'05 F4i, 6300 miles. Went out for a ride, came home and the bike has been sitting for like 30 or so minutes. When I went out, I noticed a little bit of oil under the bike. Not much, maybe 4 drops. It was coming from one of the 3 hoses that hangs down near the gear shifter. They are 3 sizes. The oil was coming from the middle hose. Middle as in the medium sized hose.

I never saw the bike do this, but it is like 98 degree here today. I changed the oil 400 miles ago, levels are exactly where they should be, halfway between the lines on the Window.

Where does that hose lead to, and is this normal for 3 or 4 drops of oil to drip out?

Thanks! I hate thinking that something is wrong.

 

2 hoses go to your gas tank, the other is coolant overflow. there shouldnt' be oil coming from these lines, but only gas or coolant.
make sure where it's coming from. i think it may be gunk coming out from your front sprocket area.

 

I will go check it. Perhaps it is coolant and not oil?

Don't some airboxes have a drain hose in case any water or oil gets in there?

 

Ok, I traced the hose in question, and it goes to some pump-looking thing that sits in front of the rear chock, above the tranny, and bahind the cylinder heads under the gas tank. I have no way to get in and take a picture, but I am hoping that someone can tell me what it is.

I think it was coolant, as it feels oily, but it feels more watery than synthetic oil should feel like.

Anyone know what that part is, that is connected to the back of the motor? I think I saw a larger hose connected to it, so I am pretty sure it is the water pump, in which case I simply had a little coolant draining on an insanely hot day.

 

If you have a California spec bike, then your "pump" thing sounds like it may be emissions control related, such as a charcoal canister that takes air from the crankcase/head, filters it, and returns it into the intake via the airbox. It is definitely possible for excess oil coming from the PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) hose to foul that canister and overflow onto the ground. If it was coolant on the ground, it should be green in color (or blue or purple or red depending on what kind, if any, "race" coolant, such as engine ice or water wetter, etc.). If it is black, then it is definitely coolant. I believe, however, that there is also a drain hose coming from the airbox. The airbox sometimes gets oil in it if the engine is overfilled with oil and/or the PCV filter isn't doing its job correctly.

 

I do not have a CA bike. ANd this hose definately goes to that pump looking thing in the back of the cylinder head, not the airbox. It was thin and oily and black, whereas my oil is still fairly clear and brown and thicker.

So I think it is coolant, possibly from turning the motor off when it was reading 228 degrees. I am sure the temp went up a bit before it went down, and perhaps some coolant boiled or created enough pressure that some escaped, which is obviously what the hose is for? Like I said, it was only a few drops. I just never saw it happen before.

 

that doesnt make anysense.... do you mean if it was black then it would be oil?

 

Yeah...oops.[:@]

 

It soulds like on the '05 the fuel tank vent line goes through a charcoal canister.

What you are probably getting is a little bit of fuel residue that has condensed in the canister.

This is pure speculation on my part since mine never have anything like that.

All 3 of those are "overflow" hoses. If it's just a drop or two over a long period of time, then I wouldn't worry too much about it. If it's 3 or 4 drops everytime, then I would worry about troubleshooting it further.

 

my bike does the same thing at times and its an 06 with about 2500 miles

-chris