So I went for a ride today, got back just now, and decided to check the oil level in my gs. After I wiped off the dip stick and put it back in to check it, there wasn't even anything on the stick! Did it just burn through the oil? How much am I looking at to add to it? Or would I be better off just draining the rest and then filling it back up with 3 quarts?
I've also never had to add oil to it...where does it go in?

Do you regularly check your oil (every 2 fuel stops is a good marker)?
If yes: How many miles 'til it was fine?

Did you make sure the bike is level? I.e. mainstand on even ground or level whilst you sit on it.

If you don't have an oil leak (check top and bottom of engine), the oil get's burned, SUZUKI states that 1l/1000km (1l/600miles) is fine!

You're looking for about 0.5-1l oil missing, pour 0.5l in and see what happens.

BTW: Anybody got a good converter for whatever meassurements you guys use?

Did you have the bike on the center stand when you checked? If not, your reading means nothing... Put the bike on the center stand on a level surface, turn it on and let it run for a bit then turn it off and check your oil. Remember that the dipstick does not get screwed in to check the oil accurately, just wipe it off, put it back in without screwing it in then check your level. If you still are reading low, add oil the the hole the dipstick came out of. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but from the bottom of the dipstick to the top is about a quart... Also, remember that putting too much oil in the bike is just as bad as letting the level run too low.

How did you check the oil level? This thread describes the correct procedure:
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=41989.0

Quote from: theGrinch on August 28, 2008, 03:42:56 PM
BTW: Anybody got a good converter for whatever meassurements you guys use?

Google does an amazing job of converting units. So much so that I've stopped using anything else. If you just type "1 L to quarts" it will tell you. It will do pretty obscure units too, so if you're interested in knowing how many tablespoons are in a hogshead it will tell you:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=87&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=1+hogshead+in+tablespoons&spell=1

Quote from: fred on August 28, 2008, 03:51:21 PM
Google does an amazing job of converting units. So much so that I've stopped using anything else. If you just type "1 L to quarts" it will tell you. It will do pretty obscure units too, so if you're interested in knowing how many tablespoons are in a hogshead it will tell you:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=87&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=1+hogshead+in+tablespoons&spell=1

Cool! I had no idea - thanks for sharing!

Quote from: beRto on August 28, 2008, 03:58:45 PM

Quote from: fred on August 28, 2008, 03:51:21 PM
Google does an amazing job of converting units. So much so that I've stopped using anything else. If you just type "1 L to quarts" it will tell you. It will do pretty obscure units too, so if you're interested in knowing how many tablespoons are in a hogshead it will tell you:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=87&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=1+hogshead+in+tablespoons&spell=1

Cool! I had no idea - thanks for sharing!

Sure thing! It is a totally handy feature. I don't even remember what I did before I figured that out...

Well, I'm stupid, I didn't even have it sitting upright. Checked it the proper way though, and it's still at the bottom line, so I need to fill it up anyway. The oil for sure goes in the same hole?
Also, will castrol gtx 10w40 work?

Any 10W40 that does NOT say "energy conserving" in the little circle is fine.  "Energy conserving" is bad for wet clutches - too slippery.

I found out that the gs500 models burn a lot of oil. Check your oil every fill up to be more safe. Remember it's better safe than sorry.

Quote from: DoD#i on August 28, 2008, 05:13:04 PM
Any 10W40 that does NOT say "energy conserving" in the little circle is fine.  "Energy conserving" is bad for wet clutches - too slippery.

+1

Quote from: DoD#i on August 28, 2008, 05:13:04 PM
Any 10W40 that does NOT say "energy conserving" in the little circle is fine.  "Energy conserving" is bad for wet clutches - too slippery.

I don't agree with any oil. I mean ANY 10.40 will work but it's better to get quality. I found out the hard way.

Quote from: Skeets on August 28, 2008, 06:00:36 PM
I don't agree with any oil. I mean ANY 10.40 will work but it's better to get quality. I found out the hard way.

Going off your last thread I don't really know what you found out.  You said your bike gets hot and ticks, you changed the oil to Castrol and it still gets hot and ticks.  I hardly think that's proof positive of one oil brand of oil over another!

Quote from: philward on August 28, 2008, 06:24:10 PM

Quote from: Skeets on August 28, 2008, 06:00:36 PM
I don't agree with any oil. I mean ANY 10.40 will work but it's better to get quality. I found out the hard way.

Going off your last thread I don't really know what you found out.  You said your bike gets hot and ticks, you changed the oil to Castrol and it still gets hot and ticks.  I hardly think that's proof positive of one oil brand of oil over another!

Now you ticked me off (haha). I also said that it was hard to shift with Rotella. With Castrol it isn't.

My point was that quality oil is better than getting the cheap stuff. My bike is ticking regardless of the oil. I could put it anything. It's because my bike gets so hot.

Quote from: mistykz on August 28, 2008, 04:48:28 PM
The oil for sure goes in the same hole?

Yes.  I'm pretty sure that's your best option.   

...or you could pull the filter cover off, take out the filter and pump it in...
OR...put the bike on a rotisserie, turn it upside down, remove the drain plug and put the fresh oil in there.  Just be sure the dipstick is secured. 


...I apologize in advance for being an A-hole. 

no problem just didn't want to mess anything up.
but, i did anyways. put a bit too much in there...its up to the actual lettering on the stick that says F. would loosening the bolt on the bottom be the best way to drain some out?

i check my oild aevery friday...


thats normally 400 or so miles...

i fill it up and keep on going..

of if i found myself putting on alot of miles... i'll top it off early.

they do burn oil.

and more so when you beat on em to 9/10k

Quote from: mistykz on August 29, 2008, 06:28:47 AM
no problem just didn't want to mess anything up.
but, i did anyways. put a bit too much in there...its up to the actual lettering on the stick that says F. would loosening the bolt on the bottom be the best way to drain some out?

Personally if its just on the letter F then I would not bother trying to drain the excess off.  Suzuki know that riders will potentially overfill the oil a bit so there is a fair bit of tollerance beyond the marked area before anything disasterous will happen.  Once you've clocked up a few hundred more miles you will find the level will be back within the normal markings.  However if its above the F mark on the dipstick then you certainly should try and drain some off to avoid any risk of causing engine damage.  As for oil types the best choice is to go for a "semi synthetic" SAE 10/W40 oil.  Do not use a "fully synthetic" oil as they can seriously shorten the life of your engine.

All air cooled engines use oil.  The rate varies from bike to bike and depends on a range of factors including how enthusiasticly you ride.  A GS will typically use between 0.2  and 1 litre of oil per 600 miles, so its worth taking some simple steps now to find out how much oil you bike is actually using.  This will also give you a useful benchmark to assess whether or not you have a problem.  Every time you refuel the bike simply record the mileage and check the oil level - most garage forecourts are pretty level - take a note of how much oil is needed to bring the level up to the full mark.

Any dramatic increase in oil consumption needs investigating before you wreck your engine.

Good luck

SkiMad

Quote from: SkiMad on August 29, 2008, 11:17:18 AM
  Do not use a "fully synthetic" oil as they can seriously shorten the life of your engine.

Really?......Can I ask how and why?

Thanks everyone, I'll have to start tracking all of that. Still under the 2k mile mark