Oil consumption

[Setter32]

I've notice that my bike has been consuming alot of oil. When I changed the oil, I filled it to near the full line. 2000 miles later, it's a little lower than the low line.

Is this normal? It seems like it's comsuming oil like a 2 stroke. This can't be normal, can it??

Note: I have not observed any oil spots on the floor. But I have notice some oil in the airbox, and on some of the external hoses by the carbs.

........help!........... I DON'T WANT TO TAKE MY BIKE TO THE DEALER!!! :sad:


:D

[quickstop]

Before you panic I'd find out the amount between the high and low lines,Im not sure but I don't think it's very much....David

[Setter32]

I'M NOT PANICKING!!!!! :sad:

....just concern....... is all.

uh...... I had to add about a quarter to a third of a Liter to get it back to near the full line. (a Liter is about the same as a quart, for those of you who still clings to the Brrrritish system)

My question still stands.......... Is it suppose to consume oil this way?............. hmmm????

By the way Quicky........ David.......... ...... ..... Got a sista?

:D

[ersigh]

My bike does the same thing, and always has. I've asked a few people, who said that it didn't seem like THAT much ... especially for a vtwin that is ridden a lot.

[Setter32]

Very interesting......

eh heh.............See David............. you got all wiggy for nothing. Told ya it was normal..................... You gotta learn to chill man...

:D

[Burst]

My bike has never used a drop. Not any difference in the level from the day I fill it to the next change.....

[ersigh]

Hmm ...

What kind of oil do you use? Maybe that makes a difference??

[dnakase]

Originally posted by ersigh
Hmm ...

What kind of oil do you use? Maybe that makes a difference??

Mine started to consume oil after I switched to synthetic. Right after the oil change you could smell it burn.

Synthetics tend to flow better, so get between the piston wall and the rings and seep into the combustion chamber from around the valves as well...

However my consumption seems to have stabalized at about 1/2 quart over about 1,500 miles.

In any case you might want to change the oil more often rather than just top it off.

[Setter32]

It's all very clear now.............

Why ofcourse, that makes perfect sense................

But then again, I'm grasping at anything that tells me my baby is .... sniff... sniff....... ok, ...and that I don't have to take her to the .....sniff... sniff..... dealer.

.....I so happy...

:D

[ersigh]

It does make sense, considering my oil consumption seemed minimal and then I switched to Synthetic ... and now I top it off every now and again ...

[Setter32]

Assuming it's the synth oil that is the culprit. Is burning oil harmful to the engine? If so, then going back to non-synth oil will solve the problem but will it be better for my engine?

Screwwwwed if you do, and screwwwwed if you don't. .......... If only my social life had that much screwing.

.....I...I...I so happy............. sniff.........

:D

[Burst]

to synthetic is more room for forgetfulness. Longer intervals between changes. As long as you maintain the bike as recommended synth is not any better than the original.

[Setter32]

Problem solved.

What a wonderful world......

:D

[ersigh]

Originally posted by Burst
to synthetic is more room for forgetfulness. Longer intervals between changes. As long as you maintain the bike as recommended synth is not any better than the original.

well i had problems w/getting into gear when i was using dino-oil, and have had no problems since i switched to synthetic ... and have read in a few places that the shifting thing has happened to others.

[dnakase]

Originally posted by ersigh


well i had problems w/getting into gear when i was using dino-oil, and have had no problems since i switched to synthetic ... and have read in a few places that the shifting thing has happened to others.

I run Motorx 4T and notice seat of the pants inprovement in preformance... or is that just self-delusinal since the stuff is so damn expensive?

As for oil change intervals I follow the "throw it out when it turns black rule" Which seems to be around 2,500 miles for the synthetic and about 1,500 for oil-oil.

Either way you go the bike always runs best on fresh oil.

[Burst]

Suzuki recommends what 3,500 miles? I change it at about 2,500.
Can't go wrong there. I change the filter every time too.

I expect that should be sufficient no matter what oil you use....

[bwarbiany]

The problem with Synthetic (or even most regular oils now) is that they're too slick for wet clutches... For example, you don't actually need motorcycle oil for your motorcycle, and since the stuff is so damned expensive, you want to just buy car stuff... The only problem is finding the car stuff with SF or SG viscosity ratings, instead of something higher. I went to a Kragens and everyone there was wondering why I was looking for oil with LOWER viscosity ratings :D

Brad
PS - I don't mean to start a MC-specific vs. car oil debate...

[MtbTrailGuy]

Newbie here with a quick question...

I just got my bike about 2 weeks ago and have been riding it pretty easy like the break-in suggests. Also changed the oil at 300mi to get rid of any metal particles that might be floating around (and there WAS tons of metal shavings stuck to the little magnet).

I now have about 500mi on my bike with the oil change being done about a week ago. To make a long story short, I hopped on my bike this morning to head out to work and noticed that the oil level window was.. bone dry. took a double take and looked at the instrument panel... no oil light... so atleast the engine wasn't being oil starved. But checked it again and sure enough... it was below the L line. Added oil to bring it back to normal level. Is it supposed to consume oil like that?? or where is it going??? i'm lost... :)

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[tmonroe]

Oil level can be tricky. I believe you check it with the bike perfectly level. This normally means on a rearstand. Any slight angle of the pavement that you're on, and the level is going to look wrong (either high or low).

