Left shoe tip oily wet after riding!

OKC_Kent wrote:

I'm not sure, but I don't think the 650 has oil in the dyno/stator. If it did then my foot would be wet because I don't have a rubber plug for the wires. Do the 900/1000/1100 use oil in the stator?

Yup.

djcamp10 wrote:

had exact same issue 2 weeks ago you might want to check the oval rubber rings underneath the head i thought it was a gasket but it looked pristeen after replacing the ring wet shoe be gone just a side note my left boot now is i beautiful shade of dark brown.

Ps if you pull the head the two bolts recessed underneath the valve cams only get tightened to 8 ft lbs i learned the hard way that the manual misprinted it at 16-20 ft lbs

+1 on both counts, and so that is why I had to helicoil the threads for those bolts! Mine are now at 25 ft/lbs, by the way!

Not hard. Worries you when you have everything strewn out around the garage/yard/where ever, but read the manual twice, label everything like it says and have a torque wrench available that reads 8 inch pounds like djcamp mentioned - I had to use a deflection arm vice a clicker, clicker would not go that low (or high) enough!

And I rode mine until it started to cover my boot, but it is black, so it is just well preserved.

Sebastien, FIRST wear boots while riding your bike and not shoes. Boots are manly and shoes are... well, I don't have any so I won't make a further comment. Gosh, I hope you weren't wearing loafers or worse, WINGTIPS!

ANYWAY... to the oil, when oil gets on your left boot tip (hehe), it is coming off the cylinder head area. Most likely place are the cam plugs, the valve cover gasket, tach drive or those rubber rings that have been mentioned. Avoid disassembling the engine UNTIL you find the source of the leak. Look around your spark plugs first and see if there are signs of oil in that area. The only time I have ever had a left boot tip wetting is when I had a cylinder head leak at the valve cover (BADLY) and the oil ran down into the area of the #2 spark plug then dropped down the side to splatter my boot. Shift shaft seals and stator covers won't wet your left foot on this bike. If a copper washer under the cylinder head nut is leaking oil or a cam plug, it will most likely splatter your entire left side (I know this from personal experience too).

Question....

Not trying to start a flame war here, only trying to understand for my own personnel knowledge...

If oil was comming out of the head/cylinder areas, wouldn't it spray your pant/legs as well?

I would think the spray pattern would be evident somewhat up to the shin/knee as well... Or am I missing something?

Old man Rock

Old Man Rock wrote:

Question....

Not trying to start a flame war here, only trying to understand for my own personnel knowledge...

If oil was comming out of the head/cylinder areas, wouldn't it spray your pant/legs as well?

I would think the spray pattern would be evident somewhat up to the shin/knee as well... Or am I missing something?

Old man Rock

That's true. Could be leaking at the base gasket too, of course they use rubber orings there too that do the same thing. Also rubber orings under your sprocket cover sealing the transmission shafts ect, orings between the oil pan and cases. orings on the oil gallery plugs. Going to have to do a little cleaning and see where it's coming from.

The most likely place the oil is coming from is the rubber plug where the wires exit your alternator in the left cover. Pull off your left cover and degrease/deoil the wires and rubber plug and coat liberally with permatex number 2, the black sticky stuff, then reinstall the cover. Been there and done that many times......chris3

coppertales wrote:

The most likely place the oil is coming from is the rubber plug where the wires exit your alternator in the left cover. Pull off your left cover and degrease/deoil the wires and rubber plug and coat liberally with permatex number 2, the black sticky stuff, then reinstall the cover. Been there and done that many times......chris3

Except the 650 has a dry stator...

The oil coming off the valve cover area will leak down between the vertical fins of the cylinder head then down the side of the engine and onto your left foot. I know this from experience. I am not making it up... really. Lord, the folks have him disassembling his engine. STOP think... if someone has ACTUAL experience, you might want to look for the leak and in the area suggested. It isn't necessarily there but unless it is the base gasket (not very likely), then it will be from the areas I noted. I have ridden these things for the best part of 40 years and have been leaked on in almost every conceivable way.

ok, two things.
#1, when it's cold, use brake clean and clean the engine. top off oil then ride around the block.
come home and look for the leak. should be easy to find since you said you have to add oil every other tankfull.
easier to find a leak on a clean engine.
my bet is tach seal. you can also pull the stator real quick, just four bolts. if it's wet, you have problums.
#2, what can you do to the engine running it with such a severe leak?
either you will keep up on the oil level and keep ruining shoes or you will forget, run it low on oil and blow it up.
a 650 does not have a roller bearing crank, they use babbit bearings and no cam bearings.

Ok, the first step will be to clean the engine as mentionned a few times to find the leak. Then toss those shoes and trade them for boots, as suggested by Wiregeorge! No wonder people were looking at me like I was a squid! (No offence to squids here) After that, ride around the block a few times.... scratch that, make it a short ride! You can make me ride it, but I won't stop riding it until I decide! She's just too much fun! After that it will be easier to pinpoint the leak. I'll let you guys know what becomes of it. thanks alot!

SebRain77 wrote:

Ok, the first step will be to clean the engine as mentionned a few times to find the leak. Then toss those shoes and trade them for boots, as suggested by Wiregeorge! No wonder people were looking at me like I was a squid! (No offence to squids here) After that, ride around the block a few times.... scratch that, make it a short ride! You can make me ride it, but I won't stop riding it until I decide! She's just too much fun! After that it will be easier to pinpoint the leak. I'll let you guys know what becomes of it. thanks alot!

Right on the cleaning up the engine and buying boots! Wrong on the "short ride". If you try to pin point the leaks you must ride only enough to make it warm and then check. If you can´t find it then ride more.

Add one more possibility and this has happened with 2 ´83 ELR´s. Cracked valve cover! Very difficult to pinpoint since you cannot see clearly under the tank and both were cracked in the mid section by the cam chain bulge. Even if th cracks were on the rear side the oil found it´s way to the front side and on your left boot.

I have an oily left boot tip, also. I've already done the "clean it, ride it, inspect" routine, and it's clearly coming from the o-ring in the middle of the head. I'm putting up with it til fall! (I've only had to add about a quart in the last 5 tankfulls) FWIW
Wiredgeorge is spot on (again)...the oil runs down the fins, and around the corner to the stator cover.