Storage Question

[snerkler]

I was speaking to someone last week who told me not to store/leave my bike on the sidestand for extended periods as all the oil drains into the left pot and knackers the right one up. Is this true or a load of old cobblers?
If it's true what's the longest you should leave it on the sidestand?
Cheers

 

[Boxerboy55]

. . . someone . . .told me not to store/leave my bike on the sidestand for extended periods as all the oil drains into the left pot and knackers the right one up. Is this true or a load of old cobblers?
If it's true what's the longest you should leave it on the sidestand?

Definition of "extended period" please?

Fuel stop? Coffee break? Summer holiday? Winter lay up? 5 years?

Lots of reasons why using a centre stand or even blocks to keep both wheels off the ground can be "better" than using the side stand, but I think (opinions allowed on here remember) the one given above falls into your category 2 - B.O.L.L.O.C.K.S.

Sorry - C.O.B.B.L.E.R.S.

Just my opinion remember

 

[littleredrooster]

So how long should I leave my car engine with its four cylinders way up in the air above the oil?

Do I have to be careful not to park my Subaru on a slope because it has a flat-four engine?

Cobblers, in your own words, spoken by someone who knows nowt.

 

[snerkler]

So how long should I leave my car engine with its four cylinders way up in the air above the oil?

Do I have to be careful not to park my Subaru on a slope because it has a flat-four engine?

Cobblers, in your own words, spoken by someone who knows nowt.

A fellow Scooby driver I see

I thought it sounded like bs, but ya never know sometimes

So far my bike hasn't been parked up for more than 3 days. I can't see it ever being parked up more than 2 weeks, unless we have a winter like the last one again.

The person who I spoke to said that anthing over 3 days was not good

 

[RickG]

There is an element of fact in the side stand story, but it's got confused

If your valve guide oil seals are worn then leaving the bike on the side stand will allow the pooled oil in the LH head to run down the guide and into the port. This does cause the bike to smoke when started but it should quickly clear as the small amount of oil is burnt off. Putting it on the main stand does prevent this.

I can see no reason why this would have the slightest affect on the RH head but a small number of people who have had a engine failures due to dropped valves have suggested a link between side standing and valve dropping. I can't see a causal relationship myself but that's how these ideas crop up and persist.

 

[Deleted account 190920001]

the reason given is rubbish, the left pot is well above the oil level so isnt going to flood with oil. But, yes there is always a but, if I leave mine on sidestand for say a week the fuel gauge screws up giving inaccurate readings for a couple of tank full's. No idea why but thats what happens to mine anyway. In fact I would say it has never been right after I was forced to lay the bike up with all the ice/snow on the roads. Coincidence or not I dont know but thats what happens.

 

[Balders1450]

I was speaking to someone last week who told me not to store/leave my bike on the sidestand for extended periods as all the oil drains into the left pot and knackers the right one up. Is this true or a load of old cobblers?
If it's true what's the longest you should leave it on the sidestand?
Cheers

Surely that depends on what oil you are using!!!

Yeah but no but....it's bollx.....

 

[GSmonkey]

As long as your oil pump can pump oil you're OK. If not, you'd knacker your engine every time you went round a corner.

 

[littleredrooster]

........If your valve guide oil seals are worn then leaving the bike on the side stand will allow the pooled oil in the LH head to run down the guide and into the port. ........

I think you will find that the oil would have to run uphill, not down, to get into the port. The valve heads are above the stems when on the sidestand, shirley.....?

 

[Pukmeister]

I had my old 2004 model R1200GS for 5 years, it was regularly left parked on its sidestand in my garage for weeks whilst I went to sea. Sold it recently with absolutely no engine worries whatsoever. Basically the advice you were given is wrong IMHO.

 

[RickG]

I think you will find that the oil would have to run uphill, not down, to get into the port. The valve heads are above the stems when on the sidestand, shirley.....?

You are quite right, the valve heads are above the stems when on the side stand, but if the oil level in the rocker box is higher than port end of the valve guide the oil will still be running run down gradient even though the guide is pointing slightly upward

 

[andyclift]

I know BMW have made a few cock ups in their GS designs but it seems a bit far fetched that with an engine design they have been using since Jesus was a kid they have produced a bike that would wreck an engine if it was left on the side stand for a few days.

 

[littleredrooster]

......but if the oil level in the rocker box is higher than port end of the valve guide the oil will still be running run down gradient even though the guide is pointing slightly upward

I think you'll find that the oil will drain down the cam-chain tunnel back to the sump where it belongs even when it's on the side-stand.

 

[RickG]

I think you'll find that the oil will drain down the cam-chain tunnel back to the sump where it belongs even when it's on the side-stand.

I agree, what you say would make sense. Having had a bit of a search, the consensus is that the oil that sometimes causes smoke on start up after parking on the side stand is from oil seeping past the rings on the LH cylinder. I stand corrected.

 

[Kremmen]

The early K100 "bricks" suffered from this problem until i believe the rings were pegged....... occasionally embracing when starting with people around you or on the chunnel shuttle trains, but nothing more.

 

[Wicker]

My R1100S Sport only has side stand and has been left for several months (I am was using my other bike instead) at a time. Guess after 9 years and 71K any kind of oil problem would have shown up by now.