How did you check your oil level?

Engine cold - hot - just turned off?
On sidestand - centerstand - balanced sitting on it?
Oil dipstick/plug sitting on top of threads - screwed in tight?
Oil level filled to what mark: low - middle hash marks - high?

Quote from: ohgood on September 13, 2009, 07:25:09 AM

Quote from: bill14224 on September 12, 2009, 10:32:50 AM
Josh is onto it.  Make sure the oil is full.  If it is, do a test.  Drain your oil and replace it with conventional oil.  I bet the problem will go away.  I think your oil pressure light is telling you the semi-synthetic oil isn't flowing properly.  This wouldn't surprise me because your engine wasn't designed with synthetic oil in mind.  Why use expensive oil in a cheap bike?  Try 15W-40 truck oil and watch your problems go away and it will shift like a dream! 

mmm, don't think so. oil is oil is oil as far as the sending unit cares. so long as there is:

a) enough pressure
b) enough oil
c) electric circuit

the light won't come on. i'd bet on a bad sending unit, a bad electric circuit, or low oil pressure. changing oil is just going to cost you another few bucks and make you scratch your head again.

I conducted Jermey's test by unhooking the pressure switch and starting the bike. The light was off. I am assuming that confirms that the electrical is good?

When I first noticed the light flickring, the oil was little low. I went to the nearest gas station and bought 10W40 motor oil for the car and temporary filled it up. After about 45min of riding, the light went away. When I came home, I drained it and put in motul 5100 10W40 oil, and the problem came back. 10W40 is 10W40 isnt it?
This is why I thought my next move would be change the oil.

So right now, I have the following:

1) good pressure switch
2) good electrical system
3) ?

need help on what my next move should be.. without taking apart the motor.

Quote from: The Buddha on September 13, 2009, 07:24:56 AM
You could have a clogged galley right next to that switch.
You could also have a bad oil pump or a bad bypass system ... which is on a GS related to that filter hatch and spring etc.
Cool.
Buddha.

What do you think I should check next Buddha? hopefully without taking the motor apart, I don't have the tools at my disposal right now..

Quote from: BeerGarage on September 13, 2009, 08:25:43 AM
How did you check your oil level?

Engine cold - hot - just turned off?
On sidestand - centerstand - balanced sitting on it?
Oil dipstick/plug sitting on top of threads - screwed in tight?
Oil level filled to what mark: low - middle hash marks - high?

I put it on the centre stand and put the rear wheel on the ground when I checked the oil. It is right at 'F'. The dip stick is screwed on tight.

The flickering is a lot worse when the engine is hot. When it is cold, it only comes on when I reach ~110km/h...

Any ideas?

Lots of speculation so far........ but have you considered the obvious and actually getting the oil pressure checked and ensuring its within service limits??..To me it seems the obvious thing to do 

Hi Joepua,

Here's what you wrote about how you check your oil level:

Quote from: joepua on September 13, 2009, 01:14:38 PM

Quote from: BeerGarage on September 13, 2009, 08:25:43 AM
How did you check your oil level?

Engine cold - hot - just turned off?
On sidestand - centerstand - balanced sitting on it?
Oil dipstick/plug sitting on top of threads - screwed in tight?
Oil level filled to what mark: low - middle hash marks - high?

I put it on the centre stand and put the rear wheel on the ground when I checked the oil. It is right at 'F'. The dip stick is screwed on tight.

The flickering is a lot worse when the engine is hot. When it is cold, it only comes on when I reach ~110km/h...

Any ideas?

If you do it this way, with the dipstick screwed in tightly, then you are doing it WRONG!
The proper way to check engine oil level on this bike is with the dipstick sitting on top of the filler hole, but NOT screwed in!
You are correct to have the bike sitting on the centerstand.

So in fact, you are running without enough oil, hence your oil light is coming on.
I hope you can fill it properly and haven't caused damage, but it is hard to say what you will find.
Add more oil properly, and see what happens.

Oh, and I fully agree with sledge, a motorcycle shop can attach an external oil pressure gauge to the oil gallery (where the oil pressure sensor screws in, I believe) and give you an accurate actual reading of your oil pressure, which will answer a lot of questions about this problem. But I would first properly top up your oil and hope that fixes it. No point looking backward. If the damage is done, the damage is done. I hope you escaped with no damage.

Good luck man.

Yours,
Trwhouse

Quote from: joepua on September 13, 2009, 01:14:38 PM
I put it on the centre stand and put the rear wheel on the ground when I checked the oil. It is right at 'F'. The dip stick is screwed on tight.

Do it right. Center stand, yes. Use level ground. Rear wheel on ground - NO! Screwed in tight - NO!

You don't have enough oil in the bike because you are checking/filling it wrong. Put it on the centerstand The normal position (front wheel on ground, rear wheel off ground) and set the dipstick on the hole, not threaded in at all. Any properly equipped shop can check the actual oil pressure for you and remove any remaining mystery.

Yo DoD#i...

Quote from: DoD#i on September 13, 2009, 03:53:26 PM

Quote from: joepua on September 13, 2009, 01:14:38 PM
I put it on the centre stand and put the rear wheel on the ground when I checked the oil. It is right at 'F'. The dip stick is screwed on tight.

Do it right. Center stand, yes. Use level ground. Rear wheel on ground - NO! Screwed in tight - NO!

You don't have enough oil in the bike because you are checking/filling it wrong. Put it on the centerstand The normal position (front wheel on ground, rear wheel off ground) and set the dipstick on the hole, not threaded in at all. Any properly equipped shop can check the actual oil pressure for you and remove any remaining mystery.

Didn't I just say all that in my post above some two hours before you posted?
Just checking.
I'm glad we agree.

Best wishes,
Trwhouse

to the OP: so what's the update? did you fill her up with oil yet?

hope it works for you and that there's no damage to the engine.
good luck

Quote from: Trwhouse on September 13, 2009, 04:57:11 PM

Didn't I just say all that in my post above some two hours before you posted?
Just checking.
I'm glad we agree.

Best wishes,
Trwhouse

Nope, you failed to address the bizarre practice of tipping the bike on its centerstand so the back wheel touches the ground (further messing with the oil level, and making for a very awkward process besides). Otherwise I'd have not bothered to post.  

aww snap!

Dear DoD#i,
LOL.
Yes, you are right. I left out a comment about the "tilting the bike back on the rear wheel" to check the oil.
I too had never heard that one before.
Best wishes,
Trwhouse 

This whole thread is turning into an epic....how much difference does tilting it back on the rear wheel actually make to the reading/level    more importantly is it enough to have any detrimental or significant effect??............ I think not. A few mm short on the stick does not mean the bike is about to die a horrible death within the next few miles

So whats next gents?....Tyre pressures correct to 3 decimal places?? 

Sledge, my friend,
You misread our comments.
We were being sarcastic about the tilting of the bike.
It was so ridiculous, and unnecessary, that we were joking about it. The owner is the one who thought it was necessary. We were telling him otherwise.
Take a deep breath, bub. 
All is OK with the world.
Yours,
Trwhouse

Sorry for the lack of update guys. I can only work on the bike on the weekends lol.

Ok, so I unhooked the wire that goes from the pressure switch to the light. I twisted the handle bars around and the light came on.... this means it's shorting out?

Can anyone confirm...

I checked the engine oil once again and it is full. (On stand, with the front wheel down)

How about this:
Since you operate it on two wheels, check the oil level while sitting on it ? Makes sense to me.

Yes, you have a short.

Yep, you have an intermittent short.  Jeremy nailed it way back in this thread.