Oil-like substance sprayed from UNDER the windscreen and on my helmet's face shield!

[CZroe]

Link to original page on YouTube.

I can't imagine that it would be engine oil or fork oil considering where it passed through. It happened at very high speed on the freeway and I thought it was just some crap thrown from the road or vehicle in front of me by the vehicle in front of me. It ran fine the rest of the way to work (~12 miles) and the oil level was normal, so I forgot about it. A few hours later I was walking through the parking garage and noticed thick black dotsunder the engine as if it were leaking oil. It appears to be the waxy chain lube that I've allowed to drip and build up inside my LH fairing under the countershaft sprocket, but I didn't lube recently and the only thing I can think of that could have gotten it flowing was the rain I rode in almost 24hrs earlier. Because of the location, it's doubtful that it's related to the earlier incident, but it got me concerned enough to investigate further.

Now, considering that I got sprayed in the face, I expected to find it on my windscreen, but I did not expect that it would only be on the INSIDE on the windscreen. That only raises more questions. I don't see how it could be from the forks or the engine and anything from the street would have gotten on the outside as well. It's as if clean are were forced through the vent under my windscreen and THEN picked up this oil-like substance and sprayed it on my windscreen and face.

When I replaced my clutch cable I, like many others, found that the clutch arm that the cable connects to on the engine side would not rotate back without being lifted out of the engine, turned, and slid back in. Afterwards, it seems to protrude ever so slightly more than it used to. Because that was only 3 days earlier, I wonder if it's relevant, even if I can't see how oil could "spray" from the engine below up through my windscreen.

[sombo]

That is rather confusing. The spray pattern appears to be strongest on the right side suggesting that it came from the front brake reservoir. However I wouldn't think it would come out black like. Perhaps just to be safe you should check your front brake system?

Better safe then sorry, even if it's not that.

[Den]

I think that's your front brake fluid. It could have leaked and mixed with dirt, the result - that spray particles.
I would be very serious about it, as something I wouldn't leave on my bike not working are brakes.
Check the brake fluid reserve, and make sure you're not loosing any, check the piping, and the brake itself. Make sure it is dry and not oily, etc.

[Daeldren]

If it is brake fluid you'll want to clean that crap off your plastics asap, I've had that stuff melt gauge covers on my previous bike.

[addy126]

I've noticed a "seal" leak around the edge of the reservoir plate cover. Had one of those stretchy cotton type reservoir covers from "fast bikes" around the reservoir. When it got wet from some rinsing I had done on the bike, took it for a ride and noticed bubbles coming out of the reservoir around the fast bike cover when I engaged the brake lever. Indicates to me the seam between metal cap and reservoir is not solid. Haven't had it spray out yet but have a feeling it will if I hammer on that brake at some point.

[CZroe]

I checked that because I remembered getting sprayed by a semi and it ate the coating off me Cutlass Supreme's paint but it looks full. I don't see the obvious bubble I typically see in my front reservoir, but it still works fine. I'll definitely look a bit closer now that it's daylight. Thanks guys. As for the clutch, does that spacing look normal to you? I'm not sure why my YouTube annotations never activated because theyb still show when I try to edit them.

[headshrink]

Brake fluid was also my first thought.... but it would have damaged your plastic already (probably). If it isn't hardened, it probably isn't tree sap.... I'm stumped by the whole UNDER part. This probably won't help you, but the only time I had an oily substance on my bike and visor, it was because I was riding behind my friend on a HD who forgot to replace the oil cap.... oil was dripping onto the pipe, making a nice cloud of burning and atomized oil. Before I realized what it was, I pulled off the freeway to clean my visor... that is how much it was. But if you were eating someones oil, it wouldn't be on the INSIDE of your visor and windshield! I'm thinking it has got to be from YOUR bike.

[Deanohh]

When I ride in the rain there is bubbling up of some liquid coming from the spongy thing at the bottom lower tip of the windscreen that is inside down by where the front fairing and windscreen meet. I think water comes in around the headlight and the wind at about 70 pushes it up through the little sponge cushion and it bubbles through it and flys up the inside of the windscreen. If it got road grime in there, I'm sure it would be dirty water coming through. It stays wet and does it for several days after the rain.

[headshrink]

What does it taste like?

[highpsiguy]

My 2 cents. The only reason that you find it under the fairing is because the rain you ran thru earlier didn't let it stick... I believe that when you were riding in the rain everything was "wet" and whenever you ran thru some body elses oil the water did not let it stick to the wet surfaces, but it stuck to the underside of the fairing and had no way to rinse off. The oil drips I do believe could be your chain/wax, but then again could be whatever you ran thru accumulated underneath the plastics and drained out when you parked it.

