Oil Usage

[74rider]

2002 R1150R, bought with 80k miles, runs like a charm, love the bike but it does use a bit of oil, about 1/2 a quart in 2k miles. No drips or leaks that I can see. Should I be concerned?

[kirby]

Most people over fill the 1150's and that engine doesn't like to be over filled.
When you change it fill to the middle of the glass (my manual says 3.9 qt with filter, but that will fill the glass completely until the filter fills up.) with a HOT engine so that the cooler thermostats are open and all the oil drains out. If you do that and crank the engine the level in the sight window will disappear 'cause the coolers will fill up and hold oil. The only way to check it properly is within 5 min or so after you have been riding,(hot engine) on the center stand, with the cooler thermostats open. A good time is after coming off the road during refueling.

There is a drain plug on the left side rear corner of the airbox. I recommend that you pull (twist) the plug and drain any oil in there. If it has been over filled be the previous owner it could have some oil in there. Check it at the change intervals.
The boxer engine generate allot of pressure in the crankcase and the vent goes to the airbox. So if it is not smoking, leaking don't add oil unless you check it with the rheostats open and there is no oil showing.

mike Mojave CA

[CycleRob]

74rider,
With 14 years of riding, that's about 5,700 miles/year. That tells me your bike has the same problem mine had, to a lesser degree, of using (but not as much) oil after the engine should have been "broken-in". That's just it. My bike, and so many other OilHeads do not get the increasingly sustained, heavy throttle, high RPM loading needed to break in Chrome piston rings in a cast iron cylinder liner. Mine literally stopped using oil after about the 18,000 mile mark when I "rode with" 2 skilled Championship Cup Series racers on their 750/1000cc sport bikes in the very hilly deserted wilderness of Up-State New York. I seem to remember nearly mile long mountain hill climbs using high RPM heavy throttle on 2nd/3rd gears against a wicked wind blast. The adrenalin equivalent of 4 cups of coffee on an empty stomach!

I'd put in Dino oil (non-synthetic) and find a remote, deserted, hilly state highway mid week where, on the confirmed clean return trip you can WAIL-on-it in the lower 3 gears! Maybe having a friendly LEO ride with you to soften the possible consequences?

74? Are we talking Knuckle, Pan, or Shovel?

[lcarlson]

<<Rob said: I'd put in Dino oil (non-synthetic) and find a remote, deserted, hilly state highway mid week where, on the confirmed clean return trip you can WAIL-on-it in the lower 3 gears.">>

I did a as Rob suggested, but my '02 still needs 8 oz every 400 miles or so to take it from the bottom of the ring to the middle (1600 miles/quart). Same as it has since new. Fortunately, it's so easy to check (I use a mirror while straddling the bike) and add oil that it's not really an issue.

[kirby]

curious, you should check it on the center stand with rear wheel on the ground. Have you checked for oil in the airbox ? You could be blowing that much out.

[74rider]

Most people over fill the 1150's and that engine doesn't like to be over filled.
When you change it fill to the middle of the glass (my manual says 3.9 qt with filter, but that will fill the glass completely until the filter fills up.) with a HOT engine so that the cooler thermostats are open and all the oil drains out. If you do that and crank the engine the level in the sight window will disappear 'cause the coolers will fill up and hold oil. The only way to check it properly is within 5 min or so after you have been riding,(hot engine) on the center stand, with the cooler thermostats open. A good time is after coming off the road during refueling.

There is a drain plug on the left side rear corner of the airbox. I recommend that you pull (twist) the plug and drain any oil in there. If it has been over filled be the previous owner it could have some oil in there. Check it at the change intervals.
The boxer engine generate allot of pressure in the crankcase and the vent goes to the airbox. So if it is not smoking, leaking don't add oil unless you check it with the rheostats open and there is no oil showing.

mike Mojave CA

I thought I was checking the sight glass properly - on center stand, engine cold, but what you say makes sense. I will check that out.

[74rider]

74rider,
With 14 years of riding, that's about 5,700 miles/year. That tells me your bike has the same problem mine had, to a lesser degree, of using (but not as much) oil after the engine should have been "broken-in". That's just it. My bike, and so many other OilHeads do not get the increasingly sustained, heavy throttle, high RPM loading needed to break in Chrome piston rings in a cast iron cylinder liner. Mine literally stopped using oil after about the 18,000 mile mark when I "rode with" 2 skilled Championship Cup Series racers on their 750/1000cc sport bikes in the very hilly deserted wilderness of Up-State New York. I seem to remember nearly mile long mountain hill climbs using high RPM heavy throttle on 2nd/3rd gears against a wicked wind blast. The adrenalin equivalent of 4 cups of coffee on an empty stomach!

I'd put in Dino oil (non-synthetic) and find a remote, deserted, hilly state highway mid week where, on the confirmed clean return trip you can WAIL-on-it in the lower 3 gears! Maybe having a friendly LEO ride with you to soften the possible consequences?

