Oil....  It's all getting technical.

Here's where i hit a wall and need to seek advice :)... The Oil light lit up on my new Blade the other day, on advice from a not so convincing so called specialist i have bought castrol 10/40 or maybe that's the other way round to top up.

The litre bottle didn't even seem to touch the sides and has me thinking i'm reading the levels wrong and have now put too much in the thing ? And maybe even not the right stuff ? Or maybe it does actually hold more than that and does actually need more ?

It's due service on friday so will be all sorted properly then, but just need to make sure, i don't blow the thing whilst riding it in the meantime...

Any help appreciated :-/

The service book should say how much oil your bike needs, but for comparison my Thundercat takes just over three litres (from memory). Chances are, if the "feed me oil" light comes on, it wants more than a litre?

Castrol 10w40 sounds about right though.

Personally, if the bike's that new I'd be more worried about why it wants oil already...

Is there a Dipstick or a window on the O/Side (RH) of the bike engine ?

Or is it done electronically ?

Also the oil should be a synthetic one [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Quote:

---

Personally, if the bike's that new I'd be more worried about why it wants oil already...
Back to top

---

Chris if the bike still has its "running in" oil in it then its possible it has burnt some of it But as you say its a little worrying

I think it takes around 3 litres, just no idea at which point the warning light comes on...

Did concern me a little why it came on when so new, but then i have done 3500 hard miles on it in the last 5/6 weeks ?

There is a Dipstick on the RHS, but doesn't seem to be very consistant.

Ok get the bike as level as you can
Unscrew dipstick and wipe
reinsert it But DONT screw all the way in just rest it on egine threads then check level

Ideal tool would be a paddock std [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Sorry if i'm telling you to suck eggs but gotta start with the basics [smiley=happy.gif]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Steve_H...

It's due service on friday so will be all sorted properly then, but just need to make sure i don't blow the thing whilst riding it in the meantime... :-/

---

You blown it up whilst riding it too hard???? NEVER!!! PMSL! ;D ::)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by silly_simon

Ok get the bike as level as you can
Unscrew dipstick and wipe
reinsert it But DONT screw all the way in just rest it on egine threads then check level

Ideal tool would be a paddock std [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Sorry if i'm telling you to suck eggs but gotta start with the basics [smiley=happy.gif]

---

No worries ref the egg sucking mate, guess just a little surprised that the oil light came on so early and that a litre didnt really register on the stick levels... The light has gone off now, but guess it just needs more... Taking it in for can change in the morning so can have it looked at properly.

Suppose the main question now is will it be ok to ride the 30 miles in the morning as long as the light stays off and i take it easy as won't have chance to get more oil before that ?

As long as the light stays off and you go a bit steady I would have thought you would be ok [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

But don't quote me on it ok :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by roxychick

[quote author=Steve_H... link=1276113698/0#0 date=1276113698]
It's due service on friday so will be all sorted properly then, but just need to make sure i don't blow the thing whilst riding it in the meantime... :-/

---

You blown it up whilst riding it too hard???? NEVER!!! PMSL! ;D ::)[/quote]

:o Errrr thank god for warning lights lol

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by silly_simon

As long as the light stays off and you go a bit steady I would have thought you would be ok [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

But don't quote me on it ok :D

---

;) Yeah my thoughts too, but nice to be backed up... Sure it will be fine.

Thanks [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by silly_simon

As long as the light stays off and you go a bit steady I would have thought you would be ok [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

But don't quote me on it ok :D

---

unheard of I think! ;D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by roxychick

[quote author=silly_simon link=1276113698/0#8 date=1276116718]As long as the light stays off and you go a bit steady I would have thought you would be ok [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

But don't quote me on it ok :D

---

unheard of I think! ;D[/quote]

Stop it girl lol :D

I think if you stay in 1st gear and around 2000rpm you should be ok!

:P

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by roxychick

I think if you stay in 1st gear and around 2000rpm you should be ok!

:P

---

Maybe you should come and lead the way, won't need to worry then lol ;D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Steve_H...

[quote author=roxychick link=1276113698/0#13 date=1276118654]I think if you stay in 1st gear and around 2000rpm you should be ok!

:P

---

Maybe you should come and lead the way, won't need to worry then lol ;D[/quote]


HA HA FUNNY BOY! hope it doesn't [smiley=vrolijk_1.gif] in the morning!

Remember in future to check your oil when the engine is cold its the same for tyre pressures.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Roll_on

Remember in future to check your oil when the engine is cold its the same for tyre pressures.

---

Think i need to remember to check it full stop mate... ::)

Speaking to a mate of mine who also has a new shaped blade, he says the bike is a bit thirsty with oil so don't be surprised if the warning light comes on again.

