Oilhead Oil Consumption

[MrFrank]

Over the past month or so on the IBMWR list a few guys have noted what I would consider high oil consumption (e.g., 1 qt per 1000 miles) on low mileage but broken in oilheads. What kind of oil consumption do most folks experience with the oilheads?

[reddog99]

Oil consumption is going to be highly variable, just like gas mileage, and for many of the same reasons. My own mileage can vary from .5 to 2.0 qts. between oil changes. Just like gas mileage, cross counrty traveling yields the least consumption, and in-town and high rpm operations yield the most consumption.

Up to a point, more mileage on a bike will decrease oil usage, slow break-in's will increase usage. Don't start using synthetic oil until you believe that the oil consumption has dropped enough to indicate that the break-in has completed as much as it's going to. Sometimes this can take 15,000 miles. Just my two cents.

Pat

[BMWRider]

I've never approached 1 qt./1,000 miles.
Under high speed/hot weather conditions, I might need to top off the GS after a 1,000-mile trip, probably to the tune of about a 1/3 quart.:dunno
Oilhead oil consumption does vary wildly. For some reason - maybe I'm just lucky - both my Oilheads have sipped dinosaur remains very sparingly.

[MCMXCIVRS]

My R1100RS burns about 1/4 of a liter on average in 5,000 Km in all types of riding conditions. I'm using Mobil 1 15W50 in it, with 65,000 Km on the bike.

[gordo]

My 95 R1100R with 44K miles might use a cup or less per 1000 miles.

[Shelby]

I have a 2002 GS with 10,000 miles. It will use a quart between oil changes (every 3,000 miles). Everybody I talk to says it varies on how many miles until the motor is broken in. That is my story!

[johnes335]

I just had my '02 1100S through the 6000mi service. In those 6K, the most notable changes were the drop in oil consumption and the improved shifting. I was at about 1/3 of a quart every 1000 miles when new. Now the level barely moves in 3000. And the tranny is oh so sweet!!!

[Magic_Rat]

My 03 RT just used 6 ounces of Amsoil Synthetic during my recent 4100 mile trip to S. Texas/OK. The oil was still in the sight glass when I returned. The bike has 11400 miles on it.

[Kneedragon]

Ditto here. I don't think my 1100RS oil level dropped more than half the glass...top of circle to middle dot between changes. I'm at 50,000 miles and the oil use has been at that level since about 20,000 miles.:clap

[b52g]

I have an 03 with 3800 mi. When I got it back from the dealer after the 600 check the oil level was at the top of the sight glass. In fact I thought that the thing was dry. since I couldn't see any oil. After about another 1000 mi or so the level was slightly below the middle of the sight glass. I added 8 oz of oil and it brought the level to the middle. In the 2200 mi since ,I have not added a drop and the level has remained there. This is my 4th oil head and in my experience I have found that if the thing is overfull , just run it awhile and the level will drop to where it likes to be, sort of a self leveling thing.

[Bones]

I ride an R1100RT and do my own serviceing. After hearing so much about Oilhead "BURNING" so much oil I begail to wonder why. After some thinking I realize that most of you have the dealer change the oil. I wonder how many of you ask the Service Man how much oil was drained from the Air Box?? Thats where most of my oil goes, Not in blue smoke out the exhaust.
:jawdrop

Just wondering along the road. Bones

[KBasa]

Airboxes in our 3 oilheads are dry.

I've found that if you fill it above the dot, it seems to eat it.

dave
do all my own service too

[DarkCloud]

The operators manual on my oilhead says .1 liter per 100km. That's over a quart every 600 miles. JON

[GlobalRider]

Originally posted by Mr. Frank
Over the past month or so on the IBMWR list a few guys have noted what I would consider high oil consumption (e.g., 1 qt per 1000 miles) on low mileage but broken in oilheads. What kind of oil consumption do most folks experience with the oilheads?

I own 5 BMW motorcycles at the moment. I don't know what it is with BMW motorcycles, buy my R65 and R100 GS consume oil. My R27 and R80 G/S PD are parked, so I can't comment on them.

I can't comment on the new GS Adventure that I picked up today, but I sure hope these high tech wonders with all that high tech manufacturing are better.

My Kawasaki KLR 650 and Honda CR-V don't consume a drop of oil between oil changes and the BMW 318is that I once owned didn't consume any oil either, so I don't know what it is with their bikes: too high an oil level? why would they do that?
:dunno

[Bones]

OK, Let me ask this, how many of you know that there is a 2nd chamber below the air filter chamber? It's sole purpose is to catch crankcase vented oil vapors. It also has its own little drain plug.
On my trike, when it gets purddy fill, its fun to make a sharp turn. Then the oil gets up into the intake aera and there is a smoke screen for about a 1/4 mile.
Just curious. Bones, :brow

[saab93driver]

Originally posted by Bones
OK, Let me ask this, how many of you know that there is a 2nd chamber below the air filter chamber? It's sole purpose is to catch crankcase vented oil vapors. It also has its own little drain plug.
....
Just curious. Bones, :brow

I'm aware of it. Don't let it get that full otherwise you crud up the TB's with oil goop and then it goes in the engine and turns into carbon buildup. You might be filling your oil too full or you have too much blow bye past the rings. Later bikes (97+??) have a redesinged breather system which was supposed to help reduce the vapors.

[Hacksaw]

Originally posted by saab93driver
I'm aware of it. Don't let it get that full otherwise you crud up the TB's with oil goop and then it goes in the engine and turns into carbon buildup. You might be filling your oil too full or you have too much blow bye past the rings. Later bikes (97+??) have a redesinged breather system which was supposed to help reduce the vapors.
I've got 42,000 mi on my 98 R11GSA. I pulled the air box oil drain plug during the last major service and it was bone dry.:thumb

[saab93driver]

None on my 1150RS either in 10K miles!

