My Speedo doesn't work!

[placidfemme]

I've been having a problem with my bike for the last one and a half months where, after going on a ride (even a short ride from home to work, which is only 12 minutes) that I have smoke coming from the front wheel area somewhere...

I tried looking for the origin of the smoke, and couldn't find anything. I asked a few questions on here I think and a few questions on a Kawasaki Forum, and was told to check the brakes... And the Brake Fluid... I couldn't see any problems so I took my bike into the bike shop (Red Baron) and the mechanic took my bike for a ride, he tried aggresive braking and the such, and he could not replicate the smoke, therefore couldn't fix the problem...

He said my brakes where fine and still had lots of life left in them... And that night when I got home I noticed my bike was smoking again... I've kept an eye on the brake fluid level (just under full).

The only problem I could see was a crack/tear in a cable running down to my front wheel. When I asked the mechanic about this crack he said it was the speedo cable and that it wasn't a problem if my speedo is working... which it was...

Yesterday morning I rode to work, and everything worked fine... I even got my usual dose of white smoke from the front end somewhere... Then I left work last night... and only noticed as I was heading onto the motorway... that I was travelling at 0kph :weird:

I was shitting myself all the way home... I'm on my learners and I couldn't tell how fast/slow I was going. Got home had a look at my front end with a torch... still just a crack on the speedo cable... nothing else noticeable...

This morning on my way to work (Following my partner so I could kept to a set speed) the Speedo still wasn't working...

This pisses me off so much. Now I need to take my bike in to get fixed, who knows how much that will cost me... when it possibly could have been avoided over a month ago... this is possible also what has caused the smoking...

Anyway I'll add in here to this thread whats wrong with my bike when I get back from the bike shop (Taking it in at 9am)

*mubbles and swears under my breathe*

[Sniper]

When you take it in, tell the mechanic you want him to repair it at discounted cost as he said there would be no problem

[Lou Girardin]

Where is the smoke coming from?
Disconnect the speedo cable from the wheel, see if the smoke stops. Alternatively, when it starts smoking, lever the front wheel off the ground and see if the front wheel spins freely.
I'd get this fixed as a priority, you don't want the front to lock up on you.

[NhuanH]

there's a famous scene from a popular movie c.1977, name slips my brain at the moment:
".....forget your instruments Tammy: use the force!" :D

Maybe your white smoke from the front is a product of you doing a 12 minute rolling stoppie to and from work!?!?!

[placidfemme]

Thanks for all your advice. Unfortunatly I don't really know a hell of a lot about the mechanics side of biking. I was looking forward to the Spanner Night so I could learn as much as possible... but unfortunatly it was cancelled.

Sniper: I will mention it to the mechanic what he said previously

Lou: I'm not sure where the smoke is coming from to be exact, I can see the smoke only when it's dark, then I can see it coming up from the front, I've looked with a torch but couldn't locate the actual area when it's coming from.

At first I suspected that the brakes were binding because it often felt like the bike was dragging... The mechanic said that wasn't the problem, the brakes were fine... Then one day I was sitting on the curb outside work having a smoke wait for the security guard to wake up and open the gate... I was staring at my bike (as you do lol) and saw a drop of liquid drip onto the ground (on a dry day... no rain). the drop came from where the brake joins the wheel, right next to where the speedo cable hooks into the wheel.

I figured maybe the liquid was brake fluid somehow getting onto the brake pads/discs and causing smoke... but I've been keeping an eye on my fluid levels and it's not decreasing at a rapid rate...

NhuanH: *uses the force* zwwwwooooooozzzzzzzzzzhhhhhhhh

lol

I just spoke to the Mechanic, I'm taking the bike in as soon as my boss shows up... I told him that I had mentioned the problem before and he said "it's just general wear and tear".

[Motu]

Sounds like it might have a leaking caliper....the boot is holding the fluid in until it releases,then it will build up again.One problem here is that brake fluid is water soluble,so a ride in the rain,or a wash by the owner will remove all traces,until it builds up enough to show again.Different riding habits - you brake light,the mechanic brakes hard to force a problem,possibly temporarily fixing a sticky caliper piston.The speedo cable is a separate issue from the brakes,even though they are in the same area - sounds like the outer sheath is cracked,just happens with age and can stay like that for years...until the cable breaks....not usualy life threatening.

