Chain lube fling or something more sinister?

[lizardywizard]

So since I got my bike back from the 600 mile service, I've been noticing this black stuff on the exhaust after every ride. (Imgur link because I'm on mobile and can't shrink the image down.)

At first I thought it was just road grime, but it keeps turning up. I wondered if maybe they just used different chain lube and this is the "fling-off" people talk about (I never had it before). But I couldn't find pictures of what fling-off should look like, so I thought I'd better double check.

Edit: ...wait, it can't be chain lube, the chain isn't even on the same freaking side. What the heck.

[Motofool]

Just kidding

Is there any of the open-end hoses ending by that area?

[lizardywizard]

Originally Posted by Motofool

Just kidding

Is there any of the open-end hoses ending by that area?

Not sure, but I just took a look around with a flashlight and couldn't see any. Lots of hoses, but they all seem to feed into something and none of them look like they're leaking anything.

Of course they are all black...

Also, if it aids in diagnosis, it didn't reappear after the short ride (~2 miles) from my previous stop to home. It's appeared after the last couple of long rides.

[Motofool]

Overfilled rear brake reservoir?

[lizardywizard]

Originally Posted by Motofool

Overfilled rear brake reservoir?

Doesn't look like it. It's got one of those brake reservoir wristbands on it and I didn't see any staining or smell anything odd when I took it off, and the fluid level in there looks good. Oil level is likewise good.

Did another examination of the area and I'm really not sure what it could be. I don't see anything that looks like it could be leaking, except for this one part that has a rusty-smelling line of... something down it.





But it's pretty uniform so maybe that's supposed to be there. And it's also definitely brown, not black.

[csmith12]

Your chain is on the other side, it is highly unlikely chain lube has made it to that location in that pattern. Check the heel area of your boot.

The other pics are from the air filter area. Perhaps they re lubed your filter and your getting some blowback.

[RacinNinja]

That brown may very well be battery acid from a hot/overheating battery. I'd be pulling your seat and have a look. If it is, sprinkle it with baking soda and then hose it off.

After you clean it, start it up and check the charging voltage with a volt meter. It may be over charging the battery OR it may have just been a little hot.

[lizardywizard]

Originally Posted by RacinNinja

That brown may very well be battery acid from a hot/overheating battery. I'd be pulling your seat and have a look. If it is, sprinkle it with baking soda and then hose it off.

After you clean it, start it up and check the charging voltage with a volt meter. It may be over charging the battery OR it may have just been a little hot.

Ohhh ouch. D:

It has been really hot here lately... and I've been riding in the heat... if that is the case, any tips to help prevent it in future? I live in SoCal, so not riding in the heat is kind of not an option...

[RacinNinja]

Originally Posted by lizardywizard

Ohhh ouch. D:

It has been really hot here lately... and I've been riding in the heat... if that is the case, any tips to help prevent it in future? I live in SoCal, so not riding in the heat is kind of not an option...

Have a look first. If the battery is a wet cell type, there should be an overflow hose on it. Check to be sure the hose is hooked to the vent properly and routed out of the frame.

[csmith12]

If it is acid, you will need a new battery. 300s come with stock with an YTX9 SEALED battery. There should be NO hoses. If it's leaking, it's garbage.

[lizardywizard]

Originally Posted by RacinNinja

Have a look first. If the battery is a wet cell type, there should be an overflow hose on it. Check to be sure the hose is hooked to the vent properly and routed out of the frame.

Okay, got the seat off. Seeing as I've never moved the battery before and the only time I've messed with it was under the supervision of someone who was extremely paranoid about me shocking myself, I'm wary of going further.

This is what I'm seeing so far:

http://m.imgur.com/FEOf3fm
http://m.imgur.com/G05pZPT

If the hose is the part in a sort of mesh-y sheath under that black and yellow wire it looks fine to me... looks all sealed and not seeing anything brown.

[csmith12]

Go buy a lotto ticket, because you have a better chance of winning the lotto than getting shocked. Take off the top screws and have a peek under it. If it's leaking, it's going to go down. Just don't hook it up backward. RED goes to +, Black goes to -. Or simply follow the pics you just took.

[csmith12]

Did you check the heel of your boot? 0 tools required mate.

[lizardywizard]

Okay, took a look at battery - it looks fine. No leaks.

