Took the SD up to bristol this morning and 100 miles hammering up the M4 saw a big oil leak covering my left boot and spraying all over the rearsets, side stand and swingarm. Luckily I spotted it as I came into a service station because the oil had started spraying all over the back tyre and any further would have seen me off at the first left hander - probably at the motorway slip road.

I thought it may be the clutch push rod seal but without stripping down the bodywork I couldn't be sure.

Anyway, got it cleaned off and carefully did the last 40 miles stopping a lot to wipe the oil off everywhere and got to Fowlers who are a KTM dealer. They said leave it and they might be able to have time to have a look even though they were fully booked up for weeks. They've just rung me to say that they have identified that the leak is coming from some sort of plastic inspection cover used for adjusting something (Crankshaft? Timing?) and that it has been damaged, got a split in it or cross threaded or something - the guy wasn't very clear on the phone and it was a bad line. Unfortunately they don't have one in stock so all they can do is replace the 'o'ring and order one for next week but he said that the part was only a few pounds and I could fit it myself.

I've been on the internet looking at the fische to identify the part so I can order one myself from a fast source but I just cannot find the page it's on let alone the part. Does anyone know what inspection cover part this is? I just can't think of it - certainly I've never unscrewed anything or made an adjustment through a hole around the left side of the engine. Obviously when I go to get the bike tomorrow night I can see what they are talking about but I wanted to buy a replacement part today so it will get to my home by the weekend.

Any help gratefully received.

It'll be the large circular allen socket plastic screw cap at the centre of the generator cover - I have spare if that helps.

PS - tell them to 'repair' crack(s) and cover thread with non-setting gasket joint sealant - worked for me 'til new one arrived.

#29 6003009400023 SCREW PLUG M24X1,5 PA 6.6

A 24mm X 1.5 thread pitch screw plug on the ignition cover. Used on just about every LC8 engine and I think maybe some of the RFS and LC4 engines too, but not sure?

You can temp repair it with 5-minute epoxy until you find a new one or ask the shop if they can borrow it from a bike that is out of service until the new one arrives?


Item #29



(Oh and it's used to access bolt/item #22 to turn the engine to install/locate the top dead center lock pin-bolt)

SD#1

cap below extruded LC8 ?

Thanks guys!

Now I know why I'm not familiar with this part and why I never saw the leak. It's hidden up by a R&G protective cover.

They said they'd have a go at sealing it temporarily so I can get home tonight.

Got home OK with the temporary repair done by Fowlers.

This morning a new plug arrived in the post from Jim Aim and I fitted it in less than 15 minutes - and that time was because I had to remove the R&G crash cover and dropped a bolt down into the belly pan which then had to come off!

Anyway the point is that I cleaned out the silicone Fowlers had put in and saw that they can't fitted a new 'O' ring as they said they had. I appreciate that they helped me out and squeezed me in to help me get home but do you know what I got charged for the work they did?

£101.00