smokes when sitting

[Isamemon]

ok
had the bike on the side stand for two days ( was not the plan)
when started the left side smoked heavy
compression is perfect and equal +/- side to side
is it my guides or is this normal for these old airheads ?
never had it happen before, but never had it on the sied stand for that long before either

[donbmw]

Normal for some somking when on side stand. Oil will get by the rings this way.

Don

[Isamemon]

thanks

[rpeckham136133]

I have a /2 and the /6, and I tend to use the sidestand a lot. The /2 is a bear to get onto the center stand, for some reason. It will always smoke out of the left side when started after the sidestand. If I leave it on the centerstand, no smoke. So, Yes, normal.

[Rod Sheridan]

Normal R and K bike operation.

I believe it's a designed in mosquito fogger for times when you are camping.

At least that's what I tell people in the tent down wind from my bike.....Rod.

[rocketman]

Perfectly normal...

it is simply just another "feature"....

I too smoke when sitting, also when standing, sometimes even lying down, sometime when when drinking too, in fact about the only time I don't smoke is when I'm sleeping...

I've even been accused of blowing it out my a.....

Here, pull up a chair and have a smoke....

RM

[lkchris]

It's nice to not have all the ring gaps lined up, of course.

[amiles]

I can't say for sure if this helps reduce the left cylinder smoking after the bike is left on the sidestand, but it seems to work for me and is simple to do.

After shutdown I tilt the bike slightly to the right side and hold it there briefly then put the stand down for parking. I might not get it all, but less is better.

I visualize whatever oil that might be sitting in the left cylinder below the piston draining back into the crankcase, not oozing it's way past the rings into the combustion chamber.

so far so good for me. my bike is an Airhead, might work for a K as well I really don't know

In my mind less oil wasted, less carbon added to the inevitable piston & head deposits (left side only for confusing diagnosis of running problems down the line). Carbon deposits increase C/R, cause hot spots and increase the chances for pre-ignition (knock or pinging).

Most importantly people make fun of you when you smoke up the area.

[rocketman]

I can't say for sure if this helps reduce the left cylinder smoking after the bike is left on the sidestand, but it seems to work for me and is simple to do.

After shutdown I tilt the bike slightly to the right side and hold it there briefly then put the stand down for parking.

I visualize whatever oil that might be sitting in the left cylinder below the piston draining back into the crankcase, not oozing it's way past the rings into the combustion chamber.

so far so good for me. my bike is an Airhead, might work for a K as well I really don't know

That may well work, but the question then becomes, why? Its not going to hurt anything that I can think of as it just burns off quickly and then its done.

RM

[ecyarter]

Save a little oil...
Save a little smoke...
See if it works...
Why not?

Don't force it... Get a bigger hammer!

[PGlaves]

In addition to merely draining down past the rings by gravity, there is another factor at work when one cylinder is partially inverted as when on the sidestand. As the hot cylinder cools, if both valves are closed, then a partial vacuum is created as the warm air in the cylinder cools and contracts. This will draw some oil past the ring gaps.

You probably have about a 50% chance of this happening anytime you shut the engine off. The flywheel (or what passes for a flywheel) will probably run out of energy when one cylinder or the other is on the compression stroke; ie, both valves closed. If it is the downside cylinder then you will have that vacuum trying to suck oil past the rings. If it is the upside cylinder then gravity will probably have drained the oil away by the time the cooldown is sufficient to create much vacuum.

And to top it all off, it can suck oil past one or the other sets of rings even when parked on the center stand because some oil still puddles in the cylinders due to surface tension.

You just can't beat the laws of physics:)