Issues with my bike, trip in only 3 weeks help!!

sailorninja · September 30th, 2014, 11:11 AM

Basically, I bought a ninja 250 back in January, cleaned the carbs, no issues had 3k miles on it, now at 6k miles randomly started leaking something from the airbox, fixed where it came from, however the oil looks milky, could this be that I need to change the filter? Hasn't been changed since January, and the oil, or is it something more serious like a blown head gasket? What are the signs of that??

I'm supposed to take the bike on a trip in 3 weeks and Idk what to do!!

Bigballsofpaint · September 30th, 2014, 12:09 PM

If you overfilled the oil it will come out of the airbox/crankcase. i would do a full oil change and then watch it. If you think its that milky where coolant mixed with it, you should be able to check your coolant level and see it it has changed. Pretty rare for that to go though on these bikes with low mileage.

M42 · September 30th, 2014, 12:17 PM

Is it milky after you've been riding it a while? Mine was often milky early in the mornings in the spring/fall because of condensation building up. Should burn off pretty fast once you've got the engine running.

DaBlue1 · September 30th, 2014, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailorninja

Basically, I bought a ninja 250 back in January, cleaned the carbs, no issues had 3k miles on it, now at 6k miles randomly started leaking something from the airbox, fixed where it came from, however the oil looks milky, could this be that I need to change the filter? Hasn't been changed since January, and the oil, or is it something more serious like a blown head gasket? What are the signs of that??

I'm supposed to take the bike on a trip in 3 weeks and Idk what to do!!

Is all of your oil milky looking or does it just look milky in the sight glass?
Is the bike stored outside? Sometimes condensation on the inside of the oil sight glass can make the oil look milky.

If all of the oil is milky looking, check your coolant level at the radiator cap and noted any change in volume. Also check the oil level to see if there is an increase in fluid in the crankcase.

If neither level has changed and both are correct, do a full oil and filter change, go for a long, long ride (to get the oil nice and hot) and then recheck the sight glass to see if the milky oil is gone.

jkv45 · September 30th, 2014, 01:46 PM

As noted by others - milky oil is often caused by moisture inside the engine that gets mixed into the oil. It will get worse if you do only short trips, as the oil needs to get up to operating temp (212 F), or close, to burn off contaminants (including unburned fuel from start-up).

Just because the temp gauge says the engine is at operating temp doesn't mean the oil is up to temp. The gauge is reading water temp inside the engine, not the oil temp, and it takes longer for the oil temp to come up.

Check the things that Blue mentioned just to be safe, and change the oil if it hasn't been changed recently, but chances are the oil color will be back to normal after a good long ride unless there is a serious issue.

sailorninja · September 30th, 2014, 04:45 PM

So I spent all evening draining all the old oil, putting in a new oil filter and draining all the gas and adding new gas to the bike, (just in case it was somehow bad gas, I was covering all my bases), it sounded better right off after changing all the oil stuff, I also cleaned the oil filter screen. Found some greyish rubbery stuff on it? I can get pics of it later, but it sounds a lot better.

M42 · September 30th, 2014, 05:22 PM

Sounds like engine sealant, it's normal.

September 30th, 2014, 11:11 AM	#1
sailorninja ninjette.org member Name: Karlie Location: Lenoir, NC Join Date: Sep 2014 Motorcycle(s): 2006 Kawasaki Ninja ex250 Posts: 19	Issues with my bike, trip in only 3 weeks help!! Basically, I bought a ninja 250 back in January, cleaned the carbs, no issues had 3k miles on it, now at 6k miles randomly started leaking something from the airbox, fixed where it came from, however the oil looks milky, could this be that I need to change the filter? Hasn't been changed since January, and the oil, or is it something more serious like a blown head gasket? What are the signs of that?? I'm supposed to take the bike on a trip in 3 weeks and Idk what to do!!

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September 30th, 2014, 12:09 PM	#2
Bigballsofpaint ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Jay Location: CT Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2015 636 ABS - 69 Honda 305 Posts: A lot.	If you overfilled the oil it will come out of the airbox/crankcase. i would do a full oil change and then watch it. If you think its that milky where coolant mixed with it, you should be able to check your coolant level and see it it has changed. Pretty rare for that to go though on these bikes with low mileage.

September 30th, 2014, 12:17 PM	#3
M42 Wrench wench Name: The Stigette Location: DC/MD/VA Join Date: Jun 2014 Motorcycle(s): TWO HUNDRED FORTY EIGHT CUBIC CENTIMETERS (R.I.P.), SIX HUNDRED FORTY FIVE CUBIC CENTIMETERS Posts: 415	Is it milky after you've been riding it a while? Mine was often milky early in the mornings in the spring/fall because of condensation building up. Should burn off pretty fast once you've got the engine running.

September 30th, 2014, 01:46 PM	#5
jkv45 Rev Limiter Name: Jay Location: WI Join Date: Jul 2013 Motorcycle(s): '06 SV650n, '00 Derbi GPR, '64 CA77 Dream 305, '70 CL450 Scrambler, numerous dirt bikes Posts: A lot. MOTM - Jun '18, Oct '16	As noted by others - milky oil is often caused by moisture inside the engine that gets mixed into the oil. It will get worse if you do only short trips, as the oil needs to get up to operating temp (212 F), or close, to burn off contaminants (including unburned fuel from start-up). Just because the temp gauge says the engine is at operating temp doesn't mean the oil is up to temp. The gauge is reading water temp inside the engine, not the oil temp, and it takes longer for the oil temp to come up. Check the things that Blue mentioned just to be safe, and change the oil if it hasn't been changed recently, but chances are the oil color will be back to normal after a good long ride unless there is a serious issue.

September 30th, 2014, 04:45 PM	#6
sailorninja ninjette.org member Name: Karlie Location: Lenoir, NC Join Date: Sep 2014 Motorcycle(s): 2006 Kawasaki Ninja ex250 Posts: 19	So I spent all evening draining all the old oil, putting in a new oil filter and draining all the gas and adding new gas to the bike, (just in case it was somehow bad gas, I was covering all my bases), it sounded better right off after changing all the oil stuff, I also cleaned the oil filter screen. Found some greyish rubbery stuff on it? I can get pics of it later, but it sounds a lot better.

September 30th, 2014, 05:22 PM	#7
M42 Wrench wench Name: The Stigette Location: DC/MD/VA Join Date: Jun 2014 Motorcycle(s): TWO HUNDRED FORTY EIGHT CUBIC CENTIMETERS (R.I.P.), SIX HUNDRED FORTY FIVE CUBIC CENTIMETERS Posts: 415	Sounds like engine sealant, it's normal.