It could be any number of things that you could have ran thru...diesel, transmission fluid, oil etc etc. If the road that you rode on had not had a rain lately that stuff could be alllll over the road. When it started to rain it lifted it up and your tires threw it all over/in your bike. Whadyathink?

[TenaciousD]

I'm with highpsiguy. I think you just ran through something.

[randomwalk101]

prob not from the reservoir but from the banjo bolt connecting your line to the MC. It probably backed itself out or you didn't tighten it down to specs or the copper gasket there is not sealing properly etc..So when you apply brake, it creates pressures and squirt fluid out. The reservoir cap doesn't have that kind of pressure for squirting.

[DaBlue1]

If your bike is clean most of the time and you have not seen any evidence prior to this of oil and fluid leaks, i think it is possible for you to have two different things going on.

1. The oily substance on the ground can be road grime ( from riding in the rain) that has rolled to one side of the fairing and dripped from the under side if the bike. I would also check around the oil pressure sending unit and oil hose to make sure it is not leaking under pressure. If there is oil on the inside of the fairing, then it may be a leak.

2. The stuff underneath the windscreen may be dirt and deteriorated wet foam. There is a piece of foam under the windscreen at the bottom. It can get wet from washing the bike or from the rain. I had it happen to me once. After washing the bike the foam got wet with some soapy water. An hour or two later I went for a ride and started seeing water hit my face shield on my helmet. And it was not raining. When I looked down I saw bubbles coming from under the wind screen and in between the dash, but it did it only at higher speeds until it dried out.

[CZroe]

I see that the YouTube annotations STILL aren't working.

Originally Posted by headshrink

Brake fluid was also my first thought.... but it would have damaged your plastic already (probably). If it isn't hardened, it probably isn't tree sap.... I'm stumped by the whole UNDER part. This probably won't help you, but the only time I had an oily substance on my bike and visor, it was because I was riding behind my friend on a HD who forgot to replace the oil cap.... oil was dripping onto the pipe, making a nice cloud of burning and atomized oil. Before I realized what it was, I pulled off the freeway to clean my visor... that is how much it was. But if you were eating someones oil, it wouldn't be on the INSIDE of your visor and windshield! I'm thinking it has got to be from YOUR bike.

It wasn't under my face shield! That really would have been weird. FWIW, a visor is usually a flip-down piece behind the shield.

Anyway, it's been raining too much for my to clean and look for any brake fluid damage, so I still can't rule that out.

Originally Posted by Deanohh

When I ride in the rain there is bubbling up of some liquid coming from the spongy thing at the bottom lower tip of the windscreen that is inside down by where the front fairing and windscreen meet. I think water comes in around the headlight and the wind at about 70 pushes it up through the little sponge cushion and it bubbles through it and flys up the inside of the windscreen. If it got road grime in there, I'm sure it would be dirty water coming through. It stays wet and does it for several days after the rain.

Yeah, I've definitely seen the bubbling up in the past, but I'm not sure why it would be full of so much crap this one time and not in the past..

Originally Posted by headshrink

What does it taste like?

I'll let you be the taste-tester.

Originally Posted by highpsiguy

My 2 cents. The only reason that you find it under the fairing is because the rain you ran thru earlier didn't let it stick... I believe that when you were riding in the rain everything was "wet" and whenever you ran thru some body elses oil the water did not let it stick to the wet surfaces, but it stuck to the underside of the fairing and had no way to rinse off. The oil drips I do believe could be your chain/wax, but then again could be whatever you ran thru accumulated underneath the plastics and drained out when you parked it.

It could be any number of things that you could have ran thru...diesel, transmission fluid, oil etc etc. If the road that you rode on had not had a rain lately that stuff could be alllll over the road. When it started to rain it lifted it up and your tires threw it all over/in your bike. Whadyathink?

I guess by "underside of the fairing" you mean the windscreen, which you say could have been wet on the outside and dry on the inside thus, only accumulate on the inside where it could stick. It's a good theory, but the rain I ran through was the previous day. I was under threat of rain, but I was dry enough and, well, it stuck to my face shield! I mean, it should have stuck to my windscreen and outside fairings if it stuck to my face shield.

What I found on the ground MAY have already been there, though it still would have been from me: The facility I work at instructed me to park there in the handicapped loading zone because it is valet parking only for everyone else, thus, the markings are meaningless. The gunk on the inside of the fairing is most definitely from chain lube, but there's no way that could spray out from underneath my windscreen considering the location.

