[bananawing]

Before all the smart a** chip in, the smell is coming from the exhaust, not the seat.
'01 with origional (faster) ECM, 75,000 miles. Since this bike was new it has had a smell like a bad running vehicle with a rotten catalitic converter. The harder it is ridden the worse the smell. Rode 120 miles down the freeway at 85 mph, pulled in for gas and the stench (running or not) was embarassing. The bike got 34 mpg that tank, at 70 it gets 36 / 38, at 60 it gets 38 /40.
I have wondered for years if this is an indicator of bad o2 sensors. I hate the idea of throwing random parts at a good running bike. Any ideas?

 

[rhughes]

have you reset the ecm

 

[tfdeputydawg]

Do as post above suggests.
If that doesn't correct it, may be time for a visit to a good mechanic.
1? Are you by any chance using premium gas?

 

[Waldo]

if it smells like rotten eggs or sulfer it may just be the gas or your canisters flooded . I only buy shell or sunoco gasoline if possible . most other brands stink if not literally

 

[Paddy O'Dailey]

Spray some Fabreeze up the tail pipes.

 

[bananawing]

The ECM has been reset using every method posted with no results. Fuel grade makes no difference. Sea foam, cheveron, etc. do not help the smell.

 

[DailyRider]

Spray some Fabreeze up the tail pipes.

....and just in case, on the seat too!

:joke:

 

[bananawing]

I don't overfill the bike, so I doubt it is the cannister. It doesn't matter if the bike is full or near empty. Fuel brands make no difference.

 

[Cowboy26a]

Bananawing, what does the plugs look like when you change them?

 

[pauln]

I had a 2001 that I bought used with 25,000 miles. It had a stinky exhaust (yes, it was embarrassing at times :roll. It ran prefectly, but I thought something must be wrong so I changed plugs and the O2 sensors. Those items did not change it at all - it would still stink up the garage between the time I got it started and backed out. It had the revised ECM to stop the overheating problem. My next step was to change the ECM to the original one, but I had a chance to sell it and get a 2010, so I obviously I never followed through on that.

 

[bananawing]

The plugs are all a matching light brown color. The compression in all cylynders is 142 to 150.

 

[jjolly]

stinky stuff

A bad catalytic converter will surely give you a rotten egg smell..Has that been considered?

 

[silver6shooter]

Wonder if some sort of critters got up the pipe and are not situated where they could be blown out instead of just cooking them? I mean if they can manage their way onto the top of the air filter with a half-bushel of insulation....:shrug:

 

[Sgttj]

Smell

+1 on the catalytic convertor. Its the only thing that I know of that would produce a smell as bad as the OP describes.

 

[Red]

One of my 01's would almost gag you when stopping quick after a high speed run. The people at toll booths hated me. lol...

Ran great and good mpg so I didn't worry about it!

 

[Toy Teacher]

When you buy gas away from home like on a trip do you get the same smell?? Some regional areas have a much higher sulfer content than others and it does not matter brand or grade.

 

[Ed Z]

I third on the Catalytic Convertor... Should be able to get a good used one pretty reasonably...

 

[MarkEkberg]

Buy me some torque tubes and I will send you both my cats. Good trade?

 

[ssncob]

cat convertor

Your catalytic convertor is bad/shot/worn, whatever term you wish to use.

While some convertors don't do a real complete job straight from the factory because the mfr is trying to save some money and use the minimum amount of catalyst they can, more than likely something has been used in the fuel system that has contaminated the precious metal used in the convertor.

In a working convertor, usually the only time you get the smell is when the unit has not come up to temperature yet, so you get incomplete catalysation of the exhaust, or the engine is running rich and again incomplete catalysation.

Since you indicated your plugs are the right color, and you are getting good gas mileage, then something has reduced the effective surface area of the convertor. More than likely a gas additive of some kind was used that fouled the convertor. Only two ways to correct it (three if you count nose plugs)

1st is drain the beads out of the convertor and replace them. Removing the beads is not uncommon, has to be done on American cars shipped over to other countries like Iceland (experienced that one). You can buy replacement beads, best to go to the junk yard for an old cat and use the ones in it.

2nd is to replace the cat completely. Either option will be expensive, as the precious metals market has gone up with our corresponding decline in the general economy.

May be able to get a cat from a bike junkyard. Might want to do a sniff test and see if the smell is coming mainly from just one side to limit the amount of work and replacement cost.

Good luck to you.

 

[roddy sams]

I had an o2 sensor go bad on my 01.The exhaust on that side was sooted up.It had that sort of smell and down in the low 30's for mileage.