R1200GS - 2 Stroke!

[JayC]

Well ok , not quite.

I recently posted about the 'wow-wow' noise emanating from my bike, which is most prominent in 5th at 2.5-3K rpm.

I took a ride out to the dealer today for an opinion and to cut a story short one of their guys took my bike out to see what he could hear. When he got back he confirmed he could hear the noise too , "it's what we call yoy-yoy"!

So , 'yoy-yoy' has been put down to the way the gears are cut and possibly slight discrepancies in the machining/assembly process could explain why it doesn't affect all bikes. However, he has heard this sound before now. When the first service is due they will change the g/box oil along with the other oils (not the normal thing to do apparently!) and see where we are.

The guy said they would be happy to put a new box in but he doesn't really feel that would be fair to the current g/box this early. He would like the bike to have done 3K miles before they go down that road.

Now then, talking of going down the road, and after a stop at my mothers home whilst on my own way back home, I get back on my bike and upon firing her up I see a cloud of blue smoke in my mirror!
Surely that must be the bloke next door with some kind of 2 stroke strimmer or summat?

I dismount - jeepers , my new R1200 has turned into a fucking 2 stroke!
The cloud cleared after about 10 secs but I am not a happy bunny!

I am asking myself 'did he blat my bike - didn't he realise it is only 400 miles old - has he done this - it wasn't doing it before?'

After getting home I have parked the bike up in exactly the same manner as earlier , on its side stand. I shall give it an hour before a restart with my GoPro set to vid...

Yes it is under warranty , that's not the point!

 

[Mr K]

"Side stand" is the clue...if yer rings ain't bedded in yet and even if they are, oil can creep past them into the left combustion chamber if it's left on the side stand for a while.

 

[JayC]

"Side stand" is the clue...if yer rings ain't bedded in yet and even if they are, oil can creep past them into the left combustion chamber if it's left on the side stand for a while.

Thanks for that piece of reassurance.

The sidestand did occur to me , hence my ref above "parked the bike up in exactly the same manner as earlier , on its side stand..."

Never having had a 'new' bike before this naturally put the willies up me, pink or otherwise, and upon restarting an hour after parking up, no smoke!

I have taken a pic of the oil level as it currently is (on centre stand).

In 400 miles from new the level has dropped from the top of the red ring to where it is now.

That can't be normal for a new bike.... can it?

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Jayc

Mine does it occasionally and blows out a big cloud of blue smoke which I guess is unburnt oil. It's probably happend 8-10 times with no warning at all but it happens when it's been on the side stand. No clue why it does this because it's done 70k and uses no oil between services

My guess it's a bit of oil sitting somewhere where it shouldn't be and the old girl just blows it out the back. I did ask the dealer a few years back and they they didn't know what it was and it's never bothered me to be honest

I shouldn't worry about it

 

[Sgt Bilco]

I have taken a pic of the oil level as it currently is (on centre stand).

In 400 miles from new the level has dropped from the top of the red ring to where it is now.

That can't be normal for a new bike.... can it?

Yep, perfectly normal and some boxer engine's use oil until they are properly bedded in. Oh, don't be tempted to top up your oil at that level as it's spot on

 

[autogs]

jayc comeon man,have you read the owners book regarding oil level,the correct way to check it and oil consumption?
its an old engine tech wise,it will use oil untill run in,so run it in as per handbook and all will be ok.

 

[duckspeed]

I imagine the lay of the land could have a bearing if this brings oil over the level of the barrel. Having said that my 18,000 mile bike has never done it, maybe it is a "bedding in" thing?
My ex-rainbow technician mate recons it can take 10,000 miles to bed in a 1200, and some oil consumption is expected in that time

 

[JayC]

Yep, perfectly normal and some boxer engine's use oil until they are properly bedded in. Oh, don't be tempted to top up your oil at that level as it's spot on

Is that the same as when a dealer says "they all do that sir..."?

