Oil Usage

[Fender 54]

I have a 98 600 Divvy with just coming up to 33,000 on the clock. I bought it nearly 12 mths ago, with 31,500 on the clock.
It was in need of its major 27,000 service that I had carried out at CMC in Nottingham (Ouch!) all other servicing up to that point had been carried out.
How much oil can I expect to use over a set number of miles.
Currently, after a couple of hundred miles, I need to put approx 500ml of oil back in the crankcase, is that normal?
I usually ride 2 up.
Other than that it runs like a dream.

[CD]

At 1500 miles a year you really should change the oil on time rather than mileage. The oil collects impurities and over time they will degarde the lubricating qualities. I used to have a Div 600 that I took from 800 miles to 13,500 in about 8 months. I changed the oil every 4000 miles. It was so clean I'd bet it would last longer but oil is cheaper than engines.

I usually had to top up a bit between changes. I think its normal for the 600s to use a bit.

I now have a Div 900 with 34K miles. It uses no oil.

[alpaholic]

Agree with Chiro, doing 1500 miles a year you should be doing oil changes every 6months.

Oil Usage? A little higher than average but nothing to worry about on a Divvy 6 IMHO. My '94 600 used about 600ml of oil in every 600miles. Sounds like yours is using a bit more than that but it's an air cooled [1] engine and although the oil cooler helps a bit you're never going to get a consistent fit around the piston rigs so to some extent you'll pressurize the sump and lose oil.

Air cooled engines use oil, that's one of their charms.

Another problem is that with only 33,000 miles it's not quite run in yet! Probably needs another 40k miles or so on top of that to get everything bedded in nicely! :-)

[1] Dare I say it!

[m40man]

"after a couple of hundred miles, I need to put approx 500ml of oil back in the crankcase"

&

"My '94 600 used about 600ml of oil in every 600miles"

Blimey chaps - They are both thirsty on oil. Especially yours, fender. It must all be going somewhere. Is your bike smoky??

Even yours, Alpo - (I bet you had to use car engine oil just to keep the finances steady!)

[alpaholic]

m40man said:

"after a couple of hundred miles, I need to put approx 500ml of oil back in the crankcase"

&

"My '94 600 used about 600ml of oil in every 600miles"

Blimey chaps - They are both thirsty on oil. Especially yours, fender. It must all be going somewhere. Is your bike smoky??

Even yours, Alpo - (I bet you had to use car engine oil just to keep the finances steady!)

[/color]

[/quote]

LOL! Nah, I always used bike oil in the Divvy 6!

I don't think it was too thirsty for an air cooled bike - a beemer would be using a lot more than that. You just can't expect the oil tight properties of a water cooled engine from the BMWs and Divvies of this world.

Mine didn't smoke, I doubt Fenders does. (If Fender's noticably smokes I'm changing my diagnosis!)

Subliminals works! Hoorah!

[billywhizz]

I agree with M40,
600mls over 600 miles seems high.

My 600 with oil cooler, would use 'some oil' sometimes, and would go 2/3000 miles without using any !
If your redlining it it did seem to need a drop or two, but less han 100ml.
Over the Scotland trip, i found that it may need a drop, but that was 1000 miles of very mixed riding, but also 85/90mph constant motorways for an hour a time!

Are you checking the oil while the bike is on centre stand, and level ground??
and leaving for at least 10 mins after running it, before checking??

[alpaholic]

Over the Scotland trip, i found that it may need a drop, but that was 1000 miles of very mixed riding, but also 85/90mph constant motorways for an hour a time!

A whole hour! Mine did 85/95 from Calais to Chamonix (5-600 miles?) over and over again. :-)

WRT oil use. My suggestion is that the OP's usage will be within tolerance and ok.

If we decide that's not the case and it's not acceptable what are we suggesting he do? An engine rebuild of an engine that seems to be running fine? If it's the big end the OP will find out soon enough. If it's not then there's no need to worry. Either way doing nothing is the right thing to do.

3000 miles without using any oil! Even Louise's bike uses some over that distance and she rides like a girl!

[billywhizz]

3000 miles without using any oil! Even Louise's bike uses some over that distance and she rides like a girl!

MAybe, but she still leaves YOU behind.... go go lou

[alpaholic]

billywhizz said:

3000 miles without using any oil! Even Louise's bike uses some over that distance and she rides like a girl!

MAybe, but she still leaves YOU behind.... go go lou

[CD]

I thought my Divvie 6 was using more oil than it should, but the problem was uneven ground. I now always check the bike is vertical before filling and later when checking the oil level.
A slight sideways tilt can make a huge difference.

Pity bikes dont have a dipstick positioned in the middle of the engine (like cars). But that's one of the "religious" details bike makers seem unable to change.

[alpaholic]

Pah! The dipstick is the work of H*nda and must be resisted at every turn.

On uneven campsites all over Europe I've never struggled to get bikes level enough to check the oil. At worst I'll just sit astride it and hold it upright to make sure there's *some* oil in the window and do an accurate test later.

[m40man]

chirodave said:

Pity bikes dont have a dipstick.

My CX500 has a dipstick

[alpaholic]

m40man said:

chirodave said:

Pity bikes dont have a dipstick.

My CX500 has a dipstick

I think you'll find it has two!

[m40man]

alpaholic said:

I think you'll find it has two!

I think you'll find your Karma has suffered as a result of your rudeness

[alpaholic]

m40man said:

alpaholic said:

I think you'll find it has two!

