Well #@*%, when it rains it does pour

So I take the bike out, on the advice of the good people here, and check the air pressure and put air in. Nope, it wasn't in the 20's but it was low. I ride it a bit and sure enough, it corrected the bike wanting to dive hard into a turn.

Happily I roll on back home and pull into the driveway when something catches my eye. It looks like my windscreen is fogging up. I open my visor and HOLY @#$@, there's a cloud of steam coming up from the front of the bike!!

I instantly put down the kick stand and turn off the engine. There's water dribbling out of the bike making a decent puddle. WTF.

The bike is too hot and it's dark out now so I'll have to wait until tomorrow to see what the heck just happened.

I was checking the temp during the ride and it was staying at 3 bars. I'm totally depressed and bummed.

I'd check the tire pressure again just to make sure.........

Well, did you ride through some water or wash the bike since your last ride? Water can collect around the engine and steam up after it heats up. You wouldn't see the steam until you stopped.

If it's anti-freeze, like from a hole in the radiator or a coolant hose, you should be able to smell it.

Geezer said:

Well, did you ride through some water or wash the bike since your last ride? Water can collect around the engine and steam up after it heats up. You wouldn't see the steam until you stopped.
If it's anti-freeze, like from a hole in the radiator or a coolant hose, you should be able to smell it.

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Oh, I should be so lucky. No. It's from the radiator. I've searched, and googled, but haven't found anything on how to get to the radiator.

You'll probably just need to remove the lower fairings and the inner dash panels, to inspect the radiator and hoses.

clicky

clicky

This is not hard work to remove this stuff, just a slight pain in the arse (particularly the dash panels). Make sure you have some towels below the bike to catch any coolant that leaks out.

Inspect all the hoses and the clamps to see where it's leaking from.

Hopefully it's just a loose hose or cracked hose, and not an actual hole in the radiator.

You may need to drain the radiator after you check for holes/leaks. clicky

Mr. Toad said:

Oh, I should be so lucky. No. It's from the radiator. I've searched, and googled, but haven't found anything on how to get to the radiator.

Click to expand...

The tools in your garage will help you

keithaba said:

You'll probably just need to remove the lower fairings and the inner dash panels, to inspect the radiator and hoses. clicky

clicky

This is not hard work to remove this stuff, just a slight pain in the arse (particularly the dash panels). Make sure you have some towels below the bike to catch any coolant that leaks out.

Inspect all the hoses and the clamps to see where it's leaking from.

Hopefully it's just a loose hose or cracked hose, and not an actual hole in the radiator.

You may need to drain the radiator after you check for holes/leaks. clicky

Click to expand...

Awesome! The links will be very helpful. For someone who hasn't climbed all over their bike and doesn't knows it's every inner workings, having something break down can be really daunting and fears of getting bent over by a mechanic can add to the nightmare.

You get "Most Helpful Post of the Year" award. :yahoo:

Hey odot, you might want to take notes on what makes a helpful post.

Toad....ya may wanna take everything I say seriously.

Hey odot, you might want to take notes on what makes a helpful post.

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:headbonk:

odot said:

Toad....ya may wanna take everything I say seriously.

Click to expand...

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

odot said:

Toad....ya may wanna take everything I say seriously.

Click to expand...

No disrepect odot, but what does tire pressure have to do with a leaking radiator?

odot said:

I'd check the tire pressure again just to make sure.........

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Oh good one son... Just in time fer yer Dik Klub renewal.

I still have "ballpean" dents in my rad! Ha! no leaks though.

:jester:

Mr. Toad said:

odot said:

Toad....ya may wanna take everything I say seriously.

Click to expand...

No disrepect odot, but what does tire pressure have to do with a leaking radiator?

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I'm an unemployed aircraft mechanic.....you best listen to me. And if you want to fix a heat-off-the-engine problem you just put some dents in the radiator. Just ask bust what the price of radiator fluid is now-a-days.

Your '05 radiator is easily seen if you lay on the ground with your head near the front tire and look up towards the engine. The stock '05 doesn't have a radiator guard so, if there's a hole from road debris you might be able to see it without removing any fairing parts.

odot said:

Mr. Toad said:

odot said:

Toad....ya may wanna take everything I say seriously.

Click to expand...

No disrepect odot, but what does tire pressure have to do with a leaking radiator?

Click to expand...

I'm an unemployed aircraft mechanic.....you best listen to me. And if you want to fix a heat-off-the-engine problem you just put some dents in the radiator. Just ask bust what the price of radiator fluid is now-a-days.

Click to expand...

Maybe it's lack of coffee or my brain has a blind spot, but what the heck are you talking about?

You were talking about tire pressure before and now you're talking about denting the radiator? Again, I don't mean any disrespect, odot, but instead of telling me over and over that I had better listen to you, could you explain yourself a little more clearly, cause I'm just not getting it.

edit:

The search feature is a wonderful thing. It'll help find information about gear, how to repair things, and it will also show all the posts made by and about other members on the forum. odot, my lad, I have learned a little about you. For one you don't know how to spell California (haha). Thanks for your help, or in your case, the things you typed you thought in your own mind were helpful.

Shit now I'm confusled :dribble:

:jester:

Just check yer tyre pressure, bust.....it will all be clear then.

odot said:

Just check yer tyre pressure, bust.....it will all be clear then.

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OMG!! You were right! I just checked my tire pressure. It changed everything. My checkbook was magicly balanced. The brown spots in my lawn were lush and green. My bike was transformed from an 04 to an 08. Women are flocking around me. And... I'm not sure, but I think I know what the winning lottery numbers will be.

Geezer said:

Your '05 radiator is easily seen if you lay on the ground with your head near the front tire and look up towards the engine. The stock '05 doesn't have a radiator guard so, if there's a hole from road debris you might be able to see it without removing any fairing parts.

Click to expand...

Yes, but you can't see the hoses without removing the fairing. I'd suspect a loose hose/clamp over an actual hole in the radiator, or else he'd have a pile of coolant on the floor in his garage.

There isn't a pile of coolant on the floor in your garage is there!??? :huh:

keithaba said:

Geezer said:

Your '05 radiator is easily seen if you lay on the ground with your head near the front tire and look up towards the engine. The stock '05 doesn't have a radiator guard so, if there's a hole from road debris you might be able to see it without removing any fairing parts.

Click to expand...

Yes, but you can't see the hoses without removing the fairing. I'd suspect a loose hose/clamp over an actual hole in the radiator, or else he'd have a pile of coolant on the floor in his garage.

There isn't a pile of coolant on the floor in your garage is there!??? :huh:

Click to expand...

Nope. No pile.