Only had my 87 K100RT for 3 months and just noticed when the bike is on the center stand(not running) the oil fully covers to the top of the sight window. When it is running on the center stand the oil is now at the very bottom of the sight window; my question is this normal. Bike runs fine no overheating or skipping. It just seems like I should see oil at least around the center dot.

Most accurate way to determine the oil level is on the center stand with the motor not running. Once running the oil is sent into journals and heads etc, and will give a false low reading.

Thanks club_c, so as long as my oil level is good while the bike is not running on the centerstand, the false reading I see when it is should be no concern

Right, no different than checking the oil level of a running car, the reading is useless.

club_c wrote:Right, no different than checking the oil level of a running car, the reading is useless.

Not necessarily though! For dry sump lubrication it is not unusual to measure on a running engine (at least this is the case for several cars)...

Very very few cars as a percentage of cars have dry sumps. The K is not a dry sump engine and also if the oil is at the top of the sight glass when switched off, drained back down and on the centre stand it is over full.
Regards,
K-BIKE

That is true and furthermore, out of the few cars that have a dry sump, there is plenty that have they're oil level check with engine stopped...

Hi Kbet - welcome to the forum.

Your oil sounds fine to me. I wouldn't worry about it. Ideally, when the bike is switched off and on its centre stand, the oil level in the sight glass should be level with the small dot (red dot on my bike) in the middle of the sight glass.

It's entirely normal for the oil level to drop to the bottom of the sight glass (or even completely out of sight) when the bike is running. What's happening there as somebody earlier said, is that the oil is being pumped through the engine (pistons, bearings etc etc) when the engine is running - which is what it is supposed to do.

The sight glass is positioned on the sump which is the catchment area for all the oil when it is not running.

You could have a situation where you have too MUCH oil (if the sight glass is entirely full with oil when the bike is switched off - how do you know how much further "up" the sight glass and above it the true oil level is.

Even this is not too serious and I would not worry about it.

Since you recently got the bike, how about an oil change old boy? ...

Then you can be sure she has nice new clean blood and you can also make sure of the levels...

Its easy to change the oil if you have the right tool, even if you don't there are "vays and means" - see elsewhere on this forum.

I did mine in 10 minutes flat.

Also, good idea to change the filter while you're about it - they are pretty cheap.

Also, frequent oil and/or filter changes (without being unreasonable or anal about it) are always a good thing which will give your bike great mileage before needing a new engine - it is the single most important and critical thing any owner of a vehicle should do to extend the usability of the bike, even if they do nothing else.

Also, on these bikes, it is even more important on the older bikes to avoid your sprag clutch "gumming up" (which ultimately means it will no longer engage properly and it will just spin when you hit the starter and your bike won't start!).

There are "vays and means" to "clean" your sprag clutch also (see elsewhere on this forum - its a common problem), but I decided to clean mine properly but I had to strip a large portion of the bike to do that which took a lot of time!

In summary, give her frequent oil changes and hopefully you will avoid lots of that potential heartache....

Regards,
Barry

When filling up your bike with oil after an oil and filter change, do it slowly, and take note how very little oil it takes to go from the bottom of the sight glass to the centre of it. I NEVER fill mine to the centre dot when changing the oil, but leave it just below that mark because after a run of a few kilometres the oil level will often 'adjust' itself to the centre of the sight glass, and then slowly increase over the 4,000 to 5,000 average kilometres I travel between changes. There are a lot of nooks and crannies for oil to hide in inside that capacious motor. This is why it's always a good idea to drain it when hot and leave it sit for a few hours while it slowly dribbles out. When I check the oil I do it with a cold motor that's been sitting overnight, and use that measure as a baseline.

So, while being concerned about overfilling (and underfilling too) is good, if you know it's more or less within the sight glass' range while on the centre stand, no worries, lubrication being the key to life (and pleasure) the amount it needs to stay vital is in there.

My eyes are starting to glaze over and I'm loosing the will to live reading this thread. Didn't realise it was possible to write so much about such a simple operation.
It must be because its winter and many of us are badly in need of a run out on our K's.
Its not rocket science.
Page 29 in the Haynes manual download for the permanently confused.
Now excuse me while I go and count my socket set again!

Ha ha...Comberjohn...you see, the thing is, I already COUNTED my socket set....I have to do SOMETHING now! ...

