Enging Smoking

[rideon19]

I have an 05 GS500F with 1500 miles.  I used the choke to start my bike last night and forgot to turn it off after the engine had already started cranking for a couple of minutes.  I then noticed smoke coming out of the engine and I also noticed a burnt smell.  I immediately turn it off along with my iginition.  After a couple of minutes, I turn the engine on again without using the choke.  I then proceeded to ride it a little around the parking lot, there was no smoke coming out of the engine this time.  I then went for a ride.  The bike was running fine on the ride, however, after the ride, I noticed that the engine was extremely hot and the burnt smell was still present.  My question is, could leaving the choke on after the engine had already started running be the cause of the smoke and smell or am I just low on coolant?  Or could another factor be the cause of this?  I just recently purchased the bike and don't have an owner's manual and am waiting for the repair manual to come in.  Does anyone know where the coolant is located?  Thanks.

[Phaedrus]

Coolant? It is an air cooled bike, no coolant  Check your oil level.

[Danimal]

The radiator is next to the blinker fluid resevior.

-Danimal

[RVertigo]

Well...  Since it's air-cooled and the air cools the oil, the oil is the coolant...  So, you're both right. 

If the oil level is fine, then you might be running REALLY rich...  I'd say oil though.

Either put the bike on the center stand or sit on it and hold it upright.  Unscrew the dipstick, wipe it off, and place it back in the whole... Do not screw it in.  Your oil level should be at the top of the full marker or somewhere in the middle...  If it's low, throw in more oil until it's at the top of the Full hash-mark.

[GeeP]

The Operator's Manual should be under the seat next to the bottle of propwash.  

You should read it...  It has important information like tire pressures and in it.  (Also explains tha the GS is air/oil-cooled in there somewhere.)  

[Egaeus]

If the smoke is coming from the engine, then you probably have an oil leak.  If it's coming from the muffler, then you could be running rich or burning oil.

From the sound of it, you have an oil leak.  The reason you noticed it when you left the bike idling is that it was able to drip straight down onto the exhaust.  This gets hot enough to burn the oil off and makes it smell like, well, burning oil.  While riding, the wind will blow it and it might not land on the exhaust pipes as much.

[rideon19]

Thanks!  I'll take it to the dealer and have them check for leaks, since it's still under warranty.

[MarkusN]

If you let it warm up for an extended period with full choke it runs quite a bit higher than standard idle RPM -> more power throughput -> more heat generated.

Combine that with an engine cooled by airflow and you get overheating. The burnt smell probably was some rubber gasket or plastic part seeing more heat than it should have.

[FearedGS500]

what was the tempature out side ?  could it have been just cause of the cooler weather vs. the bike heating up ? bike has 1500 miles on it .. your gonna smell that for a little bit if i rember right. its still new and if you have not riden it hard or long . then yea it getting up to that tempature . with the full choke on and the motor warmed up . it was probly runnin at what 5k ? stedy ?

[rideon19]

Temp was about mid 50s.  Now that I think about it, it could be that.  I haven't had a chance to turn her on because it's been raining for the past couple of days.  That was the first time it happened, so the choke differently might have overheated the gasket or something.

[flyingbeagle71]

Have you changed the oil recently?  If so, there might just be oil burning off the muffler if the change was done sloppily...