| Author | Message | ||
     Jraice |
When I checked my oil for the first time way back in March it was at about the 1/4th mark on the okay zone. It quickly went below that and I would top it off to keep it around there but by the time I had gotten it serviced at 1540 miles I had gone through one quart of oil and when I brought it in the oil wasnt even touching the dipstick. Anyways, I got home from a short ride home after getting it serviced and having Royal Purple Synthetic put in and checked it and was very excited to see for once it was over the 1/2 mark (at around 2/3-3/4). Well now we are something like 500-600 miles since that service, all of those miles for the most part in the mountains (and its hot out) riding very hard and guess what. Just checked it after a 5-10 minute ride to the local pharmacy and its not even on the dipstick! Whats going on!!! Note: This is a copy paste from another buell forum I posted this two days ago. I road it again tonight, a bit longer (15min) and checked it. This time rather then take off my gloves after turning the bike off I let it run and the time between checking and shut down was literally 10 seconds flat. I cant do it much faster. Checked twice (with an engine restart inbetween) and only got it to the bottom of the hashed okay mark. Going to do a 30-45 minute ride and check before I add more oil but I am really at a loss. Just rolled over 600 miles since the service and the synthetic oil, all of those miles have been hard riding in the mountains with a good bit of engine braking (heard that burns oil) but I never expected the level to go down this quickly! This really is a serious problem and Buell needs to do something about it. Did the oil system really change that much in 08? Because I dont hear of any people having this problem on pre 08's. Just the 08+ bikes. Also I have no noticeable "drain back". I can check it a few times and it will always be low, but yesterdays check was not on the stick and today's was, partly. So I dont think its only burning oil thats the problem. Some guys said they fill it cold and check it cold but I would imagine it could still sink in after a run from where you initially filled it, and also could be over filled when hot. Another person on the other forum said they always park in the same place and check for leaks. I am not worried the level is going down from leaks, I am worried about burning oil. | ||
| Boltrider |
How often do you check? I check mine at each fill-up. I might get 300 miles on it before I have to add some. | ||
| Tpoppa |
How many miles on your bike? | ||
| Jraice |
I should check more I guess but still it seems like in 600 miles this is a LOT of oil getting used up. Bike has 2150 miles on it. Oil changed at 1550 to Royal Purple, before that I was running regular harley stuff and needed just over a quart to keep it happy. Perhaps its still breaking in some and will slow, but many people on the other buell forum are saying its just the oil check problem and that it probably has plenty in it. Im guessing I should add 150ml, per the dip stick memo, and see how it goes. Ill do a longer ride and check first. | ||
| Tpoppa |
When my XB9S was new it consumed a few quarts of oil. It tapered off to nearly no consumption by 4,000 miles. Oil consumption in a new motors usually has to do with the rings not being completely sealed yet. How did you break it in? Are you seeing any smoke in your exhaust? | ||
| Jraice |
Havent noticed any smoke from the exhaust, I have noticed a light mist (could be smoke, could be water vapor) from the swingarm oil hole if I open it when the bike is super hot. Well I noticed that with the dino oil, havent noticed it with the synthetic but have only checked it twice. I broke the bike in hard. First 50 miles (ride home) were 2750-3750rpm or so, as it was raining and the tires were new. After that I started to raise the rev's to around 5000rpm but didnt get on it hard. By around 400-500 miles on the bike I had been riding the snot out of it and keeping rev's under 6,000rpm. As I got closer to 1000 miles I started to get close to redline and bounced off the rev limiter a few times. Now I ride it like I stole it  . My concern is that its hard to tell the difference between oil consumption and inaccurate oil reading. I guess to much is better then to little... Ill add a bit and try and check it more often, especially when I do my ride down to SoCal with pops next weekend. Will be some 400+ mile days. | ||
| Boney95 |
Thinking you didn't break it in hard enough? That's a lot of oil! | ||
| Jraice |
What? My concern is sometimes it appears to be actually low and other times its the accuracy of checking it. For example yesterday it wasnt on the dipstick, today it was, but it was at the line to top it off. | ||
| Andymnelson |
"This really is a serious problem and Buell needs to do something about it" Well posting about it over and over in multiple forums is NOT going to get Buell to do anything about it. Have you talked to your service manager about it? How about Buell customer service? I assume yes, so what did they say? If not,well...you've posted the same question several times and the answer has always been the same: the bike will take several thousand miles to break in, and will consume more oil during that time. You're simply not broken in yet. Now, if its truly a concern to you, then you need to be documenting everything and having consistent conversations with your service manager (not forum members) and documenting those conversations. Keep good records so that if you actually do have an engine issue you have a proverbial leg to stand on down the road. | ||
| Jraice |
Reason I posted again is this is now with about twice the mileage and most importantly, synthetic oil. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
I've always been told not to use synthetic oil during break-in. Synthetic is better because it is slicker, and allows less friction between engine components. As a result of less friction there is also less heat buildup. Both the reduction in friction and heat will increase fuel economy and decrease power losses, but during break-in the engine parts need to wear tolerances into each other. Synthetic oil isn't good at allowing that since it is so protective. If your piston rings haven't been allowed to wear properly into the cylinder walls then you've got less than optimal ring seal which will result in power loss and burning oil. I'm breaking my new motor in with a case of HD 20w50 dino oil. As soon as that case is used up, THEN I'll be switching back to a synthetic. just my $0.02 | ||
| Fast1075 |
+1 on the synthetic in a low mileage motor. | ||
| Andymnelson |
Makes sense, but have you talked to your service manager or Buell customer service about it? You have our opinion, but ours doesn't count in the case that there is actually an issue. You need theirs. | ||
| Swordsman |
I don't see how it's NOT smoking if it's using that much oil. ~SM | ||
| Jraice |
Well I would imagine its smoking while I am riding hard and I am not down looking at the pipe then  . But as I said Ill go for a longer ride tonight and see how the check goes after a full warm up. | ||
| Andymnelson |
I assume by the fact that you are ignoring the question that the answer is no? I'll say it again, if you are really concerned you NEED to be having conversations with your service manager. If you don't, and a year down the road you're burning a quart every 500 miles and you bring it in, you are much less likely to get cooperation. I'm not really trying to be a hard a** here, but now you can't get down the road, having only consulted forums and not the correct people, and blame us. | ||
| Jraice |
I have informally discussed oil consumption with the tech. He said it was normal to burn a quart/1000 miles for break in, which I assumed I am almost out of and assumed the problem would stop. I need to take the bike back in for another problem and Ill mention that the problem has yet to cease (and get | ||
| Swordsman |
J, you don't have to be sitting on the bike to hit it WOT.  just don't let it vibrate off the kickstand..... ~SM | ||
| Reepicheep |
What viscosity oil? Castrol syntec 5w50 and my 05 9SX drinks it like crazy. Castrol Syntec 20w50, and I'm probably using less then a quart every 3k miles. | ||
| Grianp |
I was told by a shop that races and repairs XB's that on average a quart for every 1000 miles is considered normal consumption. | ||
| Sloppy |
RC has the right question -- what viscosity of engine oil are you using? Mine took about 3,000 miles before I noticed less oil consumption. And that was with a breakin on non-synthetic oil. When you check your oil it NEEDS to be immeadiately after the end of a ride where the engine is at operating temperature. Remember you have a dry sump engine so the oil needs to get pumped out of the engine and into the swingarm. | ||
| Jraice |
20W50 royal purple. Checked right after a ride. Going riding tonight, will be a longer ride (several hours). Will check after the ride and top off if necessary. | ||
| Froggy |
Please read this thread: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show .cgi?142838/453266 |
