Oil Consumption

[bikesnbones]

I read that this is a common issue with the K's.
Been doing some reading.
My K1100RS recently burned two exhaust valves, totalling the engine, so I just fitted a second hand engine, with a warranted 10,420 miles.
The old engine used oil.
I'm kind of surprised that the new engine is using pretty much exactly the same oil as the old one.
That is to say, just over a quarter of a litre per 1,000 miles (1,600 km's)
I realize that this is within what BMW considered acceptable at the time, but why do they do it.
Is it the grade of oil.
Has anyone experimented ?
PS, I always leave the bike on the centre stand after a ride.

[kryder]

Question? On the engine with the burned exhaust valves, did you do the recommended valve check/adjustments? As to oil consumption issues; I have owned three K75s and I do not recall any consumption. True, K75s may be different in that regard than their larger brethren. I don't think the brand of oil is critical as long as it's a good oil, dino or synthetic. I believe viscosity is however, and run 20w50 in warm weather. I've been using Castrol Motorcycle oil (dino ) in my k bikes,  but am considering a switch to snythetic.

[Motorhobo]

Again K75 here but can't report oil consumption like you describe -- consumption is pretty negligible on my machines.

[wmax351]

Oil consumption is pretty normal, especially with low mileage. The Nikasil bores take a long time to break in. The factory spec is on the order of a quart per 1000 miles.

[bikesnbones]

Question? On the engine with the burned exhaust valves, did you do the recommended valve check/adjustments?

Bit of a sore point.
The answer is no, and I don't know when they were last checked because I didn't get any history with the bike.
It is a distinct possibility that tight exhaust vave clearances were the cause of my engines undoing.
Annoyingly, I had it booked in to have them checked just a few days after the catastrophe happened.

Oil consumption is pretty normal, especially with low mileage. The Nikasil bores take a long time to break in. The factory spec is on the order of a quart per 1000 miles.

Not quite right.

In the K1100 service manual the maximum permissible oil consumption is 0.15 l/100km or 1,875 miles/gal.

http://www.motobrick.com/index.php?topic=3683.0

Well mine is nothing like that bad.

I also read somewhere that using a different viscocity oil makes a big difference, but I can't find where I read it.

[wmax351]

Oil consumption is pretty normal, especially with low mileage. The Nikasil bores take a long time to break in. The factory spec is on the order of a quart per 1000 miles.

Not quite right.

In the K1100 service manual the maximum permissible oil consumption is 0.15 l/100km or 1,875 miles/gal.

http://www.motobrick.com/index.php?topic=3683.0

Well mine is nothing like that bad.

I also read somewhere that using a different viscocity oil makes a big difference, but I can't find where I read it.

So double what I was thinking. That's getting to the range for the spec for my ironhead sportster: 300 miles/qt. And that's air cooled with no valve seals.

[Freelancer]

Hi bikesnbones,

From my experience, check 2 things.

1st) check for dampness where motor and trans meet. While my ride didn't use as much as yours is, it did have a small rear main leak at one point.

2nd) And most likely, "To what point on the sight glass do you fill the oil?" And, "Do you park it on the side stand?"

On my bike, if I fill to the point where the oil is above the dot and parked her on the side stand, she would smoke lightly and make oil disappear until it was half way between the dot and the bottom of the circle.
I could keep topping off but as long as I parked her on the side stand, that top off would disappear.


Also, not to start an oil thread but my girl likes the 20w-50. 15w-50 mobil synthetic is what she liked to make vanish. This doesn't worry me to much. She's gonna be at 80k miles by the next oil change. So long as compression is good, she doesn't leave an oil trail or cloud and she runs smooth....I'll ride her.

Hope this helps,
Freelancer

[bocutter Ed]

That's getting to the range for the spec for my ironhead sportster: 300 miles/qt.

Wow, that's almost 2-stroke territory. My 4% mix 'twingle' uses 3.7 quarts (US) per 1000 miles.

[wmax351]

Well, you could say the harley lubrication system is a "total-loss."

[F14CRAZY]

Well, you could say the harley lubrication system is a "total-loss."

Does it ever have to be changed at that rate? Should last forever with all that upper cylinder lubrication

[bikesnbones]

Hi bikesnbones,

From my experience, check 2 things.

1st) check for dampness where motor and trans meet. While my ride didn't use as much as yours is, it did have a small rear main leak at one point.

No oil leaks whatsoever and it's not smoking at all, even from a cold start.

2nd) And most likely, "To what point on the sight glass do you fill the oil?" And, "Do you park it on the side stand?"

I have the oil level halfway between the central dot, and brim.
I might use the side stand when out riding, but when I get it home, once in the garage, centre stand every time.

Also, not to start an oil thread but my girl likes the 20w-50. 15w-50 mobil synthetic is what she liked to make vanish. This doesn't worry me to much. She's gonna be at 80k miles by the next oil change. So long as compression is good, she doesn't leave an oil trail or cloud and she runs smooth....I'll ride her.

Hope this helps,
Freelancer

Many thanks.
I've done enough reading up on this now so as not to worry about it.
Mine seems to be well within the parameters of what BMW consider acceptable,
Also today, I had her on the dyno (see my thread), after which I was told she's running very well.

[jetpoweredmonkey]

Agreed with the point about oil level.  On my 2V K100RS, if I fill past the center dot in the sight glass, she will burn oil until the level drops back to the dot.  When filled to the dot, I never notice even the slightest drop in oil level between changes.  I am using Mobil 1 15W-50.  I would say this condition is as intended by the factory.