Weird smell...

[ide508]

Hi everybody

Yesterday I decided to take my new toy for a rainy drive.
After half an hour drive, I stopped the bike and began to smell something like burning electrical stuff. Just like it happens sometimes when you start a brand new electrical device.

It came from the right side of the handlebar, just where the cooling liquid recipient is. I have place my hand there and it was quite hot compare to the left side which was cool.
The temperature gauge was at mid point.

I have never smell this before while riding on a dry day

Anyone has ever had something like that ?


Bernard

 

[tr5esu]

Do you have heated grips? Maybe a connection is loose there and it is heating something it shouldn't?

Just a thought.

cheers

 

[ide508]

Nice thought !

Yes I have heated grips, and yes I have tested it for a while on the high position maybe +- 10' than shut it.
Could the smell persist quite a time after beeing in the off position
Furthermore, the smell seems to come from deep (close to the cooling liquid recipient) not close the grips ???

Thanks for your input

 

[ILMV]

What's right underneath the water bottle... the radiator and exhaust manifold etc.

Now, if it's raining and getting either of these wet, which it probably should then it might make a weird smell.

Just my 2c

 

[everywherevirtually]

What's right underneath the water bottle... the radiator and exhaust manifold etc.

Now, if it's raining and getting either of these wet, which it probably should then it might make a weird smell.

Just my 2c

+1 I get this all the time in the wet. Not dissimilar to the smell you get when it rains onto dry ground on a hot day.

It is more pronounced when the mud and dirty water (road film: oil, petrol and tyre rubber) from the road start to burn on the hot engine block and exhaust manifold. That is all it is.

 

[ide508]

+1 I get this all the time in the wet. Not dissimilar to the smell you get when it rains onto dry ground on a hot day.

It is more pronounced when the mud and dirt start to burn on the hot engine block and exhaust manifold. That is all it is.

Perhaps, but let me assure you that this smell is really really similar to the one that some electrical/electronic devises produce when they new and running hot.

Thanks for your input all

 

[everywherevirtually]

Perhaps, but let me assure you that this smell is really really similar to the one that some electrical/electronic devises produce when they new and running hot.

Thanks for your input all

perhaps it is because electronic devices have large quantities of elements such as Silicon... As the eighth most common element in the universe by mass, silicon very rarely occurs as the pure free element in nature, but is more widely distributed in dusts, planetoids and planets as various forms of silicon dioxide (silica) or silicates which I think we can say will be all over the road and in mud if you go off road?

 

[ide508]

Sure, that must be the reason

Next Thursday the bike is due to have 6 BMW recall done, I will ask them what they think of it then.

Cheers

 

[Magwych]

What do you wash the bike with?

Back in teh days when I used Park Lane @ Battersea for servicing they used to wash the bike with a chemical cleaner, like MucOff, and jet wash. The first time they did thsi I had got as far as Kennington ( 2 miles ?) before clouds of acrid electrical-burning smelling smoke seemed to pour out from below my headlight.

Turned out it was the remains of the cleaner. The thermostat to the oil cooler would open at about that distance, the oil coooler would then become hot, once that had happened, the next time that braking force was high enough, the rinse water would hit the now-hot fins of the radiator and boil off, providing a thick cloud of steam and I guess the cleaning material provided the smell.

Oh how I laughed the first time this happened on a busy street, me in the middle of th road bullying my way through the traffic, suddenly hit by the belief that my bike was about to explode in a mysterious electrical fire.

Now I have my servicing done elsewhere I don't have that problem, they never my bike for me..

 

[everywherevirtually]

I like the smell and clouds of smoke from ACF-50 burning off the hot engine block and manifold pipes

 

[Greggers]

I had a very similar experience with mine after fitting a new IRIS chain ... I guess that the chain lube was getting gooey with the heat from the exhaust, dripping onto the hot pipe and smelling for all the world like burning plastic. I had fears that it was something electrical and, having had a Honda ST1100 reg/rec fry itself, was concerned that it wasn't something similar on the 800...

Since fitting the scottoiler the smell has gone away...

I'm with Jon on liking a clean oily smell from a motor... I'm old enough to remember what real 'Gunk' smelled like before they sanitised it by making it clear and taking the smell away... my Scott FS365 oil smells 'almost' like that if I squirt it on the radiator... I'm the kind of sad old git who'd put a bit of Castrol 'R' in the petrol tank just for the smell of it in the exhaust lol..

Greg

 

[ide508]

What do you wash the bike with?

Water water and water, after this some W40 on the metalic parts...

I like the smell and clouds of smoke from ACF-50 burning off the hot engine block and manifold pipes

Pleased to know you're own personal taste

I had a very similar experience with mine after fitting a new IRIS chain ... I guess that the chain lube was getting gooey with the heat from the exhaust, dripping onto the hot pipe and smelling for all the world like burning plastic.
Greg

I can't imagine how a chain lube could create a smell precisely on the right side (hole) of the handle bar just where the cooling recipient is...
Why could I really feel the heat dropping my hand there as the left "hole" was not hot at all ?

Ok, you must all think that I'm mad, but it is not the case (yet)

Edit: Forgot to mention, the bike has 2.200 km now...

 

[Greggers]

I'm beginning to think you shouldn't worry about it just yet...

 

[ide508]

I'm beginning to think you shouldn't worry about it just yet...

That's exactly what I am going to do... until Thursday
I will try to reproduce it prior arriving at the garage (I mean place the heated handgrip on and see) just in case.
Anyway, again thanks for you're input(s) be good and

 

[Greggers]

Just a thought ... it might just be the paint on the radiator getting properly hot for the first time and letting off a few fumes..

I'm sure the BMW guys will be able to offer help..

Greg

 

[ide508]

Just a thought ... it might just be the paint on the radiator getting properly hot for the first time and letting off a few fumes..
I'm sure the BMW guys will be able to offer help.
Greg

It might be, as you said but why the right side of it was very "warm" and the left side not ?

Time will tell, next week
Cheers
Bernard

 

[shag]

It might be, as you said but why the right side of it was very "warm" and the left side not ?

Because of the 2 radiator hoses

 

[Magwych]

Water water and water, after this some W40 on the metalic parts.....

Which whne warmed will evaporate soemwhat, and spread. On the right hand side of the bike are the two exhaust pipes. These get hot. Add WD-40 to the surface of these and you get one unholy stench. Not as bad as ACf-50 though

 

[everywherevirtually]

I'm sure the BMW guys will be able to offer help..

Greg

for a fee and then tell you it's just the dirt / WD40 on the radiator

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[Greggers]

Send me a tenner and I'll knock up some authentic Oily Desert Sand Mix too... very realistic when spread over lower engine casings, and if smeared over the front of the rad will also quickly replicate desert heat conditions, precipitating engine overheating and a ..... funny hot plasticky smell coming from the RHS of the motor....

G