[TIE_Pilot]

If you added until you saw "full" while the bike was on the sidestand... you now have way too much oil in the crankcase... that can cause damage.

[Rocko]

did you check the oil when the bike was warm or cold? if you checked it when it was cold and added oil, you messed up. the window will always show no oil when the bike is level if the bike is cold. you have to run the bike for at least ten minutes. then your oil magically appears in the window...

[Kurt'sSV]

Sometimes new bikes burn oil, too. Ask Setter about his 600RR.

[slowpoke]

Did you change the filter?

How much oil did you add w/the oil change.

What is stamped on the bike (2300ml) is for an oil change w/o the filter.

If you changed the filter, I think you'll need to add 2700ml.

As posted before, the bike has to be held straight up, otherwise you'll get an inaccurate reading. Also, run the engine a bit to circulate the oil, wait a bit, then check the level (the manual should have instructions).

[MtbTrailGuy]

Update... the bike had been warming up for about 5 minutes before I checked the oil. When I added the oil I added it while it was on the sidestand, but checked the oil level while the bike was being held level on flat ground. The oil level is now between the L and H marks. Got to work fine, checked the oil again and its all good... Thanks for the responses you guys are awesome!

[Setter32]

.....we are.........aren't we.......:o .....

....

.....tell me about my eyes.....:batlash: .....






:D

[bling_thing]

They're black, and seem to have a very small brain pan behind them...

[Hiszpan]

i've noticed the same situation. my bike after some 3000km (1800miles?) burned about 0,2l of oil. I use semisynthetic oil from Castrol (Actevo). I've noticed also that sometimes after cold start (with choke) during some 2-3 minutes of work engine smokes a little then i can feel burned oil. without choke engine start situation doesn't appear. during ride engine doesn't smoking... I was a little confused cause of this situation. Now i'm better cause i see that it's normal that SV burns oil sometimes - not only mine. I've done some 25000km (15000miles).

regards from Europe/Poland

[AvidSVRider]

Originally posted by TIE_Pilot
If you added until you saw "full" while the bike was on the sidestand... you now have way too much oil in the crankcase... that can cause damage.


Gotta run the bike first, then check it. Why? If did you did a filter change, the new filter will be empty.

You should always change oil on a warm bike. The oil will drain much easier.

When the bike is cold, and on the sidestand, you'll not see any oil in the window because the window is tipped up from the ground, the oil is sitting at the other side of the crank case. All of my bikes have shown oil in the window when the bike is cold and level.

You should always check your oil with the bike level, not on the sidestand. Run the bike to get teh oil warm and tehn let it sit for a few seconds to check the level.


That said, after 17,500 miles my bike has never leaked or consumed a drop of oil. I've run full synthetic since 4000 miles.

[killstealer]

Originally posted by ersigh
well i had problems w/getting into gear when i was using dino-oil, and have had no problems since i switched to synthetic ... and have read in a few places that the shifting thing has happened to others.

Is this true? I have shifting problems with my '03 after 1,000 miles of an oil change. I change it every 2,000 miles. I've never had to add oil, even if I run it hard. Maybe I'll try this method and see if I notice a difference.

[newbie]

Has anyone sent out their oil for analysis? I have used Oil Lab in Washington to analyze my car oil and plan to do the same with my bike. From that analysis you can tell what various problems you might be experiencing such as bearings, seals, dirt, coolant, etc. They also give a recommendation on the oil change intervals.

That's the only real way to know exactly what your change intervals should be. Each bike and each rider is different. I wouldn't go by the "change when it's black" method either. You can still have plenty of useful life out of your oil when it's black.

[Sui]

I'm using castrol GTX car oil in my VFR and it seems fine. Nice and cheap too. Unless you are racing the thing or dealing with a very fragile motor (Laverda) I wouldn't worry about using cheaper car oils, so long as the clutch still actuates nicely. Experiment... It's the only way.

For example I tried Motul 5100 and my clutch sucked, but on 3000 or 300v (very nice, but very expensive) it worked great... Just have to test, test, test...


Originally posted by bwarbiany
The problem with Synthetic (or even most regular oils now) is that they're too slick for wet clutches... For example, you don't actually need motorcycle oil for your motorcycle, and since the stuff is so damned expensive, you want to just buy car stuff... The only problem is finding the car stuff with SF or SG viscosity ratings, instead of something higher. I went to a Kragens and everyone there was wondering why I was looking for oil with LOWER viscosity ratings :D

Brad
PS - I don't mean to start a MC-specific vs. car oil debate...

[Hiszpan]

after some 36.000km (22.500 miles) i've noticed that my SV is burning about 0,15l of oil for some 1000km. I;ve noticed also that in air box is always some engine oil from crankcase ventilation. I suppose that this oil is burning when it's choked with air. All traction parameters are still correct even a little bit higher that for stock bike (top speed is about 220km/h - measured). Bike doesn't smoke. I suppose that when i could remove pipes from crankcase from air box (connect then together) problem with oil would disappear.
Anyone tried to do this?
Regards:
Hiszpan