Hello all, I have a 13’ Strada with 6,000 miles and she is leaking a small amount of coolent from a rivet on the top of the radiator. Also, at around 4-5k rpms in 4th and 5th gear I’m hearing pinging only at full throttle. I put a 17t front sprocket and I am changing the spark plugs tonight to the brisk ones. Any ideas on how to resolve these issues are greatly appreciated! Cheers, Andrew
Update: still getting some pinging in the higher rpms of 4th and 5th at full throttle after brisk plug install. do the ecu upgrades help with that? like the dyna boost or?
Hi Andrew, maybe some jb weld if leak isn't too bad or have it repaired as far as the pinging maybe the plug is too cold or fuel is bad try higher octane fuel or an additive and see if pinging stops
If the rivet leak is top left hand side then its the bottle, most likely. Removing the plastics should expose a trail. Had this issue 5 years ago but cant recall the fix. Thinking the bottle was overfull. Try lowering the level, well below the markers. If its the rivet it would be blowing coolant and when cold drawing air. Is there air inside the radiator?
Hi Teambowles, Agree with the fuel and avoiding ethanol will help also. Found it interesting your comment about the plugs being possibly too cold. My TR sometimes pings when Im in grandpa mode or commuting. On the weekends when I flog it I cant get it to ping! Same fuel. I’m due for a new set of standard plugs anyway. I’ve being waiting for Gen 2 pulstars to be released which maybe never. Good to know your still around!
The bottle being over full is definitely a possibility considering you need the Hubble space telescope to see the level.
the plastic frame is riveted to the radiator but i also doubt that the rivets go into the coolant circuit. https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/pp0AAOSw1zRbT6NG/s-l1600.jpg my experience is that the engine pings when you demand more than it can deliver and give more throttle and fuel than it can burn. 17t sprocket may be more than it can handle at those revs. Give less throttle and accept that it has limits or gear down.
Very true, that’s what I was told from bmw dealer too. Another questions, any tricks to tightening the rear plug, my 16mm deep socket is too fat. Am trying to do it without having to order the socket if there’s a clever way.
no, you must use a slim socket with a ratchet or the tool that came with the bike. Don't ride it with a loose plug.
Speaking of the 17t sprocket, is there a better way to change the ratio so I can cruise at 80mph (128kph) without being high in the revs?
with the 16t sprocket you're at 5000rpm at 80mph which is not high at all for the engine. With the 17t it's at 4750rpm. The engine can handle that but it doesn't have sufficient power to handle WOT at that speed. Don't demand something it can't deliver. It's not the right bike for that.
Ok thanks for the pointers, new to this class of bike. Used to ride Harley’s until I got sick of them. Wish I made the switch sooner!
I'm curious, Have you been using high octane fuel or low octane fuel? Have you gone through a tank or two since you've changed the plugs? Also, are you buying fuel from the same gas station or are you filling up at different places? Thanks. I run a 17t front (on a strada with strada sized wheels) and have had no problems at all. I cruise at 70-76 but I'm not WOT by any means. I think 70mph is reading at 4500 on the nose. I don't remember what my rear sprocket is.
Yes there is. Old school tells me it is better to adjust gearing from the rear. But accuracy and precision is outweighed by cost and convenience, these days. https://www.gearingcommander.com/
I generally fill up at different places, but always highest octane. I was told by the BMW dealer when they checked my valves, like you guys mentioned, I am trying to get more than it can give by changing the sprocket. So are you saying the take the 17t front sprocket and do the gearing from the rear? Oh and my overflow bottle seemed to be too full which was causingthe leaking from the rivet... seems weird though since it doesn't look like its connected to the bottle?
Just saying Andrew, if you regear the bike from the rear it can be more precise, taking smaller increments allowing you to find the sweet spot. My bottle was overfull and it leaked down the side and drip on to the rivet, if I recall correctly.
That website is a little over my head. So the equivalent of going up one tooth on the front is the same as subtracting 3 teeth on the rear gearing wise?