[placidfemme]

Sounds like it might have a leaking caliper....the boot is holding the fluid in until it releases,then it will build up again.One problem here is that brake fluid is water soluble,so a ride in the rain,or a wash by the owner will remove all traces,until it builds up enough to show again.Different riding habits - you brake light,the mechanic brakes hard to force a problem,possibly temporarily fixing a sticky caliper piston.The speedo cable is a separate issue from the brakes,even though they are in the same area - sounds like the outer sheath is cracked,just happens with age and can stay like that for years...until the cable breaks....not usualy life threatening.

Well I just got back from Red Baron. The problem with my speedo was that the cable had snapped, which is good because it was a quick cheap process getting it replaced (Only 15 minutes and $10).

I spoke to him again about the smoking problem... And still no luck, he had another look around the brake/caliper area and checked my brake fluid levels and said everything is fine... he gave me the following possible explanations:

1. I'm braking too much using the front brake, thus overheating the brakes causing steam (Despite that I've told him it's not steam, it's smoke... it's white and it smells like burning stuff...)
2. Liquid off the road (Water... oil...??) is flicked/flung from the road onto my exhaust (behind the front wheel theres 4 tubes going towards my pipe) and the heat of the pipes cause's either smoke/steam and that might be what I'm seeing.

Now the problem with both those scenarios is:

1. As far as I'm concerned you only brake too much when you lock the brakes... I've never locked my front brake. Also he has told me this before when I asked him last time, so I adjusted my braking technique and for 2 weeks used 80% back brake and about 20% front brake... it still smoked...

2. Liquid off the road doesn't make sense to me... this happens in dry and wet weather. And when it's dry what are the chances of having liquid splashed onto the pipe EVERY time I ride... that makes no sense...

So all in all I'm happy that my speedo is in working order again :) But a little disapointed that the smoking issue is still an issue...

Motu: I'm not sure how to check if I have a leaking caliper... All I know is what I've written above and in this thread... I'm not the brightest crayon in the box when it comes to mechanical stuff... I usually just do the woman thing and nod and say "uh huh ok yes yep" lol and then try to figure it out based on what people have advised me.

:) Thank for all the help...

[FlyingDutchMan]

For the speedo cable - you just need to know how the revs equate to speed. On my bike in 4th @ 6000rpm ~ 50km/h. In 6th @ 9,000rpm ~105. I don't imagine it'll be that far out from that on yours. My speedo hasn't worked for about 4,500km :whistle: (guesstimate obviously). I replaced the out & inner speedo cable, then the hub promptly broke 48.5km later.

[MSTRS]

But a little disapointed that the smoking issue is still an issue...


If all works as it should & mechanic says there is no problem, then just monitor your fluid level over an extended period. There should be no discernable loss. Oh....and don't try to take your bike into a pub or restaurant. No smoking laws you know.

[placidfemme]

For the speedo cable - you just need to know how the revs equate to speed. On my bike in 4th @ 6000rpm ~ 50km/h. In 6th @ 9,000rpm ~105. I don't imagine it'll be that far out from that on yours. My speedo hasn't worked for about 4,500km :whistle: (guesstimate obviously). I replaced the out & inner speedo cable, then the hub promptly broke 48.5km later.

Yeah it's all good now... Only had to ride home without a speedo, back to work again and then to Red Baron... :)

[placidfemme]

If all works as it should & mechanic says there is no problem, then just monitor your fluid level over an extended period. There should be no discernable loss. Oh....and don't try to take your bike into a pub or restaurant. No smoking laws you know.

*sulks*

*forgets about taking my bike on that special date I had planned*

*gets on my chromed vespa and scoots off* lol

[vifferman]

I'm not the brightest crayon in the box when it comes to mechanical stuff...
Despite you saying that, the observations you made in your post are astute and show that (a)you approached the problem logically, and (b) you are aware of what's going on with your bike. Noting unusual sounds, feels and smells, etc. with your bike is an important part of riding it. The points you made about the source of the smoke show that you're not stupid either, just naiive when it comes to mechanical issues. That's inexperience and lack of knowledge, not necessarily mechanical idiocy.

