I have a 2000 929, it's had no problems for 40,000+ miles, I wrecked it in October 2010, damage to the tail and left mid fairing, and stator cover (frame slider took almost all the damage). Replaced the stator cover, duct taped the tail since I only had a few weeks left of riding weather. While waiting for my road rash to heal it got cold, so I only rode about 40-60 miles after the wreck, no problems with the bike.

I've had the bike out once every one or two weeks to let it run, take it around the block, just so it didn't sit unused, no problems then.

Today, I took it out to get ready for a ride, cranked it and was gearing up, after warming up for about 3-4 minutes, at about 140-150d, i started seeing coolant dripping onto the ground. I looked, and it's coming from the hose connected to the top right of the radiator (just under the right mid fairing), it's literally coming up out of the top of the hose and dripping off.

I shut off the engine, it wasn't very hot, and the dripping stopped after a few seconds, just to confirm my suspicions, I removed the fairings from the right side of the bike, inspected, and turned the bike back on - yep, that's where it's coming from. I started to take the hose off to see if it was blocked or something, but, squeezing/moving the tube to remove it makes coolant squirt everywhere, so I'm going to let the bike cool down before I mess with it.

Any ideas? Thoughts, suggestions? It's been pretty cold but, the bike had proper coolant in it, and is in an unheated garage, it's about sixty degrees today, but it's been down into the teens and single digits a few nights.


edit: any chance this could just be that the hose fitting right where it's leaking (at the top of the hose, just where it comes out of the radiator on the top right side) is loose?

 

Don't mind me, tightening the clamp fixed the problem.

 

Inspect all the hoses connected to the radiator and check all the clamps to make sure they are tight. Its possible after your crash that you shifted the radiator just a little to the right loosening one of the hoses. Check the mountint tabs on the top of the radiator to see if they are bent. You have a drain bolt on the bottom right of the water pump. If you need to drain some coolant to remove the hose its very easy. Then you can remove/inspect the leaking hose without having more coolant leak all over your bike.

Does your bike sit outside or in an unheated garage? Is the coolant fresh and at least 50% antifreeze? The coolant could have froze splitting a hose or part of the radiator.

 

Thanks bacdoc, I did inspect the radiator after the wreck (there was a coolant smell on the bike, it turned out to be overflow from the bike flipping around), however at the time I did check the tabs, neither were bent or broken, that's why I was confused.

It does sit in an unheated garage, but the coolant gets flushed and replaced every year right before winter-storage (part of my storage-prep).

The hose fitting somehow got loose, I suppose its from the 60-70 degree days and 10-15 degree nights we've been having, just worked itself loose enough to leak. Tightening it fixed it completely.

Thanks for your time answering though, I appreciate it.

 

Mine has done that before with the same solution, maybe we can file a class action for faulty hose ID and get free bikes?

 

Only if they've got a stock pile of 0 mile 929s sitting around somewhere, I love my 929 too much, I've had other newer bikes, even a 2010 1000, I love my 929 too much, I always end up getting rid of the others and keeping it (although, admittedly, I do have 2 F4is as well, but, they're for different uses, the 929 is my daily rider)

 

Agreed, a lot of times when I see a contest where you win a new car, I think, "ooo I could sell that and get nicer lockers for my 91 4runner." I've been though 8 bikes so far and refuse to sell the 929 cause it's such a great ride.

 

I don't even know where the water pump is located on the honda, but my buell 1125cr has been leaking a little coolant from the weep hole for the last 6,000 miles. If it's only doing it after shut down, then I wouldn't sweat it. Mine doesn't leak until after the motor cools off and then very little. If you can see it leaking, then I'd fix it.