I think you'll find your Karma has suffered as a result of your rudeness

You know I'm so offended I've logged on as someone else and knocked one off myself! How dare I!

[m40man]

alpaholic said:

You know I'm so offended I've logged on as someone else and knocked one off myself!

We're talking about Karma, right ?

[CD]

I was on about a dipstick in the middle of the engine so its not overly affected if the bike is on a slight tilt. Honda dont fit central dipsticks to bikes (or anyone else as far as I know). Sight glasses are adequate until they fog up.

Try reading the oil level in a window while sitting on the bike & holding the bike upright. Recipe for new fairing, levers, mirrors, indicators, leg, etc.

[m40man]

chirodave said:

I was on about a dipstick in the middle of the engine so that its not overly affected it the bike is on a slight tilt. Honda dont fit central dipsticks to bikes or anyone else as far as I know.

Fair enough - but you'd have to either remove the tank (if dipstick was located behind the barrels) or negotiate your way past the downpipes if forward-located, in order to reach said dipstick! Imagine that prospect on a Divvy.

[eliminator]

My BMW 1150 GS doesn't use as much oil as that, despite what someone said. I think that is bad, this might suggest that the piston rings are gummed up. But, that's just my opinion.

1/2 a litre in 200 miles

The GS is 575cc a piston, a Divvy 6 is only 150cc, I would have thought that it's piston to bore relationship tolerances are therefore closer than the GS'?

[Fender 54]

Thanks for your input folks.
As I say it runs as sweet as a nut.
At its major service, it had all the tappets adjusted etc.
It does not smoke at all.
I guess that maybe a little easier on the throttle, get the missus to lose some weight and try not to check the oil on an incline. Problem solved.

[teejayexc]

Alpaholic wrote "At worst I'll just sit astride it and hold it upright "

Does Lou know ;D

Trev

[HRHpenfold]

my divvie uses no oil ;D

my old divvie only used oil if you put fully synthetic in, but none using semi synth, but no where near as much as that ;D

[CD]

M40man said...
(if dipstick was located behind the barrels) or negotiate your way past the downpipes if forward-located, in order to reach said dipstick! Imagine that prospect on a Divvy.

Not really... Cars have had thin flexible dip sticks (since year dot) that slide down curved tubes. They work fine so there would be no need to remove the petrol tank. Adding one to an old Divvie isnt likely to be possible, but it could have been designed in from day 1.

I go on about bike design being stuck with certain "religious" rules for exactly this sort of detail. A lot could be learned from the car guys. I dont mean make bikes into cars - just take the best design ideas and use them.

[2old2boogie]

At worst I'll just sit astride it and hold it upright to make sure there's *some* oil in the window and do an accurate test later.

I really would like to see that. You sitting astride your bike and checking the oil window!

[alpaholic]

2old2boogie said:

At worst I'll just sit astride it and hold it upright to make sure there's *some* oil in the window and do an accurate test later.

I really would like to see that. You sitting astride your bike and checking the oil window!

You're not going for total accuracy, if you can see oil in the window you know you've got some, half the time that's all you need to know.

[m1key]

mine uses oil, but its just leaking from the breather lol.

[General Gman]

chirodave said:

M40man said...
(if dipstick was located behind the barrels) or negotiate your way past the downpipes if forward-located, in order to reach said dipstick! Imagine that prospect on a Divvy.

Not really... Cars have had thin flexible dip sticks (since year dot) that slide down curved tubes. They work fine so there would be no need to remove the petrol tank. Adding one to an old Divvie isnt likely to be possible, but it could have been designed in from day 1.

I go on about bike design being stuck with certain "religious" rules for exactly this sort of detail. A lot could be learned from the car guys. I dont mean make bikes into cars - just take the best design ideas and use them.

So---- dipsticks, eh ? what is the problem with checking a sight glass ? - a dipstick would be a git to design in on a wet sump bike....
While I'm here, I changed brake pads on a nissan sunny yesterday, and the piston was seized in the caliper.Needed mucho twatting and a large g clamp to move it.So..... no different to a bike caliper then.

[CD]

Sight glass on on the engine side so the aparrent level changes if the bike isnt perfectly upright. I dont have a perfectly level concrete driveway so checking the oil level is a PIA. I still cant see why its not possible to design in a usful dipstick. There are all sorts of gaps between gear shafts, cranks etc we aren't talking about a something the size of a fence post.

As for sticking brakes, nothings perfect, but some things are better than others.

[Deleted]

chirodave said:

Sight glass on on the engine side so the aparrent level changes if the bike isnt perfectly upright. I dont have a perfectly level concrete driveway so checking the oil level is a PIA. I still cant see why its not possible to design in a usful dipstick. There are all sorts of gaps between gear shafts, cranks etc we aren't talking about a something the size of a fence post.

As for sticking brakes, nothings perfect, but some things are better than others.

Why do you have to check your Oil on your Driveway ?

[iooi]

Wonder if he's another with the breather pipe leak
You can then tell by the amount of oil on the drive just how much is left in the sump.

Even a dipstick would face the same problem on a bike and a non level surface.

To Fender, only you will be able to tell how much oil to put in, as all bike are not the same in oil usage. Mine seems to use non other than when it decides to dump out of the breather tube.
Does it smoke a lot when riding hard ? Are there any tell tale leaks round the head or cooler ?