Before diving into this, I have to mention that this is my first motorcycle, and even before this, I was never too mechanically savvy. However, I can manage to stumble my way through researching things. I'll ask that people be a little gentle with responses, as I'm still figuring things out (and I won't know the technical terms for every piece).
I recently purchased my radian in running and driving condition (after installing a new battery), with 9,800 miles on it. The engine head was completely blackened, and it looked as though it was painted at some point. Much to my dismay, this was what appeared to be years of baked on oil. The previous owner had mentioned that there was a slight oil leak, and he wasn't outright lying, but it was a little worse than I had intended. I've only put about 15 miles on the bike since I've owned it, scared that I may have a big fix in my near future. I was able to trace the leak back to the source (relieved to find out that it wasn't the head gasket), and it appears to be coming from the half moon sections on the right side of the valve cover gasket. When I got the bike, two of the bolts from the valve cover were missing, which I promptly ordered and replaced. Although, that clued me into thinking that the valve cover was probably replaced once before, and by my best guess, they didn't use any sort of sealant to seal the gasket properly.
Am I on the right track, or is there something that I'm missing entirely?
Thanks in advance, and cheers!
I recently purchased my radian in running and driving condition (after installing a new battery), with 9,800 miles on it. The engine head was completely blackened, and it looked as though it was painted at some point. Much to my dismay, this was what appeared to be years of baked on oil. The previous owner had mentioned that there was a slight oil leak, and he wasn't outright lying, but it was a little worse than I had intended. I've only put about 15 miles on the bike since I've owned it, scared that I may have a big fix in my near future. I was able to trace the leak back to the source (relieved to find out that it wasn't the head gasket), and it appears to be coming from the half moon sections on the right side of the valve cover gasket. When I got the bike, two of the bolts from the valve cover were missing, which I promptly ordered and replaced. Although, that clued me into thinking that the valve cover was probably replaced once before, and by my best guess, they didn't use any sort of sealant to seal the gasket properly.
Am I on the right track, or is there something that I'm missing entirely?
Thanks in advance, and cheers!