Kawasaki GT550 problem (maybe)

Hi,

I was wondering if you could give a little advice re. a problem I'm having
with my GT550. Esentially, when running (although admittedly not
for very long) the left exhaust pipe is showing visible fumes - a normal
grey/white colour but the right exhaust isn't. Is this a problem?
The bike hasn't been used much recently and has been sitting in my garage
but I turn it over occasionally to keep the battery up and to heat
it up.
Any advice?

Thanks,

Alex.

 

Do you per chance leave the bike on It's side stand in the garage?

 

Sartois:

If the bike is left on it's side stand, ther will be more condensation
to "burn off" in the LHS silencer.

My 450 does this and, as a result, has corroded internally and the
baffle has detached itself.

 

Does that mean that on the center stand niether or both would corrode?

 

Similarly, oil will collect in the left-hand end of the cam box, and
frequently manifest itself as a cloud of smoke first thing. BMW Ks were
notorious for it.

 

Zanziba:

I think you can work that out..... unless you are a bit dim.

 

The Z550 could actually fill up it's LHS carb float bowl with oil.

 

And the R series bikes

 

The Older Gentleman wrote

I have a question arising from this.

Since those very nice policemen returned the fucking bindit to my care
there has been a rearrangement of the parking outside my front door. For
reasons of convenience when arriving and leaving the GS has moved 6 feet
closer to the road, to an area not formerly used for parking bikes and
with a surface of gravely sandy dirt about 2 inches in depth which is
really rather unsuitable for a side stand.


Partly as a result of my being forced much against my desires into
changing my pre-riding routine to accommodate the cunting fucking stupid
annoying piece of shite called an alarm I now am in the habit of
starting the engine and leaving it to run while I fiddle about with
straps and zips and buckles and stuff.


This would be fine were it not for the recent alterations to parking
patterns and the extra lean arising from the poor surface and the worn
valve guides. On a calm day I can fill the well sheltered on three
sides front garden with smoke. Good it is.


How can I get it coloured?

 

http://www.raf.mod.uk/reds/dyeteam.html

 

platypus wrote

I am not really sure that a four man support team is quite what I had in
mind.

 

I'm the whole 5 watts

 

Cos the majority of what comes out of the zorst pipe is water vapour.

--

Dave

GS850 x2 XS650SE / SE 6a

I demand nothing of you except that you amuse me.

 

Do you per chance leave the bike on It's side stand in the garage?
yes indeed, spookily surmised
i'll put it on the centre stand

Thanks

Alex.

 

Isn't it more likely that the water condenses when the engine is started
(Water vapour created during burning of fossil fuels condenses on COLD
exhausts?).

I don't see how water can condense on a hot exhaust when you turn the engine
off.

 

The mufflers are full of water vapour which has nothing to do but cool
down. It's certainly not going anywhere.

--

Dave

GS850 x2 XS650SE / SE 6a

I demand nothing of you except that you amuse me.

 

The amount of water you are talking about there would be tiny and comletely
insignificant. Think about the space that there is in the mufflers, 1000cc
maximum? (Complete guess). Now that's 1/24 of a mole of gas at room temp and
pressure, at the temperature of exhaust gases it is much much less. PV=nRT
(Gas law).

Now there are a variety of gases in the exhaust of which water vapour is
only one:

Fuel + Oxygen ===> Carbon Dioxide + Water (+NOx)

That all equates to tiny amount of water that would hardly make an exhaust
"Smoke" on restart. (Think about a car driving down the road on a cold
morning, water can actually be seen dripping from the exhaust, this is being
made by the running motor and then condensing against the exhausts as they
are still cold?

 

On Fri, 28 Oct 2005 13:43:49 +0100,

It was oil seeping past the rings. ISTR hearing that the 16-valve or
maybe the 1100 got pegged rings to alleviate the problem.

Mine smoked dreadfully if left for a few minutes when hot on the
sidestand.

 

Yes, of course. Once the system's up to temperature the condensation
isn't much, if any, and any condensed water is evaporated out. When the
system's cooled down after shutdown that's when the condensed water
vapour with its dissolved acids does the damage.
On a longer timescale it's not unknown to start up a bike after a winter
layup and find the baffles are a bit knackered after a few days running.
All that internal corrosion taking place over a few months takes its
toll on the system.

For long term ownership, stainless exhausts are the way to go.

--

Dave

GS850 x2 XS650SE / SE 6a

I demand nothing of you except that you amuse me.

 

I keep forgetting to change the settings, is all.