I know this sounds like a stupid question but I am fairly new to the oil changes and maintenance for bikes and was curious. Two days ago I started noticing a ticking sound from my bike after starting it and I had changed the oil 8 weeks ago but did not realize it could lose/burn oil that quickly but found last night after checking the levels that I was over a quart low. I am hoping I did not do any damage to the bike but realize now that I need to probably check the oil every week from now on to be safe. I just wanted to get some feedback regarding this area. Thank you.
Do bikes use oil more than cars?
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In general no, but of course that could be Bike specific.
I don’t add oil to any of my bikes between oil changes. On my main commuting bike (Honda ST1100) I change the oil every 8,000 miles and don’t need to add any oil between changes. I do see a very slight decrease in oil level.
Rick
I don’t add oil to any of my bikes between oil changes. On my main commuting bike (Honda ST1100) I change the oil every 8,000 miles and don’t need to add any oil between changes. I do see a very slight decrease in oil level.
Rick
In my experience, yes. My '93 EX 500 will go through a half quart in 1000 miles. In a car I would find this unacceptable, but in a play toy I live with it.
My Honda 125 would also use a bit, and I don't think the 305 was ever driven enough in a change to use it but based on the smoke at the pipes it would.
My Honda 125 would also use a bit, and I don't think the 305 was ever driven enough in a change to use it but based on the smoke at the pipes it would.
hmm, that is interesting. My bike only has 6k on it and I sure hope there is not anything wrong with it. I plan to use Rotella 5w40 next oil change but it is still a ways off. I will definitely start watching the oil levels more often. Thank you.
I had a Honda Shadow 750 v-twin that I got with 8000 miles on it. I didn't really notice it using any oil at first. I used 15w40 Rotella in it. I ran the absolute [censored] out of it, but only when warm. I changed the oil every 1000 miles (it was cheap, and again, I ran the [censored] out of it).
Oil consumption got insanely bad. Was it a weak engine? Bad oil? I'll never know.
After 5k miles of me driving it, and religiously changing the oil, it was smoking on start up. Nothing too bad, but easily visible. Either that bike couldn't take abuse, or the oil couldn't take that kind of abuse.
Oil consumption got insanely bad. Was it a weak engine? Bad oil? I'll never know.
After 5k miles of me driving it, and religiously changing the oil, it was smoking on start up. Nothing too bad, but easily visible. Either that bike couldn't take abuse, or the oil couldn't take that kind of abuse.
What bike and what oil??
How many miles in those 8 weeks?
How many miles in those 8 weeks?
Seems like a LOT to me, unless you put 50,000 miles on it or something in those 8 weeks, Joe.
I'm guessing it's the Vulcan you list in your signature?
I'm guessing it's the Vulcan you list in your signature?
It is the Vulcan and it got its allotted 5 quarts 8 weeks ago. I have a 40 mile commute daily and ride it fairly easy.
My experience is that air cooled engines use more oil in hot weather and in comparing to something like a liquid cooled car in the same conditions I would say sure, bike use more oil than cars. I know a guy that has to carry a bottle of oil with him. In this case on an air cooled Honda to do a 500 mile ride he may have to top off in route or at the end of the ride. Whether it's an air cooled bike or my mower I check oil levels much more often in hot weather than in a car and for a reason (they often need a top off).
Bikes that consume oil usually do so because of bad valve seals or someone broke the engine in wrong or failed to change oil often enough and the engine is getting lots of blow by from the piston rings. Easy way to tell if the rings or valves have issues is to get a service manual and do a compression leak down test. If the valve seals are bad oil will leak into the cylinders after you shut the engine off and then you will combust it on start up. These bikes smoke at start up. Usually the spark plugs will be black and sometimes even wet with oil.
Some dry sump Vtwin engines like Harleys will "wet sump" oil from the oil tank into the crankcase when sitting for a few days as oil leaks from the oil tank past the bypass check valve into the crankcase. Then the owner checks the oil and it is low so he adds oil and overfills the bike. SO be sure to check the engine oil in accordance with the owners manusl. All Harleys should be checked hot about 4 minutes after shut down allowing the oil to return to the oil tank. This issue is usually easy to repair and quite common.
Some dry sump Vtwin engines like Harleys will "wet sump" oil from the oil tank into the crankcase when sitting for a few days as oil leaks from the oil tank past the bypass check valve into the crankcase. Then the owner checks the oil and it is low so he adds oil and overfills the bike. SO be sure to check the engine oil in accordance with the owners manusl. All Harleys should be checked hot about 4 minutes after shut down allowing the oil to return to the oil tank. This issue is usually easy to repair and quite common.
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+1, some bikes with separate sumps either an external tank or internal can be tricky on the method of checking the level. Usually what happens is they get overfilled because the owner thinks it's low when really it isn't. Some motors can experience more blowby and related issues from this, which can lead to oil usuage.
Also many new bikes, with hard face rings and nicasil bores will use oil until they seat the rings. Usually more a problem with powerful fast bikes that are hard to run hard enough to push the rings for quick break in.
Also many new bikes, with hard face rings and nicasil bores will use oil until they seat the rings. Usually more a problem with powerful fast bikes that are hard to run hard enough to push the rings for quick break in.
Originally Posted By: Jaymus
Most new'ish' bikes are liquid cooled. My 2002 Honda Shadow 750cc was.
