Leaks and Burns

[mlkmn89]

Help!! I do use the coolant Honda recommends for my 1996 GL1500SE. It is blue in color. A couple of weeks ago I went out to go on a ride and noticed a wet spot on the ground under the area of the radiator. Crawled under for a closer look and saw what I believe to be a very slow drip of coolant. Any idea on where to start looking for the leak other than the rad hoses? Needless to say to prevent damage I did not go riding that day. It eventually dried up with no further visible leakage. Fast forward a couple of weeks, it was a chilly day and I decided to put my bike to bed for the winter season. My bike is very cold blooded and I was warming it up to drive to my shed and after she started to warm up I noticed smoke that smelled like burning oil coming up from the left side of the engine in the area of the spark plugs. Anyone tell me in their opinion are these two problems related or just coincidence and the most likely cause of the burning oil. (head gasket, valve covers ect?)

[DenverWinger]

That smoke was more likely a little puddle of coolant somewhere on the engine steaming.

[Rambozo]

Pressurize the cooling system to the cap relief pressure to locate leaks when everything is cold and touchable.

[newday777]

Help!! I do use the coolant Honda recommends for my 1996 GL1500SE. It is blue in color. A couple of weeks ago I went out to go on a ride and noticed a wet spot on the ground under the area of the radiator. Crawled under for a closer look and saw what I believe to be a very slow drip of coolant. Any idea on where to start looking for the leak other than the rad hoses? Needless to say to prevent damage I did not go riding that day. It eventually dried up with no further visible leakage. Fast forward a couple of weeks, it was a chilly day and I decided to put my bike to bed for the winter season. My bike is very cold blooded and I was warming it up to drive to my shed and after she started to warm up I noticed smoke that smelled like burning oil coming up from the left side of the engine in the area of the spark plugs. Anyone tell me in their opinion are these two problems related or just coincidence and the most likely cause of the burning oil. (head gasket, valve covers ect?)

Antifreeze leaks are common in cool down weather in spring and fall, old orings/seals, loose clamps on hoses. Metal shrinks in cool weather and old rubber doesn't from age hardened and flattened out o rings.

Your oil smell could be the shifter shaft seal leaking needing replacement.
Or you could have loose header nuts from crushed exhaust donuts.(do you lift the bike with a bike jack that sets on the exhaust manifolds? Make spacers to set on the engine case to take the weight off the headers.)