Help Please. Oil usage and my Hawk
07-02-2008, 11:58 AM
#1
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Help Please. Oil usage and my Hawk
Hi there,
So I noticed lately that my Hawk seems to be using a lot of oil.
How much you ask? Well ... (adjusts her skirt) I'm not sure, but there is no white smoke and I ride it every day, min of 60 miles, and I seem to have to put more oil in about every other week.
Is this bad?
Should I be looking for something in particular?
Keep better track of how much oil?
RTFM?
Thanks for any tips or info! And have a great holiday!
So I noticed lately that my Hawk seems to be using a lot of oil.
How much you ask? Well ... (adjusts her skirt) I'm not sure, but there is no white smoke and I ride it every day, min of 60 miles, and I seem to have to put more oil in about every other week.
Is this bad?
Should I be looking for something in particular?
Keep better track of how much oil?
RTFM?
Thanks for any tips or info! And have a great holiday!
07-02-2008, 12:19 PM
#2
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Squid
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Westminster MD
Posts: 35
Oil
Are you checking it while it is on a rearstand? I try to hold it up my self and check it and get a different level every time, mine' got 29k miles and doesn't really burn a drop in between changes. There are people here that can lead you in the right direction if it really is burning oil, cheers!
07-02-2008, 01:15 PM
#3
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Are you checking it while it is on a rearstand? I try to hold it up my self and check it and get a different level every time, mine' got 29k miles and doesn't really burn a drop in between changes. There are people here that can lead you in the right direction if it really is burning oil, cheers!
ya... is a girl thing
Guess I need to work out more! lolThank you for the input! But I'm a little worried now.. must be burning or loosing some ... somewhere.
07-02-2008, 02:18 PM
#4
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: San Clemente, CA
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Use a mirror.
Yeah, simple but it took me a while to figure that one out too. My old bikes either had a center stand or a dipstick.
Mine needs a top-off every 1000 miles or so too. I don't worry about it.
Yeah, simple but it took me a while to figure that one out too. My old bikes either had a center stand or a dipstick.
Mine needs a top-off every 1000 miles or so too. I don't worry about it.
07-02-2008, 02:23 PM
#5
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Location: South Lake Tahoe, CA, USA
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Mine burned a little oil too. Maybe 1/2 qt. every 1000 miles.
The cylinders are unsupported at the top and tend to go slightly out of round. coupled with that the rings are very light.
From what I've heard, some oil consumption is normal.
The cylinders are unsupported at the top and tend to go slightly out of round. coupled with that the rings are very light.
From what I've heard, some oil consumption is normal.
07-02-2008, 02:35 PM
#6
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Join Date: May 2008
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Stand on the right side of your bike and squat down. Pull the bike by the handle grip off the kick stand and over until it feels neutral (not falling to the left or right). While squating down and the bike is level, you can see your oil level. You should be in between the two high and low oil level indicators.
I just changed mine today to 15w50 Mobil 1 synth. Man does it feel smoother now than before!
I just changed mine today to 15w50 Mobil 1 synth. Man does it feel smoother now than before!
07-02-2008, 03:11 PM
#7
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One thing you should check if there is an appreciable amount of oil in the air box, which if you over fill (or not) happens due to sustained high revs from the rear cylinder's crank case breather port.
Last edited by skokievtr; 07-02-2008 at 03:18 PM.
07-02-2008, 03:31 PM
#8
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Stand on the right side of your bike and squat down. Pull the bike by the handle grip off the kick stand and over until it feels neutral (not falling to the left or right). While squating down and the bike is level, you can see your oil level. You should be in between the two high and low oil level indicators.
I just changed mine today to 15w50 Mobil 1 synth. Man does it feel smoother now than before!
I just changed mine today to 15w50 Mobil 1 synth. Man does it feel smoother now than before!
07-02-2008, 03:42 PM
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07-02-2008, 04:01 PM
#10
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Ensure your breather tubes are properly connected to the bottom of the airbox. One that is loose will allow oil vapor to escape, which surprisingly adds up after a couple hundred miles. BTDT.
07-02-2008, 04:29 PM
#11
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I had one of the ones with cylinders that weren't round. I don't know if it was overheated b4 I bought it, or something inherent in the block. But my rear cylinder was out by about .004". Sounds like a lot and it is, but it is a 98 mm bore. Not something you'd want to see on your i4 600.
