Oil Usage

[CD]

iooi said:

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

Only if its above the clutch like some Hondas. They are no more helpful than side windows and a lot more messy to use. But, if it was a flexible "stick" like car engines use it could go down a curved tube into the engine centreline. That way a little sideways tilt would not affect the level. Obviously the oil would be a bit higher on one side of the engine and a bit lower on the other side but in the middle the level would not have changed. This would only work within limits and most likely wouldnt work with the bike on its side stand.

No-one worries about parking cars on perfectly level ground. Normal road camber is no problem. But if dip stick was at one end of the engine (as per bike) the apparent level would change a huge amount depending which way the car is parked on a given road camber.

Car makers dont do that for very good reasons. Bike makers dont bother about such "trivia"

[Fender 54]

No, to be honest there are no tell tale signs.
I have since, changed the oil and the filter and I am going to see how I go with it.
I do feel that ground level could well be part of the problem, as peeps point out, the bike only has to be on a slightly uneven surface and depending on which way the uneveness tilts, your oil looks nearly empty or up to the gun holes.
It is a very sensative method of checking a level, but as long as you are aware, as I now am, there should be no probs. (Hopefully)

[hondapartsman]

iooi said:

Wonder if he's another with the breather pipe leak

Mine seems to use non other than when it decides to dump out of the breather tube.

I thought it was only mind did that, although I've not had the bike a long time (just over a year which is not long considering I had my last bike 25 years plus and am just rebuilding it (again) or done many miles on it (about 3000) apart from the breather thing which I put down to me maybe overfilling the engine a bit the bike has used to oil at all.