I'm fairly new to the motorcycling world, still alto to learn about engines. I bought this bike back in March. Been running like a champ. Bike has had the work done by the dealer at 600 miles. Came home from work and saw this:
(http://i.imgur.com/v9b8s.jpg)
I got on my back and looked underneath. I felt around the bottom of the engine and on top of the exhaust. I didn't feel anything
I ran my fingers underneath the fairing. It was a dark orange-ish clear liquid. I sure its coming out of 1 of 3 hose tucked away behind the fairing.
(http://i.imgur.com/xtYBW.jpg)
Hose on the bottom goes to the battery, and the top two (one is capped off) go back around the engine and over the top back in to the engine.
(http://i.imgur.com/Vgj2x.jpg)
I think it might be battery acid, but I'm not sure.
Take the seat off your bike, have a look at the battery. Look for corrosion around it and on the leads, and check the electrolyte level in the battery. Wear gloves.
One of those should be your gas overfill tube... IDK what the other one is for (oil cooler maybe? since my gs500e doesn't have it)..
Did you recently fill up and possibly was it a hot day and/or you leave your bike on an incline? Did it smell like gasoline or what did it smell like (you will know battery acid it has a... well... acidic smell to it...)
It also could be oil.... Those bolts you see at hte bottom of the cover.. if they are loose oils will seep from them.. also the gasket behind that cover might have gone bad...
Just possibilities.. without know what the liquid constancy and smell is it is hard to guess.
It's just oil from the crankcase vent on the valve cover. It's normal. Keep riding. The bike is marking its territory.
It could be the over flow tube on the carbs or airbox.This would indicate a stuck float.The greasy residue would have a strong raw fuel smell and the bike would probably have a strong raw fuel smell at start up and shut down.