COOLANT LEAK------ The cause !!

[Critters]

Hi, well managed to get the tupperware off my bike, lifted the fuel tank, air filter and found that some very small rodents had attempted to take up residence in the area between the alternator and water pump and chewed some of the small coolant hoses, it will be a few days before I establish which ones are damaged and which are ok but this has put paid to the first few days of my holidays. Anyway I suppose it could have been worse if the little blighters had chewed the wiring loom. Needless to say numerous traps have been set out to catch the little rascals responsible............

 

[H20SKIER]

I too had a huge nest uder my carb on my 1100 luckily they only chewed a small bit of the cover off of the throttle adjuster!!! Next year I'll have to mouse proof my bike before putting it away!!!!

 

[Mark]

There is a thread on the site about this...
I think the 5 gallon bucket with peanut butter on a can suspended over the bucket is the coolest trap...
Now I just have to build one for the brother in law to try in the high desert...

Mark

 

[Spencer]

Had a chipmunk build a winter home in the airbox of my old CB900F
Luckily they only chewed up the airfilter for nesting material.
Got it all cleaned up, rebuilt the carbs, fired her up, and blew about
a pound of acorns out the exhaust.

Good luck, Spencer

 

[RaYzerman]

There is a thread on the site about this...
I think the 5 gallon bucket with peanut butter on a can suspended over the bucket is the coolest trap...
Now I just have to build one for the brother in law to try in the high desert...

Mark

You're on the right track. Make sure there's always something better to eat than pieces of your bike. That's the secret. As well as a trap and/or rodent bait to ensure they don't come back.

 

[ShinySideUpAZ]

I ride every day, this seems to be a good rodent deterent. Apparently they have trouble jumping up on to the bike at 80mph.

 

[Critters]

I am now seriously considering purchasing a rodent trap of the feline variety, I am not to keen on these humane type traps cos the little blighters keep coming back, last year I think there was a ST1300 at the local dealership where a huge portion of the wiring loom was eaten away so I think (and hope) I got off lightly. Thanks for your kind and humerous words, it makes it a little bit easier knowing that others have experienced this kind of problem. Anyway until I get a four legged killer I am making do with traps where they wont survive...........

 

[Mark]

The 4 legged variety... now that is funny... one of the guys on here had a four legged mouse trap that pee'd on the wheels... of course you'd still be able ride after that treatment rather than being dead in the water 'by-chewing' beasties...



Do mice eat veggemite? You could do the big bucket/can on a string technique with it...

Mark

 

[alan]

The 4 legged variety... now that is funny... one of the guys on here had a four legged mouse trap that pee'd on the wheels...

Mark

My wife's cat is always peeing on our car tires to mark her territory. The cat lives in the garage with my ST, sometimes sleeps on the bike, but the beastie has never pee'd on the ST. The cat has also never caught a mouse, I have to trap them myself.

 

[Putt]

Good thing they are not Tribbles...


Putt..

 

[MIST05]

Moth Balls will keep most of the critters away.... peanut butter on a trap will get the rest of them.

-Ray

 

[Critters]

Hi, just thought I should let you all know that my trusty STeed is back on the road, one small coolant pipe had to be replaced at minimal cost so i am quite happy with that. On another note when I was in there I checked all the other hoses and clamps were tight and found two of the clamps holding two of the smaller pipes to be loose, I spoke to a mate who works at the local Honda dealer and he told me that this is a common fault he has come across before on 1300's, so if you have a coolant leak dont fear the worst, it could possibly be the clamps on the pipes around the thermostat housing that are loose, one thing he did recommend was instead of trying to tighten these clamps which possibly are corroded due to the water/coolant, it is worth replacing them with new, after all its not a simple job but its better doing properly when you have gone to the trouble of going this far to solve a leak.

Keep the rubber on the road.

 

[Mark]

Good to hear it was not an extremely expense fix.

The coolant hoses will probably need tightening each fall at the beginning of the cold season.

Mark

 

[BigBadblue]

My wife's cat is always peeing on our car tires to mark her territory. The cat lives in the garage with my ST, sometimes sleeps on the bike, but the beastie has never pee'd on the ST. The cat has also never caught a mouse, I have to trap them myself.

In my bachelor days (20yrs ago) I rented a little bungalow that had a real mouse problem, so I got a cat. What I learned is you need to keep the critter a little hungry or they won't hunt, and even if they do give chase the cat will just play with the mouse, not kill it unless he is a little hungry. I went on a 2 week vacation and my landlords took care of my cat in my absence, upon my return I found they ruined my mouser - a FAT over-fed cat and it took me a week (diet) to get him back on patrol.