New (to Me) 2000 Kawasaki W650

[Blakebird]

Originally Posted by rider929

I am thinking the previous owner may have over filled the engin oil a little. More oil and oil vaper gets blown back to the air box via the vent hose and sucked back into the carbs. What doesn't get burned collects and seeps out at the manifold.

that last picture looks like you have a weep AT the head gasket.
Oil misting from the intake manifold area wouldn't capillary forward and surround the base of the head

[Barnone]

I'd clean it good like ORexpat suggested and watch it. Let us know if the oil reappears.

[rulle_retard]

It looks like the head gasket are made of metal?! Does anybody know?!

[pjensen641]

Anyone have a headlamp trim ring laying around? Mine has a bruise from the PO dropping it. I re-shaped it, but there are scratches through the chrome. They aren't too expensive from BikeBandit, but figured I would ask before I go that route.

Thanks!

[rulle_retard]

I cleaned the area around the carburetor manifolds and around the head gasket. Then I took her out for a spin, since the roads around the garage are just ice now in the winter I just made it up to 2nd gear but revved her up a couple of times. I was only out for about 10-15 min and when I come back there was no oil on the areas what so ever. The question is, if I have to be out driving for a longer time in higher gears to see if theres really a leak?!

[Barnone]

Just ride her as normal and keep an eye on the area. Probably not a big deal if she sounds and runs just fine.

[ORexpat]

+1

[Pigford]

+ 2

If the bike had a head gasket leak - and you got it hot & ran it for a bit, odd's on you'd see the oil. If it does start to leak, TALCUM powder is good for seeing where the oil is coming from

[Blakebird]

Originally Posted by Pigford

TALCUM powder is good for seeing where the oil is coming from

so is Dr. Scholl's foot powder ...I was trying to find a weep on my RSV Mille and someone suggested a can of white aerosol foot powder. Worked like a charm.

[Scrivens]

Originally Posted by rulle_retard

The question is, if I have to be out driving for a longer time in higher gears to see if theres really a leak?!

That type of weep is fairly common, and generally harmless. It usually appears around where barrel bolts go into the head and is caused by the minute expansion and contraction of the joint due to heat. Keep an eye on it over the next few months and if you start to get a slight run of oil rather than the mist, re-torque the heads. Slacken the nuts back about half a turn and bring them back up to proper torque in "star" sequence.

[GoonerYoda]

Took the W out to the Napa Valley for a ride today. Sorry for the large pictures.




Only had time to stop at Opus One.






Stopped in St. Helena for lunch.

[rulle_retard]

Originally Posted by Scrivens

That type of weep is fairly common, and generally harmless. It usually appears around where barrel bolts go into the head and is caused by the minute expansion and contraction of the joint due to heat. Keep an eye on it over the next few months and if you start to get a slight run of oil rather than the mist, re-torque the heads. Slacken the nuts back about half a turn and bring them back up to proper torque in "star" sequence.

Ok! Thanks for the info! :)
And everyone else for the answers!

[zwish]

Hey gang, It's been a while since I've posted. The W650 and I are still getting along famously. The one issue that rears its head from time to time, especially in these frosty winters is the lean nature of the bike. It seems that once the bike warms up it's fine, but still a bit on the lean side. The long warmup period is what gets me. I've read through this thread multiple times over through the past 8 months or so, but I'm curious. Those of you who have modified the fuel mixture, whether it was air mixture screws, rejetting, going with pod filters, etc, What has worked well, would you do it again, what were the effects?

The only thing that I've done is turn the air mixture screws out 3.5 turns, and block off the Clean Air System with a marble. The marble has stopped the backfiring when you clutch-in, but the bike still feels like it's not riding as smoothly as it could for the first 15 min or so. I did not have this problem with an 860cc carbureted Bonneville, so I don't think it's an issue of a larger displacement engine taking a while to heat up. The W650 however has been perfect as far as reliability is concerned. It never misses a beat. Anyways, just curious what you all were doing to your bikes. Thanks.

[ORexpat]

I think they just tend to run lean. I suspect if you want to make progress there you'll have to go to the next size bigger pilot jets.

I don't find it that much of a problem, so I've just lived with it. That and being too lazy to try to pull the carbs!

[Speedo66]

I shimmed the needles. Did it the same time I turned the idle screws out. Runs great now, but can't tell which actually did it, or if it was the combination of the two.

The "how to" photos and explanation used to be on the "Capt. Jake" site, but wasn't last time I looked several months ago.