Motorcycle Forum banner

Oil sight glass

11K views 16 replies 9 participants last post by  Dodsfall 
#1 ·
Hello everyone. I have a 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 650 R. I changed my oil and now when I check my oil by looking at the sight glass it has what appears to be condensation in it. I leaned my bike over to get oil to contact the sight glass but it does not wash the condensation away. The oil looks like clean oil instead of milky water contaminated oil. Does any one have any ideas of what is causing the condensation? Should I be alarmed? Thank you for any help or advice you can give me.
 
#2 ·
Some condensation can build up in cool weather as the engine cools down. If the oil looks clean, it's most likely not a big deal. Being sure to get the engine fully hot between uses will help in evaporating condensation. Keep an eye on the oil and if it starts to become contaminated, you probably have a more serious leak.
 
#4 ·
Yep, always run the engine to normal operating temperature whenever you can. Helps keep this from happening.

On the subject I recall when I first got my Sportster. HD put out a service bulletin about this. They were having issues with the crankcase vents freezing shut on bikes where people rode short distance in cold weather on a regular basis.
 
#6 ·
I have the same bike and while I have never had your problem, its more likely that the sight glass is double paned and just has condensation between the two panes and not actually IN the oil. Makes sense to me if the condensation isn't going away when the oil touches it... or maybe I'm misunderstanding your predicament...
 
#7 ·
Actually, re-reading the OP's post and all the subsequent responses, I'm pretty sure that I understood and everyone else misunderstood. The condensation isn't INSIDE the engine if the condensation isn't going away when leaning the bike over. The oil would most certainly move the condensation droplets around. So, I say you have nothing to worry about and to just ride it and keep an eye out for leaks around the sight glass. You could always take it to your dealer though if you're paranoid.
 
#8 ·
i know that some people tell you that you can put a bottle of alcohol in a car's gas tank if it gets contaminated with water... the alcohol makes the water evaporate off, then the alcohol itself evaporates off... i dont know if its the same for oil... i guess the main thing is not to pour an entire bottle of alcohol in your oil. maybe just a few tablespoons, and let it evaporate off with the lid cracked before you ride it..

it may work........ it may not......... then again, you may not have enough water in there to make it worth trying. its most likely the weather as others said
 
#9 ·
I too was wondering if the glass was double paned. The bike seems to run fine, no different than before I noticed the problem. Hopefully the weather will be nice enough to ride come Thursday. Then I can ride for a while and see if the problem goes away when the engine runs a while at operating temp. Thanks everyone for your help.
 
#10 ·
I've had that clutch cover off my bike before to swap in some stiffer clutch springs, it DID appear to be double paned. Trust me man, you don't have water in your oil if the condensation doesn't move around when you lean the bike over. Its just common sense...Oil hitting the inside glass would disperse the water droplets as it touches it IF those droplets were inside the actual engine.

It will likely go away once you ride the bike since the oil will be hot and will warm up that double paned window, causing the condensation to evaporate...
 
#15 ·
I get it all the time in cool weather because I live too close to work. ;)

It happens because the sight glass is single-paned, which means it's the coldest part of the engine -- what with all the cold air going right over it's surface.

Deposits may not wash off if you lean the bike because they're a thick sticky mixture of combustion by-products and water. However if you go for a nice long ride they should melt off and disappear.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top