It's very important to stop the engine as soon as water gets in to the air filter. It's at this point that it will most likely get into the cylinder, followed 'very possibly' by hydraulic lock, and that will be the end of your crank and conrod.

Also there is the danger of getting water into the crank case 'Milky oil'. Adding water to the oil will mean you now have too much liquid in the engine which can cause problems related to over filling. Of course the water will get into all the bearings etc and if left will cause corrosion, significantly reducing the life of the engine.

However don't panic just yet. It is very easy to sort out a drowned bike and can easily be done on the road side/river bank.
Once the bike is drowned (or you suspect it is) DON'T try to start the engine. Get the bike out of the water, and remove the spark plug/s. Crank the bike over to remove the ingested water. Check the oil leval. If it is milky and over the maximum leval, you will need to remove some. either from the filler or by tipping the bike on it's side and undoing the sump plug.
Finaly remove the air filter, it's wet and won't be much good.

When you have get the bike home you will need to do an oil change immediately to flush out any impurities and water vapor. I use a cheep oil to do this. take the bike for a short ride to get the oil hot and then dump it and refill with your normal oil and new air and oil filters. You might need to do this a couple of times.

Lastly a couple of things to think of:
When oil and water mix they create a foam (white oil?) that can get trapped in the engine. This can some times cause other problems at a later date.

Also if you know you are going fording, remember the impact you could have on the environment and be prepared for the worst. When I lead ford rides, I carry spare oil and filters for my bike and tell others to do the same. I also carry a 5ltr collapsible water carrier, which is handy for draining oil into. And lots of rags as things can get messy out there. It ain't difficult to do and makes the whole experience much more fun, knowing that whatever happens you are prepared and can get home.


Val.