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Setting on the side stanD will cause what you describe,
 
I would totally ignore any smoke you see after start up unless it continues for more than 5 or 10 minutes.

if it has stopped by the time you get 10 miles down the road, forget it.

my 84, 86, and 94 all smoked when starting them if they had sat for a few days or weeks.
 
Discussion starter · #183 ·
well thats a relief! also, when testing the thermostat, the manual said to put it on a piece of wood while it was in the hot water. i did not use a piece of wood, does this really matter? soon we will move into the moment of truth on sunday after i flush out the system, i will post results then !:smile2:
 
With today's weather in San Diego water/coolant vapour would dissipate in a couple seconds/feet.

Oil smoke on the other hand would linger.
 
Discussion starter · #185 ·
With today's weather in San Diego water/coolant vapour would dissipate in a couple seconds/feet.

Oil smoke on the other hand would linger.

i forgot to ask, why do the wings tend to some/steam after sitting on the side stand for a while?

also, the radiator might be clogged with bits and pieces of RTV silicone gasket maker. would the radiator flush be able to flush this out? or maybe a special type of flush product?
 
The smoke on start up is oil and is caused by over filling the crank case, or, something getting into the crankcase (like gasoline or antifreeze) and raising the level.

When the level reaches a certain point, above the lowest part of the cylinder bore, it runs down behind the piston and pools there. When the piston moves, a certain amount of that oil will be dragged into the combustion chamber and burn. It doesn't take much to blow a pretty good cloud of smoke.
 
i forgot to ask, why do the wings tend to some/steam after sitting on the side stand for a while?
That's oil smoke not steam and it's because oil pools in the cylinders and a tiny amount leaks by the rings.

I've talked to Beamer owners who say they can mosquito fog a city block if they leave their scooters parked on the side stand.:grin3:

also, the radiator might be clogged with bits and pieces of RTV silicone gasket maker. would the radiator flush be able to flush this out? or maybe a special type of flush product?
The only way I know of to get foreign matter like RTV silicone out is to dismantle the radiator which is not a home project for most.
 
You can always put a board under the side stand so the bike is more upright. I park mine in the garage and have a 3/4" pad welded to the bottom of the side stand, bit more upright when out and about, and an additional 3/4" piece of wood under when parked in the garage. Keeps the bike more upright specifically for the reason you mention. Attached pictures to illustrate. First one is the steel pad and wood used when I park in the garage, second picture shows bike stance when parked, quite stable.
 

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Discussion starter · #189 ·
thats pretty neat rednax! thanks! so i purchased the bluedevil brand of radiator flush. i looked at all the other brands and none of them mentioned anything about being safe for aluminum engines. the bottle says to leave it in for a few days so thats what ill do. i'll post results this week. wish me luck!
 
Discussion starter · #190 ·
sorry i took so long to reply, i just decided to leave the flush in for longer to give it more time. the wing is still running at 3/4. on really cold nights it will stay at 1/4th on the highway. im still just worried about the summer. the fan brings the gauge down to about halfway before it warms up again. i am doing a second flush now and if this doesnt work, ill start looking into getting a new radiator.
 
Have you checked the instrument voltage regulator (IVR) as mentioned earlier? It is located behind the speedo. If it fails th gauges can read high. Again, though unusual you have no reason to worry at 3/4. That is fine though unusual.
 
Only the 1984 GL1200 without a fairing had the 7V regulator.
The is in reference to the GL1100 not the GL1200.
Gosh these things have lots of variables even between very similar bikes. Thanks Ken. I'll try to remember next time but don't bet on it. More likely remember there are some differences but won't remember the specifics, if I'm even that lucky. :)
 
Discussion starter · #198 ·
so here we are a couple of months later after my last post and the wing has decided to run back at 1/4ths again. im assuming the radiator flush has finally started to work. im going to drain it and flush it out one more time for a month or so before I use coolant.
 
Discussion starter · #199 ·
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