1999 FZS600 leaking light brown oil

[Travis Bickle]

I picked up another category N write-off today. A 1999 FZS600. Rode it to the nearest garage to fill up with petrol and check the fluid levels. It hasn't got a dipstick, it has a window instead. I couldn't see any fluid movement when I wobbled the bike around and tilted it side to side so I really couldn't tell if it was completely empty or full above the window mark. Decided the safest bet would be to buy a 1L tub of oil and just add a bit to see if it was visible through the window. I added about 300ml. Still couldn't see anything so didn't know whether that was because it was so empty it still needed more or I had just taken it EVEN higher above the full mark than it was to begin with so thought probably best to leave it there and hope for the best. At least I knew it had SOMETHING in there.

On way home it started leaking a light brown oil from a pipe that runs down from the engine. Completely caked my feet and the foot-pegs in oil where it kept spraying up (not to mention the tyre, bit iffy!).

Two questions:

1) Is that normal to be leaking oil from that pipe if it's been over-filled? Is it maybe a safety overflow pipe?

2) Surely the oil isn't supposed to be that colour though?

Please help! Would be nice to know if the engine is potentially fucked (i.e. water mixing with oil) before I go spending money on cosmetics.
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Must Go Faster
1999 Yamaha FZS600 Fazer

[cb1rocket]

drain the oil and find out.....the sight glasses usually mist up and is very hard to see with old oil
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Honda H100S2 Rebuild - https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=253852

[redeem ouzzer]

Stop being a fucking autist and buying shagged bikes you are unable to fix.
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Be a REAL MAN!

[Travis Bickle]

[Travis Bickle]

[wr6133]

[Hong Kong Phooey]

Wipe the sight glass and put it on the centre stand.
If the oil level isn't right drain or fill. Should not be tipping it or reading on the side stand.

I'd change it on a bike without history anyhow.
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'81 CG125, '97 FZS600 : '99 CBR600F4, '09 KTM RC8

[Tdibs]

Probably coming from the airbox drain.
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Previous : 09 Vanvan 125| 02' Sv650s || Current: 1999 Xj600n | 1992 DR650 RSE | 2005 Fazer 1000

[Robby]

Airbox drain, if it has one, is usually capped off.

I would think the crankcase breather pipe has come off the crankcase or airbox.

Could also be a leak though. It's another fucked bike bought by someone with no idea how to buy or fix bikes. What kind of an idiot buys a bike without checking the oil.

[Sister Sledge]

Look dude the damage could well have been done..

You rode the bike to a garage for fuel without even checking to see it had oil in first? If there was indeed none then the engine could be fooked.

If it's a recovered bike it could have been laid on its side for a long time. Any fluids could well have drained out during that time.

Is the engine water cooled too?
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CCM 404 DS

[weasley]

Don’t Yamahas of this era have low oil level lights? Did it light?

And what colour do you expect the oil to be? Sounds like normal used oil colour to me.
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Yamaha XJ600 | Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat | KTM 990 SMT | BMW F900XR TE

[Hong Kong Phooey]

[Polarbear]

[A100man]

If the motor sounded alright then it's probably still alright.
If you couldn't see the silvery bit through the sight-glass then there was probably something approaching oil in there. Adding 300ml unlikely to make a huge difference.

Shit in shoes is always annoying -trace the source. Both shoes?
Drain what's in there and measure what you get. Post back for general information/amusement of all the good folk on here.
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Now: A100, GT250A, XJ598, FZ750

Then: Fizz, RS200, KL250, XJ550, Laverda Alpina, XJ600, FZS600

[weasley]

[Easy-X]

To be fair a Cat N most likely means it was a running bike up until recently and 9/10 all the major damage is visible.

Having said that... I wouldn't even buy a bike off my best mate without checking the oil, spark plugs, check the air filter etc. mainly as it just so easy to do.

Probably its just a bike that needs to be on the centre stand to check the window and looks "empty" on the side stand.

Brown gunk definitely sounds like the breather pipe. There was a little bit of that in the bottom of the air box on mine when I gave it a clean up.
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Hong Kong Phooey]

[Monkeywrenche...]

When you say light brown, is it like milky coffee?
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2001 Aprilia RSV Mille R -dead, 2016 XSR 700-gone, 2018 Dorsoduro 900

[Travis Bickle]

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[Travis Bickle]