Just started oily smoke - why?

[Cook1e]

Good day gentlemen,
A few weeks ago, my 2001 R1150GS with around 53K on the clock started smoking on startup. A big cloud of blue oil smoke which disappears in a few seconds. Nothing changed that I know of and still doing it after a service last week.

I am aware that this is and always has been a feature of BMW boxer engines when the bike has been left on the side stand for a while - my old R80 used to do it.

My question is: why should this just start? I have had the bike about 3 years and put about 30K on it in that time. Serviced regularly, minimal oil consumption (sometimes half a litre or so between services) with Valvoline VR1 20w50, same as the last 3 or 4 services - Silkolene 20w50 semi-syn prior to that. Compression pressures checked last service 150psi right/180psi left with engine cold.

So, nothing that I know of changed, yet the smoke went from none to a cloud between one cold start and the next. Performance, ease of starting and oil consumption all OK. Unlikely to be a broken ring as compression OK.

I'm not unduly worried, I know other bikes do this all the time. I also know that if I park it on the centre stand it will probably cure it. I'm just curious

Any thoughts?

 

[Deleted account 220427001]

would not worry about it just check your oil lever more just incase

 

[Flipfly]

30psi difference in the cylinders? Could it be a poorly seating valve?

 

[Andrew B]

Stupid question, you haven't just started to leave it on the side stand have you?

If so it maybe "they all seem to do that sir!"

 

[Cook1e]

would not worry about it just check your oil level more just in case

Agreed, exactly what I am doing

30psi difference in the cylinders? Could it be a poorly seating valve?

Checked once, cold, both well above spec - I didn't bother repeating the test or worrying about the difference. If there was a problem, would be on the RH pot, as this is the lower reading. If it's leaking oil into the pot from the lean of the side-stand, it would be the LH pot right? Or have I missed something?

Stupid question, you haven't just started to leave it on the side stand have you?

If so it maybe "they all seem to do that sir!"

Not stupid, a good call, but no. Nothing has changed as far as I know (although clearly something IS different to make it start smoking).

Interestingly, I went out on it just after I posted #1. It didn't smoke...

 

[davegs]

Smoking

Check the air filter housing hasent filled up with oil, just undo the drain plug in the air filter box with a can under it and away you go.

 

[Flipfly]

Check the air filter housing hasent filled up with oil, just undo the drain plug in the air filter box with a can under it and away you go.

Good point!

You haven't overfilled it with oil, it's very easy to do thanks to the convoluted oil check procedure that nobody seems to do the same

 

[Wrigsby1]

Check for overfilling... A dealer did that to mine many years ago and it was 2/4 stroke until I drained 1/2 a litre out...

Go out and give a thrash to see if you have glazed a bore slightly...

We once had a K1200LT bike that had to be started outside as it smoked so much for the 1st minute or two...

 

[Cook1e]

Check the air filter housing hasn't filled up with oil, just undo the drain plug in the air filter box with a can under it and away you go.

Thanks for that, just been to check - all of 5 drops of very clean oil dripped out. Probably not an issue then?

Good point!

You haven't overfilled it with oil, it's very easy to do thanks to the convoluted oil check procedure that nobody seems to do the same

Check for overfilling... A dealer did that to mine many years ago and it was 2/4 stroke until I drained 1/2 a litre out...

Definitely not over-filled, was the same before & after the last service also. I keep it around half-way up the sight-glass. Ta for the pointer though.

Go out and give a thrash to see if you have glazed a bore slightly...

It gets a thrash every time I take it out It has occurred to me that I am prone to revving it quite a bit higher since mid-last year when I removed the cat and fitted a K&N and a Power Commander - as it now pulls hard up to 7K, it gets revved up there occasionally Compression is well in spec though, so I don't think the engine's wearing noticeably

I think the actual situation is that it smokes on start-up sometimes, whereas prior to a few weeks ago it never did. I may have imagined that it does it every time, but I'm sure it didn't this afternoon, as I was looking for it. When it does smoke, I can't help but notice. If it doesn't, I probably don't notice unless it's to the front of my mind as it was this afternoon.

I'll just carry on not worrying and keep an eye on it...

 

[Paul Young]

Piston rings lining up periodically? Oil draining back through at standstill then burning off on start-up is a possible.

 

[mikeyboy]

Piston rings lining up periodically? Oil draining back through at standstill then burning off on start-up is a possible.

 

[Cook1e]

Piston rings lining up periodically? Oil draining back through at standstill then burning off on start-up is a possible.

