Dirty Oil Window

[devillox]

I changed my oil last weekend and it seems that the oil window is all blackened. Is there something short of draining the oil, tearing off the cover, and cleaning the window that I can do?

[tfb]

No need to drain the oil to remover the cover.

Simply pop it on the sidestand, and take the cover off. The oil will be over to the LHS of the engine, so you won't lose any.

Then, try a cotton bud dipped in petrol or acetone, and give the sight glass a gentle polish.

Nice looking bikes, by the way.

[bwringer]

Are you sure the oil level isn't too high?

A leaky petcock (or one left on prime overnight) can dump a lot of gas into the crankcase, causing the oil level to rise mysteriously.

Take off the oil cap and sniff -- if it smells like gas, change the oil and replace the petcock before running the engine.

[devillox]

The petcock's fine and it's never been on prime since I have owned it. I;m sure the window is the culprit... I did give it a smell just to be sure, and no gas.