess pressure in the system? kinda honda-think engineering if thats the case. I remember laughing back in the day when I looked at a zed X eleven's thermastat housing and saw a bleeder valve. Thoughtful bastages them kawi engineers where, even had a grease fitting under the swing arm.

 

mine looks like it has wept at some point..... it's never dripped anything on the ground in 1 year (17,000 mi) i'm not worried, ...rest easy my friend

 

Thank you sir. I appreciate the reply and the real info.