Hello all, curious if a few of you could let me know if the below pictures show normal piston wear for an engine with less than 5K miles...everything is going in the trash as I am doing a 128 build at home but still wanted to know. Nothing caught with fingernail initially but just stood out to me as a little odd.
Been having fun so far...wallet, not as much!
Chris

 

interesting, my pistons on my stock 114 after 57,000 miles

 

Yes, that oil/carbon on the top of my pistons I thought was a bit excessive. I bought my bike at around 550 miles and at that time added an S&S intake, the Trask trans cover vent setup, and dropped the oil level a bit...still seems like oil got ingested...I just wonder if that was mostly before all all the while.
The wear on the piston skirts is what I was a little baffled at.

 

Seems a bit large and excessive for only 5k but otherwise normal. Make sure your next setup does not run that oil mist back through your throttle body. Thats why your piston tops are that coated already.

 

Thanks VernDiesel; I was researching some catch cans and trying to figure out exactly which way I would like to go with this. I was always under the impression that some drawn ventilation was good to keep the crankcase air moving was good but at this point direct to can may be the way to go.
Chris

 

mine is stock and like picture shows at 57,000 miles not bad at all..I had and have no reason to do any kind of bypass as far as I'm concerned

 

Even if it had 50k miles, this would not be normal by a long shot!
Either been very hot and or runs very hot.
Or possibly the piston oilers have an issue and would 100% remove and test them, as I just mentioned on another thread that there a couple of threads on here showing how to build a simple test unit with a gauge.
And/or it has oil pump issue (definitely change it and or upgrade to latest)

I have a set of pistons from an engine that belonged to a local who didn't even change his break in oil for over a year and 15k miles as he just added when needed. Next oil change was at @ about 40k miles and he literally abused the crap out of it (2018 107 Softail). Yes it used oil but he always added something to it.
His brother ended up with bike and instantly had it overhauled it with over sized pistons, which was then at 52k miles and ONLY 2 oil changes with original air filter.😱
Hardly any wear on piston skirts. Other than color change and tops of pistons that look like yours with build up but pistons look perfect. Cylinders had some scratches but not too awful.
Working on a ship for 25 more days or could send you a picture of pistons.

Good Luck and Ride Safe✌🏼

 

And there are people who religiously change their expensive synthetic oil every 2500 miles😂

 

mjwebb We have all heard of the 90 year old that smoked all their life and never died from lung cancer. Does that make smoking a good idea?
Beyond EPA compliance can you name a benefit?
Its running an oxygen depleted oily mist back in to make your throttle body blade sticky coat your intake and then go back into the combustion chambers. That stuff on your pistons only ensures your fuel will pre detonate sooner.
I know you like it stock but I think even MoCo would admit sometimes they only do things because their hand is forced.

 

we all know the MOCO would not choose this method by design if they weren't required to..it would make no sense to do so and we all know it's better off without ingesting it .. my point is simply from a real world practical sense it's one less thing to fuss over because I'm lazy and I have not experienced any ill effects of foregoing the breather bypass mod...my engine runs every bit the same, crisp, smooth, clean at 57,000 miles at it did with 9 miles and it's not an oil or fuel guzzler..fuss and worry less and ride more is my modus operandi