I was bummed when I meausred it, but was advised to run it. It was fine except for a little oil consumption. Compression numbers were very good.
the RC51 engine I built (and am buying) has very round cyinders, within .002" and it burns almost no oil.
I think it's just one of those things. Keep it full of oil and ride the **** out of it!
I was bummed when I meausred it, but was advised to run it. It was fine except for a little oil consumption. Compression numbers were very good.
the RC51 engine I built (and am buying) has very round cyinders, within .002" and it burns almost no oil.
I think it's just one of those things. Keep it full of oil and ride the **** out of it!
07-02-2008, 05:28 PM
#12
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I had one of the ones with cylinders that weren't round. I don't know if it was overheated b4 I bought it, or something inherent in the block. But my rear cylinder was out by about .004". Sounds like a lot and it is, but it is a 98 mm bore. Not something you'd want to see on your i4 600.
I was bummed when I meausred it, but was advised to run it. It was fine except for a little oil consumption. Compression numbers were very good.
the RC51 engine I built (and am buying) has very round cyinders, within .002" and it burns almost no oil.
I think it's just one of those things. Keep it full of oil and ride the **** out of it!
I was bummed when I meausred it, but was advised to run it. It was fine except for a little oil consumption. Compression numbers were very good.
the RC51 engine I built (and am buying) has very round cyinders, within .002" and it burns almost no oil.
I think it's just one of those things. Keep it full of oil and ride the **** out of it!
07-03-2008, 06:17 AM
#13
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Squid
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 39
As long as i can remember my hawk has "lost" a bit of oil - I have to top up about once every month or two, thats around 2k miles of commuting and its maybe 1/4 qt not a lot. My BMW RT did burn a lot of oil - definately close to 1 qt in 1000 to 1500 miles.
07-03-2008, 07:51 AM
#14
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Location: Lithia, FL
Posts: 2,091
When I first got my SH I thought it was using a little oil between changes, but since I went to M1 15W-50 it stopped...Ironic isn't it...I was using the finest high dollar motorcycle specific oils and was loosing it, but once I switched to the M1 for $23/gal at Wally World it stopped disappearing
Good Luck Rocket!
RC
Good Luck Rocket!
RC
07-03-2008, 10:10 AM
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Thank you all!
Wow you all are so awesome! Thanks for all the great information!
I'll have to tie a mirror to my leg... lmao
And what is BTDT?????
So I need to check my mileage... great idea, I think it's pretty low, but I'm always on the trip one so I can keep track of my gas stops.
And the whole value thing and air box... whew. Will have to get the manual out since I'm only really familiar with the dirt bikes in that regard.
Thanks again everyone! Have a safe and KICKIN 4th!
(I just bought 2 jet skiis... so you never know I'll probably be on here asking questions on those! lol)
07-03-2008, 10:47 AM
#17
pragmatic anarchist
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 380
the guys may all hate me for this but I have 3 daughters... 1) put on a longer skirt. 2) squat down next to the bike, right side. 3) pull bike off stand toward you til level. 4) take a look. Your posts inspired me to check mine more often. A-ok. It's a Honda. I thought you got 200,000 miles out of it before you had to deal with this. Good news is (as you will know if you've read any of the oil threads) if you have to keep adding new, YOU NEVER HAVE TO DO AN OIL CHANGE!!! Not that you need to anyway. Nose oil highly recommended. Have a blast on the jetskis. Post some pics wet! Sorry, forgot I have 3 daughters.
07-03-2008, 12:57 PM
#19
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Here's what I mean by unsopported cylinders.
It's not really a matter of wear. These were my stock bores, with no (negligible) ridge at the top. Ring end gaps were well within spec.
The unsupported cylinder has a tendency to go out of round.
NBD - BTDT
07-03-2008, 04:12 PM
#20
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Also referred to as a fully wet liner... nice pic nice thing is cuz we don't have a nikasil or more modern bore, we can cut a bit to round it out. Finding a plate to bolt it up to and load the cylinder while boring may be the hardest part. And ur still not guaranteed of it whowing again
Last edited by skokievtr; 07-03-2008 at 04:16 PM.
07-03-2008, 04:58 PM
#21
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Yeah, by the time you get a torque plate, bore and hone, buy O/S pistons, etc. you're probably looking at $800-1000.
I say a little oil consumption is not something to get worked up about.
I say a little oil consumption is not something to get worked up about.
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