Smoking startup

[Brandon Paul]

Hello everyone. Brand new. I have a few questions. I just picked up a 2015 rc 390. First thing i notice is when i start it up there is a quick bit of smoke coming from the engine area. It stops smoking pretty fast and rides fine. Another question is my shift lever. When im changing gears sometimes my shift lever will stick up and i have to click it back down. If anyone has some information on these please help

 

[B7ACKTHORN]

Smoke and vapor are two different things. If all you observe is steam-ish vapor during cold start ups and disappears away after the engine has been warmed up that's normal on gasoline engines. If your shifter linkage is getting stuck check your shift lever tie rods for out of slack adjustment, if yes adjust them accordingly. If the linkages are perfectly fine, the gear shaft spring (sits inside the engine on the right side, near the clutch hub) can perhaps be faulty.

Good luck.

 

[rideontt]

Smoke and vapor are two different things. If all you observe is steam-ish vapor during cold start ups and disappears away after the engine has been warmed up that's normal on gasoline engines. If your shifter linkage is getting stuck check your shift lever tie rods for out of slack adjustment, if yes adjust them accordingly. If the linkages are perfectly fine, the gear shaft spring (sits inside the engine on the right side, near the clutch hub) can perhaps be faulty.

Good luck.

yeah true... those springs are soft the one inside the engine.

Hello everyone. Brand new. I have a few questions. I just picked up a 2015 rc 390. First thing i notice is when i start it up there is a quick bit of smoke coming from the engine area. It stops smoking pretty fast and rides fine. Another question is my shift lever. When im changing gears sometimes my shift lever will stick up and i have to click it back down. If anyone has some information on these please help

after the engine has reached optimal temp switch it off wait 3-5 mins and check the oil level with someone holding the motorcycle straight... the oil should show up in between low n max level, considering that the motorcycle is serviced recently
kindly post your view for the above

 

[The 4th Horseman]

Oh...man. Just faced this one myself. For the shifter:

1. As recommended above, check you linkage. Make sure it doesn't have excess slack, and moves freely. You might have to oil it. To verify it's an issue with the linkage, you can disconnect it from the lever arm on the engine side (1 bolt), and try manipulating that by hand. If it returns without the linkage attached, then you know your problem lies in the linkage. If it still doesn't return with the linkage out of the loop, then you have a deeper problem.
2. Clean your shift shaft and make sure nothing is rubbing on it, outside the clutch/engine. I installed new rearsets recently, and found that they shifted the kickstand forward enough for the mounting plate to rub the shift shaft, which cause enough friction for me to exhibit the same issue on downshift.
3. If the above checks show no rubbing and exonerate the linkage, then you're probably going inside the clutch to replace the return spring. They're only a few $, but you'll need a replacement clutch cover gasket too (also only a few $). Those are not reusable. Once you get in, it's pretty straight forward. Repair manual will take you from there. Basically removing shift assembly, replacing spring, and popping it back in.

Not sure on your smoke issue. Sounds like there's just something on the engine burning off. Weird that it happens every time, unless you store it in an area where it gets dusted by pollen or something regularly (under a tree?). Might be worth keeping an eye on your coolant level. Typically, a blown head gasket will result in white smoke out the exhaust. Really shouldn't come "off" the engine though.