The drop of fluid you saw may point to a very slight leak in the brake system, and merit further close inspection for possible leaks. For what it's worth, brake fluid produces very white smoke when heated, much denser than steam.

It's a bit suspicious though that the speedo cable failure and the appearance of this smoke coincide - it's not unlikely that friction from lack of lubrication of the cable produced the smoke and the failure.

[placidfemme]

Despite you saying that, the observations you made in your post are astute and show that (a)you approached the problem logically, and (b) you are aware of what's going on with your bike. Noting unusual sounds, feels and smells, etc. with your bike is an important part of riding it. The points you made about the source of the smoke show that you're not stupid either, just naiive when it comes to mechanical issues. That's inexperience and lack of knowledge, not necessarily mechanical idiocy.

The drop of fluid you saw may point to a very slight leak in the brake system, and merit further close inspection for possible leaks. For what it's worth, brake fluid produces very white smoke when heated, much denser than steam.

It's a bit suspicious though that the speedo cable failure and the appearance of this smoke coincide - it's not unlikely that friction from lack of lubrication of the cable produced the smoke and the failure.

Thank you for your comments :) I'm hoping the problem is related to the speedo cable issue, the next few days will be a good indication. If the smoking stops then we can assume it is because as you say lack of lubrication on the cable.

The mechanic showed me the broken cable, where it snapped was right up near the handlebars (or near where it connects to the speedo), and the crack that I mentioned above, was lower down towards the wheel (about 1cm from where the cable connects to the wheel). I will continue to keep an eye on my brake fluid levels and also keep an eye open for the smoke. If it continues I will post again :)

thanks again :ride:

[Lou Girardin]

Next time it smokes, stop and push the bike. Note if it takes more effort than usual.

[placidfemme]

I only notice the smoke when I stop anyway, while I'm riding I can't see or smell the smoke... just once I've reached my destination or sometimes when I stop at traffic lights

[Motu]

Brake fluid makes white smoke when it burns - but it's got to be bloody hot to do that,you wouldn't be able to put that much heat into your brakes under normal riding.To check the mechanic would have to pull the caliper and pull back the boot,this takes time and labour - he's trying to be kind to you and evade the bosses...if he spends 30 mins on your bike they are going to want to charge you,but if he finds nothing wrong it will be a pointless charge.I don't know what can make smoke without excessive heat - unless it's an external source - hence his theory about stuff off the road burning on the exhaust.

[Ixion]

Hm. Pure guess time. If the pads were down to the metal ? metal to metal contact will makes things hot, even red hot. And with the caliper pistons coming way down the bores (cos of the thin "pads"), mabe a wee bit of fluid is getting past the seals, and meeting that hot metal "pad".

Mechanic tries it, doesn't brake as hard and/or as often, doesn't get the metal hot enough ?

But I'd expect any mechanic to pick worn pads straight off, so I don't think this is a very good theory.

Do you cover the front brake normally ? Maybe holding it on all the time just a bit ?

[Paul in NZ]

Basic Bike mechanics are easily explained...

You bike runs on smoke. Other people will try and waffle on about hydrocarbons like petrol and stuff like electricity but trust me it runs on smoke. This secret has been hidden from the motoring public up until now and remember you read it hear first!

The factory fills your bike up with smoke when they make it and seals it all in tight. Whenever you see any of this smoke escaping it's usually a very bad sign! You are right to be worried.

The most expensive type of smoke is the stuff they squeeze into small places (like wires) and it tends to really expensive to replace when this smoke escapes. Brake smoke is not as expensive (I think cost the pipes are bigger) but its pretty rare that it escapes because it's tame smoke and happy being confined (as opposed to the stuff in the wiring which is pretty angry about pretty well everything and always looking for a chance to make a break for it)

The engine has at least 2 types of smoke.

Smoke can escape from the exhaust pipes but I think they factory puts a LOT of extra smoke of this sort in the engine 'cos sometimes it can loose smoke for a very long time before anything bad happens (although sometimes it all escapes at once in dramatic circumstances). 2 strokes often have an extra tank of this smoke fitted.