I know I'm just pointing out that in addtion to bikes generally being driven harder than cars with 3/4 to full throttle accels being not uncommen on any given day, that some (millions on the road) bikes are not liquid cooled and tend to require top offs on occasion. If I was down 10 to 15% of sump capacity on a bike after 1500 miles I would not even blink, especially ifair cooled and riding in 95+ temps. If were down that much on my car I would make note of it.
Going through a Qt in 1000 miles is a different story though.
Most new'ish' bikes are liquid cooled. My 2002 Honda Shadow 750cc was.
I know I'm just pointing out that in addtion to bikes generally being driven harder than cars with 3/4 to full throttle accels being not uncommen on any given day, that some (millions on the road) bikes are not liquid cooled and tend to require top offs on occasion. If I was down 10 to 15% of sump capacity on a bike after 1500 miles I would not even blink, especially ifair cooled and riding in 95+ temps. If were down that much on my car I would make note of it.
Going through a Qt in 1000 miles is a different story though.
I would be willing to bet that you need to closely review the proceedures for the oil change and normal checking of oil level for your bike. Every bike has a correct way to make these measurements: for some it is "cold engine on the kickstand", others "fully warmed up, 5 minutes later and bike level", some have dipsticks, others have an oil window, etc.
For some bikes it is actually more dangerous to have too much oil than too little!
If you were, say, a half quart low at the oil change, put 4K desert miles on the bike in the 8 weeks and didn't follow the correct proceedure for checking the oil level you could be looking at a 1/4 quart actual oil use in 4K, which is not really something to worry about...
All the more reason to use something like AME, IMHO!
Cheers!
For some bikes it is actually more dangerous to have too much oil than too little!
If you were, say, a half quart low at the oil change, put 4K desert miles on the bike in the 8 weeks and didn't follow the correct proceedure for checking the oil level you could be looking at a 1/4 quart actual oil use in 4K, which is not really something to worry about...
All the more reason to use something like AME, IMHO!
Cheers!
Some bikes piston and ring pack design put priority into low friction vs. oil control. Piston designs may have the rings closer to the crown by design, thinner rings etc. The emphasis is performance. Shorter lighter valves used for higher rpm control and head compactness may allow the buckets to move closer to the seals, an effect that pumps more oil past the seal. Tighter seals can be used but there is limits there. Point is, not all engines are designed with good oil control as their prioity.
Thank you all for the input. The strange thing is that I checked the oil again today and had to add another quart so something is definitely not right but it does not smoke! I am not sure what the deal is actually but I plan to call the place I got it and let them know my concerns. It was a used bike and only has 7k on it. I do not ride it hard at all. I hope to get a better answer soon but the strange thing is that the bike seems to run well.
Originally Posted By: coffee
Thank you all for the input. The strange thing is that I checked the oil again today and had to add another quart so something is definitely not right but it does not smoke! I am not sure what the deal is actually but I plan to call the place I got it and let them know my concerns. It was a used bike and only has 7k on it. I do not ride it hard at all. I hope to get a better answer soon but the strange thing is that the bike seems to run well.
Cold start it at night in the dark and shine a flashlight on the exhaust and you will see if it is smoking out the exhaust. You can also check with a dealer to see if there are any TSB's on valve seals or oil consumption.
Thank you all for the input. The strange thing is that I checked the oil again today and had to add another quart so something is definitely not right but it does not smoke! I am not sure what the deal is actually but I plan to call the place I got it and let them know my concerns. It was a used bike and only has 7k on it. I do not ride it hard at all. I hope to get a better answer soon but the strange thing is that the bike seems to run well.
Cold start it at night in the dark and shine a flashlight on the exhaust and you will see if it is smoking out the exhaust. You can also check with a dealer to see if there are any TSB's on valve seals or oil consumption.
Well did some reading on the subject and some Vulcans do have oil consumption issues. One guy suggested that it is a design flaw by Kawasaki engineers putting the oil breather tube too low on the engine so it sucks oil out of the crankcase and into the intake and continously consumes oil. You may want to consult an experienced Kawasaki mechanic and see if there is a remedy. You also may want to google it and join a Kawasaki forum and see what others are doing.
Wow....most of you guys have never owned a Thumper, have you? For that matter, a Thumper in the 600cc-650cc range.
Put a big Enduro out on the Interstate, any 500cc or larger, Thumper, Enduro....run it 75 mph for miles and miles.....and it will go through oil like a hungry Camel. Yeah, every single one of them.
There are dozens and dozens of stories of guys burning their engine up in this catagory of bike because they didn't pay attention to the oil levels. Matter of fact, most of these bikes have an OCI of 1,000 to 1,500 miles.
My DL650, a Suzuki V-Twin with a 10,500 rpm Red Line will loose a little oil when I run down the Interstate for a couple of hundred miles at 7k rpm's, hour after hour. Usually I loose about 1/2 quart in 1,500 miles.
Put a big Enduro out on the Interstate, any 500cc or larger, Thumper, Enduro....run it 75 mph for miles and miles.....and it will go through oil like a hungry Camel. Yeah, every single one of them.
There are dozens and dozens of stories of guys burning their engine up in this catagory of bike because they didn't pay attention to the oil levels. Matter of fact, most of these bikes have an OCI of 1,000 to 1,500 miles.
My DL650, a Suzuki V-Twin with a 10,500 rpm Red Line will loose a little oil when I run down the Interstate for a couple of hundred miles at 7k rpm's, hour after hour. Usually I loose about 1/2 quart in 1,500 miles.
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