Smoke from the front end

[Kwaka14]

Check your kleen air system (what kawasaki call it now) which is a valve that comes from the top of the rocker cover and has a hose that runs in to the airbox, it sounds like it could be a bit of blow-by to me - older engines have exhaust smoke move past the exhaust valve seals in to the rocker cover area and there is always vapour present here anyway. The other thing to check is the rocker cover bolts as the washer at the top wears over time and leaks oil across the top of your rocker cover which runs down across your headers... usually a small volume and not much of a hazard

[placidfemme]

Check your kleen air system (what kawasaki call it now) which is a valve that comes from the top of the rocker cover and has a hose that runs in to the airbox, it sounds like it could be a bit of blow-by to me - older engines have exhaust smoke move past the exhaust valve seals in to the rocker cover area and there is always vapour present here anyway. The other thing to check is the rocker cover bolts as the washer at the top wears over time and leaks oil across the top of your rocker cover which runs down across your headers... usually a small volume and not much of a hazard

Um... I know where my air filter is. But don't know what you mean by rocker cover, kleen air system, exhaust valve seals, rocker cover bolts etc.

Would I be able to see it if its close to the air filter (need to remove the fairings and then the tank to get to the airbox/filter), so I'm assuming it close to that

[Kwaka14]

Um... I know where my air filter is. But don't know what you mean by rocker cover, kleen air system, exhaust valve seals, rocker cover bolts etc.

Would I be able to see it if its close to the air filter (need to remove the fairings and then the tank to get to the airbox/filter), so I'm assuming it close to that

The rocker cover is the top cover of the engine, the valve /kleen air system is a hose coming from the rocker cover. I would guess that it's probably just a very small weep coming from either the washers/bolts holding down the rocker cover or it's oil vapour from the valve/hose that runs from this.

[placidfemme]

The rocker cover is the top cover of the engine, the valve /kleen air system is a hose coming from the rocker cover. I would guess that it's probably just a very small weep coming from either the washers/bolts holding down the rocker cover or it's oil vapour from the valve/hose that runs from this.

ahhh ok.

I'm planning on giving the ZXR a good ole clean on Sunday if the weather holds up, when I do that I'll take the tank off and have a look and see if I can spot what your describing

[Sam I Am]

perhaps its electrical !! Is your headlight bulb the correct wattage ?
Iv'e smoked wiring before putting a overated bulb that the lume couldent handle.
or it could be some random electrical fault/short.

[placidfemme]

perhaps its electrical !! Is your headlight bulb the correct wattage ?
Iv'e smoked wiring before putting a overated bulb that the lume couldent handle.
or it could be some random electrical fault/short.

I'm not too sure about that. As mentioned the smoking was happening before I wrote the ZXR off in 2005. When i wrote it off, part of the damage was a damaged bublb in the headlight (no dip beam), so i had the bulb replaced (at like $40 or $50 for the bulb... grrr). And its been smoking since then too... so I'm not sure if that would be the problem.

I didn't get a chance to take the ZXR apart this weekend and clean it, Sam was sick all day Saturday so we had to postpone our Saturday plans to Sunday and therefor no time for my bike

[Pwalo]

Look if it's smoking something is leaking on to your headers.

As everyone has suggested, give the front of your engine a good clean up, start it without the lower fairings on and look for any leakage. Logically it must be something above your headers, so look there.

Good luck. It can be a bummer having to check these things out, but well worth it in the long run.

I think you need to get a manual or a down load of one to help you with id'ing the parts of your bike.

[vamr]

Hrm, late at night or early in the morning... getting colder... was it raining per chance?

[placidfemme]

Hrm, late at night or early in the morning... getting colder... was it raining per chance?

Nope no rain at all. I rode to work this morning in the rain/showers and when I got to work I had steam (not smoke) coming up from the headers. It disappeared before I could even take my helmet off to have a look. So not the same as the smoke I've seen before...

[Fooman]

The smoke smells kinda sweet if that makes sense.

If it is whiteish smoke, and has a "sweet" smell to it, it's probably coolant leaking somewhere onto something quite hot (e.g. headers). I had the same experience after my GSXR250 got knocked over at a car park at uni many years ago. Everytime I came to a stop, it was in a cloud of sickly steam/smoke as the (busted) radiator splashed onto the headers.

Cheers,
FM

[placidfemme]

If it is whiteish smoke, and has a "sweet" smell to it, it's probably coolant leaking somewhere onto something quite hot (e.g. headers). I had the same experience after my GSXR250 got knocked over at a car park at uni many years ago. Everytime I came to a stop, it was in a cloud of sickly steam/smoke as the (busted) radiator splashed onto the headers.

Cheers,
FM

Yeah I'm thinking it might be that, I can't think of much else other than the brakes...

I've checked over the radiator already, but when i get a chance to take the fairings off again I'll do a much more in-depth inspection and double check there are no cracks/holes that could be dripping onto the headers...

[Max Preload]

Yeah I'm thinking it might be that, I can't think of much else other than the brakes...

I've checked over the radiator already, but when i get a chance to take the fairings off again I'll do a much more in-depth inspection and double check there are no cracks/holes that could be dripping onto the headers...

Pressure test it. If it's such a minor leak that it's not dumping coolant, you'll probably not find it without forcing a leak using pressure.

Of course, it could simply be rain water pooling somewhere and then sloshing about and dripping onto the headers or engine but that won't be accompanied by the sweet smell of coolant.

[placidfemme]

Pressure test it. If it's such a minor leak that it's not dumping coolant, you'll probably not find it without forcing a leak using pressure.

Of course, it could simply be rain water pooling somewhere and then sloshing about and dripping onto the headers or engine but that won't be accompanied by the sweet smell of coolant.

Do I need any special machines to pressure test it?

[Max Preload]

Do I need any special machines to pressure test it?

A cooling system pressure tester. All radiator shops have them - they'll pump >20psi in there for you and any leaks will become obvious since the most the system usually sees is 14psi. All you need is easy access to the cap.

[rookie]

surely the drip test would show up any leaks though...if its such a small leak that only warm fluid under operating pressures could make its way out of the crack/hole/split then leave the bike idling for a little while after a ride to allow any drips to fall onto the piece of cardboard mentioned earlier in this thread.

If you want to check for caliper leaks - check the wheel to see if fluid is finding its way there...or wait till the morning after you've been for a ride the previous day to give enough time for the leaks to form.