Where my oil go../??

[zuty13]

My GS550L 82' is spending to much oil... 1/2 liter on 1000km sometimes maybe more...ussualy 10w-40 or 20w-50 I use car oil..I don't beleive in that motorcycle oil ****..to much fakes around east europe..
I've just checked my compression on warm engine and the numbers are very good in my opinion..
1st cyl. 140psi, 9,5bar
2nd cyl. 140psi, 9,5bar
3rd cyl. 145psi, 10bar
4th cyl. 140psi, 9,5bar

No oil smoke from exhaust everything is working very well..starting on first press of the ignition buton..pulling strong ...valve clearence checked 2000km ago ..etc..
I have minor oil leak on bolts on sides of the head, right there are oil passages two inches away from 1st and 4th spark plug...but it's ussualy only wet with oil markings.....no major leaks...like dripping from a sides on my legs or simmilar...no way..

So where is my oil going???????

[Steve]

1/2 litre/1000 km is about 1500 miles/quart for those of us in America.

Not all that unreasonable for a 27-year-old bike, but you are right, it could be better. How many miles/kilometers on the bike?

You have seen traces of oil on the outside of the engine. I would suspect that the oil might have blown off, leaving only the trace. Clean your engine very well. When it is dry, sprinkle some baby powder (talc or corn starch) on the engine and go for a short ride. The powder will quickly show where the leaks are.

.

[zuty13]

I have around 55000miles on a bike...but who knows exactly I'm 5th owner..I have it for last 6 years..

[Dave8338]

Clean your engine very well. When it is dry, sprinkle some baby powder (talc or corn starch) on the engine and go for a short ride. The powder will quickly show where the leaks are.

.

There ya go Steve...treating these bikes like babies again.

May I suggest a diaper on the floor of the shop to slow the fluid spread?

[tkent02]

Some bikes just burn more oil than others, my suspicion is they were broken in according to the owner's manual, ie. closed throttles and low RPMs until a lot of miles had passed... So the piston rings may have never really seated correctly.

No way of knowing for sure though, except on one owner bikes.

[mbwjr12]

I'm curious, what is the correct way to break in a bike like these?

[brveagle]

Does it puff smoke on a cold startup? Does it leave any oil on your garage floor?

With compression that consistent, I'd be looking for a dripping oil plug or leaky valve seals.

[jabberjoe87]

yea im jealous of that compression

[tkent02]

I'm curious, what is the correct way to break in a bike like these?

Run them fairly aggressively, lots of throttle and RPM changes. No babying. I'm pretty sure the owner's manual advice is there to help them avoid lawsuits from guys who don't know how to ride going out and riding over their heads and crashing while they are still learning a new bike. If the manual said to "Hop on and run the Hell out of it" there could be a few legal issues.

Read this and make up your own mind:

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

[sachsaca]

zuty13 maybe this will help. I have a GEO Tracker that goes thru oil 1.5 qts in 3 k miles. It only puffs when starting and sitting at lights. It doesn't leak any oil so I go to my mechanic he says try to look at tail pipe while driving and juala. It is burning it as I drive due to for me worn valve seals and or guides. I don't drive hard so it seems odd but when the street color is just right I can see faint colors at rare times from my pipe if I happen to be looking. It seems it's just gotta be burning it away. Good luck

It's got 173 K miles so it's easy to burn

[zuty13]

Does it puff smoke on a cold startup? Does it leave any oil on your garage floor?

With compression that consistent, I'd be looking for a dripping oil plug or leaky valve seals.

No puff smoke on cold startup! No oil on my garage floor! My riding buddies didn't notice any unnatural smoke behind me..!

If the valve seals or guides are leaky?..there will be oil smoke behind me and it will smell on burned oil from burning inside the exhaust pipes??..Isn't that right..??

yea im jealous of that compression

maybe my compression tester is wrong...?? hahahaha!

[SqDancerLynn1]

The compression numbers are good so 1500 miles per qt is nothing to worry about, My guess would be bad valve seals.

[Steve]

May I suggest a diaper on the floor of the shop to slow the fluid spread?

Better yet ... keep riding. Spread it around the neighborhood, one drop at a time.

I have been practicing this advice with my Wing this summer. Problem is, it doesn't leak, but I have driven it about 16,000 miles trying.

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