My wifes 92 GS500E smokes like a mofo on start up. After about 45 seconds all is fine. I usually commute to work on my BMW R1200GS but about once a week I take her bike. She doesn't ride very often so I take it just to keep things going. Anyway the smoke is blue and the exhaust stinks. A really sharp smelling kinda smell. Mileage is 32,500
Any ideas?
Thanks for your help

Off the cuff, I'd guess that you have somewhat worn valve guides.  When the engine sits, enough oil works its way into the cylinder/onto the valve to cause it to smoke until it burns off, but during normal operation, it's not enough that you would notice. 

When I got my bike, it used to do that; at the time it had 8k miles on it (a '94).  Hasn't smoked since 12,000 miles.

Blue smoke is oil.  What happens is as it sits, the oil leaks past somewhere and accumulates either in the air intake (leaky valve seal, common for our bike), or the combustion chamber (either the valve isn't seating properly against the valve seat, or held open by the cam).

Your's however, has high mileage, I would suspect either leaking valve seals or worn rings.  Maybe even the compression gasket is leaking oil into the combustion chamber (as I am currently replacing my base gasket @ 35,488 miles).

When was the last valve adjustment done?

Quote from: Egaeus on November 28, 2006, 01:57:19 PM
Off the cuff, I'd guess that you have somewhat worn valve guides.  When the engine sits, enough oil works its way into the cylinder/onto the valve to cause it to smoke until it burns off, but during normal operation, it's not enough that you would notice. 

Oh you notice this. It practically fills the garage at work.

Quote from: scratch on November 28, 2006, 02:02:45 PM
When I got my bike, it used to do that; at the time it had 8k miles on it (a '94).  Hasn't smoked since 12,000 miles.

Blue smoke is oil.  What happens is as it sits, the oil leaks past somewhere and accumulates either in the air intake (leaky valve seal, common for our bike), or the combustion chamber (either the valve isn't seating properly against the valve seat, or held open by the cam).

Your's however, has high mileage, I would suspect either leaking valve seals or worn rings.  Maybe even the compression gasket is leaking oil into the combustion chamber (as I am currently replacing my base gasket @ 35,488 miles).

When was the last valve adjustment done?

Valve adjustment? Beats me. we've had the bike for less than a year.

32K is high mileage on these?

Quote from: Rick Blanc on November 28, 2006, 02:08:00 PM

Quote from: Egaeus on November 28, 2006, 01:57:19 PM
...during normal operation, it's not enough that you would notice.

Oh you notice this.  It practically fills the garage at work.

Valve adjustment should be performed every 4000 miles.  32,000 is a good multiple of 4000; technically you're 500 miles overdue.

Quote from: Rick Blanc on November 28, 2006, 02:08:00 PM

Quote from: Egaeus on November 28, 2006, 01:57:19 PM
Off the cuff, I'd guess that you have somewhat worn valve guides.  When the engine sits, enough oil works its way into the cylinder/onto the valve to cause it to smoke until it burns off, but during normal operation, it's not enough that you would notice. 

Oh you notice this. It practically fills the garage at work.

You missed a bit. 

32K is deaths door for it. Keep an eye on the oil, mine was using a quart in 500 by that time, but it never smoked ... ha ...
Adjust your valves, but if they are tight, it will run like sheite ...
Cool.
Srinath.

Quote from: Egaeus on November 28, 2006, 02:17:08 PM

Quote from: Rick Blanc on November 28, 2006, 02:08:00 PM

Quote from: Egaeus on November 28, 2006, 01:57:19 PM
Off the cuff, I'd guess that you have somewhat worn valve guides.  When the engine sits, enough oil works its way into the cylinder/onto the valve to cause it to smoke until it burns off, but during normal operation, it's not enough that you would notice.

Oh you notice this. It practically fills the garage at work.

You missed a bit. 

I just reread it. Your right.

Quote from: seshadri_srinath on November 28, 2006, 02:22:21 PM
32K is deaths door for it. Keep an eye on the oil, mine was using a quart in 500 by that time, but it never smoked ... ha ...
Adjust your valves, but if they are tight, it will run like sheite ...
Cool.
Srinath.

Wow. Thats really disappointing. Over in the BMW camp 32K is considered just broken in. Oh well.
So if someone buys a new bike and finances is for three years and rides 12K a year his bike is spent before it's even paid off? Bummer.
Don't get me wrong I love riding this bike. It handles great, it's zippy and gets great gas mileage.

So if I'm understanding every one: It's time for a 4K service and check the valve guides, Right?

Quote
So if I'm understanding every one: It's time for a 4K service and check the valve guides, Right?

thats what i would do .. man if 35k is killer on these bikes i'm screwed ! i'v had my bike and put 14k on it the first year i'v had it (bought it brand new nov. 2005) well see ... i   know this bike has more heart then that and i ride my bike in the ground all the time .....

I had a car that used to spew blue smoke at first too... I had to do a ring job.

Srinath is being overly Dramatic... ask GSJack how many miles he puts on his multiple GS'

+3 on the leaky valve seal is probably the main problem causing the smoke

35k miles is I would say the greying age of these motors. They are not high toleranced like BMW's and are for a lack of better words (old aged) technology based.

Life of the engine is determined by a host of variables, like preventative maintence like valve adjustments, oil changes, general up keep of the bike. Then also how you ride. A grandma putting on the bike is going to have longer engine life than a racer who keeps their bike in 9-12k rpm range....things tend to wear out quicker when the engine scrapes the cylinders 10,000 times a minute.....

My 96 bike with 14k miles was "raced" numerously and will probably have to be rebuilt around 25k miles or so, but my 91 bike with 23k and going I hoping will make it past the 50k club before needing new rings and overhaul

I wouldn't say that 32k, or 35k, is death's door, because my cylinders look GREAT!
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=25011.msg353956#msg353956
(And, I'm the one at 35k!)

and really, how do you even qualify the death of an engine?  New rings are $50 / set, gaskets are <$100 for everything, stem seals are ~$4 ea., etc.  They're basically consumables at those price points.  As long as the cylinder bores and valve seats aren't worn past their service limits then the engine can run forever, and there are measures that can be taken to correct those situations as well. 

I guess when the labor charges to make the repair > the value of the bike then it's dead.  But if I can rebuild the GS motor then anybody can.