I started my scooter in the garage last Saturday and about a table spoon worth of water sputtered out of the exhaust. I have not washed it and I have not ridden it in the rain. Where did the water come from? It wasn’t gasoline. It was odorless and I’m sure it was water.
Is this normal? Does this mean something needs to be fixed on my scooter? It runs fine other than that.
Rob
It’s been cold, so this is not abnormal.
I would vote for “condensation”. No biggy
You’re wrong. This is normal, just condensation. This will happen sometimes when the temperature of the exhaust is hotter than the outside air. 
Humidity doesn’t help the situation either. Don’t sweat it!
You’re wrong. This is normal, just condensation. This will happen sometimes when the temperature of the exhaust is hotter than the outside air. Humidity doesn’t help the situation either. Don’t sweat it![/quote]
read it again.
Water is a byproduct of internal combustion.
Usually it’s hot enough that it is expelled as vapour.
No biggie.
you could always drink it to see if you have a secret fuel cell in your scooter…
You’re wrong. This is normal, just condensation. This will happen sometimes when the temperature of the exhaust is hotter than the outside air. Humidity doesn’t help the situation either. Don’t sweat it![/quote]
read it again.
Hahah, did I read that wrong or did you mistype it? Haha funny!
Edit: The engine’s power stroke causes water droplets in the damp intake air as well as hydrocarbons to vaporise. Once hot exhaust gas-air enters the exhaust pipe during a cold start then the cooler exhaust pipe condenses the water vapour into droplets which accumulate and then cause the trickle of water you describe. This is a perfectly natural phenomenon. Edit: Heightened levels of humidity are even more apparent in colder temperatures as the greater quantity of water vapour in the air, combined with hydrocarbon burn can produce copious amounts of steam which is not always apparent in hotter temperatures.
On a water cooled engine however, water coming out of the exhaust when the exhaust is already hot and the entire system is up to operating temperature is not always a normal thing. This could potentially be caused by a leak in the engine’s cooling system which is managing to enter the engine’s cylinders. In such a situation it is often possible to test with one simple procedure. With the radiator cold, remove the radiator cap. You may notice a drop in radiator coolant which could be due to the leak. After topping the radiator up and with the cap off, start the engine. If there is a constant presence of bubbles in the radiator and if the bubbling becomes more violent when the engine is revved, then there is more than likely a leak in either the cylinder head, cylinder liner(s) or most commonly, a head gasket failure. It is also important in this case to check the engine oil as water leaks are also often associated with water contamination in the engine oil. This can cause catastrophic problems over a relatively short period of time.
You need not worry about the situation I just described above in a typical water cooled system if your motorcycle is an air cooled engine, which it most likely is. Of course an air cooled engine generally has no water feed in or around the engine, and any water from the tailpipe, is indeed simply condensation.
These past few weeks have been quite cold and very damp. If you pay attention to most cold starting vehicles, you will notice the same phenomenon.
It is normal on most car exhaust pipes to have a small drainage hole towards the rear section of the exhaust where this condensation can drain from. In the case of a motorcycle exhaust this is not often the case. It is for this reason that motorcycles are best run until the exhaust is hot enough to burn off any excess water from within the system. In cases where a motorcycle only travels short distances and doesn’t have the opportunity to warm through properly then the exhaust can store this water which will accelerate corrosion within the exhaust and shorten the life of the pipe. This is not to mention that short runs also tend to shorten life expectancy of an engine’s internal components, but that’s another story.
So my scoot is not broken. That’s good news. Thank you! 
I’ll also try to make sure I let it heat up good before I park it when I go on short rides. 
when you burn hydrocarbons (ie, gasoline) you make carbon dioxide and water, and that’s where most of the water comes from. exhaust gas condensation.
no problem, unless you never run the bike long enough to dry the exhaust pipe out (more than a minute or so)
You’re wrong. This is normal, just condensation. This will happen sometimes when the temperature of the exhaust is hotter than the outside air. Humidity doesn’t help the situation either. Don’t sweat it![/quote]
read it again.
Hahah, did I read that wrong or did you mistype it? Haha funny! [/quote]
“This is not abnormal” is perfectly proper English. I used that form instead of “this is normal” because the OP had never seen water coming out of his scooter exhaust before.