What I saw in my oil site glass

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cswett
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What I saw in my oil site glass

Post by cswett »

So yesterday before going on a ride, I checked my oil. Sight glass showed no oil (I had just ridden 3 blocks to get gas so some was probably in the oil coolers) but looking in the empty sight glass, I saw what looked to be a piece of white fabric, triangular, with the apex of the triangle right in the middle of the sight glass like it was suspended from the dot that marks the middle of the glass. The rest was fanning out below. It was maybe 1/2 inch wide at the base of the triangle, and appeared to have folds. Not saying it was fabric, but that's what it reminded me of. I would have taken a picture to post but my riding buddy was waiting to take off, so I had to add oil and go.
I have no idea what it was or if I should be worried. Bike is a 2004 1150r, with 5,800 miles. I changed the oil/filter about 700 miles ago, but ride mostly very short distances, like 4 freeway miles to work each day. Yesterday was a 60-mile ride, though.
I added about 1/3 quart of oil before taking off, and after the ride the oil was exactly at the center mark, and I couldn't see the white stuff anymore.
I swear I wasn't on drugs.
Any thoughts?
R1150Rclean
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Re: What I saw in my oil site glass

Post by R1150Rclean »

Looks like something got dropped into your oil fill hole. Get it hot and drain it, why it did not get trapped in the oil filter I do not know, maybe it is now. I have a locking oil fill cap on mine.
ebincia
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Re: What I saw in my oil site glass

Post by ebincia »

You said, "but ride ,mostly very short distances like 4 freeway miles to work each day."

This (mostly very short distances) is the key to getting condensation in the oil. I see it every winter ...a whitish opaque color that takes on various shapes. Oil + Water = White liquid. I could be wrong, but the short trip evidence is key ...I think.

I would advise yu to run it up to normal operation temp to boil of the bad stuff. That is about 25 to 30 minutes of normal operation in cold weather.
challey
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Re: What I saw in my oil site glass

Post by challey »

It seems highly unlikely to me that a piece of fabric could have found its way through and into the crankcase. The hypothesis by ebincia seems much more plausible. I have seen the cloudy condensate he talks about in my crankcase on 2 occasions - both were the day after short rides in cold weather. The clouding disappeared after the first long ride that allowed the engine to reach its normal operating temperature.

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boxermania
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Re: What I saw in my oil site glass

Post by boxermania »

+1 with Ebincia. The way you normaly use your bike, condensation would be the first thing I would think off.
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riceburner
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Re: What I saw in my oil site glass

Post by riceburner »

boxermania wrote:+1 with Ebincia. The way you normaly use your bike, condensation would be the first thing I would think off.
+2
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cswett
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Re: What I saw in my oil site glass

Post by cswett »

Thanks, all
I hope this condensation won't damage the engine. It did seem to go away after my 60-mile ride on Sunday. But this week I'll return to the short rides in chilly -- by California standards -- weather.
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Re: What I saw in my oil site glass

Post by Lion_Lady »

cswett wrote:Thanks, all
I hope this condensation won't damage the engine. It did seem to go away after my 60-mile ride on Sunday. But this week I'll return to the short rides in chilly -- by California standards -- weather.
I recommend that at least once a week, you take the "long way home" - good for sanity as well as the motorcycle's "health"

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Re: What I saw in my oil site glass

Post by Boxer »

Yeah. Take some long rides to get the oil very hot. Sometimes when the oil does not get the impurities out of it, they turn into little triangular gremlins and appear without notice at the little window trying to escape. Take some long rides and they'll disappear.
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