2020 Kx 450 (bran new) smoking on first start up

cripdog255
Posts
40
Joined
2/18/2020
Location
Mohave Valley, AZ US
Just picked up this bike yesterday. Brought it home, realized there was barely any oil showing up on the sight glass, i take it back.. they add some oil. Damn near over fill it.. decided to start it and do a heat cycle on it (my first one) and smoke is coming Out of the exhaust. My buddy says, it’s just the fresh exhaust packing And that it’ll go away after a few warmups. I’ll do more heat cycles today when I get off work. Should I be worried?
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Mossy
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438
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7/6/2018
Location
Newport News, VA US
5/21/2020 7:30am
I would split the cases to be sure.
40
1
Falcon
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12190
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11/16/2011
Location
Menifee, CA US
5/21/2020 7:33am
It's normal for now. Residue in the packing and surface oils they spray on the parts.
If it continues after a half hour of riding, you might worry about it.

Also, change your oil again - drain it and start over. It sounds like your dealership is a bunch of knuckleheads if they overfilled the oil sump.
3
cripdog255
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40
Joined
2/18/2020
Location
Mohave Valley, AZ US
5/21/2020 7:39am
Yeah they’re idiots. Won’t buy from there again.. thanks for your input! I’ll change the oil for sure
1
1
cripdog255
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Mohave Valley, AZ US
5/21/2020 7:40am
Mossy wrote:
I would split the cases to be sure.
This guy. Lol.
10

The Shop

Hoseclamp
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634
Joined
2/2/2018
Location
OH US
5/21/2020 7:47am
I bought a new SV 650 once, the only bike Ive ever bought new. They wouldnt let me test drive it without signing the papers, but said If I test rode it and had any problems that I could come in an rip the papers up. I was very skeptical of that but whatever. Took the bike for a short ride and came back it was smoking a lot out the exhaust. I went in and threw a fit pissed as hell. They said thats normal untill it burns the oil outta the new exhaust, but I hardley believed them. They said ride it around some more. Sure enough not much longer and it quit. I felt kinda bad for throwing a fit but I was young and didnt know any better. I would bet itll go away shortly.
3
1
fourfourone
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86oh, CT US
5/21/2020 7:50am
drain the oil and refill the bike using a measuring cup and make sure you put the proper amount per the manual. I know Kawis from a few years ago always had a deceiving sight glass.
5
fourfourone
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86oh, CT US
5/21/2020 7:51am
FYI the last 3 bikes I bought brand new never smoked when brand new.
2
brocster
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Aliso Viejo, CA US
5/21/2020 8:00am
drain the oil and refill the bike using a measuring cup and make sure you put the proper amount per the manual. I know Kawis from...
drain the oil and refill the bike using a measuring cup and make sure you put the proper amount per the manual. I know Kawis from a few years ago always had a deceiving sight glass.
^ this


speed_racer
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353
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7/29/2016
Location
Aiea, HI US
5/21/2020 8:01am
I tune these bikes every day. Always use a powerful fan blowing into the radiators, ALWAYS!

Do not do heat cycles. Never let the bike idle on the stand for more than a minute.
Stop cooking your engine, never idle long periods without air going through the radiators.
You're not breaking in the engine, you're destroying it. The current four strokes will make the header glow in about 3 minutes of running without a fan. This heat is not your friend.

The engine has already turned over many thousands of times, it does not need any help wearing out. I personally do not believe in what you are trying to accomplish by running the engine to get it hot.

A glowing header always scares the heck out of me, massive heat.

Dear Kawasaki, I have overheated my new bike and now it's smoking, can I blame the dealer?
Dear Kawasaki buyer, why would you ever put the bike through heat cycles? Kawasaki does not say to do this in the owner's manual.

Anyway, the best way to destroy the front of the piston is to run the baby on the stand with no air for about 10 minutes, you'll cook the oil ring and destroy the Nikisil.
30
davis224
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Cornland, IL US
Fantasy
5/21/2020 8:29am
drain the oil and refill the bike using a measuring cup and make sure you put the proper amount per the manual. I know Kawis from...
drain the oil and refill the bike using a measuring cup and make sure you put the proper amount per the manual. I know Kawis from a few years ago always had a deceiving sight glass.
This. For some reason I could never get out of the crate Kawis to read correctly until they had been run through the gears. They read low, so to be sure I drained the oil out of a few of them, and the correct amount came out. If I filled them to where it read correctly, even after sitting and idling, they would be overfull after gently riding around the parking lot.

