Can you smell your own bike?

[Wonko The Sane]

Occasionally when riding places I can smell a bit of burning which passes quickly and I presume to be someone burning something near the road I'm on so not an issue,

I often smell clutch burning smell (like I get in the car doing some of the really steep hill starts round here) when filtering at around 30mph on the motorway in heavy traffic and slipping the clutch.

has me wondering, am I smelling someone else or is it my bike?
I've presumed that the airflow would prevent me being able to smell my own bike...
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[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Presuming your clutch is wet then can't understand why it would smell.
Even doing lots of clutch slipping 2 up with luggage my dry clutch doesn't whiff.

I've just got in from thrashing my 250 and there are lovely smells emanating from it. A mixture of WD40, paraffin with a dash of 10w40 that seeps onto the cylinder head. I know I've spanked it when I smell that oil leak.

In heavy rain I quite like the smell of steam that billows out from the fairing, looks like the rad has gone.
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Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
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The Harry Turner Project

[Dibble]

[totalllama82]

Have to agree, that sweet smell you get off the bike after it's rained.

Beside that. The bike has it's own distinctive oily 'engine' smell... All my bikes have. Never really a burning smell though.
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Gone: Haotian HT125-8 / Yamaha YZF 600R Thundercat / Kawasaki ZX9R C2
Current: Kawasaki ZZR 1400 A7F

[krarkol]

After a long ride out with friends, my parents always commented on me smelling really strongly of engines when I got back home
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Bandit 600 - deaded

[Musketeer]

I used to love the smell of my Aprilia RS125.. but 4 strokes that followed never had that type of aroma.
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Current Bike: Yamaha XSR900 Previous bikes: Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade, Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja, Aprilia RS125 2-stroke

[Hokum]

Glad you brought it up, I've been getting in alot of motorway milage on my 125 and was worried that the smell when I get to the lights at the end was an issue.

I guess it just means it's really warmed up!
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Sane: To know when you are doing something crazy.

[The Tot]

Sometimes I get that electrical O-zone smell from under my seat, like the smell of my generator for example! Not good, considering I've fried 2 alternators and 3 rectifiers already! Either that or the smell of burning insulation!
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

[m3-paul]

My fireblade usually has the aroma of a nicely thrashed, hot engine mixed with the merest hint of petrol.

My tzr250 just smells of castrol heaven. It is a very smokey when on choke from cold and I have to be careful when starting it if my neighbours windows are open. When hot and being ridden hard there is a lovely old school 2t stink that is intoxicating. My mates have nicknamed it stinky for that reason
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Yamaha TZR250 - love the smell of TTS!!!!
CBR900RR Fireblade - so much fun

[krarkol]

[sidewinder]

You can't beat the smell of castrol r

[Llama-Farmer]

Castrol R is perhaps one of the best smells ever. In fact I'd put it at number 2... losing only to bacon.

I've never especially liked the smell of my bike after a ride in the rain. Perhaps because the chances are it is now covered in crap and I know that it needs cleaning. And I hate having to clean it when I'm cold and soaked already.


Mine does have a particular smell after a hard ride though. It's an oily slightly rich smell, with a slight hint of unburnt fuel in the exhaust. And hot rubber.

Very similar to the smell of my old Corrado VR6 after a hard drive.

Very different to the smell of my Legacy GTB boxer twin turbo though, which has a hot exhaust "boxer" smell at one end and hot oil at the other end.


Found newer bikes and cars generally don't have so much of these smells... the fact that older bikes and cars tend to doesn't necessarily mean that its bad (mechanically), its just a bit more character.
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Current Bike: 1999 Honda CB600 FX Hornet
Next Bike: I want a CBR-RR. And I want an F800 GS-A. And a VFR 800. Can I have all 3?
Dream Bikes: Honda VFR750R RC30, Honda NSR500, Ducati 996 R

[Mudshark]

ah, used to love the smell of hot GUNK® when taking the bike out after a 6-monthly clean (the bike not me)

we were talking about using WD40 as deodorant the other week in the office, yes I started it
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R1250RS
XT660X

[Mudshark]

https://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh637/dave_thom1/Capture_zpsa682d73a.jpg

I'm getting Castrol, hot rain, a hint of leather, mmm... petrol, and hot rubber, is that ACF50? and maybe a whiff of turtle wax?



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R1250RS
XT660X

[DrDonnyBrago]

Burning ACf50 isn't the worst smell in the world either.

[Baffler186]

Yes I get the occasional whiff of exhaust - I can only assume it's coming from the headers and then travelling up behind the fan and into my face. Also get a slight petrol smell from the rear of the bike after a longish ride. I can't detect any leaks though.
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Current: 2009 SV650 S, 1990 Kawasaki GT550
Previous: 2009 CBF125, 1998 GSF600, 2004 FZ6 Fazer, 1978 CB400a Hondamatic

[RhynoCZ]

I could the GPz550, there was the good old burned oil smell all over the bike + when it got wet it got even worse than a wet dog. When I sold the bike, my garage lost its typical GPz odor.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[Hokum]

[331X2]

Mine smells of imminent mechanical failure every time I take it out...

[sidewinder]

I mentioned castrol r before..but I have just got some gt85 forgot how good that stuff smells to

[Motorhate]

My CB smells of bbq paint and matt black paint from the fairing.

Yesterday, I could smell burning leather from my boot touching the exhaust of my XVS1100. Need to wrap them sharpish.
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Current - Harley Davidson FXDB Street Bob | Harley Davidson FLTR Road Glide | Harley Davidson Road King
GONE - Honda CB500 Ratbike | Yamaha FZ750 | Yamaha XVS1100 | Kawasaki VN2000 | Kawasaki ER-6 F | Harley Davidson XL883L Sportster

[Llama-Farmer]

[Supermoto_Fan]

A slight whiff of petrol after a long hard ride, no leaks though?
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Yamaha MT-09 - Triple powerrrr

[Vincent]

If you're talking about engine smell...and not exhaust fumes, air cooled two strokes tend to smell the best
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Space Is Deep

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]