Hey all, I kind of have a weird topic/question/discussion.
Does anyone feel somewhat sick after a long ride and from smelling like exhaust fumes?
Everyone knows about the infamous 919 exhaust stink. You stop at stoplights and can get a good wiff of the exhaust smell, you start the bike up in the morning and can smell the strong exhaust smell, after riding, your clothes smell like exhaust. I've had my bike for a few weeks, and I've had a blast on it. But I've noticed that after riding for a little while and smelling like exhaust fumes, I tend to feel a little nauseous. I am not sure if it happens every time, but I've noticed more times than a few. I don't know if it's the scent of exhaust fumes that's making me feel this way, or am I in potential danger from riding the bike and inhaling the exhaust fumes? I think I start to feel this way after riding for a little while, and my sitting around in my clothes with the hint of the exhaust smell.
I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this...or if it's just me. Who knows, I could just a little under the weather for an extended amount of time.
Once you put on your Delkevic's you will be better off. From what I can tell you are not really breathing in any more toxic gases with the 919 than other undertail equipped bikes. It's just more smelly.
I have never felt nauseous though. My office used to smell from my bag and gear. So much that some folks have asked if we could meet elsewhere! It's much better now. I think it's probably you reacting to the smell more than it being the effect of inhaling gases.
I put a single sided exhaust on my bike and every once in a while I'll get a whiff of exhaust at a stop light. My jacket used to smell up the office, but now the smell is much less... or at least the pissing and moaning has stopped.
Some people can be very sensitive to whatever is in exhaust, It could be you are one of those people. I'll admit my 919 stinks and when it's real bad (like in the winter) I swear it makes me nauseous, but only if I'm standing next to it while it's idling. Once I get moving and get some fresh air in my face I feel better.
87 octane, Power Commander, aftermarket exhaust with turn-down tips (or better yet 900rr conversion), and also a Tailbag on the rear seat. All will help with the smell; as for getting nausea... no, I don't have that problem. The people riding behind me... that blows for them.
It's been a while since I converted to a low side exhaust (which alleviated the problem for me), but I do remember feeling a little queasy once in a while after riding. I even noticed that the smell was in the fabric inside my helmet.
I know the topic of stink has been beat to death, but I wonder if it could be linked to how cool the 919 engine seems to run, like maybe its always adding fuel to warm up. I changed my thermostat a year or so ago and the bike now runs maybe a couple of needle widths over the "C" mark instead of at or below it. It seems that I smell less stink especially after the bike is warmed up.
Thank you all for the suggestions. Yes, I am running 87 octane. There's one place that has 85 about an hour from me, I should try that out one day. The more I think of it, it may just be me being a whiner about it and making it a bigger deal than it really is. I know my VFR doesn't have this problem, probably because of the certain aerodynamics it has.
I think what I'll end up doing is putting on my tail bag and see if that disrupts the stench strength. If it does, who knows, maybe I'll install a permanent top box. 8-) But the Delkevics sound like something I really want to install, especially since it's an exhaust with the angled tips to help redirect the exhaust...well and because I really want them. And if the smell still really bothers me, I may end up doing a 900rr conversion...but I know that's much more expensive. I know that this 919 is an awesome motorcycle and I don't want to have to sell the bike just because riding it makes me feel sick LOL
Thank you for all the suggestions...I'm hoping the smell is something I get more accustomed to, so that it's no longer a foreign smell to me haha.
I'm pretty sure what's happening is what would be known as a Somatic reaction. In other words because you smell the exhaust you get nauseous. Really no different than if you smell someones vomit, or a babies diarrhea, a decade animal or stuff like that. Those things don't actually make you sick, you get sick because of what you think of the smell.
I too have had slight nausea and headaches after riding my 919. You may be experiancing mild carbon monoxide poisoning. Check wikipedia it shows all the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. I dont think its in your head. Your body is probably just more sensitive to it than others.
If it continues, after a few weeks and after my new exhaust, I'll possibly try a 900rr conversion. If that still doesn't seem reasonable...worst case scenario, I'll have to trade the bike! Ahh!!
There's also another thread on type of fuel people are using, but what may also help you out is the talk on additives. Specifically cleaners (techron, seafoam, etc) and another one that interests me that I'll be trying is an ethanol stabilizer called Star Tron. Hopefully it does what it says, the ethanol in gas produces A LOT of stink. When Rickard919 came down from Canada, he noticed a huge increase in exhaust stink with our E-10 gas. Ethanol is in almost ALL gas stations WA state now, probably in yours too.
"Security is mostly a superstition, it does not exist in nature: avoiding danger in the long run is no safer than outright being exposed. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."-Helen Keller
Sickness? You fishing for a lawsuit? You're not one of those guys who has a supply of stiff neck collars in his car, right?
My 919 exhaust has a funny effect on me too - it usually makes me want to ride more. Guinness does the same thing. In all seriousness, changing to Leo Vince slip-ons changed the smell a bit. I still notice it but not as much. Maybe I'm just used to it.
When I first got the bike (new) it made my wife sick when she was on the back. After a couple hundred miles it started to lighten up. Now I hardly notice it with 10K on the clock. Stick with the low octane fuel, mine really stinks if I use 91 - 93.
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My bike did not stink at all for 9 months, then I took it in for a pre-roadtrip checkup at Honda and now it does (I have no idea why, they said they did nothing but spotcheck, adjust and lube). It does not make me sick though, and I usually don't pay attention to it. Good quality regular gas seems to mitigate it.
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Sickness? You fishing for a lawsuit? You're not one of those guys who has a supply of stiff neck collars in his car, right?
Hahaha...nahh...I guess I just wasn't used to the smell. After riding some more, I'm starting to somewhat get used to the smell. Actually, I've found a slight remedy as well. If I use my tail bag, it either absorbs some of the smell, or redirects the stink so that it's not completely on me. Which is sweet! I've got a set of Delkevics coming in the mail as well, can't wait to install those puppies...apparently the downward open end gets rid of a little bit of the smell also.
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