K11 Owners Group

[MAXX]

I just took my bike out of storage and started riding it on Monday. I've put on roughly 50 miles and have lost about a liter of oil. Today I rode 20 miles and had to put in half a liter. I can't see any leaks and I know it's not burning it. Coolant is clean.
Please help!
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Sometimes ya just gotta give er

[Grunter]

I am on my 3rd K1100LT now and all the previous bikes used oil to some degree, but not as much as this. My two previous bikes never smoked even when very hot so where your oil is going is open to debate.

My current K1100 was a baby with less than 18K miles on when I bought it and this has been the only one where the consumption can be considered to be anywhere near 'normal'. I manage about 4000 miles per litre.

How old is your bike? How many miles has it done? What grade of oil are you using, BMW specify that 20/50 mineral is used, not some of these water thin semi or fully synthetic concoctions. If BMW have gone to the time, effort and money to test the oils then they will or should know what's best.

How long has the bike been in storage? The only possibility I can think of is the oil seals on the valve stems have gone hard with lack of use.
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1997 K1100LT
1994 R1100RS

[N41EF]

When was the last oil change? How many miles since then?
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2014 R1200RT Water Cooled
2001 R1100S Light
1993 K1100LT. Nissan Ice Blue.(Gone)

[Jim]

Hi Maxx,

It helps if you enter the year and approximate mileage of your bike in your signature.

We're assuming a K1100 - either LT or RS. These bikes hide oil - somewhere, somehow. You can stop the bike, centerstand it, check the oil - and there might not be any showing. Next time you ride it, stop and centerstand it, it might be back up to the dot in the center of the sight glass.

Make sure the bike is on a fairly level surface, and on the centerstand when you check the oil - you won't get a right reading on the sidestand.
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Jim
1997 K1100LTSE 94,000 - still has gremlins!
1995 R100RT Classic 16,650 crashed - repaired!
1992 K75RTP 46,000

"We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed."

[pegasus]

Is the bike continuing to burn oil?
Have you considered condensation in the crankcase giving an initial artificially high oil level? Once the oil gets hot, the oil level drops dramatically as the water evaporates.
That could be your answer if the bike had seen mainly city use before it was stored and you have subsequently taken it for a good ride out into the country side after it came out of storage.

[bikesnbones]

[N41EF]

OK I'm confused. I don't lean anything considering how heavy the thing is.

When I change the oil I put in 3ish quarts and start it to fill the filter then shut it off. I then slowly add oil on the center stand until it's between the red dot and top of the site glass. When I fill up with fuel, I put it on the center stand and check the oil after a few minutes, and it stays about the same. About time for the next oil change it at the red dot or a little below, I've never had to add oil between a change.

I don't see what leaning it would do other than raise the level temporarily. Most engines do not like to be overfilled.

What oil are you using?
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2014 R1200RT Water Cooled
2001 R1100S Light
1993 K1100LT. Nissan Ice Blue.(Gone)

[Flying Duck]

[bikesnbones]

[Scott_Anderson]

Yea, the bit of leaning towards the right side lets the oil flow out of the "backside" of the pistons.

I also lean mine sometimes before I park it as well.
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Ride safe.



1995 K1100LT 0302044
2017 FLHTK Ultra Limited
Garmin StreetPilot 2820
Garmin Zumo 550
Garmin Zumo XT
"One who does not ask questions is ashamed to learn" Danish proverb
1997 K1100LT 0302488(R.I.P.)
1997 R1100RT ZC62149(sold)

[ljjohns]

And since it's a really slow day and since I'm getting really old, I would comment that on the other hand NOT leaning the bike then makes yours a potential first line of defense against the Zika-bearing mosquito, or at least as soon as someone comes up with an insecticide additive for our oil

Larry Johnson
El Paso TX
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1993 K1100LT (Washington)
1995 K1100LTSE
1996 K1100LTSE (parts)
2003 K1200LTC
1991 K75RT

[ljjohns]

And I probably should add that, after forty years of dealing with undergraduates prior to the advent of the Zika virus and seeing the consequences of microencephaly, I would not want things to get even worse.
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1993 K1100LT (Washington)
1995 K1100LTSE
1996 K1100LTSE (parts)
2003 K1200LTC
1991 K75RT