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Hi

Has anyone experienced this before?!! I haven't in 4 happy years of falco ownership!

Bike hadn't been run for a few weeks - weather here in Ireland is Sh*& - start bike in garage to warm it up and a little smoke starts puffing up from the dash / headstock area. After about ten seconds it disappears and doesn't come back until I restart the bike from cold, again after its been left for a few days.

This may sound funny but it doesn't really have a smokey smell! At first I thought it may have been just steam - the bike (and I) got a severe soaking one day in July. But ,as I say it's recurring every day I start the bike from cold. Had a good look down in that area but can see nothing.

Got a little paranoid about an electrical fault (does your dip headlight feel a little warm not long after you start the bike - mine does) but as I say, 10 seconds later and the problem's gone.

The smoke reminds me of what happens when I give the underside a good soaking with wd40 before winter and it smokes a little at the start, first time I start it in spring.

Just wunderin if anyone has any ideas!! Part from that, the bikes is running like a dream. I luv it!!!

Ta

Welcome to the site Barney

Don't still use the WD40 do you, cos in more than 4 years with mine, that's the only time it's happened for me, as I use WD40 in winter, exactly as you say, smokes for 10 seconds or so. If not WD40 could be a slight oil leak from the cam cover I suppose, do you ever see any evidence of a leak under the bike.
You would know if it was electrical as it won't smell like WD40 or engine oil! Could be steam, as water stays around longer in winter, (or damp cold summers!), especially if you give it a wash after every wet or winter ride.
Not sure what you mean about the dipped headlight, do you mean it feels warm after starting when it's not switched on

start bike in garage to warm it up and a little smoke starts puffing up from the dash / headstock area

If it doesn't have an oily/chemical smell, it's probably water vapour.

does your dip headlight feel a little warm not long after you start the bike

Light lens, wiring or switch? If it's the lens that's normal, it has a hot thing (the bulb) shining onto it.

If you've had a regular soaking on the bike it's almost certainly water evaporating off, which isn't to say it's nothing to worry about. Find out where it's really coming from, clocks, wiring loom, headlight assenbly, then post back for some pisstaking and if you're lucky some good advice.

If you find out where it's coming from, the best thing to do would be to bake it in an oven at about 40*C for an hour or so and give it a liberal dose of WD40 before hitting it with a hammer for a bit and refitting it.

Thanks guys - will investigate further!

...looking for clues about an oil leak I seem to have developed. It appears to be coming from a little rubber sleeve covering a sensor plugged into the bottom of the right hand side of the engine - right underneath the coolant reservoir. Doesn't seem too serious but losing oild from anywhere sucks. Anyone else had the same problem?

I found that a large amount of oil had accumulated in the airbox and was leaking from the boot of the airbox down onto the front header. It was only noticeable on start up when oil had accumulated on the header while the bike was parked. Perhaps you have the same issue but I guess you would smell oil if it was.

k1w1boy wrote:...looking for clues about an oil leak I seem to have developed. It appears to be coming from a little rubber sleeve covering a sensor plugged into the bottom of the right hand side of the engine - right underneath the coolant reservoir. Doesn't seem too serious but losing oild from anywhere sucks. Anyone else had the same problem?

I stand to be corrected (because I haven't been bothered to go down to garage and double check) but from memory I think the sensor you are referring to is the oil pressure switch, in which case it might just need tightening up a tad?

Don't go over the top on the tightening though and use a torque wrench (I woudn't go more than 10Nm)

F9

Oooh, I know this one!

I had a dodgy oil pressure switch (had a tiny, but constant, leak). Tightening didn't work so had it replaced. No more leak

falco9 & kenif - helpful responses thanks. I think I cooked the pressure sensor over the summer with my coolant problem so it stands to reason the thing would ask to be, well, 'switched'