Just checked my oil about 250 miles ago (2 tanks) and went on 2 pretty much full tank rides, lots of twisties and high speed (high RPM) riding. Checked my oil this morning and its not even on the stick! :o
I have no leaks anywhere, I know our motors eat oil, but seriously - how much or how often do you find yourself adding oil? At this rate I never need to change it LOL, it gets fresh oil all the time!
Off to the dealer to get more Suzuki oil.......
LoL I noticed this as well, I find myself adding oil once every week
Just picked up a few quarts and figure I added about 450ml to get it up from not registering on the dipstick to exactly the F line. Before when I added I was only in the middle crosshatch area.
Ive written down my milage and going to monitor the oil level closely and see just how much I lose over certain milage, etc.
1/2 quart in 250 miles ... yea, my 89 was at that level of usage ~35K - 40K or so. By the 48K mile mark when I sold it it was using 1 qt in 300.
Yea it uses oil.
Cool.
Buddha.
Just wanted to add this for good measure. http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=41989.new#new
High rpm riding burns more oil.Tolerances in an air cooled engine are a little loose to compensate for the wildly fluctuating temperatures.Prevents lock up during cooler engine temps.Also,Suzuki oil burns off quick.Dunno why but I ran it for 500 miles.Used 1.5 quarts.Switched to Valvoline 10-40 motorcycle oil.I now use around 1 quart between oil changes,no mater how I ride.
They run loose tolerances on air cooled motors to prevent locking up at high temps, not colder temps.
Aluminum (pistons ) expand more than steel (cylinders) for the same increase in temperature. it gets hot and the piston to wall clearance drops ... it hits 0 and its adios to the motor.
Oh yea suzuki assembled the GS on monday mornings and friday evenings only ... all GS'es are all monday morning jobs ... all of them :mad: ... POS.
Cool.
Buddha.
why are you spending the big bux on zuki oil?
WALMART baby....where america sells out every day
10-40 or 20-50
Yea werase ...
However I'd add this ... show the chinnese you're really unhappy with them ... and buy only middle east oil from walmart. Atleast we dont import that from china.
Cool.
Buddha.
Big bucks? $2.99 a quart at the Suzuki dealer?
Sorry Im not a poor mofo.
Neither am I, but I am cheap, and in this case, the walmart 10W40 SF rated oil is actually better than the suzuki water. I use it cos I am cheap and its better. I dont use it on bikes that want 20W50, I fork over $2.50 + castrol etc, and other people here actually like truck oil - Delo or some like that on the GS. 15W50 is it guys ... whatever, its for big trucks.
Cool.
Buddha.
Can't read any level drop in my GS w/ 9000 miles on it from riding 500 miles in the last three weeks. Oil was changed at the start of the 500 miles, still looks fresh and clear. Using 10w-40, says to use that on the oil cap.
castrol activo is good for bikes I use it and it doesnt burn that much.
Yea yea, you guys prolly have good bikes, not sheite that has been used and abused and beat to hell ... and that was even before I get it. Once I get it, it usually starts getting sexually attracted to fire, just praying it will be melted down.
Cool.
Buddha.
Quote from: werase643 on July 05, 2008, 11:40:35 AM
why are you spending the big bux on zuki oil?
WALMART baby....where america sells out every day
10-40 or 20-50
Holy shaZam!! the local bike supplies shop ripped me off then? :mad: :mad: I just got 4 quarts of oil for 30 bucks from him. I did go to walmart before that and was shocked to find that 4 quarts of 10w40 selling for 10 bucks. He said that the oil I get at walmart is not safe for motorcycles and told me 'clutch blah blah....'. :cry: :cry: :cry:
I will never, ever go that rip off store again.
Hey astroaru,
Well, for $30 for 4 quarts, he probably sold you synthetic motor oil, not petroleum based oil.
At that price, it's more reasonable, but still expensive.
What brand and exact name oil did you buy for that price?
Synthetic oil need not be changed as often as petroleum based oil, so that is a selling point for the added expense of it.
All that being said, however, I am curious --- you didn't know that $30 for 4 quarts was way high before you went to Wal-Mart? Have you n ever had to buy oil before or what?
I was surprised that you didn't laugh in the guy's face and walk out to buy oil elsewhere.
:)
synthetic is great for bikes since it can cause the clutch to slip.
1994 gs with 11688 miles. i use castrol syntec 15-40, (i think, what ever weight the clymer says to use) it does not use a drop of oil, the oil stays pretty clean golden and i have put up tp 3000 on a change..
im not easy on it, i like to ring its neck often.. maybe purple gs's dont burn oil like other colors :icon_mrgreen:
most people i know run synthetic in their bikes, do you guys think thats is the wrong route? i have heard some people talk about clutch plate problem and such but have experienced none.. :dunno_white:
Quote from: Trwhouse on July 06, 2008, 12:00:57 PM
Hey astroaru,
Well, for $30 for 4 quarts, he probably sold you synthetic motor oil, not petroleum based oil.
