Heat effecting motor oil use? '91 K100RS4V

[TMCKRS4V]

Rode my 91 K100RS4V 400 miles in the last 2 days . no biggie..

I checked my sightglass b4 I left my house at 10am and about 74F. I added some 20/50 dino to bring the level just above the bullseye.
An hour later I was in 103F. Took care of my biz errand and came back close to the coast where it was my 90F. Next morning I did not check the oil. Left my place in Novato CA to husstle out to a vendor @ 8am (90 miles away.) - Sacramento

The bike sat on its center stand on a shady level sidewalk for an hour. Checked the bulls eye where the oil was at the bottom of the circle with a .0625" visable.

I didn't have any oil with me..so I paid close attention to the oil pressure light when I started it. Listened to the valve train and rode it home staying just at the speed limit.
Checked the level when I got home and looked unchanged.

The sight glass is supposed to be about 8 oz is this correct? It looks mike my K used almost 4 oz in 500 miles. Doesent seem to smoke at speed...but then I have never followed it. Bike will roll lover 100K this month. Am I paranoid? I usually carry 20/50 with me . Was it the heat?

BTW---Has anyone blown a head gasket on one of these? I never heard of it..but with their reputation for running hot.... curious.

 

[58058D]

I had a head gasket go on my 1100RS, but not due to heat concerns, I think it was one of the things messed up when I had an excursion in a ditch. I've never heard of a K blowing a head gasket.
As far as the oil level, I have always understood we wanted the level at the top of the sight glass. Bottom means add approximately 1 quart. But..........when my 1100 started using oil at about 80,000, I was told that a QUART in 600 miles was Not Out of Spec.....It did belch blue smoke when hitting the throttle after engine braking. I never saw it, but followers did, and if left on the sidestand hot, would sometimes fog the neighborhood (hence the then new K12). That extra consumption was not just ageing (my '00 K12 has many more miles and nothing), but rather a result of something odd happened inside the engine after the head gasket was replaced.....related?
In short, I would filler up and simply monitor. That level of 'heat' aint nothing in the Sac area or for the bike. It was 106 on my ride home from Sac Wednesday...my 85 100RS, 93 1100RS and '00 1200RS have all run fine in 110+ heat with no noticable difference in oil consumption.

 

[ted]

My K11 always used oil, upwards of a quart every 800 miles in hot, spirited riding conditions. Other owners of the classic 4v k-bikes report similar, though at least a couple have reported noticeable decrease in oil use after using an oil cleaning additive (postulating stuck rings?) I think it was a product made by Lucas.

 

[acejones]

Rode my 91 K100RS4V 400 miles in the last 2 days . no biggie..

I checked my sightglass b4 I left my house at 10am and about 74F. I added some 20/50 dino to bring the level just above the bullseye.
An hour later I was in 103F. Took care of my biz errand and came back close to the coast where it was my 90F. Next morning I did not check the oil. Left my place in Novato CA to husstle out to a vendor @ 8am (90 miles away.) - Sacramento

The bike sat on its center stand on a shady level sidewalk for an hour. Checked the bulls eye where the oil was at the bottom of the circle with a .0625" visable.

I didn't have any oil with me..so I paid close attention to the oil pressure light when I started it. Listened to the valve train and rode it home staying just at the speed limit.
Checked the level when I got home and looked unchanged.

The sight glass is supposed to be about 8 oz is this correct? It looks mike my K used almost 4 oz in 500 miles. Doesent seem to smoke at speed...but then I have never followed it. Bike will roll lover 100K this month. Am I paranoid? I usually carry 20/50 with me . Was it the heat?

BTW---Has anyone blown a head gasket on one of these? I never heard of it..but with their reputation for running hot.... curious.

You can actually measure six and a quarter hundredths of an inch ?

 

[TMCKRS4V]

I suppose so..

1/8" = .125"

so

1/16" = .0625"

Seems small, but you would be surprised what you can see... (With my "cheaters" of course)

 

[TMCKRS4V]

Yep I've only logged 50K on this K and usually pack oil on a road trip. This past week the low level just got my attention. It did seem to be an accelerated rate of usage.

Reminds me of really burning Castrol on my Kaw H1 500 back in "The Day".
The blue cloud pouring ot of those chrome Denco Chambers...and the associated "Music"... good times.

BTW..lucky to walk away from that beast!

Thx much,
TMC