Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

I'm sure some of you were aware that I was having trouble starting my '99 ZX6 trackbike. Well, thanks to some fantastic advise from the mechanics at Bikeworks, I have managed to get my machine going.
I called them during the week and detailed the problems I was having and what I had already done. He suggested I may have fuel or too much fuel in the crankcase and that I should smell the oil at the inlet to see whether it smelt too much of petrol.
I did this and from where I was, yes it did. So I dumped the oil and replaced it with Shell Advance and changed the oil filter. Did all the checks, put some fuel system cleaner into the jerry can, filled up the tank and WHAM, she started.
I let it idle to get to temperature, then took it for a short squirt.
Seems to run quiter and smoother....or is it just me.

For those of you who are more mechanically minded then I, how do you manage to get fuel / too much fuel in the crankcase and how does this inhibit the starting and running of the bike

Anyway, just want to give Bikeworks a plug, even though they may not be sponsors. I'll be sure to ring them next week and thank them.

Thank you to those of you who also made some helpful suggestions.....I can't wait to get to Baskerville Race Track for my next track day now!!

Cheers all!

Following on from the above, I checked my oil level sightglass and noticed the glass had a white residue.....any ideas?

oh my 05 has this to on the glass but not as bad

Looks like you're getting water in there somehow. Water pump seal perhaps, head gasket maybe although I would've thought you'd have other issues. Whatever it is it's not good news unfortunately.

Glen wrote:Looks like you're getting water in there somehow. Water pump seal perhaps, head gasket maybe although I would've thought you'd have other issues. Whatever it is it's not good news unfortunately.

My coolant level hasn't changed at all. I thought it might have been condensation, but it seems to idle ok and the temp is normal.....

green10 wrote:

Glen wrote:Looks like you're getting water in there somehow. Water pump seal perhaps, head gasket maybe although I would've thought you'd have other issues. Whatever it is it's not good news unfortunately.

My coolant level hasn't changed at all. I thought it might have been condensation, but it seems to idle ok and the temp is normal.....

It's ok, my bike does it as well as other peoples in Canberra, it's the cold weather that does it, nothing wrong with it you just need to give it a good run and it will go away.

EDIT
A mate of mine has a Speed Boat and he had white milky solution under the oil cap, like on my bike, he did an oil change and was all good. I went for a 2 hour ride when it was under the oil cap on my bike and when i finished it was gone

StevieD wrote:

green10 wrote:

Glen wrote:Looks like you're getting water in there somehow. Water pump seal perhaps, head gasket maybe although I would've thought you'd have other issues. Whatever it is it's not good news unfortunately.

My coolant level hasn't changed at all. I thought it might have been condensation, but it seems to idle ok and the temp is normal.....

It's ok, my bike days it as well as other peoples in Canberra, it's the cold weather that does it, nothing wrong with it you just need to give it a good run and it will go away

I had a feeling the cold might have somethng to do with it. Each time I start it, I let it get to temperature and run it for a while. Never noticed it before, however since I put the new oil and filter, it seems quieter and little harder to start, but again I suspect that it due to the cold.....

That looks like water in your oil or a blown head gasket

smithy5 wrote:That looks like water in your oil or a blown head gasket

If this is a head gasket, how else can I tell without wrecking the engine completely? Any other signs?

green10 wrote:

smithy5 wrote:That looks like water in your oil or a blown head gasket

If this is a head gasket, how else can I tell without wrecking the engine completely? Any other signs?

I'm no mechanic, so I could off the mark, but a car I had a few years back had a blown head gasket........... The oil cap and the dip stick were milky, the only other symptom was the engine overheating, due to loss of water into the oil

Oil is supposed to be dark, but when mixed with water it goes milky, so with that milky looking sight glass, it appears as if water is getting into your oil somewhere................ Was the oil and oil filter milky when you changed the oil ? if not, as others have said, give it a bit of a run and see if it goes away, maybe it is just condensation.............

Have you tried checking the spark plugs? if they are anything other than a light tan colour then there are posile problems that-a-way.

It specifically depends on the way in which the gasket fails, but if it fails between a water gallery and the head you'll loose compression and more likely get a milky residue inside the radiator as the cylinder runs much higher pressures than the coolant system. If it fails between a water and oil gallery then it's anyones guess what will end up where.

smithy5 wrote:

green10 wrote:

smithy5 wrote:That looks like water in your oil or a blown head gasket

If this is a head gasket, how else can I tell without wrecking the engine completely? Any other signs?

I'm no mechanic, so I could off the mark, but a car I had a few years back had a blown head gasket........... The oil cap and the dip stick were milky, the only other symptom was the engine overheating, due to loss of water into the oil

Oil is supposed to be dark, but when mixed with water it goes milky, so with that milky looking sight glass, it appears as if water is getting into your oil somewhere................ Was the oil and oil filter milky when you changed the oil ? if not, as others have said, give it a bit of a run and see if it goes away, maybe it is just condensation.............

When I changed the oil and filter, the oil was dark and there were no white bits at all. Then I put in the new oil and filter, the new fuel had a cleaner through it and then started the bike and noticed the white sightglass. It didn't feel any hotter than usual but I did notice when I revved it a little, it coughed a bit; it wasn't a smooth increase.....?

Well, fuck me dead, the damn sightglass is as clear as day. I checked it over the course of three days, when it was cold, warm and hot and there is absolutely no sight of white stuff.......who knows, but she starts and runs nicely now.....

Buggered if I know, now for that track day at Baskerville......