Got another one of the side panels off and I'm seeing this.

http://m.imgur.com/3b9GluS

Looks like the brown stuff's not dripping from anywhere, it's just all the way around. It looks like it might actually be some kind of sealant on that part, not a leak.

Nothing on my heel, just a few rocks.

[RacinNinja]

HA! That's silicone on the airbox.

You're good. It was worth a look though and you learned something!

[csmith12]

Cool! Oh, that brown stuff they put around joints and such. On a brand spanking new bike, some of that coming off is normal when it's really hot.

That don't look like the same stuff that is on your heat shield though. Some other thoughts;

Lube from swingarm pivot
Lube from shock linkages (I see you have aftermarket bones to lower or raise the bike)
Crush washer leaking (the 600 mile service should include an oil change, check for leaks by putting a piece of paper under the drain bolt overnight)
Oil fill cap not on tightly (again, part of 600 mile service)
Maybe you're simply stepping in something, where do you park your bike? Have you been riding the same route when the stuff appears? It doesn't appear on your short rides...
Ride through a construction zone? Perhaps it's some of that crap they spray down (sealant of some sort)

[lizardywizard]

Originally Posted by RacinNinja

HA! That's silicone on the airbox.

You're good. It was worth a look though and you learned something!

Sure did! Did a few things all on my own I've never done before (I've been under the seat, but only with someone else guiding me).

Originally Posted by csmith12

Cool! Oh, that brown stuff they put around joints and such. On a brand spanking new bike, some of that coming off is normal when it's really hot.

That don't look like the same stuff that is on your heat shield though. Some other thoughts;

Lube from swingarm pivot
Lube from shock linkages (I see you have aftermarket bones to lower or raise the bike)
Crush washer leaking (the 600 mile service should include an oil change, check for leaks by putting a piece of paper under the drain bolt overnight)
Oil fill cap not on tightly (again, part of 600 mile service)
Maybe you're simply stepping in something, where do you park your bike? Have you been riding the same route when the stuff appears? It doesn't appear on your short rides...
Ride through a construction zone? Perhaps it's some of that crap they spray down (sealant of some sort)

I'll do the paper trick, thanks. Then again, she's parked on a mat so I'd think the stain would be noticeable, but you never know. I did get an oil change, yeah.

Not the same route at all - I even specifically turned left instead of right out of my street yesterday because there were steel plates out there and a huge construction mess, but it's mostly died down today so I went right. So hardly anything on the route is the same, unless it's on my driveway.

I'll check out all the other stuff, see if anything looks particularly... lubey.

[toEleven]

Dang, I found this thread way too late to be useful. But having read it, I wonder: do you have a copy of the service manual? Certainly makes identifying all these bits easier.

Originally Posted by lizardywizard

I'll check out all the other stuff, see if anything looks particularly... lubey.

I'm serious about your moto maintenance erotic fiction career. Can't wait for the bike wash write up

[lizardywizard]

Originally Posted by toEleven

Dang, I found this thread way too late to be useful. But having read it, I wonder: do you have a copy of the service manual? Certainly makes identifying all these bits easier.

Sadly not, just the owner's manual. I searched for service manuals online and it looks like they're crazy expensive... but also commonly available as free printable PDFs

Still haven't discovered the source of the original grime, alas.

Originally Posted by toEleven

I'm serious about your moto maintenance erotic fiction career. Can't wait for the bike wash write up

Y'all don't know about my other career as a fanfiction author... if you did, you wouldn't be tempting that fate.

[SLOWn60]

Originally Posted by toEleven

Can't wait for the bike wash write up

There is only one wash video worth watching and it's ninjette.org and work safe. Well; don't make it your screen saver!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0kiPBXe7O8&sns=em

[lizardywizard]

Originally Posted by SLOWn60

There is only one wash video worth watching and it's ninjette.org and work safe. Well; don't make it your screen saver!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0kiPBXe7O8&sns=em

Too much overdramatically posing woman, not enough Ninjette.

[cadd]

Originally Posted by lizardywizard

Got another one of the side panels off and I'm seeing this.

http://m.imgur.com/3b9GluS

Looks like the brown stuff's not dripping from anywhere, it's just all the way around. It looks like it might actually be some kind of sealant on that part, not a leak.

Yup, that brown stuff is normal. My bike has that as well. That particular part (that the brown stuff is on) is called the snorkel. When people do a snorkel delete mod, that's the part they yank out. Your air filter looks really new as well.