At that price, it's more reasonable, but still expensive.
What brand and exact name oil did you buy for that price?
Synthetic oil need not be changed as often as petroleum based oil, so that is a selling point for the added expense of it.
All that being said, however, I am curious --- you didn't know that $30 for 4 quarts was way high before you went to Wal-Mart? Have you n ever had to buy oil before or what?
I was surprised that you didn't laugh in the guy's face and walk out to buy oil elsewhere.
:)
I just checked up the invoice: It is spectro4 motorcycle engine lubricant SAE10w-40. It is not even synthetic. To be precise, it was 7 bucks a quart. Also it was "MADE IN USA". Does that make a difference? He told me synthetic was 8 bucks a quart. :2guns: :2guns: :2guns:
That's it he has lost a bunch of customers now. From next time it is going to be Walmart 10w-40 for 1.5 bucks a quart.
Hi again Astro,
Wel,, Spectro motorcycle oil is definitely more expensive, but you don't need to buy that stuff.
That is excellent racing oil, which some racers prefer.
It's not needed in your engine, as you now know.
Also, my 1991 GS500E has 21,000 miles on it. I've owned it since it had 136 miles on it and it doesn't use oil in between changes, no matter if my miles are city or highway.
I believe a lot of that has to do with proper break-in and maintenance. Many folks who got their bikes used have no way yo know how the previous owners cared for their bikes, so oil burning can often be attributed to bikes that were beaten and flogged by previous owners who didn't know how to care for equipment.
Yours,
Todd
Todd: many thanks for the clarification. yeah, it is not a race bike or a high performance one. :oops:
SIKDMAX: thanks for brining up this topic. Did learn a good lesson :bowdown:
:thumb:
also prior to using castrol activo I used royal purple and didnt have any problems with the clutch. I know its expensive but I get it for free so yeah.
i run cheveron 10-40 car oil >_<
i was at the gas station and it took almost 3/4 quart (DOH!!)
after that it seems to run fine (clutch included)
so i topped it off with the rest...
then bought another qt of the same stuff...
still fine...
only reason i bought that over motocycle oil... it was 11PM and i was at a gas station =-P
I've been using valvoline 10/40 for motorcycles and atv's. I'm gonna try cheapo non synthetic delo or whatever cheapo stuff I can find and see how it runs and shifts. I've noticed that after the advancer mod it definitely burned oil. The last ride I took it on was about 150 miles and it burned probably a 1/3 quart of oil but I was up in the 9k range frequently and tached a few times, so that can't be great for the oil. I'm tired of spending 4+ dollars per quart on motorcycle specific stuff so castrol has always done me well. Anybody recommend going up in weight to 10/50 or 15/50 or just straight 10w40 oil like it calls for???
Quote from: SIKDMAX on July 05, 2008, 10:07:10 AM
Just checked my oil about 250 miles ago (2 tanks) and went on 2 pretty much full tank rides, lots of twisties and high speed (high RPM) riding. Checked my oil this morning and its not even on the stick! :o
wait wait wait.... 250 miles = 2 refills ??? humm what you running there ?
I get 200 Miles on one tank, whats you gas mileage...?
Does your bike run a nice blue smoke ?
when was the last valve shims adjustment you got done on it ?
man and I Buddha Loves You about my 54MPG.... you are getting like... 25MPG..
I change oil every 5000 Miles, and I usually dont have any missing...(sometimes about 1/8 quart)
maybe you need to check the compression on your engine my friend.
Quote from: SIKDMAX on July 05, 2008, 10:07:10 AM
Just checked my oil about 250 miles ago (2 tanks) and went on 2 pretty much full tank rides, lots of twisties and high speed (high RPM) riding. Checked my oil this morning and its not even on the stick! :o
I have no leaks anywhere, I know our motors eat oil, but seriously - how much or how often do you find yourself adding oil? At this rate I never need to change it LOL, it gets fresh oil all the time!
Off to the dealer to get more Suzuki oil.......
You're not really buying oil at the dealer, are you ? :|
Quote from: pbureau69 on July 09, 2008, 09:08:03 AM
Quote from: SIKDMAX on July 05, 2008, 10:07:10 AM
Just checked my oil about 250 miles ago (2 tanks) and went on 2 pretty much full tank rides, lots of twisties and high speed (high RPM) riding. Checked my oil this morning and its not even on the stick! :o
wait wait wait.... 250 miles = 2 refills ??? humm what you running there ?
I get 200 Miles on one tank, whats you gas mileage...?
