Last weekend I was doing a 500km day when I noticed tiny amounts of smoke wofting up from the left side now and then. Nothing too major - still had oil and water, and wasnt getting hot. I nursed my baby home and decided I would look at the problem this wekeend. I did some searching on here and found some people that mentioned one of the banjo fittings can leak oil onto the exhaust pipe. FIngers crossed that was all it was going to be, but come Saturday morning, my luck would change.
Took the left side fairing off. First thing I noticed was that it has previous repair work down on the lower edge at the rearmost screw of the fairing. Being very gentle I laid the fairing on the grass, but no good - the repaired section fell off.
My mate who is a well respected mechanic and was there helping, sneered and said we would check it out later. So we go invesitgating with the help of his knowledge and my Haynes Manual. We check it out and realise that the water pump is stuffed and it is leaking coolant+oil through the outlet vent (designed to leak out when oil leaks into the water chamber due to seals/o rings/ bearings giving it up). Haynes says the pump is sealed and if leaking oil, cant be repaired. I ring a couple of bike shops and they confirm, and the best price i can get for a new pump is $342!!!!!! For a freaking water pump!!!! The old girl almost got sent to bike heaven at that price!
Yeah order me one, I say. Then I thought seeing as I am here with everything off, I will check out the front sprocket. (i have only had the bike 2 months). Take the cover off, and discover not only it is a non-original 16T sprocket, but the teeth look like the pyramids of Giza after a hurricane - all narrow and swaying waaaay over to one side. Redial bike shop - yeah order me a standard 17T front sprocket too.
Went out and got some repair stuff for the fairing which seems to have done the trick (thank goodness it is down low and you wont see the crack).
So my hoping for a simple banjo fitting turned out to be an expensive weekend. Still cant get over the $342 for a pump! Someone is making some money!
Should have the pump tomorrow, fit over the next few nights and be back on 2 wheels by the weekend. FIngers crossed.