Originally Posted by TenaciousD

I'm with highpsiguy. I think you just ran through something.

Which is exactly what I thought until I realized that it was on the outside of my face shield but the inside of my windscreen.

Originally Posted by randomwalk101

prob not from the reservoir but from the banjo bolt connecting your line to the MC. It probably backed itself out or you didn't tighten it down to specs or the copper gasket there is not sealing properly etc..So when you apply brake, it creates pressures and squirt fluid out. The reservoir cap doesn't have that kind of pressure for squirting.

I never touched it. With my vocabulary, I would consider that point "from the reservoir" as well, considering that it's all assembled together at that point. Also, if a seal was compromised at a similarly small point, I imagine that the potential pressure would be the same and it could still spray.

Originally Posted by DaBlue1

If your bike is clean most of the time and you have not seen any evidence prior to this of oil and fluid leaks, i think it is possible for you to have two different things going on.

1. The oily substance on the ground can be road grime ( from riding in the rain) that has rolled to one side of the fairing and dripped from the under side if the bike. I would also check around the oil pressure sending unit and oil hose to make sure it is not leaking under pressure. If there is oil on the inside of the fairing, then it may be a leak.

2. The stuff underneath the windscreen may be dirt and deteriorated wet foam. There is a piece of foam under the windscreen at the bottom. It can get wet from washing the bike or from the rain. I had it happen to me once. After washing the bike the foam got wet with some soapy water. An hour or two later I went for a ride and started seeing water hit my face shield on my helmet. And it was not raining. When I looked down I saw bubbles coming from under the wind screen and in between the dash, but it did it only at higher speeds until it dried out.

Mine's usually the dirtiest in San Diego because I ride in all conditions and only cover it when it's had a very recent (and rare) wash.

Anyway, I've definitely seen the water bubbling up there in the past but it was always clear and this was just a sudden burst of sticky black particles.

Anyway, thanks for all the theories, guys. I'm going to get on my hands and knees when the rain lets up and investigate further.

[highpsiguy]

Inquiry minds wanna know.

[CZroe]

I still don't know what it was or where it came from. I have a lot of condensation in my gauge cluster now as if some seal is gone. The moisture is causing my tach to go nuts... works some times, goes wild others, stays put below zero others, and also jumps and sticks all the way around past maximum at other times. I wonder if it's related. On another note, annotations now work (had to edit and republish to "kick" it into working).

[headshrink]

I can't think of a better time to get a Koso

[GiGs]

I have a lot of condensation in my gauge cluster now as if some seal is gone.

From looking at the gauge cluster documents (where they show all the parts in a diagram) there is actually a seal - part number : 39145-0039

[wyckedflesh]

Speedo cable might have gotten over lubed and spit out the back of the Gauge Cluster, the rain got it wet enough to flow and it got pulled up through the from under the windscreen. Had that happen on an old honda CB350 up into the gauge cluster until it obscured the glass.

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by GiGs

From looking at the gauge cluster documents (where they show all the parts in a diagram) there is actually a seal - part number : 39145-0039

Yeah, and the rubber parts are prone to rotting, but not exactly liquefying!

I remembered that the rubber bulb on my trip meter reset button rotted and the tip is only dangling on, so that is the most likely point of entry for the moisture, but thanks for the idea! I have a replacement bulb but I was going to wait to install it until after I finally lose the tip and, well, now I'm waiting for it to dry out as well!

Originally Posted by wyckedflesh

Speedo cable might have gotten over lubed and spit out the back of the Gauge Cluster, the rain got it wet enough to flow and it got pulled up through the from under the windscreen. Had that happen on an old honda CB350 up into the gauge cluster until it obscured the glass.

I never lubed it... even when I changed my own front tire (it was changed early due to damage and the dealer was expected to lube it <6K miles ago). There is a new squeak down there so you may be on to something! I will re-lube it and hopefully it wont all end up on my new helmet's face shield.

[wyckedflesh]

Originally Posted by CZroe

I never lubed it... even when I changed my own front tire (it was changed early due to damage and the dealer was expected to lube it <6K miles ago). There is a new squeak down there so you may be on to something! I will re-lube it and hopefully it wont all end up on my new helmet's face shield.

Dawn Dish Washing liquid is your friend, if it will clean Crude off Penguins and Geese, it will clean oil off your facesheild!

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by wyckedflesh

Dawn Dish Washing liquid is your friend, if it will clean Crude off Penguins and Geese, it will clean oil off your facesheild!

I'm just sayin' that I'd like to keep my new helmet clean, not that I'm having trouble cleaning it off my old one! Thanks though.