Ok I was all hyped up for a nice January Ride in Vermont. No a flake of snow to be seen and in the low 50's (in the sun anyway) so since I cant go skiing, dang it I'm going riding!!!
My last ride was early November under similar conditions. Was out for about 3 hours all told. I keep the bike in my walkout basement. Its not directly heated but its far from out in the open or unfinished shed. Kept on Battery Tender. It has been a bizarre winter here, very few cold days and most precipitation has been rain not snow.
So I walk her out. Quick walk around and everything looks normal. Start her up on fast idle like usual while I'm putting on the helmet and gloves and off we go. I get about 2 miles down the road, going down hill and the power drops off a bit and starts almost sputtering for lack of abetter term. I'm thinking the gas has probably just gone a bit sour. Thats when I spot the smoke in my mirror!!!
I pull it over quick and its just pouring out the tailpipe. Idle is normal but I shut her off anyway. I cant find any leaks. The smoke is whitish not blue so I'm hopeful its just condensation and not an oil leak. Also by the time I turned around and got home it did seem better though not gone.
Please tell me my bike is not screwed.
Craig
Smoking....no not in a good way...
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Smoking....no not in a good way...
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Member #457
95 R1100R Red
Member #457
95 R1100R Red
Okay...your bike is not screwed....but you are.. 
Sounds like you passed some water. Do you put Stabil in your tank when winter comes ?
Might want to drain the tank, put in fresh gas (with Stabil) and try again.
Sounds like you passed some water. Do you put Stabil in your tank when winter comes ?
Might want to drain the tank, put in fresh gas (with Stabil) and try again.
10 R1200R
09 KLX 250sf
74 H2
77 RD
69 Kawasaki Bushwacker
67 Kawasaki 120SS
65 CB 450 Black Bomber !
09 KLX 250sf
74 H2
77 RD
69 Kawasaki Bushwacker
67 Kawasaki 120SS
65 CB 450 Black Bomber !
I had a similar white smoke and bike came to a sputtering stop. I had a techclusine unit installed. Found it had failed and allowed the fuel injector to stay open, putting to much fuel to the motor. Fuel will burn white unlike oil is blue. I would look into your fuel supply. Did you smell fuel? Good luck hope it helps.
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CycleRob
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It's definitely water in the fuel or vapor recovery system. If it's in the fueltank, you must have a LOT of water in there before the filter sock picks it up. Going downhill would allow the water to contact the filter sock on the fuel pump inlet. Put the bike on the centerstand, open the fillercap and shine a flashlite at the floor of the tank while you rock the bike very slowly up-n-down with the rearseat grabrail. You'll see the water fuel interface if there's water in there.
The symptoms you describe also perfectly match what would happen if the vent hoses are mixed up after fueltank removal and water from the fuelcap area (washing the bike or rain) flows into the charcoal canister. When the bike runs, the air purge line instead sucks in water drops from the canister and causes the misfire and after the catalyst vaporizes it, a huge white smoke cloud.
Here's my archived copy-n-paste of how to check and fix a venthose mixup:
To check if your 2002 model hoses are hooked up right you need to do a simple mouth-on-the-hose blow test. If you want an easy check without taking anything apart, put the bike on the centerstand for stability. Next, get a wet paper towel to clean off the 2 dirty drain hose ends hanging downward below the right footpeg. Do the larger diameter hose first, then the smaller hose last as it is the battery vent hose. Standing on the right side of the bike, open the fuel filler cap, put a paper towel or rag in the filler pocket to prevent water or dirt from entering the gastank opening during this invasive test. Next, put your finger over the little hole at the 9 O'Clock position (front is 12 O'Clock). Then kneel down and blow into the LARGER open ended hose. Avoid all contact with the smaller diameter hose's end as it goes to your battery and it may still have Sulfuric acid residues in it or oozing out it's tip, so be careful contacting the open end. As you blow into the only other larger sized hose, you should feel air coming out that 9 O'Clock hole up top where your finger is. If your drain hose has residual rainwater or fuel-up spilled fuel in it, that may also squirt out at your finger and hopefully be captured by the stuffed-in-the-opening papertowel.
If you don't feel any air coming out the 9 O'Clock position of the fuel filler hole even though you are able to puff air into it, remove the towel/rag, fully close the fuelcap and blow into the larger hose again. You should also get the sensation of inflating a large balloon. After 1 to 3 quick "inflation" breaths, the air should then blow back out the hose end at you confirming that your hoses were mixed up!
If you have it all apart and can individually put lips on both of the plastic connector fittings attached to the fueltank vent hoses, you should be able to figure out that blowing air out the 9 O'Clock hole means it goes downward to the street drain. The other one, that tries to inflate the closed up fueltank, goes to the canister.
To avoid this mix-up again, you can either label the hoses with tape or WhiteOut . . . .
-or-
Leave one of the male connectors with the bike AND the other male connector with the tank hose providing foolproof gender mating.
The symptoms you describe also perfectly match what would happen if the vent hoses are mixed up after fueltank removal and water from the fuelcap area (washing the bike or rain) flows into the charcoal canister. When the bike runs, the air purge line instead sucks in water drops from the canister and causes the misfire and after the catalyst vaporizes it, a huge white smoke cloud.
Here's my archived copy-n-paste of how to check and fix a venthose mixup:
To check if your 2002 model hoses are hooked up right you need to do a simple mouth-on-the-hose blow test. If you want an easy check without taking anything apart, put the bike on the centerstand for stability. Next, get a wet paper towel to clean off the 2 dirty drain hose ends hanging downward below the right footpeg. Do the larger diameter hose first, then the smaller hose last as it is the battery vent hose. Standing on the right side of the bike, open the fuel filler cap, put a paper towel or rag in the filler pocket to prevent water or dirt from entering the gastank opening during this invasive test. Next, put your finger over the little hole at the 9 O'Clock position (front is 12 O'Clock). Then kneel down and blow into the LARGER open ended hose. Avoid all contact with the smaller diameter hose's end as it goes to your battery and it may still have Sulfuric acid residues in it or oozing out it's tip, so be careful contacting the open end. As you blow into the only other larger sized hose, you should feel air coming out that 9 O'Clock hole up top where your finger is. If your drain hose has residual rainwater or fuel-up spilled fuel in it, that may also squirt out at your finger and hopefully be captured by the stuffed-in-the-opening papertowel.
If you don't feel any air coming out the 9 O'Clock position of the fuel filler hole even though you are able to puff air into it, remove the towel/rag, fully close the fuelcap and blow into the larger hose again. You should also get the sensation of inflating a large balloon. After 1 to 3 quick "inflation" breaths, the air should then blow back out the hose end at you confirming that your hoses were mixed up!
If you have it all apart and can individually put lips on both of the plastic connector fittings attached to the fueltank vent hoses, you should be able to figure out that blowing air out the 9 O'Clock hole means it goes downward to the street drain. The other one, that tries to inflate the closed up fueltank, goes to the canister.
To avoid this mix-up again, you can either label the hoses with tape or WhiteOut . . . .
-or-
Leave one of the male connectors with the bike AND the other male connector with the tank hose providing foolproof gender mating.
`09 F800ST
Member since Sept 10, 2001
"Talent, On Loan, From God" --Rush Limbaugh--
Member since Sept 10, 2001
"Talent, On Loan, From God" --Rush Limbaugh--