I just changed the oil (last change was April ) and measured the old oil. There was about 1700cc in the bike. Is that amount of loss normal? I haven't noticed any performance problems, etc. (Bike has about 6K miles on the odo.)
Does your bike smoke? Is the exhaust outlet all black & sooty, or dark blue, or even worse, dripping oil? How much did you put in it the last time you changed the oil? I personally wouldn't be concerned, you'll never get 100% of the oil out that went in.
I can't say I know too many people who measure the old oil after it's drained. Basically, fill the oil, notice where it is on the site glass, keep an eye on it, if the level drops drastically, then you may have a problem. Other than that, ride the **** out of it...
Wait.... does THIS mean that I am burning oil?
I never have any smoke of any color come out.
This picture is this morning at around 2700 miles on the clock. It is a little darker than the picture shows.
My Versys seems to be an oil drinker...
last service I mentioned it and was told that a litre over the service interval isn't seen as a problem. but make sure the oil level is maintained
If you're doing a lot of hard riding that contains a lot of engine braking, the exhaust system vacuum will suck some oil out. Very normal for inline fours and I'm sure to some extent on a twin.
My experience is that it is difficult to get all of the oil out of the used filter. Not only does the filter need to be dumped out, it needs to be appropriately punctured to get the oil out. Even then, quite a bit of oil will remain trapped in the media.
Then again, I am no expert on oil filters... They just feel heavier used than new.
There is always some oil consumed in many ways, you should not be worried, if you want some peace of mind, check the plugs, if they have some oil residue then there's something wrong, other than that, give it some gas and go.
Hey guys. The last time I changed the oil on the V, I accidentally over-filled it. by about 2-4 ounces. I had to drain out half of the new oil that I had just put in and refill it more carefully so that it would be on point. It was a huge mess and it was really hard dumping only part of the oil in there and leaving the rest in the bike so I would not have to buy all new oil again.
Anyway, is there any problems with overfilling? What could be the damage if any?
I've experienced the same thing on the Versy and other bikes. The typical scenario: oil levels at proper level before draining but requires more oil to bring up to level. I don't know why, I just accept it and don't worry about.
You'll have a better idea by starting with oil level near the full mark when you change the oil, and seeing how much it needs to keep at same level after a certain amount of mileage.
My new Versys was delivered with about 1/2 quart too much oil in, so I just let excess out in a drain pan by holding the drain plug up to the hole and screwing it back in without making a mess... Overfilling causes smoking, and hard starting. More oil can be pushed in airbox and onto air filter through crankcase vent. Oil blowby into combustion chamber can foul plugs and even damage catalytic converter in the stock muffler. Oil seals can be blown out. If it's really overfilled, the crankshaft and connecting rods can act like a mixer and whip the oil into a froth. This aerated oil is like no oil at all and serious bearing and engine damage can occur. In some cases, failure of the crankshaft can occur from hydraulic shock when the spinning crank hits viscous oil at high speed, and the instantaneous deceleration rips it apart.
Check oil level after warming up engine and letting it sit for 1/2 hour. Level shows higher when engine is still warm.
My new Versys was delivered with about 1/2 quart too much oil in, so I just let excess out in a drain pan by holding the drain plug up to the hole and screwed it back in without making a mess... Overfilling causes smoking, and hard starting. More oil can be pushed in airbox and onto air filter through crankcase vent. Oil blowby into combustion chamber can foul plugs and even damage catalytic converter in the stock muffler. Oil seals can be blown out. If it is really overfilled, the crank and connecting rods will act like a mixer and whip the oil into a froth. This aerated oil is like no oil at all and serious bearing and engine damage can occur. In some cases, failure of the crankshaft can occur from hydraulic shock when the spinning crank hits viscous oil at high speed, and the instantaneous deceleration rips it apart.
It can be overfilled when refilling during an oil change without showing actual level in the sight glass. Check level after warming up engine and letting it sit for 1/2 hour. Level shows higher when engine is still warm.
at my most recent service the mechanic said to check the oil when cold, he pulled the bike to the right so the sight glass filled up then returned the bike to the vertical and left it, say 10..15 seconds to stabilise and judged the oil level.
I've heard other people say bike engines should have the oil level checked when cold.
That's right, healdem. The most cooled off with the most oil drained back down and stabilized, the better. So it's good to wait at least 1/2 hour after running to get a decent reading. The longer the better... Sight glass height is calibrated to give proper reading on an engine that's been sitting for a while, which makes sense. You just have to run the engine after changing the oil to fill filter, lines, passages, and displace any air, then let cool off and stabilize before you can get a good reading. Oil will more fully drain back down after engine is warmed up.
got my v back from the dealer after the 12000km service. The oil now fills up the entire sight glass, no smoking or hard starting,I have done about 200 miles since she's been back. should I be concerned?
Whoah... Is that when the engine is cold? How much do you have to lean it for level to appear? This might give you a idea of how high it is. I would definitely just unscrew the drain bolt and allow some out, screw back in and check again.
make sure to hold the bike perfectly level, do not use synthetic oil before 1500 miles so it allows the engine to break in, specially the piston rings.
Does anybody out there have any recommendations about oils? Are synthetics better in the V? I have used them for years in my Infinitis, and I love the longevity it gives, but what about on the V, and if yes, what brand do you recommend? Any motorcycle specific?
There are some very fine synthetic oils out there. Mobil1, Amsoil, RotellaT, etc... Any one of these will do a great job. I use Mobil1 for motorcycles.
lol Blip- you really know how to make a guy squirm. So, Yes i do engine brake and yes and ride the thing like I spent a lot of money (for me) on it and want to get full usage of every red cent.
I had some 'missing oil' in my ex-Ninja 250R when I was using Motul 5100 10W40. It was fine on my usual commutes which I don't exceed 130kph, and mostly averaged around 80 kph. The oil level was fine until I rode on the highway at 140-150kph for about an hour. I checked my oil a while later after I had arrived home, and the level was at Low, and before that it was stable at High. I can only say that the oil was somehow consumed and suspected the oil to be fake Motul, as these popular oils are usually prone to immitation, in my country. I had the oil changed and use Fully Synthetic 10W50 to which there was no engine oil loss, no matter how hard I rode the bike. Bottom line, if the level drops and your exhaust ain't smoking, try a different set of oil.
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