Yes I too am losing my mind waiting for the months of rain and cool weather to end. I'm starting the resto on the recently purchased '85K100RT to add to the fleet. Last night as I was puttering around taking inventory, I noted several previously overlooked issues, and thought "oh good, something more to do", in a pleased attitude that I wouldn't have had during riding season.

I sorta feel sorry for you blokes who can't ride yer motos year round and are left to count spanners, sockets or clean the dust from the inside of your fairing panels in Winter. I'm happy to suffer astride my moto through OZ's oppressive heat, dense humidity, crashing thunderstorms, driving rain and gale-force blows, with no complaints. I don't drive a four-wheeled vehicle, haven't owned one in yonks! The two bikes in my garage add up to four wheels, and that suits me!

Dust on the inside of the failing panels! I knew there was something I had forgotten to do!
Thanks TWB. Now get out there and get some of that heat, humidity, etc you poor wee soul.

Aye, it's a mere 29c (84f), blue skies and barely a breeze, this arvee, humid as all get out, and the bike's awaiting its first ride of the day out for a bite of sushi down where the scantily clad beachies hang about on hot white sands and cooling blue waves. I'll be sure to dress the bike up in blinkers so as not to distract it from its appointed task.

"scantily clad beachies hang about"
I remember, yonks ago, riding through Surfers Paradise on my trusty Honda 500/4 looking at the "scenery" and not seeing a red light until the last second.
There was a skid mark that went for a fair way until I stopped almost in the centre of the intersection.
Luckily for me I did not get hit and killed.
My style of riding changed significantly from that day.

http://www.ibmwr.org/ktech/sight-glass1.shtml

Have you folks seen this?

The sight glass sometimes need replacing.
Ajays

"I remember, yonks ago, riding through Surfers Paradise on my trusty
Honda 500/4 looking at the "scenery" and not seeing a red light until
the last second."
Blakey

Bumper sticker spotted on a car recently. "Watch my arse, not hers!"

Jokes aside, take no notice of the manual where it says "Oil capacity = 3.75L". That is about 0.5L too much for a standard change. That is why your oil level is to the top of the glass or above.

Normally no problems, but people have reported leaks through seals and, in my case, smoke through exhaust on a long down hill run in high gear.

Use 3.0L to start with, take it for a run, let it sit for 30min or so and top up to the red dot in the middle of the of the glass widow.

This was discussed many times and I use this method with success.

PS. don't forget to fill the new oil filter before you put it in. and start with 3.0L.

I'm going to annoy everyone I know but I'm posting my pics of changing my oil sight glass, even I seem to have done it without drama. I followed excellent instructions in the "How to"section but thought the photo s might help someone. Excuse me if I bore you.

My original glass, leaking and buggered really.

Small hand powered drill doing the work and constantly removing the plastic residue as it curls off.

My specially blurred pinch pliers pulling the bits out. A bit tougher than expected. I had already gently tapped the plastic with a screw driver to crack it.

This was all the oil I lost, by the way the bike was leaning on the side stand at the usual 85 deg panic lean.

Prising the glass out with my special blurred screwdriver, it came out very easily.

My new sight glass (my old hand, been a good friend though), cannot explain the metal ring around the edge, it comes off and seems to be not needed.

Used a socket to seat the new glass in, this one was not quite big enough. Gently tapped with a small hammer, and it went in a bit cockeyed.

and now we can all see that RT needsa bit more oil. Omg, is that how clear they should be?. I also have that metal clip sitting in the shed, waiting for something to fall off, but went for 100k run, no leaks so I'm thinking it is all ok.

Ned wrote:Jokes aside, take no notice of the manual where it says "Oil capacity = 3.75L". That is about 0.5L too much for a standard change. That is why your oil level is to the top of the glass or above.

3,55L is the amount needed to reach the maximum level.

Inge K.

Good write-up and good photos RT.

'Excuse me if I bore you". Doubt it...someone somewhere learnt something!

good step by step rt ....thanks mate

Whats the BMW part number for the 'blurred pinch pliers' and 'blurred screwdriver'? BMW always bones you with specialty equipment.

Ho Ho
I'm blaming the bluriness on the fact that my mother in law won't buy me a bike lifter so I don't have to grovel like Gollum to try and hold a camera and concentrate. I think I will ask her to hold the rear end up for me next time.
My cheap old camera is the culprit, and dodgy sight up close (can't complain too much, that makes every girl look good, and me look thin)
RT

RT wrote:... my mother in law won't buy me a bike lifter so I don't have to grovel like Gollum ...

+1