'84 GSX-1100EF using oil...

[boingk]

Hi guys, my newly aquired GSX-1100EF (1135cc 16v) is using oil at a rate which I've never seen in any of my previous bikes. Over a few hundred kilometers the sight gauge has gone from 'Full' to 'Low', requiring a bit of a topup.

Prior to me getting it back on the road, it had been sitting for 6 years. It needed minimal work to get back up and running, and I changed both oil and filter. Since doing so I've had a few fairly hard rides, only opening it up once the engine is warm, of course. Operating temp is about 85 to 90'C by the gauge, and mileage has just turned over to 50,000km. I'm running Nulon 15W-40 (semi-synthetic SL-spec oil).

Do these bikes just use a bit of oil? My guess is that theres something wrong, or it just needs a bit of a run-in after sitting for so long. Any insight would be much appreciated.

Cheers - boingk

[Flyboy]

You are right, that is too much, it should never use that much.
Maybe the rings are sticky from the long lay off, maybe try running some Seafoam through it to clean up the internals.

[boingk]

Thanks Flyboy, thats along the lines of what I'm thinking as the bike is otherwise running very well. Fuel consumption is bang on, too - 7L/100km sitting on 80mph, with a bit of a fang every now and then.

I'll try running a low ratio of 2T oil in the fuel and see if that helps a bit.

Cheers - boingk

[Suzuki_Don]

Yes I would just ride it as much as possible over the next few months. The rings are probably stuck in the piston grooves a bit and are allowing blowby. Hopefully they will free up over time. The 2T two stroke oil in the fuel is a good idea. If you are really worried then do a compression test on all cylinders and compare the readings with what the manual says.

[boingk]

The compression test sounds like a good idea if the problem persists, but I'm not too stressed. I got a good deal on the bike and am quite happy with it. Only other issues are the front suspension bottoming out on anything other than max preload, and the clutch slipping at >7k rpm in 4th & 5th gear. New fork oil and clutch springs on the way!

Riding it as much as possible shouldn't be a problem - I've racked up almost 600km since Friday afternoon when I got it on the road. Thinking a 1:100 ratio of 2T to start off with, unless anyone thinks a 1:50 ratio would be a better idea?

Cheers - boingk

[boingk]

Put Valvoline 2T oil into the tank at a ratio of 1:75, so 200ml in the 15 litres or so of fuel that was in the tank. Since doing that, I've used around 10 litres of fuel and used the bike for commuting to work and a nice, hard ride this afternoon through a favourite stretch of road.

The oil consumption problem seems to have either disappeared or been greatly diminished. Upon return from the ride (80km) I found no, or very little, change in the oil level. A similar ride earlier this week yeilded a drop from halfway on the sightglass to the 'Low' position. At this stage I would recommend the above procedure to anyone that suspects they have stuck piston rings.

I'll keep you updated - boingk

EDIT: Pictures of the beast!