Yeah, I definitely don't want to crack the crankcase open, I've done that with my dad on an old XR200 and that was a much more simple bike. Wasn't pleasant, too many bits, too much to get wrong.
I've had the carbs off but didn't look for anything specific down the intake ports. Only 2 of the plugs seemed particularly oily, but I didn't get around to checking cyl 2/3 a second time.
No idea about the oil, although it did have a service a few weeks before I bought it, new oil filter/oil. Will check the oil against some 10W40 when I get home and see if they've put thinner oil in at all. You have an opinion on just using heavier oil in an older engine? Obviously it will shorten the life of the engine, but if a rebuild is the other solution, delaying the rebuild could be worth it? Looks like there is nothing in the engine that is reliant on oil pressure for anything other than lubing so that's a start...
I get what you mean with the compression test having the valve seals as another variable (valve seals, valve guide seals, rings, major crack in head)... If it has crap compression for any reason then the head needs to come off anyway I guess, and at that point if it has valve sealing issues as well as whatever is letting the oil in then an el-cheapo grinding-paste valve grind could be done in accordance with my 'improve, not perfect' thoughts?
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Originally Posted by T.W.R
a little bit of knowledge is dangerous 
there are plenty more variables to be taken into consideration.
Opinions are like arseholes: Everybody has got one, but that doesn't mean you got to air it in public all the time....
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