74? Are we talking Knuckle, Pan, or Shovel?

Will do, sounds logical... oh and it was a shovel. It was a love/hate relationship, perhaps you can relate?

[74rider]

<<Rob said: I'd put in Dino oil (non-synthetic) and find a remote, deserted, hilly state highway mid week where, on the confirmed clean return trip you can WAIL-on-it in the lower 3 gears.">>

I did a as Rob suggested, but my '02 still needs 8 oz every 400 miles or so to take it from the bottom of the ring to the middle (1600 miles/quart). Same as it has since new. Fortunately, it's so easy to check (I use a mirror while straddling the bike) and add oil that it's not really an issue.

I need to fasten a little mirror on a velcro strap (for my left leg), then figure out a good place to stow it while on the road. That's a good tip, thanks!! Maybe I should let the oil get down to less than about 1/4 window before I add oil and check my air filter.

[74rider]

curious, you should check it on the center stand with rear wheel on the ground. Have you checked for oil in the airbox ? You could be blowing that much out.

That I have not done, but will this evening.

[CycleRob]

lcarlson,
After re-reading my above recommendation it could be interpreted as just using a simple 10 minute procedure and the break-in would be done. It could take, and likely did for my `02 50R, MANY hours to accomplish. It was 5+ hour rides with these guys, for at least 3 non-consecutive weekends, in different locations, before the lack of oil consumption was noticed. The safest, most effective, most enjoyable way is to join a street-bike track day and do it there, riding with similar power class bikes, after getting important pointers from the organizers.

*** About the Engine Oil . . . . draining, changing, checking, adding - - - go here:
viewtopic.php?p=248004#p248004

[towerworker]

At 70K mine doesn't use any appreciable amount of oil but I do have to top of the antifreeze occasionally.

[lcarlson]

lcarlson,
After re-reading my above recommendation it could be interpreted as just using a simple 10 minute procedure and the break-in would be done. It could take, and likely did for my `02 50R, MANY hours to accomplish. It was 5+ hour rides with these guys, for at least 3 non-consecutive weekends, in different locations, before the lack of oil consumption was noticed. The safest, most effective, most enjoyable way is to join a street-bike track day and do it there, riding with similar power class bikes, after getting important pointers from the organizers.

*** About the Engine Oil . . . . draining, changing, checking, adding - - - go here:
viewtopic.php?p=248004#p248004

Understood. I have a track day tentatively scheduled in September.

[sweatmark]

Understood. I have a track day tentatively scheduled in September.

Excellent. Prior trackdays experience or first time?

[74rider]

I checked the oil after riding for a bit, on the center stand after waiting a couple minutes, and the oil level was about 1/4" higher than when at rest. So based on that, according to what I understand (which is probably wrong), the oil level is actually on the high side of OK and should not be burned off. Is that right?

OR

Should I assume my ideal resting oil level is about 1/4" lower than center "bubble"?

[kirby]

As long as you can see the level with the engine HOT (coolers drained you go over 3 QT, (plenty). If you cannot then add a little at a time (couple or 3 oz at a time while the engine is hot till you can see it in the glass. Don't fill over the middle of the sight glass.
Did you check the air box drain?

[lcarlson]

Understood. I have a track day tentatively scheduled in September.

Excellent. Prior trackdays experience or first time?

First time.

[lcarlson]

Well, I just did my track day. Will report later on oil consumption. Track day was well worth the time and effort.

[riceburner]

Well, I just did my track day. Will report later on oil consumption. Track day was well worth the time and effort.

Good stuff!


FWIW my 107K+ Rockster still burns about 1.5 litres every 6000 miles (despite riding it like I stole it for 10 years).

[lcarlson]

If I got to that consumption level, I'd consider it a big success. But, as I said, checking and adding oil to boxer motors is so easy, it really isn't a significant issue.

[sjbmw]

Still consuming oil that late in the game is a sign of a R that was babied early in its life. I was lucky that my BMW salesman (Keith, a great man, may he RIP) told me when I bought it to not baby the bike, and to use the entire power band. Don't beat it, but make sure that the entire rpm range is evenly represented during break in, and at least through the first few oil changes. This was opposite advice of every other new Asian bikes I owned, where the early miles are supposed to be mild. Needless to say, riding the R this way is the most fun anyway, so no arm twisting was needed, and I am still riding the bike this way after 50k miles.

My bike stopped consuming oil somewhere under 20k miles, and the last 10k of that was extremely minimal.

But, the bike does not take 4 full quarts on a oil change, the manual says 3.7. If prior owners were dumping in 4 quarts a oil change, .3 of them probably are getting tossed out the usual channel and that would lead one to believe that the bike is 'consuming oil'.

Even though your bike is older, this advice still holds, use the entire power band when riding and in a few months of this oil levels should stabilize.
Of course, keeping your license will be the overriding concern