Yes, all possible and the effects are known. What I am interested in is why it has just started smoking, not why it smokes (if not "they all do that", certainly "many of them do that"). It never used to, now it does (sometimes). What changed?

 

[ahutcheon]

A couple of years back my 2003 1150gs started smoking on start up once in a while. Lots of blue smoke, for maybe half a minute at most. Probably more like ten seconds.

When I say once in a while, it's probably once a month if that. I've only noticed it after the bike has been parked on the side stand outside work all day. I think it correlates with the morning being cold when I parked up. Never happened yet when the bike has been on the centerstand in the garage.

I considered panicking, but it didn't get worse so I can't be bothered. I thought the rings on oilheads were pinned to stop them lining up and causing smoking on the side stand, but I can no longer remember where I got that idea.

Dunno if that helps / reassures.

 

[Cook1e]

I've only noticed it after the bike has been parked on the side stand outside work all day. I think it correlates with the morning being cold when I parked up. Never happened yet when the bike has been on the centerstand in the garage.

Dunno if that helps / reassures.

Colder weather - yes, I will try to remember to note the temp. when it smokes. Didn't do it last winter though and I ride all year. Side stand and long time standing - yes, maybe only if it stands for longer than a day. If anything, I'm riding more often since I quit work though...

Ta for the ideas - still not worried, just curious... y

 

[mspenz]

Might be worth doing an engine oil flush using some 'Forte' then change the oil and filter and thrash the t**s off it in case there's something a bit sticky

 

[mikeyboy]

i was working on my 1100 project bike today,trying to remove the old exhaust manifold gaskets(which took quite a while)
my point,
the L/H lower valve guide had a fair amount of carbon build up,around it compared to the others.
maybe your valve guides are getting a bit worn or the seals have hardened.
anyways i doubt very much that you will want to try and remove the exhaust for a looksee.

 

[Packer]

I'd also be thinking valve stem seals and possibly some wear on the guides. The sporadic nature of the start up smoke may relate to where in its rotation the crank stops when the engine is turned off.

I always used to use the centre stand anyway as it bugged me no end that using the side stand made fuel slosh into the left lobe of the tank and that when it was nearly empty it meant an imminent fill up.

 

[Cook1e]

Might be worth doing an engine oil flush using some 'Forte' then change the oil and filter and thrash the t**s off it in case there's something a bit sticky

Hmmm, if the camshafts and rockers are anything to go by, the engine's pretty clean. Also had the front cover off recently and also clean as the proverbial

i was working on my 1100 project bike today,trying to remove the old exhaust manifold gaskets(which took quite a while)
my point,
the L/H lower valve guide had a fair amount of carbon build up,around it compared to the others.
maybe your valve guides are getting a bit worn or the seals have hardened.
anyways i doubt very much that you will want to try and remove the exhaust for a looksee.

Had the exhausts off recently, strangely the upper valves are white and the lower ones are black - no significant build-up of carbon though.

I'd also be thinking valve stem seals and possibly some wear on the guides.

Entirely possible, and I think best idea so far - I changed the rocker cover seals and washers at the last service as they had hardened. I'm not likely to do anything about it unless oil consumption has increased substantially though.

The sporadic nature of the start up smoke may relate to where in its rotation the crank stops when the engine is turned off.

Yes, that occurred to me also.

So, probably just a natural symptom of a 50K engine with hardened rubber bits. I may look into valve stem seals next service. Thanks for the loan of the brain cells chaps

 

[Wrigsby1]

If I were you i would not worry about it unless/until it get substantially worse... It has long being held as fairly normal and as long as it clears up quickly them all is OK... I would certainly not be getting into a panic about stem seals etc... If oil consumption goes up dramatically then check thing out more thoroughly... If oil consumption of any kind was an issue then many BM owners would have died of stress so far and especially those whose new bikes could use it like water...

Ride it, keep and eye on it, enjoy it...

 

[Trullion]

My 850GS used to smoke on start-up even if left on the main stand overnight. It didn't always do it and it was always only the first start of the day. We're talking battleship smoke screen standard here, but it always cleared. I don't know why it started doing this for certain, but in the end I concluded that it was hardening of the valve seals. It certainly wasn't too high an oil level as I always set it to half way up the sight glass and never worried about it between oil changes. Even so, the air box was never bone dry as it always has been on my 1100RS on which I maintain the same oil change regime and that doesn't smoke even if parked overnight on its side stand. I guess so do, some don't.