white smoke

[mooserider]

Hi all
   I have a 1999 tourer when I first start the bike in the morning I'm getting white smoke out the tail pipe. it's not a thick white smoke but it noticable and it continues until it warms up. It is smoke it's not condensation. Once the initial start up it doesn't do it again the rest of the day. I have just over 37,000 miles and it runs fine. My oil level as well as anti feeze level never changes.

   Any idea's what could be wrong? bad rings? or seals?

Thanks Keith

[Valker]

How do you know it is not condensation? If you are right and it is smoke, just smell it. You can easily tell the difference between oil and antifreeze. You can also cover the exhaust tips with a clean, white cloth, Start it and run it for a couple minutes. Look at the cloth for oily residue.

[mooserider]

Thanks for the tip, Condensation is mostly moisture, the smoke coming out my tail pipes is a cloud like if  I run it in the garage it will fill the garage with white smoke.

[john]

its from choke on cold engine ...   
give it a few seconds  ...
turn off choke ...unless you like blue exhaust headers   
and get on with your day   

[SANDMAN5]

I have a 1999 tourer when I first start the bike in the morning I'm getting white smoke out the tail pipe. it's not a thick white smoke but it noticable and it continues until it warms up. It is smoke it's not condensation. Once the initial start up it doesn't do it again the rest of the day. I have just over 37,000 miles and it runs fine. My oil level as well as anti feeze level never changes.

I'm on my 2nd Valk and they've both done that. I bought my '03 brand new and
it "puffed" a little white smoke at start up from the day I took it home until the
day it went to Motorcycle Heaven. She had 38,000 miles when she died. My '98
does it also. Nothing to worry about unless it starts to get considerabl worse, IMHO. 

[Lastdragon]

When pulling into the garage and shutting down after the last ride of the day, turn the engine off, then lean the bike slightly to the right for a few seconds, then put the kickstand down and lean it back to rest on the stand.  What this does is drain most of the small amount of the oil in the left cylinders below the pistons which would slowly leak past the rings and end up on top of the pistons and cause the smoke upon start up.  The right hand cylinders drain naturally when the bike rest on the kickstand.  I have had two goldwings and the valkyrie and they all will smoke ocassionally out the left exhaust on start up (which is no big deal) but I find that this process eliminates the smoke.  Works for me.

[mooserider]

Thanks Lastdragon i'll start doing that and thanks everyone for their responses
Keith