Advice please, New Bike - Epoxy Resin and Oil Leak Horror

[speedy231278]

Run away, unless they'll fix it and guarantee the work for a year. 30 days is nothing, and it's probably easy to bodge a fix to most things that will last just long enough that they could say it's expired. You don't say where you are based, but now in the UK even private sales are subject to certain regulation, and you can't fob off a vehicle that has issues with it and wash your hands saying 'sold as seen'. Even if they do fix it and you keep it, I would be asking for some of the purchase price back. A bike that they've had to rip to bits and presumably replace seals or cracked casings on is not a top dollar bike!

[rcv4]

I noticed my 35 was weeping from the same place last week,it looks like mine is the gasket,fortunatly no resin....is it a common problem?

[CRM]

as others have echo'd just get your money back and buy another bike.
if you paid top dollar for the bike, buy something cheaper privately and get some help from one of the guys local for some advice.

[speedy231278]

I noticed my 35 was weeping from the same place last week,it looks like mine is the gasket,fortunatly no resin....is it a common problem?

It's probably fairly common. I certainly get very slight weeps on mine here and there. The odd drop of oil here and there is to be expected on a fairly old engine with the original seals. Look under the bonnet of a used car. In this case, there is excessive oil, and someone seems to have bodged a 'fix'. Badly. Personally, I'd not be worried about the odd drip here and there. If you've got puddles of the stuff appearing in the fairing and on the garage floor, then you have a problem. Unless you're swimming in the stuff and/or needing to top the bike up regularly, it's probably something best left alone unless it becomes a problem, or for some reason you need the engine out. A lot of the seals need major surgery to get at. I was looking at doing/having done for me the gearbox shaft seal, and apparently it's massive undertaking to get to the stage where you can replace it.

[Neosophist]

I cant see where thats acually leaking from in the picture due to all the crap, sump gasket?

Ive never had an NC13E engine just leak oil from a failed gasket before. I've had rockerboxes leak when ive reused the old gakset and it hasnt seated right but never had one just start leaking oil before.

[adamski]

Ok, so an update to the saga.

The guys have removed the epoxy (which apparently came off in one piece). No crack could be seen under the epoxy. According to the dealer the oil is actually leaking from the cam \ rocker cover area.

Has anybody heard of this before?

I know everybody is saying walk away, but I guess I am giving the dealer the benefit of the doubt (maybe I am being naive) they seem honest and are trying to help.

[porndoguk]

Ok, so an update to the saga.

The guys have removed the epoxy (which apparently came off in one piece). No crack could be seen under the epoxy. According to the dealer the oil is actually leaking from the cam \ rocker cover area.

Has anybody heard of this before?

I know everybody is saying walk away, but I guess I am giving the dealer the benefit of the doubt (maybe I am being naive) they seem honest and are trying to help.

Id be asking for MINIMUM of atleast 6month warranty so you can keep an eye on it,

[speedy231278]

Ask yourself the question why would someone stuff a load of epoxy there if they weren't trying to hide anything. If you are hell bent on accepting this bike from the dealer, then that is your prerogative, however I would want to be shown personally by the dealer that there is no crack present under all that crap, and hard evidence that the cam cover is the source of the leak before accepting it back. I'd also expect a decent overall warranty period, and a specific guarantee that the oil leak is fixed and that any recurrence of that issue will be fixed gratis for the next 12 months.

[NGneer]

Mate

You seem to have found and fallen in love with this bike - something we can all understand, and really just want to get it home and use it. However in this case there are many alarm bells going off that should really help you head make the descision, not the heart.

As has been said - nobody would waste time randomly patching somthing up with epoxy resin that did not need it. So it may be true there is no apparent crack under there...but there must have been something else. If the engine does decide to let go in the future and you are not covered by a water tight waranty, you will be looking at a repleacment engine (@250 quid and no garauntee it is a good one, until fitted and running). Then you will have to drop the old one and fit the new one which is a fair (but not insurmountable) job if you are handy with the spanners...or you will be paying for many hours at the local garage.

IMHO i really would walk away from this one as it has been bodged at some point / for some reason and you are not sure what else on the bike has been 'fudged' in the same manner. If your heart wins the day and this really is THE bike for you then make sure you have a very robust WRITTEN waranty (nothing verbal) that covers an extended period, so any nasty suprises should have chance to surface before you run out of cover and are funding/doing any repair work on your own.

Whereabouts are you located? Might be worth seeing if one of the local forum members with some knowledge would go with you to the garage - as even if they just look and listen they will be able to pick out any potential bull shit from the facts.

Fingers crossed for you

[CMSMJ1]

@ Adamski - come on chap - where are you? let's have a look and help you out here.

Anything that has had such a shonky bodge is going to have other issues.

I appreciate you want the bike, it is your bike..etc etc..but man, this is going to hurt you in the pocket adn the arse if you don't get these issues sorted before you accept it back from the dealer.

The hourly rate for a motor swap is going to be £35-60 ph - and to removeit is the work of several hours..call it 6.

A new engine is at least £250 for a decent RVF luimp.

So - if you are keeping it - either you get them to agree a 12 month warranty that they have checked it out and in any event of a related failure, they will source and fit a motor for free.. or they give you at least £500-600 refund and still guarantee it for a month that they checked it, the epoxy holds no worries and it is good to go.

I would get a full refund and buy the RVF that a lady called Kat is selling near me for £2k. Have seen it, have met her - lovely bike and totally sorted.