[Bones]

;) Ok, Saab & Hack and the rest of Ya, another curious Question. Most of my Riding has consisted of 5-7 hundred miles/day at 75-85 on the slab lately, getting to various rallys. I find that this is when the reservour gets the most volume. I also run at a higher RPM than stock due to the trike conversion. When I'm on the back roads at a litttle slower pace, the volume seem to decrease.
So! Got any comparisons that we can tie together?
Input is Data for demented Minds.
Just finished replacing the Head, Piston, Valves, Cam & Sprocket On the R-1100RT/Trike (it swallowed a valve) and am ready for Charleston! Hope to see ya all there!!
Bones, aka; Jim Post:wave

[KBasa]

In the last 2500 miles, the RS has consumed about a pint.

I can live with that. In 60K miles, the airbox has always been dry.

dave

[saab93driver]

Originally posted by Bones
;) Ok, Saab & Hack and the rest of Ya, another curious Question. Most of my Riding has consisted of 5-7 hundred miles/day at 75-85 on the slab lately, getting to various rallys. I find that this is when the reservour gets the most volume. I also run at a higher RPM than stock due to the trike conversion. When I'm on the back roads at a litttle slower pace, the volume seem to decrease.
So! Got any comparisons that we can tie together?
Input is Data for demented Minds.


A lot of my riding is interstate running same speeds but my RS is geared a little higher than an RT so I would say in the 4-4.2K rpm range with some "occasional" bursts to 6K and once in a while a redline or 2.

[KBasa]

Hmmm. Our RS spends most of its life north of 5K. I'm usually running 4.5K on the interstates and it's 5.5K to redline on the backroads of Marin.

Interestingly, it makes max power at redline, with a torque peak at 5.5K, so that's the place to ride it if you want to go quickly. I've got a dyno chart hanging around the house somewhere, maybe I'll scan it when I get home if anyone's interested.

Dave

[hollomon]

Dave,

do you (or anyone else) have a dyno for an R850R? Love to see one of those.

Carl
'97 R850R 36k miles

[KBasa]

I don't.

Most places will dyno your bike for fairly short money.

[freded]

my 02 adventure eats oil, i can do 500 miles at between 6000 rpm and redline and it'll be down a 1/2 quart. if you putter around no oil consumption.

[moterbiker]

I think that the blowby into the bottom of the airbox will just increase as mileage does. Mine and the little lady's bike use oil, hers only has about 10k on it and it uses a bit more juice than mine, I noticed my consumption dropped off a lot after 18k, thats when i switched to Mobil 1 every 6k since.

[JimBud]

Just changed to Mobile 1 @ 7,000 miles and left for Charleston...over 6,500 miles the bike consumed 0.5 quarts of oil. The riding was hot, mostly high speed and varied between fast (80-90mph) slab and lots of Colorado twisty, high rpm, fun riding. Just changed oil, no metal on mag. drain plug...and lots of great memories. :bliss ;) :bliss

[lorazepam]

My R850R just turned over 45k on this last trip, 850 miles in 2 days, for work. I have 5k on the castrol syntec with this oil change, and havent used enough to add any oil yet. I guess that once the bikes are broken in, they really dont use any oil or way less than the jap bikes I have owned, and the dang harleys and british bikes leaked so much, I carried a quart with me all the time.

[ramses35]

Quick question- 981100rt. Where is the airbox drainplug? Do I have to remove the fairing panels? Poking around with the flashlight didn't reveal anything. Just curious.

[MrFrank]

You have to remove the left side cover.

[TheSuperScoot]

There is no rhyme nor reason to oilhead oil consumption. My R850 used a quart every 1,000 miles, come hell or high water. Everything was up to spec. It just liked the stuff (BMW oil exclusively).

My R1100RT has not used a quart between changes in 24,000 miles.

One caveat: The center dot on the sight glass is "FULL." Do not fill to the top of the glass, you'll get foaming and blowby and heaven knows what else.

Again, some use a bunch of oil, some don't use any. It's a mystery.

Terry

[TomBarnhart]

Left Florida with 3000 miles on bike, rode about 1600 miles to the Four Winds rally in Pennsylvania. No oil consumption. Started back home via interstates, high speed, high heat, at about 2300 miles was down about 1/2 quart. Another 700 miles of high speed, hight heat, down about 1/4 quart. Summary: Over 3000 miles since last oil change and used 3/4 quart.

[bluenewt]

I have a 2002 R1150RT. It has about 9,500 miles on it. It continues to drink a quart of oil every 1,000 miles or so. I have a riding buddy that also has a 2002 R1150RT. His seems to be taking a little more oil than mine. He's got about 8,000 miles on his RT.

[Cliffy777]

'04 1150 Rockster. bought in July. 3,628 miles on it. Have added 1 quart oil over the 3k since I had the oil changed at 600 miles. Bike is riden daily (see RITWE post in Rides forum) - mostly in 10-15 increments. Cruise at 4-5k on the tachometer.

This is similar to the oil use on the '01 R1100RL I traded in with 12,400 miles. Once the bike had 8k or so on it, then it quit burning very much oil.

[lorazepam]

I just changed the oil again on my R850R, after 6.5k. ( I use castrol syntec 5w50) and I didnt use enough between changes to have to add. I have almost 49k on the bike now.

[riderR1150GSAdv]

I ride a 04 RT and changed the oil at 3K miles on the advise of my dealer( did it myself :p ) and at 4 K miles did not use a drop of dino oil. At 6K the oil will be changed again but to synthetic and the consumption ought to be almost nothing;) .
I do ride in South Florida and this means hot weather so all in all not bad on oil usage:clap