Hey peeps,

Just picked up a Matte Black CBR 650F. First time rider, I'm excited and scared at the same time. Living in downtown Los Angeles, it gets pretty bad here with crazy drivers, I think I'll stick to Sunday Funday's only until I get more experience. I've been wanting to do this for years and finally said F it and picked one up.

One question: I rode my bike to work today, bad idea since traffic is mad crazy, but when I started it up after my days work I noticed moisture spewing from underneath the bike and made a pretty big puddle, after is was warmed up it stopped, it smell a bit like gas but wasn't really sure, thought it was condensation but it left a huge puddle. Any thoughts?

 

Hi Stephen, glad you're enjoying riding your bike.

Riding in traffic is always a bit nerve wracking, luckily for me, I've never needed to do it.

When I passed my test, I used to go out at night, when it was really quiet. Then I could concentrate on just riding, rather than having to worry about other idiots on the road. Eventually I gained confidence and the bike became second nature and traffic no longer bothers me

As for the water, I'm not familiar with the CBR650F, but I would imagine the water is from the cooling system expansion tank. Best bet is to keep an eye on it to see if it happens again and try to see if the water comes from a drainage hose under the bike.

You haven't mentioned any over-heating, so I presume things are normal in that respect, but it's also worth keeping an eye on the temperature gauge.

Let us know of any new information.

 

Seems like it was just condensation. I took it into the dealer, they stated that was normal.

 

I've always wondered if those under-the-bike-mufflers acted like a big condenser box.
If it's not a welded system, I bet it would leak out on startup.

 

I'm excited to see a 650f forum here! I'm contemplating one to replace my '99 f4.

There may be something different about the 650f but unless it's been raining I wouldn't consider a puddle under the bike normal. Should it happen again get under the bike and look up to see if you can tell where it's coming from. Also smell it: it should be easy to identify whether it's water, coolant or gas. Some bikes will leak gas if you fill them right to the top and park them immediately. Some bikes will hold water if it rained while you were away and run off when you stand the bike up leaving a puddle.

If it's antifreeze check your owners or maintenance manual to see how to check the level--even if it says to just check the overflow also wait for it to cool all the way and pull the radiator cap and look inside, it should be full. Don't pull the radiator cap unless you're absolutely sure it's cool.

Is there any chance it's just condensation from a car that was parked next to it with the air conditioning running?

-morgan

 

As an owner of a 2015 CBR650F, I too have noticed the moisture on the ground after the initial start up. If one looks at the bottom of the muffler box under the bike, one will notice a small hole. This is where the condensation is coming from by design.