Ceiling Bike Lift

Just got my bike out of storage. Couple questions?

I just got my bike out of storage, was planning on bringing it by the local shop for a spring tune-up. Dont know mnuch about bikes mechanically so heres my question. I started it up and a decent but not huge amount of smoke was comming out the pipes. I looked at the window/bubble where the oil goes and it was foggy and not like it normally looked. Does this mean I need to add more oil? How do i know how much to add? If i add oil can i ride it to the shop or should i just borrow a buddies truck and bring it?

Public Comments

1. If you have a buddy with a truck, your silly not to ask, it may save you lots of money. It appears that some of the oil has bypassed the rings allowing the smoke, so take it to a shop where they can do a compression check to see if the rings need to be replaced. Good luck and be safe this riding season.
2. The smoke coming out of the pipes will burn off in time - just ride the bike. After the oil change, the window will clear up. Both symptoms are from condensation.
3. When water (condensation) mixes with oil it emulsifies making a milky-coffee-like appearance, if it isn't like a latte you could run it until the heat drives off the water, safer in the long run to change the oil though. The smoke too is a product of it sitting for a long while and should soon disperse.