And brand new bikes smoke anyway burning off assembly oils and anti-corrosive coatings for shipping.
2
kb228
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6154
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1/31/2018
Location
Mansfield, OH US
5/21/2020 8:35am
Some smoke is normal on a cold startup. It depends on how much. Also, just ride your bike. Heat cycles arent useful on the new bikes. Take it easy for 30 mins and let it rip
3
fourfourone
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Location
86oh, CT US
5/21/2020 8:36am
drain the oil and refill the bike using a measuring cup and make sure you put the proper amount per the manual. I know Kawis from...
drain the oil and refill the bike using a measuring cup and make sure you put the proper amount per the manual. I know Kawis from a few years ago always had a deceiving sight glass.
davis224 wrote:
This. For some reason I could never get out of the crate Kawis to read correctly until they had been run through the gears. They read...
This. For some reason I could never get out of the crate Kawis to read correctly until they had been run through the gears. They read low, so to be sure I drained the oil out of a few of them, and the correct amount came out. If I filled them to where it read correctly, even after sitting and idling, they would be overfull after gently riding around the parking lot.

And brand new bikes smoke anyway burning off assembly oils and anti-corrosive coatings for shipping.
my 15 kx250f would sometimes read high and sometimes read low. Few times it wouldn't even show up on the sight glass and then after the next ride it would show overfull. Never had an issue when I just used the correct measured amount. 70 hours on the bike when I sold it and it ran perfect.

Most dealers do the first start of the bike and make sure it runs right before it goes to the customer.
twhig
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60
Joined
9/17/2012
Location
Montgomery, TX US
5/21/2020 9:07am
Minus the oil induced problem possibly created, that is called new bike smell. You paid good money for that. Enjoy it because it doesn’t last long.
1
Adam43
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WF
5/21/2020 9:24am
I tune these bikes every day. Always use a powerful fan blowing into the radiators, ALWAYS! Do not do heat cycles. Never let the bike idle...
I tune these bikes every day. Always use a powerful fan blowing into the radiators, ALWAYS!

Do not do heat cycles. Never let the bike idle on the stand for more than a minute.
Stop cooking your engine, never idle long periods without air going through the radiators.
You're not breaking in the engine, you're destroying it. The current four strokes will make the header glow in about 3 minutes of running without a fan. This heat is not your friend.

The engine has already turned over many thousands of times, it does not need any help wearing out. I personally do not believe in what you are trying to accomplish by running the engine to get it hot.

A glowing header always scares the heck out of me, massive heat.

Dear Kawasaki, I have overheated my new bike and now it's smoking, can I blame the dealer?
Dear Kawasaki buyer, why would you ever put the bike through heat cycles? Kawasaki does not say to do this in the owner's manual.

Anyway, the best way to destroy the front of the piston is to run the baby on the stand with no air for about 10 minutes, you'll cook the oil ring and destroy the Nikisil.
Amazing how many people sit around frying their 450 engine in the pits like it's a loaded up 1996 RM125.
9
5/21/2020 9:32am
Never trust the sight glass on Kawis mate, they might as well not have one.
3
MC752
Posts
75
Joined
8/25/2008
Location
Las Cruces, NM US
5/21/2020 9:53am
Change the oil. Fire it up and cruise it around a parking lot going through the gears. Down shift and let the motor slow you down. I did this with all bikes I have had over the years. I made a mistake and took the advice from a "tuner" and broke a bike in the way I was going to race it, worst mistake ever. Also agree on the not running the bike on the stand. Smoke coming from the exhaust is normal when brand new, but it should go away.
1
Brad460
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4384
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5/15/2012
Location
Richfield, WI US
Fantasy
5/21/2020 10:03am
I tune these bikes every day. Always use a powerful fan blowing into the radiators, ALWAYS! Do not do heat cycles. Never let the bike idle...
I tune these bikes every day. Always use a powerful fan blowing into the radiators, ALWAYS!

Do not do heat cycles. Never let the bike idle on the stand for more than a minute.
Stop cooking your engine, never idle long periods without air going through the radiators.
You're not breaking in the engine, you're destroying it. The current four strokes will make the header glow in about 3 minutes of running without a fan. This heat is not your friend.

The engine has already turned over many thousands of times, it does not need any help wearing out. I personally do not believe in what you are trying to accomplish by running the engine to get it hot.

A glowing header always scares the heck out of me, massive heat.