Smoke can also escape from what is called the cooling system. This is not a very good sign if you see this and often if you don't stop this smoke dead in its tracks it encourages a massive breakout from it's friends (the other smoke in the engine) and they all burst out at once. This costs a LOT to replace all this smoke and fix the walls.

There are other types of smoke but this is enough science for one day.

Paul N

ps - you sure it's not a coolant leak form an overflow onto a exhaust header or something?

[Ixion]

Another thought - could this be fork oil ?

[Paul in NZ]

Another thought - could this be fork oil ?

Could be... Certainly the mechanic has done fork oil about it

[placidfemme]

Yeah the mechanic hasn't actually taken the brake bits apart to look, he's just knelt down poked and prodded and took it for a ride up the road and back, braked really hard (nice black rubber line left on the road). I've had the ZXR for over 8 months now, and thinking back on it... the smoking problem actually only started after I had my WOF & Service... I didn't have any problems before that.

When he looked at the brakes he said they were fine and still had a lot of life left in them.

I'm sure what you mean by "cover the front brake normally". The bike is always either under shelter or under it's cover if I'm not riding it...

I don't hold onto the front brake either while riding... Even though my ZXR has adjustment settings for the clutch/brake lever's I find it a little bit of a stretch to reach the lever's so I only use them when I need to, otherwise it's a strain to keep my fingers out to touch the lever's.

[placidfemme]

lol so many replies so fast I can't keep up...

When I got my bike serviced in Jan/Feb the mechanic noted: "Too much oil in front forks". I also mentioned this to the mechanic the last time I took the ZXR in, he looked at the forks and pushed the bike so the forks when up and down... and said it's not because of that. The forks are dry and show no signs of fluid leaking out anywhere that I can see...

Paul in NZ mentioned something about the cooling system... very dumb question here on my side... is the ZXR air cooled or cooled by another method? (Not sure why but I always thought it was air cooled...)

However... surely if the smoke was coming from anywhere other than the front wheel area I would see it coming up threw where the handle bars are... or could it be that I only see the smoke from the front end because my headlights show the smoke better?

*is all confused now lol*

[John]

Just a thought but are your disk rotors warped? I have seen 5 imports with warped rotors now... thats what could be causing excessive heat - I had one of my disks glowing red after a ride with bent rotors, but thats fixed.

You can tell by if you get any 'feedback' when braking, when you pull in does the brake lever push your hand off the lever alittle bit?...

another thing that maybe causing the smoke, do you have a coolant leak? or oil dripping onto headers ?...

btw convection means that the steam wont always come straight up from the engine... just remeber that :yes: (yes our bikes are watercooled)

[Ixion]

..

I'm sure what you mean by "cover the front brake normally". The bike is always either under shelter or under it's cover if I'm not riding it...

..

Sorry - bit of jargon there. "cover" a lever (brake, clutch, foot brake) means to ride with your hand/fingers/foot resting on it. So if you need to use it you save a fraction of a second. Some riders always or often "cover" their front brake as a safety measure. Two stroke riders always "cover" their clutch lever, in case of seizure (should do, anyway!)

Thing is if you have a sensitive brake and you cover the lever , it sometimes happens that you're actually riding with the brake on a little bit all the time, whcih can make things get pretty hot.

Anyway, you say you don't do that, so discard that one

I'm seriously wondering about a wee bit leak frmm the fork drain screws (assuming that a ZZXR250 has such)

Mechanic noted that there was too much oil in the forks. So presumably that means he drained the forks ? And if the sealing washer on a drain plug was leaking very slowly, once in a while it would form a drop which would/could sometimes drip down onto the hot brake disc. I seem to remember (not sure though) that ATF smokes easily ? (Anyone ? Mr Motu, you must have set fire to some in your time ? )

And you wouldn't notice the loss. And if the drip actually formed on the tip of the plug (as it would) a mechanic wouldn't notice it unless he happened to look just as it was about to drip off (unlikely). It's not like the smear from leaking seals.


Nice theory anyway, pity my theories seldom survive contact with reality. I gotta keep away from that place it doesn't agree with me.

