white smoke when cold
 

hi guys,

So I picked the bike up from the local shop after a fork rebuild (I know should have done it myself but no time). The bike had quite a lot of white smoke on start with choke and after a ride home (about 10 miles) i noticed it was still smoking slightly.

I have just put the F3 engine in and as part of the process I replaced the head gasket, valve shims etc.. (see other posts of despair for reason why). The smoke smelt quite fuel rich and I am sure the bike is running rich because it only needed half choke.

It was about 10 degrees c outside but was the heaviest rain storm I have seen this year so no doubt that cooled the engine a lot. I also didn't take it about 5k revs because the roads around here are like ice in the rain (lots of mud wash off from the farms). By the time I got home about 30 mins later the bike temp had almost never reached much above the large white section at the bottom. I also know the mechanic would have stored the bike outside in the rain during the previous day and in a non heated workshop for the night.

So you can see my question is does this happen often when cold or am I looking at the head gasket !!. I wont have time to start it up for a few days due to work so I was hoping your vast knowledge would either help me sleep at night or convince me to park it behind a reversing bus.

Thanks all

If your headgasket is blown badenough to smoke, I would think the bike would be running poorly, lose coolant in the radiator, and not get better as it warms up. Its most likely just the moisture in the exhaust from the weather causing it.

Ride it like you stole it and see if it gets better in better weather and with miles. :D

This.
White smoke indicates water burning. Since it likely got moisture in the exhaust, I wouldn't worry too much at this point.

Watch your coolant levels. If you have a legitimate head gasket issue and were blowing white smoke - you would be losing coolant or having blow-out (coolant filling up the reservoir because of exhaust gases getting into the coolant system). There's no way around that. Make sure to check it consistently - always in the morning before a ride or always after a ride. Not both.

If it's the same level - you have no worries.


And as demon said - you'd be having performance issues along with heat spiking and other cooling issues. For instance, when you came to a red light - you'd get very hot - almost overheating, and then once you were going again you'd cool down.

thanks for your help guys the smoke has gone after a good blast although it does come back each time i start the bike. even when its warm after a ride (but still needs a little choke) it goes within i minute of idle

all fluid levels are fine, after the problems i have had i am now one of those bikers who checks everything before and after.

Good. All riders should do this. I've seen way too many rusted/loose drive chains riding around town.

Thanks

having gone from a guy who never even put oil in his bikes either ignoring their maintenance completely or just paying stupid amounts to mechanics I have now completed a complete strip down and engine swap.
Boy has it given me an appreciation for how to look after these things.