I would take some time and clean it off really well. Flush out the spark plug area and dry it all off. Re inspect to find out where the antifreeze is coming from. Keep at it and you will find it. Please don't fix anything until you are sure of the problem.

Looks pretty harmless so far, Riding it will not hurt. Keep an eye on the coolant level in the bottle.

David

 

Thanks for the advice, all. I think the leak so far has lost a teaspoon of fluid at most. Results to follow...

 

Pulled the gas tank tonight to get a better view of the spark plug well and sure enough that's where the coolant source is. But I couldn't see how or where the coolant is getting into the well as everything above looks pretty clean. No sign of leaks on hoses or radiator and the coolant level in the tank still holds steady - this is a very small leak. Could the head have a very small pore leak into the plug well? I'll clean it up real good and check again later.

As I was trying to pull the fuel hose off the petcock when removing the tank, the brass insert nipple came out of the petcock instead of the hose off the nipple. Crap . Is this repairable? Can the nipple be put back into the petcock housing and sealed up? Or time for a new petcock?

Drowning sorrows with a Polish Porter .

 

I've had that happen before. Put the brass nipple in the freezer for a while. Then just tap it back into the petcock housing with a plastic mallet. It will seal up just fine.

The trick will be getting the brass nipple out of the hose without crushing it or otherwise mangling it up. You may be better off just slicing the fuel line down the side to get the nipple out and then replace it with new fuel line.

 

Good, thanks. The fuel line will be replaced so slicing and dicing is no problem.

 

 

I see two possibilities. The plug in the head next to the spark plug probably goes into the water jacket and so does the top bolt from the water outlet.

Can you pressurize the system? I check autos for leaks by pumping up the cooling system.

Either way I would not worry much.

David

 

That's odd. Your drain hole for the spark plug cavity looks a lot like coolant has passed through there from the color at some point...but dry now. However, your spark plug cavity doesn't seem to have any coolant residue that I can see from that pic.

 

The photos aren't showing it well enough. There has been coolant in the plug well. When I look closely up the weep hole, I can see the green tint all the way up. And there's coolant residue in the plug well. But I can't see any sign of the coolant dropping from above down into the well - no drip lines down the side or residue on hoses or frame or radiator. Maybe as David said, from a plug or something right down there in the well. The leak is not getting better or worse, and it's been there since I picked up the bike a couple months ago. The leak is very minor (haven't lost but a fraction of a teaspoon I'd guess) and only happens after a ride.

Hopefully, David is right and I can think..."What, me worry?"
Something you should appreciate TNC!

Thanks all.

 

I bought a 2009 KLX250S new and have had the same small leek from the hole leading to the spark plug, took it back to dealer and said hose was loose got it back and still had small leak, they at about 600miles it would die when wamed up. I complained and they said the smog equipment could cause this i removed all the emmision equipment worked a while but would just die when ideling. they did not help, I installed a dyno jet kit and a two brother exhaust seemed to help for a while, still had small leak. At 3000 miles brought back to dealer, rebuilt carb still no help left it with them and they found some oil leakage on top seals they did a top end job and said that the head gasket may have been bad. bike worked ok thill at 4000 miles brought back for a gastank recall. Now it is doing the same thing, I think a bad head, but never has gotten hot only driven to and from work! Last time it died the digital clock and trip odemeter reset to 0, could they have not pluged in a cable correctly? Seems strange the coolant still shows leak and it die at idel. I think when it gets hot the crack in head opens up and with the pressure in the coolant system it fouls the plug. Of course even my extended warentee is over. I am very discusted with Kawasaki, wonder if anyelse has experenced similar problem or if the casting of the head or cylinder was warped or cracked from the get go. Any suggestions? I can do the work but not in a mood for it, I just want to see the bike.