Bubbles in the oil?

Hello. I was topping off my oil today (slow leak that will be fixed over the winter.) and I noticed a bunch of bubbles in the oil sight window. There is a layer of small bubbles floating on the oil. The layer of bubbles is about 1/8" thick. I have never noticed the bubbles before. I had just come home from work which is about 30 miles, mostly highway. I think the bike burns some oil as well as the small leak because there doesn't seem to be enough oil on the engine to compensate for how much oil I put into it. (I have to about about 1/2 quart every 1000 miles or so.) Also, the it only leaks when the engine is running. The oil looks darker than usual considering I have put less than 1000 miles on it since I changed the oil and filter. Are these bubbles something to be concerned about or is it normal and I haven't noticed them before?

 

Usually bubbles don't occur in oil due to anti-foaming additives and should there be some they will normally vanish after sitting for a few minutes. It could just be that the brand of oil you are using has less anti foaming properties. Another possibility is aeration from a leak in the suction side of the oil pump. This may be a concern as it could lead to oil starvation and damage to bearings, shafts, and other components and lead to catastophic engine damage.

You might try a different brand of oil and see if the condition continues but keep a close eye and I would try to find the cause before putting too many KM on it.

If the oil was contaminated , the contaminant would have to be lighter than oil to float on top. That eliminates water contamination. I can't think of anything naturally occuring that would contaminate oil in this manner.

I don't want to alarm you but err on the side of safety till you find the cause.

 

They are normal. Most people never notice them because they aren't looking down there all the time. They can become a bit more pronounced if you switch between brands of oil but it is hardly ever anything to worry about.

 

Thanks for the info. I think I will park it until I can change the oil this weekend, then keep an eye on it to see what is going on.

Could low oil level be the culprit? Before I put oil in it, the level was a little below half way up the sight window.

 

For some reason, Broke_Dirty_Maxim's response didn't show up before I put in my response.

Anyone else want to chime in for a tiebreaker?

 

As I said, if they appear, usually they vanish after a few minutes. There was no time frame given as to how long the bike sat after being shut down, I took it to be a considerable amount as there was concern by xjasfirst. Also 1/8 inch is rather a lot. The oil was reported as being dirtier than usual for the KM ridden. That's why I suggested changing and taking short rides until the cause was determined. Fresh oil from a quality refiner and the correct viscosity might alleviate concerns. As to the question of low oil level contributing, probably not as the low oil level light would indicate if it was at a dangerous level.

I was just giving options. I always say better safe than sorry. Hate to see you suffer the loss of an engine. Just keep an eye on the condition. When changing the oil look for sparkling material that may indicate problems. I personally haven't ever noticed bubbles in my oil but I use a premium oil and slightly heavier than most (20-50) as 10-40 isn't readily available here for some reason.

 

Thanks JFStewart. I was definitely not discounting your advice. This is my first bike and I like to solicit as many opinions as I can when something comes up. I brought the cage to work today and will be changing out the oil and filter this weekend for sure. If the weather cooperates, I will take it out and see how things look after some lower speed miles, then jump on the slab for a few miles to check that out.

The bubbles did go away, but it took a little while (more than 30 minutes but less than an hour).

Thanks for the advice.