White smoke from Exhaust

[Alex3460]

Hi all,

Just starting up my bike and let it run for 5-10 mins until warm and noticed it is puffing out a lot of white smoke, Is this normal?

Bike is a cbr 400 nc29. I got the temperature up and smoke was still coming out the same pace

Thanks

link below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXVvD4DPDJg

[Tritey]

White smoke is water burning, blue is oil.

To be fair the bike looks tidy. If it looks like the headgasket is on the way out or it's going to be expensive, just stick it in the local free ads and try to stuff it into someone not in the know. "They all do that mate" etc.

[RhynoCZ]

What's the outside temperature and is the temp gauge working properly? This seems rather alright to me.
____________________
'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

[Alex3460]

Cheers,

9 degrees (was recorded just a second ago)

I haven't even ridden it as of yet, not until i have passed my test.

Started it up on the drive yesterday and didn't notice any excessive smoke. Worst case scenario how much would i be looking at to get this sorted, i would like to get it fixed as its my first proper bike

would i need this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HONDA-CBR400RR2-NC29-HEAD-GASKET-12251-MV4-004-GULL-ARM-BLADE-POCKET-ROCKET-JDM-/190703804578?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2c66d520a2

Obviously wouldn't know how to fit myself, but i could get a garage to do it?


Thanks

[CaNsA]

Depending on how often and for how long you ride your bike it may either be a bit of condensation, which is nothing to worry about, or you have coolant/antifreeze leaking into the engine.
There are a couple of way to test this.

1. While the engine is cold, pull the rad cap off and start the bike. If you see a steady stream of small bubbles then the head gasket has popped and you have exhaust gasses seeping into the cooling system causing it to pressurize along with letting coolant into the engine.
After a long ride, when the engine is pretty toasty, you may hear bubbling and gurgling from the expansion bottle. This is likely to be a popped head gasket.

Another indication of a popped head gasket is if the engine gets up to operating temp quicker than usual.
Could be a hefty repair, especially if the head has warped because it will need to be skimmed prior to fitting a new gasket.

2. Go for a nice long ride, a good few hours, ensuring the engine gets up to a decent temp for a decent amount of time. You want to get everything nice an hot so any condensation burns off leaving you with a nice oily engine.
Once you get home leave the bike to cool down and have a look in the oil level window to check for mayo.

[RhynoCZ]

[Tritey]

That's a difficult one, could be a whole heap of things. You are up Liverpool way so your profile says. I am sure there are a few members who live in that vivacity that might come and have a look. CaNsA and Dave70 are up that way, not speaking for them but maybe they could suggest a local mechanic that they know are good?

[CaNsA]

[Accuhaler]

This is what they call an headgasket in a car, as people have said before your boiling water. Before you do anything, check your levels, if they are the same cold each morning, and your not over heating some idiot has put diesal up your exhust!

[1198]

[Andy_Pagin]

Hot exhaust gas flows through a cold exhaust pipe, water in the air condenses out into water vapour, which is what you are seeing. Just because the engine is up to running temperature doesn't mean the exhaust system is. Once you get to actually riding the bike it'll go away. I wouldn't worry about blown gaskets unless something else feels seriously wrong.
____________________
They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa, hey-hey,
the men in white coats are coming to take me away.
Yamaha Vity -> YBR125 -> FZS600 Fazer -> FZ1-S Fazer

[kramdra]

There is nothing wrong with that. The shape/angle of a bike exhaust collects a lot of water and it takes a long time to heat and evaporate off. My CBR6 does it every day if the weather is cold. If the bike has not got fully warmed up for a while it will be worse, and can also get emulsion in the oil, this will also burn off but takes a bit longer - especially short winter journeys.

Needs a proper run, and to speed it up I would cover half of the radiator in duct tape. It will be the difference between 60c vs 90c, and the former will take a long time to burn off emulsion. After run, let the bike idle until the fan kicks in.

[covent.gardens]

[Dave70]

[doggone]

Steam

[Nemo]

I wouldn't be worrying too much about it at the moment.

Wait till you can take it out for a decent ride then check again.
____________________
Previously owned: Kawasaki KH125, Suzuki GP125, Suzuki GX 125, Honda CB125 TDC '83, Honda ntv 600, Kawasaki ER5, Kawasaki ZZR600, Aprilia RSV 1000 Mille
Now own: Ducati 848 evo

[Andy_Pagin]

[monkeybiker]

How long has the bike not been ridden for? Could just be condensation like has been said.

[BillyJ]

My Ducati did it with thick white smoke after sitting for years before I owned it (Fixed with several heat cycles), my bandit does it every cold morning (Fixed by waiting 2 minutes for water to leave exhaust system).

If it is the same problem as either of these than in both cases a good few heat cycles should fix
____________________
Had: '06 CBR125R + '01 GSF600 + '07 SPRINT ST 1050 + '80 CB250 RSA + '93 Ducati 900SS
Have: '13 GSXR-1000 + '01 CB500S
"The aryan confuser"

[lukamon]

OP hasn't actually ridden the bike; is starting it up to warm it up then shutting it off

to OP: what youre seeing is water vapour (not steam). Its caused by the humidity in the air, as air is drawn thought the engine and heated by the oxygen and fuel mix burning, the water is still there. since the exhaust is relatively cold (especially in the can, with all the wadding for sound deadening and its huge surface area) this water condenses out into water droplets. the "steam" you're seeing is tiny drops being caught and thrown out the exhaust.

easy fix: when you can, take the bike for a nice long run which will get the whole exhaust nice and hot and burn off all the water.

or; your head gasket could be blown. however, when mine went, sitting idling at a set of lights, the smoke / steam / vapour was so thick I literally couldn't see the car behind me, so....
____________________
killa wrote: Im an ass man myself

[Nexus Icon]

If you're only occasionally starting it, and aren't taking it out for any rides yet, then I'd give you 50-1 odds that it's just condensation and not anything more dramatic than that. I certainly wouldn't be worrying about taking it to a mechanic yet.
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Greetings from Shitsville!

[Alex3460]

Thanks for all your replies,
It hasn't cleared at all and is infact getting worse,

I believe this to be either the gasket or Pistons??

It's really pissed me off because I bought it from a little garage a couple of weeks ago and has been started about 3 times since ( just on my drive)

I rang up today and didn't want to know, anyone know where I will stand from a legal point of view. He kept going back to the whole sold as seen agreement but I think that doesn't mean much as your consume rights come first?

Any help is much appreciated

Thanks

[CaNsA]

[covent.gardens]

Just seen your video, still think you can't say it's faulty until you've taken it for a good long ride, if it's still doing that after a GOOD LONG RIDE in hot weather then fair enough, until then I'm calling normal.

I know you can't ride it as no licence, post your location up and someone might offer to give it a ride and a look over for you, I'd have certainly offered to take it for a spin if you were closer, provided it's MoT and Taxed, which I'm guessing it is if you only just bought it from a dealer.

[doggone]

Most bikes will do that and it's normal.
It can take a surprisingly long time to clear.
You probably see it less on petrol cars because of catalytic converters and less chance of moisture getting in the exhaust.

It's conceivable the head gasket has blown, in which case the coolant will go down markedly.