[eliot-ness]

Could be wrong but I was always told to look for the simple things first. A crack in the speedo cable could let water into the bearing in the speedo drive housing. This would eventually cause partial seizure and overheating. Would also explain drop of liquid you saw. Wouldn't expain cable breaking higher up though. Next time you go for a ride check if the housing's warm. Hope that's all it is.
-------------------------------
I just got lost in thought and it wasn't familiar territory

[placidfemme]

Just a thought but are your disk rotors warped? I have seen 5 imports with warped rotors now... thats what could be causing excessive heat - I had one of my disks glowing red after a ride with bent rotors, but thats fixed.

You can tell by if you get any 'feedback' when braking, when you pull in does the brake lever push your hand off the lever alittle bit?...

another thing that maybe causing the smoke, do you have a coolant leak? or oil dripping onto headers ?...

btw convection means that the steam wont always come straight up from the engine... just remeber that :yes: (yes our bikes are watercooled)

I don't think my disc rotors are warped, when I thought my brakes were binding I was told to feel/touch the rotors and feel how hot they are, if they are really hot then they could be binding or not releasing completely. Whenever I see the smoke (nearly everytime I ride... although I must say I only notice the smoke when it's dark or early in the morning... in normal day-light you can't see if it's smoking or not) I awalys feel around touching everything near the front wheel, feeling for fluid and heat. The rotors are never too hot to touch with the bare hand. I've never felt the brake lever giving me feedback, or pulling against me either, or not that I've noticed. If you make it down next weekend John you can take it for a burn and see if you notice anything weird... being a more experienced rider than me, and more familiar with the ZXR (mechanically) you might pick up on something that I'm missing.

Where do I find the coolant, and how would I tell if there was a leak? And to be honest... I don't even know where the headers are (or what they look like). I've never even removed my farings... lol *is such a newbie*


Ixion

I'm seriously wondering about a wee bit leak frmm the fork drain screws (assuming that a ZZXR250 has such)

Mechanic noted that there was too much oil in the forks. So presumably that means he drained the forks ? And if the sealing washer on a drain plug was leaking very slowly, once in a while it would form a drop which would/could sometimes drip down onto the hot brake disc. I seem to remember (not sure though) that ATF smokes easily ? (Anyone ? Mr Motu, you must have set fire to some in your time ? )

And you wouldn't notice the loss. And if the drip actually formed on the tip of the plug (as it would) a mechanic wouldn't notice it unless he happened to look just as it was about to drip off (unlikely). It's not like the smear from leaking seals.

Nice theory anyway, pity my theories seldom survive contact with reality. I gotta keep away from that place it doesn't agree with me.

I'm not sure if the mechanic drained the oil from the forks. They gave me a print out of what they did in the service (I'll look for it tonight) and in the Notes section it just said something along the lines of "too much oil in front forks". It didn't say wether it had been drained or not.

*is learning a lot today :)*

[Edit] What do you mean by housing?

[loosebruce]

Hey sorry i didn't really rear through all the posts, but i have a free day tomorrow and sunday, but work the nights, may be going riding, maybe not, if you want to bring it round to my place, i'll be more than happy take a look at it for you and or tell you what parts you will need to get and then fit them for you. Could be a number of things and Kawaka parts aren't all that cheap either.
Saves paying labour and waiting for a week for it to be done.

Give me a call anytime, if i'm too busy or on my bike leave a message and i'll get back to you.

Bruce 021-2236081

[placidfemme]

Hey sorry i didn't really rear through all the posts, but i have a free day tomorrow and sunday, but work the nights, may be going riding, maybe not, if you want to bring it round to my place, i'll be more than happy take a look at it for you and or tell you what parts you will need to get and then fit them for you. Could be a number of things and Kawaka parts aren't all that cheap either.
Saves paying labour and waiting for a week for it to be done.

Give me a call anytime, if i'm too busy or on my bike leave a message and i'll get back to you.

