steam in the rain
 

is this a design flaw? does it do any harm? can it be stopped

Re: steam in the rain
 

No, No, No. :D

Re: steam in the rain
 

No, no and yes...dont ride in the rain.

Water will always get splashed onto the pipes/engine and steam away no getting round it really. maybe a fender extender may help abit.

Re: steam in the rain
 

1, No
2, No
3, No

Or..


Don't ride in the rain.

Re: steam in the rain
 

like what im hearing. thanks all!!!!!!

Re: steam in the rain
 

Bad Design - Yes
Damage - Nope,
Can it be stopped - Not without redesigning the bike or avoiding all wetness No.

Amuse pedestrians by asking them if they see flames.

Re: steam in the rain
 

I'm finding it hard to believe you actually posted in the first place!

Hot engine + cold water = steam.

Not difficult to work that one out, surely?

Re: steam in the rain
 

ummm thought the same lol

Re: steam in the rain
 

Not as daft a question as it sounds - in the rain my SV steams like a bloody train compared to my old er5, which hardly smoked at all - even when it was p*ssing it down!

bloomin SV will steam even if you spit on it (ok slight exaggeration - but you get the point ;) )

Re: steam in the rain
 

How is it bad design?

Re: steam in the rain
 

Terrible design!
Fully enclose the bike, especially that troublesome radiator.

Evaporative heat transfer doesn't half cool it down, and the hotter it runs the faster it must be, right?

Re: steam in the rain
 

Brilliant!

Err... Maybe not.

Re: steam in the rain
 

how is it good design?

IMO yeah it is bad design, if the mud guard did more than give the front wheel a fringe, for example if it were long enough to reduce the spray onto the front plug it might also be long enough to reduce the spray onto the front header pipe, and head for that matter. You reduce the spray you reduce the water contact on hot surface you reduce the steam. I can appreciate that your never going to irradicate the steam all together but with better design it could be reduced.
If Im over looking something please let me know Im more than willing to be educated :)

Re: steam in the rain
 

Who can remember Kawasaki 2-stroke triples that used to seize the middle pot until the factory designed a new shorter front mudguard?

Re: steam in the rain
 

sorry lozzo mate i wasnt born in 1807 but agree with your point :)







quickly finding a hidey hole

Re: steam in the rain
 

ok ok. I first asked my m8 if he's GSXR had a similiar problem which he says he doesn't and thats why i posted in the first place. As for the question in bad design. You would think that only a minimul amount of water would be allowed to get onto hot engine components. My bike steams and steams even after ending my journey which would suggest a fair bit of water is either continually dripping onto something or laying somewhere boiling away. I only thought that this was a minor issue which could be minimised by fenda extenders or some cover ect.

Re: steam in the rain
 

It's a good idea to fit a fender extender anyway, if it reduces steam then that is just incidental. Having 2 working cylinders is more important.


Agreed about the front plug issue, but at a standstill you still get a load of water dripping off the rest of the bike down onto the engine which steams off. And while moving you're not going to stop spray getting onto the radiator and rest of it.

Re: steam in the rain
 

lol, Preston beat me too it with the old guy hit but no sorry lozzo i dont, and with out specifics I cant even google it to see which one your refering too.

too true, thats what I'd consider as unavoidable though thats the same steam you'd get on any unfaired bike. Thinking about it I didnt even consider the naked version they must steam like a kettle!
The curvy chimneys all its steam up though between the upper fairings so you sit at the lights in the rain with a plume of steam rising up in front of your face (brilliant for steaming up the visor that little bit more). :rolleyes:

Re: steam in the rain
 

However the middle pot would cut out every time it rained.
Mine did that every downpour. It was ok to get home on, but the journey was always worried by the fact a second pot may go out as well, and with just one pot it was all it could do just to keep the engine turning over.

Re: steam in the rain
 

The only time an ER5 should smoke is when you do the decent thing and set fire to it.

Re: steam in the rain
 

Slag off all you want - I loved my er5 - good all round work horse. Great for packing up to go to rallies/camping and still be able to 2 up with loads of gear, bloody comfy too when playing out or commuting. If I was able to afford 2 bikes I would of kept it for camping/rallies.

but there again Im not a bike snob. :rolleyes:

Re: steam in the rain
 

Never noticed it to be a problem on the SV to be honest. Except it means polishing my exhaust more often. Best solution is to avoid being sat for a long time lol.

My ZXR400 was funny because steam coming off the rad would steam up my clocks and mirrors, which took a couple of minutes moving to clear. I'll just guess how fast I'm going in the meantime then eh..

Re: steam in the rain
 

Ha ha, im not a bike snob but i have lots of experience of ER5's as i owned a training school for years and the ER5's gave nothing but trouble. Especially the crap rear brakes seizing up regularly, the regulator/rectifier's frying themsleves on a regular basis and the primary starter motor chain's snapping. Maybe they are not designed to do more than a few thousand miles a year unlike GS500's :confused:

Re: steam in the rain
 

Bloody horrible motors, I had the GPZ. I think spanner man described them as a hand grenade looking for a war.

Re: steam in the rain
 

Sounds like the GPz 305 of some years previously - a parts man I know knew the part number of the crank without looking it up.