Coolant From Overflow Reservoir

[Ebster1085]

Got into work this morning after my usualy 35 mile jaunt up 95. Normal ride, bike felt the same as usual, and no overheating or even hot operating temps.

Get to work and see coolant splashed on left muffler as well as some coolant under the seat coming out of a small opening under the overflow reservoir. Looked over the entire bike and am pretty confident the spilled coolant came from the reservoir.

As far as I know, the only time coolant should come out of the overflow tank is when its overfilled or when it boils over. Any idea why this happened or if it could be coming from something else I just missed?

[crashmasterd]

Known problem. It's completely normal. If you fill the coolant tank up to the full mark (or even the low mark) it will puke stuff out until it reaches its happy level. Don't worry about it.

[Ebster1085]

Thanks dude. Just weird that this is the first time it has happened even though I have put a good 500 miles on her since I bought it.

[crashmasterd]

Yeah, nobody's been able to adequately explain the phenomenon, but it seems to happen to every bike once in a while. Just check and make sure the radiator is full once in a while.

[Martin_R]

Known problem. It's completely normal.

Well, not completely normal if she is puking into the battery tray & muffler, instead of down the coolant overflow tube.

[Ebster1085]

Maybe the tube has come off. It didnt really puke fluid into the tray, but there is a little hole in the tray where a clip or something is attached under where the front left corer of the coolant reservoir would be. That is where a bit of fluid came out this morning.

As long as I can make it home I should be good to go. I am actually planning on doing a coolant flush this weekend so I will have a closer look at all the components.

[2doggs]

Well, not completely normal if she is puking into the battery tray & muffler, instead of down the coolant overflow tube.

Coolant should come out of hose near side stand.

[Ebster1085]

Ok, so I just went down to the garage and had another look. No more coolant has leaked out, so I would say a cracked reservoir is out of the question.

It looks like the top left hand side of the reservoir is a little wet around both the filler cap and the release tube which leads to the radiator. Perhaps the fitting is loose or the tube has been compromised. The filler cap is on tight, so I dont think it has leaked from there but who knows.

Yesterday I rerouted the two gas tank breather/drain lines to the same path as the coolant overflow tube. I think in doing this I did kink the tube a bit which would account for some excess pressure in the tank. All making sense now...

[terryk]

Try to get the filler cap pressure checked as well to ensure your gasket is still pliant and the filler cap has not warped. If your cap and/or cap gasket is going south your fluids will boil out at a much lower temp, starting in a subtle manner of course and then potentially progressing over time. Give the gasket and the top of the filler neck a look see as well as corrosion or dirt could effect the seal, even a small amount of crud can make a big difference. I would be looking hard at this area.

[Ebster1085]

Thanks dude. I actually orderd a new radiator cap earlier this week that I will throw on when I do the coolant flush. No leaks or corrosion there, but it looks old and tired and I know how those seals can deteriorate over time. Figured $12 of reassurance was worth its weight in gold.