Help identifying and fixing a leak

ScarySquirrel · 25 Feb 2025 at 16:04

Hi all,

My bike is leaking something from around the front of the engine, it's dirty and I've not really looked closely yet to be honest. It's a Bandit 650.

I'm pretty sure it is oil, although it's a bit of a weird colour.

Once I've cleaned the bike, are there any particular tricks to find out where it's coming from? I'm guessing I should get some more oil, drain it, and then fix the issue. But any tips to help find it would be appreciated.

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Dis86 · 25 Feb 2025 at 16:05

Visual inspection.

If, after it's clean, you see it on the frame or engine then touch it. Will soon tell you whether it's oil, petrol or coolant. Giving it a sniff helps too.

ScarySquirrel · 25 Feb 2025 at 16:08

Yeah fair enough. I've had a sniff of it and it doesn't seem like fuel.

Guess I had better get the bucket and sponge out!

JonRGV250 · 25 Feb 2025 at 16:17

Use spray brake cleaner to clean around the area, then use this

ScarySquirrel · 25 Feb 2025 at 16:21

JonRGV250 said:
Use spray brake cleaner to clean around the area, then use this

Oh wow that looks great, thanks for the suggestion.

tom_e · 25 Feb 2025 at 16:35

Clean it, let it dry, squirt talc over anywhere it may be coming from.
Basically what Jon has recommended but you can also ensure you have a lovely fresh undercarriage with the leftovers

.one. · 26 Feb 2025 at 00:21

The oil filter is located at the front of a bandit maybe needs a tighten just clean & run hot but the colour looks like junk coming from the engine breather which is located at the top but has pipe coming form it.

arknor · 26 Feb 2025 at 02:16

hydraulic fluid/dot4?

SpellowHouse · 26 Feb 2025 at 08:17

Looks to me like emulsified oil (oil mixed with water), which is not very good. I would check the oil in the bike to make sure you haven't got a coolant leak.

russell664 · 4 Mar 2025 at 12:22

When i've had leaks, I've cleaned it, put some talcum power around where it pool and the line you get in it, is where it is coming from.

ScarySquirrel · 7 Mar 2025 at 08:39

SpellowHouse said:
Looks to me like emulsified oil (oil mixed with water), which is not very good. I would check the oil in the bike to make sure you haven't got a coolant leak.

I believe my bike is oil cooled so it doesn't have coolant.

Anyway I think I found the culprit. I got some of that spray and it helped me identify an area around the oil filter. I gave the filter a little twist by hand and it was surprisingly easy to turn, so I've tightened it up. No leak overnight, so that must have been it. Bit annoyed really as that was put on by a garage late last year.

I've got some more oil on the way and I have another filter, so might just do an oil change soon anyway.

SpellowHouse · 7 Mar 2025 at 12:20

ScarySquirrel said:
I believe my bike is oil cooled so it doesn't have coolant.

Anyway I think I found the culprit. I got some of that spray and it helped me identify an area around the oil filter. I gave the filter a little twist by hand and it was surprisingly easy to turn, so I've tightened it up. No leak overnight, so that must have been it. Bit annoyed really as that was put on by a garage late last year.

I've got some more oil on the way and I have another filter, so might just do an oil change soon anyway.

It's water cooled isn't it?

ScarySquirrel · 7 Mar 2025 at 12:23

SpellowHouse said:
It's water cooled isn't it?

It's a 2005, so still oil cooled.