Dave
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SuzukiSavage.com Rocks!
Posts: 18098
Camp Springs, Kentucky
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Back in my dirt bike days....there was one track that used to make us ride up a creek - lots of steam - but nobody's engine puked their guts out.
On one Dragon ride Springman, ArtWebb and I rode through a horrible downpour. My Cafe' bike started to lose power, and the longer I rode in the downpour the more throttle I had to use to maintain my speed, and the tone of the engine changed and the exhaust note became deeper....when the rain let up a bit or stopped the engine ran as normal after a mile or so. I thought maybe it was my lack of an air box and water was getting into the carb....and also my tiny front fender allow the front tire to throw water all ove the bike - but Springman and Artwebb said their bikes were doing the same thing and they had the stock airbox and front fender.
I asked Bill at Boretech if it was possible to seize the piston/cylinder riding in the rain on an air cooled bike. He didn't believe it was possible - and he said that most likely the cylinder head has cooled so much that the valve clearance was gone, and likely the valves were not setting down on the seats during the heavy downpour....and once the rain let up and the engine returned to temperature....the valve clearance came back.
And......never shove your wet bike into a closed garage (after washing or riding in the rain). The water can stay there for days and corrode stuff......so you need to get it dry as soon as you can (fan, leaf blower, warm/dry garage, etc). Water can set in the electrical connections and in the nooks and crannies for days if you cover the bike or put it in a sealed garage that doesn't have any airflow.
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