Using oil

[madmax-im]

For the past couple months I have had to add oil more frequently than it usually consumes...Over the past month it has taken a full quart although not all at once...Checking the bike over I dont see any oil leaks anywhere and there isnt any oil burning thru the exhaust either..so what gives?

[trbig]

LOL.. If it's not leaking, it's burning it. I'm betting on valve seals though since it's started doing it so quickly.

Just a guess though. Get someone to follow you. Get on it a bit, then chop the throttle and see if blue smoke comes out on accel... or decel. Accel.. rings. Decel... valve guides.


Tod

[Elevener]

My XS also uses oil. No leaks and no smoke. I was just starting to think it was just a normal thing for this engine.

I probably use 1/4 quart in 200 miles.

[trbig]

If you're using a quart every 800 miles and it doesn't leak, then yeah, your bike is smoking at some point. Maybe not right there at idle or revving it with no load in the driveway where you can see it, but it's got to at some point if burning that much oil. No catalytic converters on these to catch it.


Tod

[TADracer]

Can I have two votes?

If the prob just started in a very short time like over a month or so then I would vote on valve stem seals and possibly the guides. If it has taken a long time to develop then probably it is rings.

The absence of smoke may be just that you cannot see it very well but it is there. Either problem may be hard to see blue smoke in the early stages, though. But rest assured it will eventually appear.

why dont you try a leak down test and confirm the condition of your rings and valves and go from there. Might just be the stem seals wearing out and that is not such a hard fix.

[CatatonicBug]

My XS also uses oil. No leaks and no smoke. I was just starting to think it was just a normal thing for this engine.

I probably use 1/4 quart in 200 miles.

Sheesh! I HAVE an oil leak, and it doesn't use that much! Definitely NOT normal.

[madmax-im]

Well I have noticed this since about mid summer but it seems that more recently it has become more frequent...if we ever get some dry weather I will have someone follow me to lookk for blue smoke on accell and de-accel. I am definitely not burning a 1/4 of a quart every 200 miles.

[Elevener]

Well, it may not be quite that much but I have had riders behind me and they say no smoke. It runs great and has a relatively new top end, maybe 1200-1500 miles on it.

[MindWebs]

First things first.

What weight of oil are you using????

i started with 10w30 and it was using a quart every 4-600miles

in my defence, my xs11 is the FIRST bike i have ever had that takes
20-50, my previous 6 bikes have all taken 10w30.

but anyhow.... these bikes NEED 20-50 weight, Castrol is a good choise.
there are other good ones as well. but mine likes castrol

if you are running the thicker oil and still using oil, then it's like the other gent's are saying, valves....guides..... and so on..

[Elevener]

20-50 of course, heck I use it in just about everything. Hey I realize thats about the only place's oil can be going, but if it dont smoke, plugs look good, and it runs right... I cant wait till morning so I can go burn some oil!

[bikerphil]

For the past couple months I have had to add oil more frequently than it usually consumes

Sounds like valve seals to me. If they've never been changed out, chances are that they are hard and brittle and not sealing well. When the head is off to change them, it's not much more work to pop the jugs and check the ring gaps and cylinder walls. I just got done addressing such a problem for another member, except for that this motor was a heavy smoker.