Dear Kawasaki, I have overheated my new bike and now it's smoking, can I blame the dealer?
Dear Kawasaki buyer, why would you ever put the bike through heat cycles? Kawasaki does not say to do this in the owner's manual.

Anyway, the best way to destroy the front of the piston is to run the baby on the stand with no air for about 10 minutes, you'll cook the oil ring and destroy the Nikisil.
You’ve obviously never owned a YZ426! I’d get that thing started in the pits and not shut it off until after the race..Otherwise you’d kick the shit out of it on the line and wear yourself out! Laughing


Anyways, my buddy bought a new Kawasaki street bike and it was supposed to have a full tank of gas. The dealer drove it back in the shop and my buddy saw the tech adding gas and OIL to the bike...He demanded and got a full refund.


2
JM485
Posts
5781
Joined
10/1/2013
Location
Davis, CA US
5/21/2020 10:14am
I tune these bikes every day. Always use a powerful fan blowing into the radiators, ALWAYS! Do not do heat cycles. Never let the bike idle...
I tune these bikes every day. Always use a powerful fan blowing into the radiators, ALWAYS!

Do not do heat cycles. Never let the bike idle on the stand for more than a minute.
Stop cooking your engine, never idle long periods without air going through the radiators.
You're not breaking in the engine, you're destroying it. The current four strokes will make the header glow in about 3 minutes of running without a fan. This heat is not your friend.

The engine has already turned over many thousands of times, it does not need any help wearing out. I personally do not believe in what you are trying to accomplish by running the engine to get it hot.

A glowing header always scares the heck out of me, massive heat.

Dear Kawasaki, I have overheated my new bike and now it's smoking, can I blame the dealer?
Dear Kawasaki buyer, why would you ever put the bike through heat cycles? Kawasaki does not say to do this in the owner's manual.

Anyway, the best way to destroy the front of the piston is to run the baby on the stand with no air for about 10 minutes, you'll cook the oil ring and destroy the Nikisil.
I don’t know anyone who would recommend heat cycling their bike by letting it idle on the stand for extended periods of time, that goes against pretty much every break in theory I’ve ever heard. . .
1
Rhody
Posts
185
Joined
8/10/2014
Location
CA US
5/21/2020 10:19am
If it's the first time the engine has been run, normally they smoke until the piston rings seat. At least mine do, and they run ok.
1
zehn
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7857
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1/15/2013
Location
Anchorage, AK US
5/21/2020 10:22am
Right, a 4 stroke built 20 years ago should be treated the same as a modern 4 stroke
mnomis484
Posts
312
Joined
12/31/2012
Location
L AT
5/21/2020 10:30am
For your next oil change: fill it with 900ml oil if you change the filter as well, and forget about the sight glass. The engine has to be warm, perfectly level, and sit for a couple minutes for the sight glass to read "correctly".
1
1
Sachmo831
Posts
247
Joined
10/7/2015
Location
South Bend, IN US
5/21/2020 11:10am
I tune these bikes every day. Always use a powerful fan blowing into the radiators, ALWAYS! Do not do heat cycles. Never let the bike idle...
I tune these bikes every day. Always use a powerful fan blowing into the radiators, ALWAYS!

Do not do heat cycles. Never let the bike idle on the stand for more than a minute.
Stop cooking your engine, never idle long periods without air going through the radiators.
You're not breaking in the engine, you're destroying it. The current four strokes will make the header glow in about 3 minutes of running without a fan. This heat is not your friend.

The engine has already turned over many thousands of times, it does not need any help wearing out. I personally do not believe in what you are trying to accomplish by running the engine to get it hot.

A glowing header always scares the heck out of me, massive heat.

Dear Kawasaki, I have overheated my new bike and now it's smoking, can I blame the dealer?
Dear Kawasaki buyer, why would you ever put the bike through heat cycles? Kawasaki does not say to do this in the owner's manual.

Anyway, the best way to destroy the front of the piston is to run the baby on the stand with no air for about 10 minutes, you'll cook the oil ring and destroy the Nikisil.
Brad460 wrote:
You’ve obviously never owned a YZ426! I’d get that thing started in the pits and not shut it off until after the race..Otherwise you’d kick the...
You’ve obviously never owned a YZ426! I’d get that thing started in the pits and not shut it off until after the race..Otherwise you’d kick the shit out of it on the line and wear yourself out! Laughing


Anyways, my buddy bought a new Kawasaki street bike and it was supposed to have a full tank of gas. The dealer drove it back in the shop and my buddy saw the tech adding gas and OIL to the bike...He demanded and got a full refund.