Bruce 021-2236081

Thank you for your offer, at the moment we're not really sure what the problem is, I think the only free time I have this weekend will be on Sunday Afternoon. Do you live out west? Anyway I'll give you a buzz on Sunday if I get home early enough (Heading out to Riverhead for a BBQ)

[John]

I awalys feel around touching everything near the front wheel, feeling for fluid and heat. The rotors are never too hot to touch with the bare hand.
Ok now that you say this is leads me to beleave that maybe nothing wrong with the braking system, you know that big 'hole' behind the front wheel? there will be a funny looking thing with a grill on it, this is the radiator, feel around it WHEN ITS COLD!!! (it will hurt otherwise) for leaks, the headers are the 4 black pipes that you see behind them, look at them and see if there are any big noticible holes..



Where do I find the coolant, and how would I tell if there was a leak? And to be honest... I don't even know where the headers are (or what they look like). I've never even removed my farings... lol *is such a newbie*

The coolant containor (where you put the coolant mixture and water) is behind the right rear fairing, you can see it just when you take the rear seat off, make sure it has enought coolant in it, if you missed the previous bit the headers are the 4 big tubes (black ones) behind the front wheel...

[John]

Hey sorry i didn't really rear through all the posts, but i have a free day tomorrow and sunday, but work the nights, may be going riding, maybe not, if you want to bring it round to my place, i'll be more than happy take a look at it for you and or tell you what parts you will need to get and then fit them for you. Could be a number of things and Kawaka parts aren't all that cheap either.
Saves paying labour and waiting for a week for it to be done.

Give me a call anytime, if i'm too busy or on my bike leave a message and i'll get back to you.

Bruce 021-2236081
Good ole bruce what a legend :)

[loosebruce]

Thank you for your offer, at the moment we're not really sure what the problem is, I think the only free time I have this weekend will be on Sunday Afternoon. Do you live out west? Anyway I'll give you a buzz on Sunday if I get home early enough (Heading out to Riverhead for a BBQ)

Sunday afternoon will be sweet, kinda west, Waterveiw to be precise, peice of piss to find. If not sunday i can generaly find time during the week, just means i have to get up early. I start work round 5pm on sunday FYI, and now looks like i might go riding on Sat. If the TL holds together this time otherwise i might have to take the ZXR out again, as fun as it was, i couldn't bloody walk properly for 2 days after.

[placidfemme]

you know that big 'hole' behind the front wheel? there will be a funny looking thing with a grill on it, this is the radiator, feel around it WHEN ITS COLD!!! (it will hurt otherwise) for leaks, the headers are the 4 black pipes that you see behind them, look at them and see if there are any big noticible holes..


The coolant containor (where you put the coolant mixture and water) is behind the right rear fairing, you can see it just when you take the rear seat off, make sure it has enought coolant in it, if you missed the previous bit the headers are the 4 big tubes (black ones) behind the front wheel...

I'll have a look at the radiator this afternoon when I get home and have a feel around when it's cold for any leaks, from memory my four pipes look kind dry and rusty (but not too bad... any recommendations regarding what to use to stop rusting near here) and I'll check for holes in them.

Ok I know where the coolant container is... seen it but wasn't too sure what it was... if it's kinda empty what kind of liquid do I put in there? Just water?

Thanks again :)

[loosebruce]

Good ole bruce what a legend :)

that offer goes to anyone as well, some shits beyond me, but i've broken enough bikes in my time to know a fair bit and had enough shit go wrong with them to match, er as well as more than a few crashes and............... (thousands of freakin dollars).

But yeah if anyone needs a hand or has a question, like i said i'll help when i can.

Bruce

[John]

I'll have a look at the radiator this afternoon when I get home and have a feel around when it's cold for any leaks, from memory my four pipes look kind dry and rusty (but not too bad... any recommendations regarding what to use to stop rusting near here) and I'll check for holes in them.

Ok I know where the coolant container is... seen it but wasn't too sure what it was... if it's kinda empty what kind of liquid do I put in there? Just water?

Thanks again :)
Ah that rusting is a real hard one to stop, you really have to paint it to stop rust, and if chromed or stainless you have to keep it spotless - as for the coolant if its not empty I wouldn’t worry You should top it up with a mixture of a coolant (preferably the same as is already in there!) and water, but topping it up with water isn’t a bad thing as a temporary measure.