Thanks for your views Clint ...er Bilko! Sorry about that, whenever I see your posts I think Clint is part of the forum! Gotta be the coolest of all avatars.

Right, I'm not g-g-go-going to worry ....too m-m-mu-much.

 

[JayC]

jayc comeon man,have you read the owners book regarding oil level,the correct way to check it and oil consumption?
its an old engine tech wise,it will use oil untill run in,so run it in as per handbook and all will be ok.

I'm reading it now!

 

[Jonnybiscuit]

....Oh, don't be tempted to top up your oil at that level as it's spot on

Err....not in my book. That level is OK, but a top up to max wouldn't go amiss.

 

[littleredrooster]

its an old engine tech wise,it will use oil untill run in,so run it in as per handbook and all will be ok.

Which bit is old tech then?

 

[beatmeier]

Err....not in my book. That level is OK, but a top up to max wouldn't go amiss.

??????? i disagree ......like sgt bilco said .......between max and min is the perfect fill ........as a fromer car dealer we have monitored this for a good few years and found that if you top up to max on newer engines , they more likely than not will dirink the extra oil down to a mid level. the reasons for it are not very clear but they just did .........

maybe its like a totally full bucket .....it spills to easily ??????


like talking about oil ??

 

[stever1]

My 12 GS is still using oil after 13500 miles, but it is using less than it did when new. So perhaps they all do that sir !.

 

[mark2jag]

Dont worry about it. I had a 60 plate 1200 GS and if you left it parked on its sidestand overnight it would sometimes give a slight puff of blue smoke for the first 3 or 4 seconds and then it was gone and running perfectly normally. Just ride the bloody thing, or if you dont want to, give it to me and I'LL ride it for you, as a favour like, knowwhatimean

 

[roamer]

My 1150 gsa did use a drop of oil , and occasionally smoked if left on the sidestand,
i recall it was considered a characteristic as the cylinder hangs upside down on the sidestand
this has probably carried over to the 1200, although my 11 plate doesnt do it i do keep the oil at the level yours is,
regarding the noize i am sure it has got quieter as now at 3500 miles bought at 700, so maybe yours will bed in,
regarding oil consumption some car manufacturers consider 400 mls on a litre ok,,,,,,
roamer

 

[Jonnybiscuit]

............. monitored this for a good few years and found that if you top up to max on newer engines , they more likely than not will dirink the extra oil down to a mid level.

...and then stop using oil????? That's a new one on me

like talking about oil ??

Only when the thread's about OIL

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Err....not in my book. That level is OK, but a top up to max wouldn't go amiss.

You have to do what you feel best but in my humble opinion, people who constantly top up are putting in too much which is just blowing out the back or sitting in the airbox. They therefore constantly think their steed is using oil when in fact it's just finding it's natural level. Does that make sense?

Also, you can look at the window a dozen times and find a dozen different levels I just check mine in the morning and if there is oil in the glass, we are good to go. It's worked well for 5 years and 70,000miles

 

[Jonnybiscuit]

Yeah, makes perfect sense if you're over filling, i.e. topping up above the FULL mark. If it "blows some off" (not saying over filling is OK BTW), it should only bring it back to Max surely? Unless it's been over filled to the point where some more substantial damage has been caused, or are you saying MAX is too much? .
Not arguing with you that mid-way is OK. It's just that when touring (or doing substantial mileage runs), I think it's better to keep topped up to max (in the morning, before the off) and avoid an unscheduled "oil stop" mid route.
My '11 1200 has done 7500 miles now and still uses some oil. Just done a 15 day, 3700 mile tour (incl. a couple of 600+ days) and it used about 1.25L (not excessive on a newish engine IMO). If I'd accepted oil visible somewhere in the glass = OK ride on for the day, I'd have been stopping at the side of the road when the warning came up.
This is a bit of something of nothing. Wish I'd kept quiet now