If this is oil on my front fender, where is it from?

[CZroe]

This is my front fender as viewed from above through my forks.



If that's oil from the street, shouldn't it be on the UNDERSIDE of the fender? I can't see anything leaking. Could it be from the forks? My mishap with the cable lock through the tire and up through the body and around the outside was almost a year ago, so I hesitate to think that it caused any damage (the dealers agreed that there was likely no damage beside the cracked fairing, which has gotten worse over time).

That said, the crap thrown from the road looks a little different on the tip of the fender and that very well may be what's on the radiator too. Nothing looks like the dark black oil on top of my front fender (and seemingly nowhere else).

[rockNroll]

If it were fork oil you should be able to see wetness around the leaking fork seal. For piece of mind, I'd look over my fluids and brake components then wash the bike good and not worry about it unless it returns. Looks to me like it slung off the road and into your radiator and some splashed off the radiator and onto the back of your fender.

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by rockNroll

If it were fork oil you should be able to see wetness around the leaking fork seal. For piece of mind, I'd look over my fluids and brake components then wash the bike good and not worry about it unless it returns. Looks to me like it slung off the road and into your radiator and some splashed off the radiator and onto the back of your fender.

Thanks.

Well, I definitely rode through something but I took that radiator and fender "edge" shot to show that the gunk on the lower fairing, edge of fender, and radiator are not "ink black" like the drops on the top of it, but that clarity was lost when resizing and combining images. Anyway, because that junk isn't the same color, I think it's unrelated. I checked my brake fluid and engine oil and both seemed high (the oil was hot and went back down when the engine cooled). I looked up and down the forks but I'm not entirely sure where the seal would be for me to inspect it more closely. I figured I see it running down the forks if it was leaking from there. Also, would fork oil be solid black like that?

[tjkamper]

It looks like junk from the road to me. If you don't see any signs of moisture around the fork seals, then it is probably not that. It is also really black so unless your oil is deeply in need of being changed, I don't think it is engine oil from your bike.

So clean it off go for a nice long ride and see if it comes back.

[Ichiro]

It's not brake fluid.If it was, it would have eaten the paint off your fender.

[ScorpionNinja]

Originally Posted by CZroe

This is my front fender as viewed from above through my forks.



If that's oil from the street, shouldn't it be on the UNDERSIDE of the fender? I can't see anything leaking. Could it be from the forks? My mishap with the cable lock through the tire and up through the body and around the outside was almost a year ago, so I hesitate to think that it caused any damage (the dealers agreed that there was likely no damage beside the cracked fairing, which has gotten worse over time).

That said, the crap thrown from the road looks a little different on the tip of the fender and that very well may be what's on the radiator too. Nothing looks like the dark black oil on top of my front fender (and seemingly nowhere else).

Im no motorcycle mechanic (but im looking into starting school to become one)... but I think you might have a Leak in the FRONT Brake Line at some point around the steering/forks??? Just an idea, thou i HAVENT had any oil leaking/splatting on any part of my 2009 Ninja 250R man! So thats my Guess!

Or you ran through a 'Puddle of Sludge'. "Thats Thinkin' wit ya Dipstick..JIMMY!"


BTW< how many Miles do you have on your 250R? (in case its a leak of sort)

[CZroe]

What should I use to clean this stuff off? IOW, what cuts motor oil and doesn't harm paint? Dish soap only seems to cut other kinds of grease/oil. Anyway, the manual said not to use any enzymatic cleaners and yet that is all I can find at an automotive store. In the mean time, it looks like it may be worse. Of course, I'd like to be sure about it by cleaning it off and looking for anything that reappears.

Originally Posted by ScorpionNinja

Im no motorcycle mechanic (but im looking into starting school to become one)... but I think you might have a Leak in the FRONT Brake Line at some point around the steering/forks??? Just an idea, thou i HAVENT had any oil leaking/splatting on any part of my 2009 Ninja 250R man! So thats my Guess!

Or you ran through a 'Puddle of Sludge'. "Thats Thinkin' wit ya Dipstick..JIMMY!"


BTW< how many Miles do you have on your 250R? (in case its a leak of sort)

A little under 9k. I hesitate to consider that it could be brake fluid for the same reason as Ichiro... because I'm told that it eats through automotive paint, though perhaps it only eats through some. I didn't see any paint damage on RebelYell91's bike after his YouTube incident. Also the window in my reservoir shows a clear liquid... not black. That said, there is some dirty black crud accumulated on my forks that forms rings of crud as the suspension travels up and down. It doesn't look like the source because it's somewhat dry crud.

[kkim]

have you tried washing your bike with soap and water.

whatever doesn't come off with soap and water... try using some wd-40 on a rag to wipe it off.

after you get the bike cleaned up, ride it and see if it returns.