FAST COOLANT LEAK AFTER OVERHEAT

[murphyg27]

I have am old 99 vii 1200 and have not been able to ride due to a bad hip. I
have been not been able to ride for over a year but start the bike
regularly to keep things semi fresh.
A couple of days ago while doing this my giant dog got out and took off, in
my haste to catch him before he scared everyone to death. By the time I got
him back into the car and got home the bike had overheated and stalled
out, coolant had leaked onto the floor. I tried replacing the coolant but
it just leaks right out. I am hoping I have done no real damage. Due to my
lack of mobility and next to non existent mechanical skills I am trying to
locate the source of the leak to determine the extent of the damage and how
to repair it. The leak does not appear to be coming from the radiator but
high up in an area I cannot see but leaks out very quickly. The only thing
more limited than my mobility is my budget since I have been on disability
since just before xmas. When I get the hip fixed next year I hope to ride
again. Thanks for any advice in getting this thing going

[Tonyvdb]

That is unfortunate, the first thing I would look at is the filler cap located under the faulse tank in front of the seat. There are two Allen head screws on the side of this faulse tank just in front of the seat. Remove those and the there is two plastic twist locks on either side under the tank just on the sides above the motor that turn and then hang loose in their holders. The tank will just lift right out of the way (the wires that connect to the Cruze control box are long enough that you can just place the faulse tank on the seat for now).

The coolant fill cap is located in front of the battery near the steering tree. It may have come off or the hose under it has either come off or deteriorated so much that it has failed.

If that is not the leak location then there is a hose connection at the top of the rad that may have failed or two hoses under the battery that connect to the motor and go up to the thermostat.

Unfortunately these hoses get old and eventually fail and need replacement but can still be ordered from many different places. There are a total of I believe 8 hose pieces in the system.

[chevyman1]

I would check the hoses and also when you get the leak fixed make sure the fan is coming on.

[SgtSlag]

Check the oil, as well -- would recommend changing both oil and filter, to be safe (see below, for treatment suggestion). I assume the engine has not seized? You may want to treat the crankcase with SeaFoam, to remove any oxidized oil, and residue, from the crankcase, as well as the transmission: add 1 oz. of SeaFoam, per quart of oil, to the engine (3-4 oz. is safe), start it up, and let it idle for five minutes which will warm the oil to around 180 F; then shut it down, and change the oil/filter.

With regards to starting it up periodically... I would not. I store my bikes through the Winter months, usually around 4-5 months, total. I prepare the bike, then I store it, without ever starting it up until Spring riding season is upon me. This prevents condensation, particularly in the gas tank, and the exhaust pipes, avoiding rust issues. As long as the bike is properly prepared for long-term storage, there won't be a problem leaving it sit for up to 24 months, if using SeaFoam as a fuel stabilizer (idle the bike for a couple of minutes to push the treated gasoline through the carburetors, before shutting it down for the long wait period). Make sure to use a smart charger, as well, to maintain the battery. Stored three bikes for the Winters, for several years, never had a fuel-related issue from storage, they always fire up like they were parked the day before. Cheers!