Oil Usage

[bristoltriathlonking]

Hi all,

I@ve got a 2001 GS with 70,000 miles on it, and I recently replaced the oil (Rock Oil Guardian) and filter. One ride, then topped up to the limit and she is running wonderfully.

The oil level was 2/3rds of the way up the sight glass - then I did a good (and pretty hard) run of 400 miles in two days, and the oil level is now down to the red line.

The GS (in all the time of ownership - 14,000 miles) has never really burnt this amount of oil before, so am slightly concerned. No discernible leaks or drops.

Anyone had this issue, or should I just accept that this is the life and keep topping her up?

Cheers! L

 

[Packer]

Mine burns oil on short runs, max. to almost min. on the site glass in a week of around 300 miles, maybe 20 short runs. On long runs it hardly uses anything. Now at 63½K miles

Perhaps you're starting to see wear in the piston rings or valve guides/seals. I'd live with it until it starts to get smoky or another problem arises.

 

[motobiker]

Are you absolutely sure that its burnt this oil? Its perfectly reasonable for the oil glass to play silly buggers... I've seen mine go from full to empty and then back to full again.

My habit now is to check the oil in the morning. Park it up the night before on the side-stand for ten minutes.. then lift it onto the mainstand and the next morning look at the level. Always doing this in the same position, on level ground.

It can take some time for the oil to drain from the system down to the sump... you can't hurry this if you want an 'accurate' measure. Which is why I leave it overnight.

If it has burnt the oil.. then its not something to panic about.. simply top it up and monitor it as per usual.

 

[bristoltriathlonking]

Yeah, she's always parked on the centrestand in the garage overnight - always checked before any ride.

I have recently been using her for the 'work' run which is about 8 miles, so we could be seeing the effect of this on her. I've never really used her for this purpose, but my push bike is off the road.

Mechanically, she's still perfectly fine, but obviously there is some cosmetic wear and tear.

She's always been meticulously serviced by dealers, so I'm happy that she's mechanically tip-top (I can't be bothered to scrimp and save on a service here and there!).

Thanks for the feedbakc, just wanted some concerns assuaged.

 

[Wrigsby1]

If you haven't had a prob before i would hold off panicking just yet. The "short engine" seems pretty bullet proof on R's and unless you see oil pissing out from somewhere or its smoking like a "stroker" you may have a case of the lying level prob.

I have just done a 2k mile trip with a little used which it sometimes does and sometimes doesn't. I have always seemed to use the top half of the window far quicker than the bottom half so rarely fill it above the red spot.

From top to bottom is approx 1/2 litre (as I remember?) so there is still quite a bit left...

 

[raginmund]

I got slated for saying that checking the oil was a bit of a PITA in another thread, but fwiw I do this (after a run or at least with the bike at operating temp):

Side-stand for 5 mins
Centre-stand for 10 mins
then Check Sight Glass

This is a PITA if it's raining, snowing, or you are tired as f**k. I'd be interested to know if this is the 'wrong' way to check the oil level.

And I agree, or remember, that the sight glass is 500ml.

Mine burns about 100ml every 1000 miles, in mixed use.

 

[Wrigsby1]

I got slated for saying that checking the oil was a bit of a PITA in another thread, but fwiw I do this (after a run or at least with the bike at operating temp):

Side-stand for 5 mins
Centre-stand for 10 mins
then Check Sight Glass

This is a PITA if it's raining, snowing, or you are tired as f**k. I'd be interested to know if this is the 'wrong' way to check the oil level.

And I agree, or remember, that the sight glass is 500ml.

Mine burns about 100ml every 1000 miles, in mixed use.

Any way that you find of getting a consistent reading will work for you. It's the consistency that is the problem. I was stopped mid motorway ride the other day, engine well hot, etc, etc. After 10 mins the oil was over min but away from centre spot, after over an hour the level was above centre.

I usually check in the morning, centre stand, cold, even though holding the bike upright is OK as well. Ground's gotta be level. I guess we are just happy to see oil much of the time