Does your bike run a nice blue smoke ?
when was the last valve shims adjustment you got done on it ?
man and I Buddha Loves You about my 54MPG.... you are getting like... 25MPG..
I change oil every 5000 Miles, and I usually dont have any missing...(sometimes about 1/8 quart)
maybe you need to check the compression on your engine my friend.
Maybe you should just learn more about what you are talking about. You have an F, I have an E. I also have a CALIFORNIA E, which has the lowest tank capacity of all the GS500s. I get 42mpg hand calculated, with very spirited riding, changed sprockets, and frequent redlines and highway cruising at 90+.
Valves were done 500 miles ago along with carb adjustment and sync. The bike is in tip top condition with perfect compression.
Quote from: ohgood on July 09, 2008, 09:26:45 AM
Quote from: SIKDMAX on July 05, 2008, 10:07:10 AM
Just checked my oil about 250 miles ago (2 tanks) and went on 2 pretty much full tank rides, lots of twisties and high speed (high RPM) riding. Checked my oil this morning and its not even on the stick! :o
I have no leaks anywhere, I know our motors eat oil, but seriously - how much or how often do you find yourself adding oil? At this rate I never need to change it LOL, it gets fresh oil all the time!
Off to the dealer to get more Suzuki oil.......
You're not really buying oil at the dealer, are you ? :|
we already talked about this on the oil thread. Yes Im not a cheapass and I dont mind at all spending $3.50 a quart on Genuine Suzuki oil. I also have a $460 some odd dollar gift card to the dealer Im slowly eating away.
My GS clearly starts burning oil around 8K. My buddies tell me about the smoke coming out of my pipe. I commute on my GS and Ride it in the twisties for fun. When I commute, I don't really use much oil.
Don't want to burn oil? Shift sooner. :dunno_white:
With my Baby G, I was definitely a cheapass (and he burned plenty of oil). I ran the finest (ie. cheapest) Wally World oil I could find. Now that I've moved "up" in the world, my SVs runs the finest (cheapest) synth oil at Wally World! :laugh:
Nice to see an oil thread thats reasonably civil (except for SIKD...dude..this ain't BARF... ya' don't have to war with everyone! :flipoff:). :icon_twisted:
Can't wait for the Monterey ride! w00t! :cheers: :thumb: I <3 Bob Broussard! :icon_lol:
Sorry, dont like people telling me I have an ill running bike when its been totally redone by myself and in tip top shape.
Quote from: SIKDMAX on July 09, 2008, 10:38:22 PM
Sorry, dont like people telling me I have an ill running bike when its been totally redone by myself and in tip top shape.
okay...
I aint the one pouring oil into a bike in tip top shape am I now ?
You can leave the attitute at the front door.. muppet
I answered with questions alll legit questions if you knew anything about engines, you would realize that asking the questions I did where RELATED to the symptoms of "BURNING OIL" you asked an answer for.
if you don't want to have to answer questions then why ask for help in the first place...
oil disapears in 3 ways...leaks, burned passing by piston seals, lack of "restistance to the treament you giving your engine" causing it to vaporise (fumes) . pick one of the reason why... and fix it MR I KNOW IT ALL.
PS: the truth is, I hired your neighbours to drain your oil daily :)
Oil threads! Pass the popcorn please!
Someone above stated that synthetic oil would slip the wet clutch. Some synthetics with Energy Conserving additives may, just as some dino oils may; otherwise that is a false statement.
Another poster mentioned getting cheap-o Delo oil. Sometimes you can find Chevron Delo at a relative low price. It is a high quality multipurpose oil that should be fine in any cycle that needs oil in that viscosity range.
The poster above forgot to mention anther method of losing oil. Upon decel or engine braking, oil is drawn past the valve stem seals. As with piston rings under compression, this always happens; but the degree varies greatly with wear and tolerances. You folks losing so much oil; get some one to follow you (assuming they can keep-up with Joe Rocket) and have them look for oil smoke on hard acceleration or engine braking. The former is likely piston rings leaking, the latter the valve guide/seals. If you are smoking at higher RPM (8,000+) then maybe you are getting cavitation at the oil pump and oil is being drawn through the crank vents into the intake. That could be an engineering shortcoming of the engine, but maybe the oil you are using tends to "foam" a bit too much -- try a multipurpose oil as they have extra anti-foaming agents -- might be worth a shot.
prs
pbureau69....
You have me cracking up here man...
Loved that you have his neighbor draining the oil daily. :)
I agree with your advice.
Take care,
Todd
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:.....a round of applause please for PB.
Haha thats cute, muppet.