Couple years ago a guy on a 426 was lined up to hit the track on a practice day. His bike was boiling over bad, but he just sat chilling cool as a cucumber with the bike idling. Atleast that's what I saw through the smoke cloud.
JB479
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805
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1/11/2012
Location
AU
5/21/2020 11:24am
It should be fine. I had the same thing when i bought mine 2 weeks ago. I even took mine for a ride before realising kawasaki had not put much oil in it.
1
526
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1726
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5/4/2009
Location
Colgate, WI US
5/21/2020 11:33am
I tune these bikes every day. Always use a powerful fan blowing into the radiators, ALWAYS! Do not do heat cycles. Never let the bike idle...
I tune these bikes every day. Always use a powerful fan blowing into the radiators, ALWAYS!

Do not do heat cycles. Never let the bike idle on the stand for more than a minute.
Stop cooking your engine, never idle long periods without air going through the radiators.
You're not breaking in the engine, you're destroying it. The current four strokes will make the header glow in about 3 minutes of running without a fan. This heat is not your friend.

The engine has already turned over many thousands of times, it does not need any help wearing out. I personally do not believe in what you are trying to accomplish by running the engine to get it hot.

A glowing header always scares the heck out of me, massive heat.

Dear Kawasaki, I have overheated my new bike and now it's smoking, can I blame the dealer?
Dear Kawasaki buyer, why would you ever put the bike through heat cycles? Kawasaki does not say to do this in the owner's manual.

Anyway, the best way to destroy the front of the piston is to run the baby on the stand with no air for about 10 minutes, you'll cook the oil ring and destroy the Nikisil.
Exactly right...... go ride it !!!!! Air in the radiators, pressure applied to rings while riding it everything you need right at your own track.

1
stax199
Posts
157
Joined
3/7/2012
Location
Brooklyn, NY US
Fantasy
5/22/2020 11:46am
AHAHAHAHA my 2020 KX450 smoked like a 1999 RM125 with to much premix .. it burned off after few min off riding at the track.
OldnBroken
Posts
134
Joined
10/18/2014
Location
Kamloops CA
5/22/2020 9:51pm
Is it bran new or brand new though?
5
5/22/2020 9:59pm
OldnBroken wrote:
Is it bran new or brand new though?
The answer to this might be a blessing in the skies
5
5/22/2020 10:22pm Edited Date/Time 5/22/2020 10:36pm
the kx450 has super slippery rings for less friction. until it breaks in, you will see and smell oil coming out the muffler when you blip the throttle good. its normal for this bike. it will go away after break in. this knowledge made me decide to slowly break the bike in to get really good seating beteween the rings and cylinder. I asked a kawi corpo service rep this question and that was the answer he gave me, so its pretty legit. the rep from kawi said to put one full quart of oil in it, and a "burp" more. thats the word he used
1
1
5/23/2020 10:26am
Mossy wrote:
I would split the cases to be sure.
I love it... I agree, split the cases. Take it down barebones and do a thorough inspection, I know I couldn’t sleep at night until I did. Just think what could be going on in there
dcg141
Posts
2308
Joined
11/30/2009
Location
MS US
5/23/2020 12:44pm
I tune these bikes every day. Always use a powerful fan blowing into the radiators, ALWAYS! Do not do heat cycles. Never let the bike idle...
I tune these bikes every day. Always use a powerful fan blowing into the radiators, ALWAYS!

Do not do heat cycles. Never let the bike idle on the stand for more than a minute.
Stop cooking your engine, never idle long periods without air going through the radiators.
You're not breaking in the engine, you're destroying it. The current four strokes will make the header glow in about 3 minutes of running without a fan. This heat is not your friend.

The engine has already turned over many thousands of times, it does not need any help wearing out. I personally do not believe in what you are trying to accomplish by running the engine to get it hot.

A glowing header always scares the heck out of me, massive heat.

Dear Kawasaki, I have overheated my new bike and now it's smoking, can I blame the dealer?
Dear Kawasaki buyer, why would you ever put the bike through heat cycles? Kawasaki does not say to do this in the owner's manual.

Anyway, the best way to destroy the front of the piston is to run the baby on the stand with no air for about 10 minutes, you'll cook the oil ring and destroy the Nikisil.
Yea I have no idea where the whole heat cycling thing started but running a race engine for extended periods at idle is no way to break one in.

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