ZooTech wrote:Loonette wrote:I went to the service department to try and get help figuring out why my bike had gone through (IMO) too much oil lately.
Ya know, I've been pondering this ever since you told me about it. What occurred to me was that I am running Mobil-1 10w40 synthetic, and Scan told me you were using petroleum-based oil (I'm assuming Kawasaki's home-grown brew). Mine only used about half a quart after 5500 miles of use, versus however much it was yours had used (please excuse my short-term memory). If your bike checks out okay, perhaps that is the difference. Synthetic is supposed to run cooler and be more resistant to burn-off.
Well, ponder no more, my friend. Today, in celebration of the kids' first day back to school, Scan and I decided to break away for a luncheon ride. I checked my antifreeze level (which has also been depleting too much), and it was low
again. So I had Scan ride behind me, and sure enough, within 15 minutes of our ride, he said my exhaust was spewing out lots of white smoke, and he could smell antifreeze from behind. I didn't notice anything in my mirrors. When we arrived at the restaurant I had to call up the tow service and get it taken into the dealership. We're suspecting a leaky head gasket, and it may take 2 to 4 weeks to get the bike back, depending on the actual problem. I'm glad it's covered under warranty, and I'm really glad this all didn't occur during the trip I was going to take
this Friday - but still, 4 weeks?! How ever will I survive?!!
Cheers,
Loonette