I will do a coolant change when I come down to install the alarm, or loosebruce might do it for you, either way its always good for it to do it frequently. (Every 6months etc) loosebruce might be able to show you how-to connect the alarm to, as he built his zxr ( ? ) but no pressure, just ask him nicely if you cant wait for me to get down :o)

Has the manual arrived yet?..

[placidfemme]

The ZXR Manual? I havn't recieved anything as of yet... might be in todays post.

I'm in no hurry to get the alarm done, as I mentioned in my PM to you that I'm pretty much flat tack with family/work until next weekend... and then next weekend I'm only free on Saturday afternoon because I'll be at that Ride Safe Ride Right thingy all day Sunday...

Yeah I was looking at those pipes the other day when I was using AutoSol polish on anything shiney on my bike (lol) and I was wondering wether to try polish those pipes to reduce rust but wasn't sure so I just left them...

[crashe]

Well all I can hope is that you sort out the 'smokin' problem soon...

Yep having no speedo is a wee worry. That happened to me recently on the motorway.. but mine wasnt broken/snapped. Mine had come undone up at the top by where you read the speed. My bike doesnt have a rev counter either.

[Two Smoker]

From what i have read, it is eaither something leaking onto your header pipes (the 4 pipes coming out of the engine) OR it is something leaking from your caliper (highly unlikely)....

Go see Bruce on Sunday, AND DONT LET HIM RIDE YOUR BIKE!!! Im the only one stupid enough to let him do that...

[Pixie]

Could be wrong but I was always told to look for the simple things first. A crack in the speedo cable could let water into the bearing in the speedo drive housing. This would eventually cause partial seizure and overheating. Would also explain drop of liquid you saw. Wouldn't expain cable breaking higher up though. Next time you go for a ride check if the housing's warm. Hope that's all it is.
-------------------------------
I just got lost in thought and it wasn't familiar territory
Feel the speedo drive at the wheelhub to see if it gets hot .
I've see speedo drives that show evidence of getting hot (cooked grease)
They tend to be overlooked by mechanics during services.

[loosebruce]

Go see Bruce on Sunday, AND DONT LET HIM RIDE YOUR BIKE!!! Im the only one stupid enough to let him do that...

Why the hell not aye, what bike of your's have i ridden anyway, as i recall you toasted the GSXR before i got a go on it, you didn't need much help with the RG either, the ZXR well........
Name one bike that wasn't MINE that i broke/fucked, huh just one, the ZZR in the garage don't count BTW. :whistle: and sudeeps bloody GSXR doesn't count either cause that was mine when i crashed that.

[FEINT]

Why the hell not aye, what bike of your's have i ridden anyway, as i recall you toasted the GSXR before i got a go on it, you didn't need much help with the RG either, the ZXR well........
Name one bike that wasn't MINE that i broke/fucked, huh just one, the ZZR in the garage don't count BTW. :whistle: and sudeeps bloody GSXR doesn't count either cause that was mine when i crashed that.

Bruce is a good fella, he changed my brake pads on my old CBR... and he took that for a spin, it came back in one piece! He even rode it with one hand in a cast!!!

:niceone: :niceone: :niceone:

[Ixion]

Bruce is a good fella, he changed my brake pads on my old CBR... and he took that for a spin, it came back in one piece! He even rode it with one hand in a cast!!!

:niceone: :niceone: :niceone:

Uh, was the hand in a cast when he started ? :devil2:

[FROSTY]

sorry PF I've been puterless basicly
I thought you were a shore girl
I'll be at work on lake road all weekend if ya wanna swing by and I'll check her out for you. Im thinking your rocker cover gasket might be slightly leaking
The smell etc sorta points that way.--Especially as it only started after the bike was serviced.

[Two Smoker]

Why the hell not aye, what bike of your's have i ridden anyway, as i recall you toasted the GSXR before i got a go on it, you didn't need much help with the RG either, the ZXR well........
Name one bike that wasn't MINE that i broke/fucked, huh just one, the ZZR in the garage don't count BTW. :whistle: and sudeeps bloody GSXR doesn't count either cause that was mine when i crashed that.

