VFR1200 using coolant

I've got a vfr1200 w dct 2010, about 120k on the odo.
Lately it's been consuming a substantial amount of coolant. About a litre a day. It's not going in the oil.
There is no obvious leak visible. But I do smell it at the rad cap/filler neck area. But no visible moisture.
I'm going to replace both the remote filler neck & the cap, but am concerned that I can only smell it & not see it.
Any ideas?

 

Wow that is some thirst. If you can smell it, then I assume it is leaking on/around the engine and evaporating away so there is no liquid trace (or it is on the road behind you). When you refill is it just the reservoir that you are topping off?

I haven't dug that far into my 1200 just yet but from photos I can see there are some small hoses in the V that are for bleeding air, and if those have decided to leak, you may not see much evidence but likewise, you won't be able to check them without lifting the throttle bodies. I'd expect the radiator to remain full but the reservoir to drop.

Another option is if the cap won't hold pressure, that can allow the coolant to boil in the engine at lower temperatures and the steam formed then coughs the coolant out of the reservoir. The engine/radiator remains full but the reservoir will drop.

Yet another possibility is the hose to/from the reservoir, if that gets a pinhole you can end up with oneway flow to the reservoir, then when the engine cools it draws air back into the radiator. This one leaves the reservoir full and drains the radiator/engine.

 

+1 on the rad cap.
My 2010 VFR1200 DCT is also losing coolant.
The last time I went to replace the coolant, I foolishly neglected to replace the rad cap.

 

This will tell you where it's going, if it's not being incinerated by the engine, but the exhaust should be white and somewhat visible if it's getting into the combustion chamber.

Amazon.com: TSI Supercool RD8 Radiator Coolant Water Based U/V Leak Detection Dye (Self Measure Bottle), Purple, 8-Ounce Bottle : Automotive

Just buy a cheapo uv light with the dye. Like Liquid-Plumr, just pour it in and it works.

You can also stuff a borescope down into each cylinder (much work, padawan.), and you will easily see the carbon scoured off the offending cylinder(s) piston top(s), if it's getting into the cylinder. Not familiar with the water pump location or type...but it could have blown an inner seal and you would see that by visually checking the oil or sending the oil to an oil testing laboratory for analysis.

When the engine is running do you see a bunch of bubbles in the radiator with the cap off?

 

No, no bubbles present with the engine running.