:2guns:
speaking of ways you loose oil..
i know i leak
i know i dont leak a qt every 2-3 fill ups...
you mentioned oil vaporizing...
is that because it's getting too hot.. i like to check my oil AFTER running engine (as i know there is oil in the head as well as the bottom)
every time i check the oil in my GS (and my car now that i think about it) i always have a slight puff of vapor streaming out...
should i look into an oil cooler?
or is that just cheap oil
Quote from: starshooter10 on July 10, 2008, 12:06:19 PM
speaking of ways you loose oil..
i know i leak
i know i dont leak a qt every 2-3 fill ups...
you mentioned oil vaporizing...
is that because it's getting too hot.. i like to check my oil AFTER running engine (as i know there is oil in the head as well as the bottom)
every time i check the oil in my GS (and my car now that i think about it) i always have a slight puff of vapor streaming out...
should i look into an oil cooler?
or is that just cheap oil
Oil has a flash point (where the oil vaporises.) all oils have different flash points, a cheaper oil has a flash point lower than a better oil. if you using 10w30 cheapo oil, try a nice GTX 10w40 and see if you still consume oil.
cheers
Knock on wood.... but I've had my bike for over a decade and while checking the oil every other ride, I've never noticed it ever being lower than the last check.
I found a new way to leak some oil today.
Check the oil level and forget to screw the dipstick back in.
Leaked all over my engine, peg, exhaust, shoe, pant, wheel.
heheh.. I have done better, checked oil... forgot to put dipstick back in.. (dont ask I dont know) rode out... got on highway and 1 qtr of oil all over side of bike, legs, boots, and rear tire.
fun !
oh yeah the dipstick was patiently waiting on my toolbox.
I've let the oil get so low it doesn't measure on the dipstick. :oops: Good thing the Baby G is so forgiving of the dipstick known as pandy. :laugh:
i use the 10-40 "budget oil" while i evaluate my engine. then i might use teh castrol gtx. but car oil all the way. coems from teh same dinosaur :thumb:
Quote from: pennstump on July 10, 2008, 12:47:01 PM
Knock on wood.... but I've had my bike for over a decade and while checking the oil every other ride, I've never noticed it ever being lower than the last check.
and we all hope that the first measure of oil was when it shown oil at the full mark on the dip stick :)
I was using Valvoline 10/40 in my own baby G and it was needing to be topped off a bit every other fill up or 3. I only run about 150 miles on the trip before hitting the gas station, that's 2-3 rides each "tank". That's to offset the potential for petcock or crap pocket problems, it's a CAli tank, it also makes me check my tires more often, plus we don't risk running on reserve way up in the mountains.
When running the Valvoline, it burned some oil very consistently. After a new filter and a swap to synthetic (Motul, with no EC additives!) there is negligible loss. In fact I was a little ticked because my hubby did the oil changes on both our bikes at the same time, and he overfilled mine a bit and thus made it hard to find neutral (then he denied he did so and said I was making it up that overfilling can cause this effect on the GS). I can tell the oil is finally down a bit by the fact that neutral is now cake to get. Plus I looked.
I'm curious why the synthetic would last longer under the same riding conditions? :icon_confused:
conventional oil breaksdown faster tha syntec oil does, all I can think of.
I added about 1/5th a quart today after riding 700 miles....including 8 miles with the dipstick just setting in the hole :mad:. Oh well, I guess I am not Mr. BikeTech.
Quote from: commuterdude on July 12, 2008, 06:14:32 PM
I added about 1/5th a quart today after riding 700 miles....including 8 miles with the dipstick just setting in the hole :mad:. Oh well, I guess I am not Mr. BikeTech.
Welcome to the club! I did it a thousand miles from home one day. I checked the oil at a gas stop, wasn't thinking and forgot to screw it back in. About 10 miles down the road I got to wondering my my right foot kept slipping off the peg. :laugh:
Half a quart later and I was back on the road. :mad:
Mine is pretty inconsistent. 600km trip to the interior, and it had gone from full to close to the bottom mark. Then 600km back, riding at at least 20km/h faster and the level didn't budge at all. And this is a beat up '89 with some certifiable abuse in its past. Whatever, ride it till it breaks and get another one!
Quote from: pherthyl on July 13, 2008, 12:44:54 PM
Mine is pretty inconsistent. 600km trip to the interior, and it had gone from full to close to the bottom mark. Then 600km back, riding at at least 20km/h faster and the level didn't budge at all. And this is a beat up '89 with some certifiable abuse in its past. Whatever, ride it till it breaks and get another one!
If you were puttering (lots of short trips, and/or bike sitting for long time) before the first trip, there might be a simple explanation - condensate (water collecting in the oil, from the air). Finally take a long trip, get everything hot enough for long enough to boil it out, level drops. Add oil, come back, no more water to boil off, level stays put. Especially since you seem to be coastal (damp air).