Engine smell, noise, and low mileage

[Harald]

I've only gotten 32mpg during extended 100+mph running 2 up going up a mountain pass. Of course, YMMV depending on how hard you thrash it around town.

Besides all the great advise you've already gotten, I'll add that this is my first fuel injected bike and the injectors make a clacking sound that's more prenounced on startup when the bike's running rich. 31,000 miles later it's still making those sounds and still running great!

 

[RoadGlide]

You didn't say how many miles are on the bike. Routinely the smells previously mentioned will go away with riding, however, one doesn't and that's the stator burning. The stator will start "cooking" with an overload situation. Do you have a lot of amps being used by accessories? Mine smelled bad at low rpm/speed (city driving) when the accessories were on. Smells like plastic burning. Just a thought.

 

[dzuber76]

I don't have any extra electrical equipment on the bike. It's bone stock as far as I can tell, except for the bar risers. The bike has 30K miles on it. My trip is showing 123 miles on this tank at half a tank indicated left. Looks like the low mpgs were a combination of low tire pressure and having fun with a new-to-me bike. The smell is definitely intermittent, but seems to be occurring, mostly, in wet conditions. It was a little damp this morning and I caught the faintest whiff when I got to work. As far as the engine noise goes, it really sounds like valve ticking to me. It's audible at idle (though not really loud) and when the engine revs up, although as the rpms increase it's less audible due to the loudness of the exhaust. Since the bike is running great, I'm gonna let that be until I can (hopefully) get in touch with the previous owner and find out the maintenance history for the bike.

 

[dlfunk]

Your mpgs could be low if you're doing a lot of in town riding. I routinely get 30mpg on my city-street, stop and go commute. I was worried until I found out I get 47+mpg loaded up on the highway, which seems pretty good.

 

[deagle]

1. I speed but don't accelerate much...mostly 85-90 mph expressway runs. I am lucky to hit 40 mpg.

2. Give the bike a good wash (underneath too) and see if the smell is still there. In the rain I've had steam coming up like crazy through the cockpit. Normal.

3. Your brakes are normal.

 

[johndaub]

Lots of rain the past couple of days, but I wouldn't think that would produce this.

The very next ride after I ride in the rain or wet roads, the bike smells like it is burning up.

One time, along with the smell, I heard popping and sizzling. I tracked the noise down to a worm roasting on the bike.

 

[dzuber76]

A worm? You doing some mud-riding on that bike?

I noticed that my clutch fluid is pretty dark. Gonna change it in the next couple of days and see if that helps. I don't think that would directly produce any smells, but maybe indirectly :dntknw: .

On the last fillup, I got about 37 mpg and that's all city commuting. Much better.

 

[ahchiu]

The smell is from the crap and oil getting on the hot pipes from riding in the rain. If your bike has ABS/linked braking using only the rear will activate 1 piston on the front right brake along with the rear. I'm not sure if the 05 ABS is the same as my 06 ABS.

 

[RadioHowie]

The smell is from the crap and oil getting on the hot pipes from riding in the rain. If your bike has ABS/linked braking using only the rear will activate 1 piston on the front right brake along with the rear. I'm not sure if the 05 ABS is the same as my 06 ABS.

No linky brakey on the '05.