Two weeks ago my '89 GS suddently started eating engine oil (two monthes without observable changes in level... down to almost min in two weeks/2000km). 10W40 is also seeping out the front of the engine (picture below). The bike isn't spewing out blue smoke, and this only leak doesn't seem to acount for the 350 ml +- 50 ml of oil that I've lost in this short period.
(http://www.phas.ubc.ca/~szumeng/P.JPG)
I seek the wisdom of the elders...
looks like it's leaking from between the cylinder head and the bottom end...maybe you should first try tightening up the four nuts on the top of the valve cover to sandwich the top end and bottom end of the motor together more tightly :dunno:
I have an '89 with 40K on it. Mine has alway's leaked there(since i purchased it about 2 1/2 years ago). It seems to be bad sometimes and not so bad other's. I check my oil every day that i ride and i usually have to add a little, especially if i've ridden hard :cheers:. I go through a quart every 1 - 2 k miles. The leak always seemed worse when i've just changed the oil and/or if i use synthetic oil. I've put about 18K miles on the bike in alittle over two years and it runs great, actually better then when i got it. My bike likes to be ridden. The more i ride it the better it runs.
Pretty much what splatt said but you need to pull the valve cover and retorque the 8 cylinder head bolts. You need to loosen the one small bolt on the front before you do this. There is a specific pattern you must follow and make sure you torque all the same.
Mine was leaking oil like a sieve there until I retorqued the bolts. Now it doesn't leak at all. You may also want to check the timing chain tensioner on the back of the head for leaks. They have a bad habit of leaking oil through the body.
Derek
Thanks guys! I went back and looked at the timing chain tensioner, and it seems to be seeping oil too... :( Maybe it's just the tensioner leaking and the oil running around the base to the front. Anyway, I cleaned the engine up will be monitoring the leak. You guys are awesome.