Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

So on the way back home today I noticed a fluid trail on the lower section of the opening on the left middle fairing (You can see the engine mount, exhaust headers etc. through it). I would include pics but silly me cleaned it all up before thinking to post here.

Got home and had a closer look at it; Definitely engine oil. There was residue on the engine mount and on one of the edges where the head meets the block (No puddles, but definitely a light coating of it). I tried to trace it back up, but the trail seemed to disappear once I got as high as the front of the air box (I'll take a stab and say it's simply been blown up there).

Now I know the '07's had an issue with the valve cover gasket; Did that carry over onto some / all of the '08's? (Mine is from Mar '08 with ~3500kms for the record).

Suggestions? Recommended course of action?

Cheers!

Take it to a dealer. As you mentioned, that model did have issues. At least take it to them so it's noted.

Yeah mate it's a known issue and an "authorised kawasaki (recall) repair" if it happens (which means they'll fix it for free).

Mine is an 03/08 and exactly the same thing happened and was fixed. Leaked the oil onto the headers and out through the fairing hole and onto my crash knob.

Call up a kawasaki dealer and tell them what's happening and give them your vin and they'll check the vin range that the repair applies to. Yours should be in the range also.

The rocker cover gasket kit includes some other seals also but I can't remember what they were called.

I had them check and adjust my shims while it was all apart for some extra cash, cost me $100 at the time from memory but it depends how many are out of spec.

Hope that helps.

ps, ask them to inspect your "buckets" while they're at it, trust me on that one, just do it.

Figured as much, will give them a call tomorrow.

Cheers guys!

Just an update on the issue; Got the oil leak sorted for free (as it should have been ) and following tim's suggestion got them to check shims and all that while it was apart for an extra $90 or so.

Picking it up tomorrow, will be good to have it back; my room hasn't been the same without the centerpiece.

Glad it was part of the recall.

What are Buckets??

Supafrog wrote:Glad it was part of the recall.

What are Buckets??

All I know is that they're something to do with the valves, and that the shims sit on them or something. With our bikes it's a good idea to check them for condition when the head's off, but only precautionary, more important on the 07s apparently....

Supafrog wrote:Glad it was part of the recall.

What are Buckets??

The cap that the shim sits inside.... the bucket forms over the valve spring

robracer wrote:

Supafrog wrote:Glad it was part of the recall.

What are Buckets??

The cap that the shim sits inside.... the bucket forms over the valve spring

Yeah....... that

tim wrote:

robracer wrote:

Supafrog wrote:Glad it was part of the recall.

What are Buckets??

The cap that the shim sits inside.... the bucket forms over the valve spring

Yeah....... that

..and when they wear prematurely you throw a shim or two out and your motorbicyle enginemotorythingo goes Kapooftka big time one The next sound you hear is the gentle fluttering of your money blowing away in the breeze.................................