+1 big time for what Loudpipes says - basically if the red light comes on when your engine is running, you're in trouble - it doesn't signify oil level in as much, but more importantly OIL PRESSURE!!! - when the light is on, the pressure switch is detecting NOTHING, no oil pressure, your oil pump is pumping air, or at best very little oil. Let's say your tacho was showing 6000rpm at the time, and the light was illuminated for just one second - in that second your crank rotated 100 times with NO oil feed to the main bearings and big ends, plus all the cams, valve gear, gearbox and other bearings throughout the engine. >:(
Your engine has a dipstick - check it regularly FFS or it'll get very expensive! Honda won't honour a warranty claim for an engine starved of oil - that's negligence, or incompetence - you choose. As it's fairly new I'd hazard a guess that you spent a fair bit of money on it - if it seizes, throws a rod and chucks you down the road it'll be worth diddly :'( Read the owner's handbook or workshop manual to learn the procedure and keep an eye on it from now on! ::)

Well, ill take that one on the chin deservedly so... :-X However luckily for me i stopped and did exactly what the book says in event of an oil light coming on "stop and fill it up" so no harm done and and after all what idiot would put a warning light on any machine if it warned you when it was all too late, of course it isn't hard to check and at least now i know that this particular machine drinks like me on a saturday night, especially this particular saturday :)

the oil light will be set to something like 7psi, and will activate below that, illuminating the lamp.
if it comes on then there MAY be some pressure although it will be very small, and certainly not enough to feed your engine the amount it needs to run. the light comes on so that you have a very small reserve amount of engine oil available, just enough to turn off the engine....
the feed to the crank only needs to be at a pressure high enough to overcome gravity, as the actual pressure needed to prevent metal scuffing is generated by a "Wedge" action ( hundreds and hundreds of PSI) as the crank moves in the bearings............. catch me at a meeting and il explain sometime.....

think you need to tell Honda about the oil consumption though.....

JHS Racing just done some work for me... Power Commander, fuel mapping, service etc and the guy tells me that the new blade burns a litre every 1000 miles ish so seems the oil consumption although seemingly alittle extreme was within limits and at least i know now so can keep an eye on it.

Cheers everyone [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

on my Jap bikes,I always warm up the engine,a good 3 or 4 minutes,turn her off,wait a minute,the check the oil.This way the oil has worked its way all around the engine.wot you check then is the stuff left in the crankcase.This might be total bollocks bet its worked for me over the years.Also remember motorbike oil for motorbikes.not car oil,our clutchs dont like that stuff.

a litre every thou???...... bloody 'ell....whats that doing to the cat?????.......

are they made by british leyland?????

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Steve_H...

JHS Racing just done some work for me... Power Commander, fuel mapping, service etc and the guy tells me that the new blade burns a litre every 1000 miles ish so seems the oil consumption although seemingly alittle extreme was within limits and at least i know now so can keep an eye on it.

Cheers everyone [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

---

A litre every 1000 miles :o Most bikes only contain about 2.5 litres....

Neither my old man's Brit bikes or my BL mini consume anywhere near that (and both are incontenant). That's horrendous!!!

I find it hard to believe that Honda make a bike that bad!!! :-?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jonnydangerous

a litre every thou???...... bloody 'ell....whats that doing to the cat?????.......

are they made by british leyland?????

---

HEY!!!! >:(

My mini ain't THAT bad!!!! ;D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jon_W

[quote author=Steve_H... link=1276113698/15#22 date=1276277455]JHS Racing just done some work for me... Power Commander, fuel mapping, service etc and the guy tells me that the new blade burns a litre every 1000 miles ish so seems the oil consumption although seemingly alittle extreme was within limits and at least i know now so can keep an eye on it.

Cheers everyone [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

---

A litre every 1000 miles :o Most bikes only contain about 2.5 litres....

Neither my old man's Brit bikes or my BL mini consume anywhere near that (and both are incontenant). That's horrendous!!!

I find it hard to believe that Honda make a bike that bad!!! :-?[/quote]

I know... Horrendous, but he didn't seem surprised at all and knows far more than i do.

Holds 3.6 apparantly :-?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jonnydangerous

a litre every thou???...... bloody 'ell....whats that doing to the cat?????.......

are they made by british leyland?????

---

Well. i'm thinking with my limited knowledge (may well be wrong) that the cat is in the standard exhaust, if so then it's not doing anything because it's lying in the boot of my car ??? :D

I've just had a read on the web, and it would appear that these bikes are notorious oil drinkers. One guy had similar problems, took the bike back to the dealer who promptly changed the piston rings under warrenty. If yours is new, I'd complain to the dealer. A litre every 1000 miles is a major leak in my books.

Better look at prices for bulk buying the stuff, might also want to consider shares in an oil company....


BB

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Blackbonnie

Better look at prices for bulk buying the stuff, might also want to consider shares in an oil company....


BB

---

Prehaps BP.... they are going cheap!!! :-?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jon_W

I've just had a read on the web, and it would appear that these bikes are notorious oil drinkers. One guy had similar problems, took the bike back to the dealer who promptly changed the piston rings under warrenty. If yours is new, I'd complain to the dealer. A litre every 1000 miles is a major leak in my books.

---

Gonna give them a call and see what they have to say... ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Steve_H...

[quote author=Jon_W link=1276113698/15#29 date=1276584804]I've just had a read on the web, and it would appear that these bikes are notorious oil drinkers. One guy had similar problems, took the bike back to the dealer who promptly changed the piston rings under warrenty. If yours is new, I'd complain to the dealer. A litre every 1000 miles is a major leak in my books.

---

Gonna give them a call and see what they have to say... ;)[/quote]

Just spoke to Honda and they are happy to take a look at it, but do say that the oil consumption is normal [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

thats abismal!!!.....would still say "Thats Normal for our engines" if MCN got hold of that news???.........

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jonnydangerous

thats abismal!!!.....would still say "Thats Normal for our engines" if MCN got hold of that news???.........

---

MCN know about it. It's been an issue isnce '08.

i didnt no the blade was a 2 stroke.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nicko@able

i didnt no the blade was a 2 stroke.

---

Probably cheaper to run if it was! ;D

BB