LMAO... well i offered you a ride on it, and the offer still stands... it will be fixed soon :yes:

Yes the ZXR is the only bike of mine that i havent crashed (yet).....

Hhhhmmmm Other peoples bikes ive wasted...

-Speedmedics TL1000R (I rode it too easy)
-kutulu's RGV250 (that was done it style, but i rode it too easy)

I think thats all.... other than that everyone elses bike that i have thrashed have come back in one piece... Maybe its telling me that when i get on someone elses bike i should thrash it??? Hey Bruce... wheres the Gixxer thou :devil2:

[placidfemme]

Just a small update... I havn't noticed any smoke coming from my front end since my speedo cable was replaced...

My ZXR was great riding home on Friday, then to work on Saturday and then to Howick and back on Saturday afternoon, then to Riverhead and back on Sunday and then to work again this morning... no smoke...

Hopefully the smoke was somehow connected to the speedo cable... if I see the smoke again I'll post about it again and take on some of the offers to look at the bike to see if they can find the problem...

Thanks for all your help :)

Ride safe :)

[Motu]

Hard to believe a speedo cable was smoking,they don't exactly get hot in normal use,maybe if you cruised at 300kph - but I have seen them get hot and burn up when used as an earth for the headlamp say...perhaps a look at the broken cable to see if the strands are black and very brittle.

[placidfemme]

Hard to believe a speedo cable was smoking,they don't exactly get hot in normal use,maybe if you cruised at 300kph - but I have seen them get hot and burn up when used as an earth for the headlamp say...perhaps a look at the broken cable to see if the strands are black and very brittle.

Yeah I'm not sure if it was the speedo cable... but I havn't seen the smoke since the cable was replaced. Unfortunatly I can't look at the cable to see if it's burnt or anything, because the mechanic threw it away (he chucked it towards the bin and hummed and harred because he missed lol) after he replaced it... I'll be riding home in the dark tonight so when I get home I will be able to see if it's smoking or not... I'll let you know :)

[placidfemme]

Ok well.. Unfortunatly the smoke is still happening. I've only noticed it twice since I got a new speedo cable, but fact remains it still smokes... :(

[MSTRS]

Ok well.. Unfortunatly the smoke is still happening. I've only noticed it twice since I got a new speedo cable, but fact remains it still smokes... :(
Has anyone looked at the nylon drive gear(s) in your hub. They should be lightly greased with a high temp grease. Perhaps wrong grade in there?

[placidfemme]

nylon drive gear(s) in your hub??

Ok well I'm not even sure what that is... or where it is...

If it requires taking the farings off to see it, then the mechanic didn't look at that.

[MSTRS]

nylon drive gear(s) in your hub??

Ok well I'm not even sure what that is... or where it is...

If it requires taking the farings off to see it, then the mechanic didn't look at that.
Hub = big metal bit in the middle of your wheel. Bit that the axle goes thru to hold your wheel onto the forks. Disc brake on one side of it. Speedo cable goes into the other side. Inside are the gears that drive the cable. These gears are usually made of nylon and should be lightly lubricated

[placidfemme]

Hub = big metal bit in the middle of your wheel. Bit that the axle goes thru to hold your wheel onto the forks. Disc brake on one side of it. Speedo cable goes into the other side. Inside are the gears that drive the cable. These gears are usually made of nylon and should be lightly lubricated

*feels like an idiot now* lol

Ok I know what the hub is... I just wasn't thinking (my brain is still in nuetral today).

The mechanic didn't take anything apart, when he replaced the speedo cable he just (looked like) unscrewed the cable from under the speedo, and unscrewed it from near the wheel/hub. He also never mentioned anything out of place or not right.

[MSTRS]

*feels like an idiot now* lol

Ok I know what the hub is... I just wasn't thinking (my brain is still in nuetral today).

The mechanic didn't take anything apart, when he replaced the speedo cable he just (looked like) unscrewed the cable from under the speedo, and unscrewed it from near the wheel/hub. He also never mentioned anything out of place or not right.
Since everything works OK yet this smoke is concerning you, it could be time to pull the hub to bits (assuming that is where the smoke originates)