I put a little bit of oil my 500r like three weeks ago, and now it is at the bottom at the sight glass again. Is that normal do motorcycles usually require oil between changes? If not what could be my problem? I dont drive it hard or anything like that. It is an 06 with 8,000 miles. I just didnt know what the problem is if there is one?

Travis

 

If you have been riding the crap out of it, I'm sure it would drop the oil level some, but still probably not that much. I'm guessing the engine wasn't broken in properly when it was new, and now is allowing a lot of blow-by. You are using 10W40 correct?

 

yes i am using 10-40 in it. Well it had 7,000 miles on when i had it. I put almost thousand on it in a month. So what is the blow by what is that? Is there a way to fix it?

Travis

 

There are rings around the top of the pistons. Some maintain compression, some scrape oil from the cylinder wall (back into the crankcase instead of in the combustion chamber) if the motor was not broken in properly these rings may not have seated properly against the cylinder wall and oil is "blowing by" the rings and burning up during combustion.

Depending on the condition of your cylinder walls and your pistons, you may only need a re-ring to remedy the problem. My guess is worst case scenario you need to replace the pistons and rings and have your cylinders honed with a cross-hatch pattern.

 

Holllld on there!
Lots of things can affect the oil level. Are you positive the bike is level and on a level surface? If the bike is facing even a little bit uphill or downhill, that will affect the oil level. In fact, I don't even like to check the oil level with the bike on the centerstand, because this tilts the bike forward a little bit, which will give you a bum-level.
If you've run the engine for just a few minute (i.e. don't have it completely warmed up) that too will affect the oil level. You want to check the level with the engine either cold, or if you check it with the engine hot, be sure you give the oil a few minutes to sink back down into the oil pan.
If you start the bike and run it for a minute or two, then turn it off, the oil level will appear low. This is because that cool, thick oil has had just enough time to get pumped up to those surfaces, lines and galleries up in the top-end and will take a few minutes to trickle slowly back down to the pan. Of course the oil flows back down into the pan much more quickly when it's hot.

I hate to even bring this up, but you aren't checking the oil level with the bike on the sidestand are you? I took a two-hour train ride to buy a dual-purpose bike from a guy who did this and the engine was toast with only 4500 miles on it. You want the bike to be perfectly level when you check the oil. I like to get down on one knee and hold the seat lightly in only one hand when doing it.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Peace!
-CCinC

 

what chris said but except holding it upwith one hand part. try to have freind hold it for you. no offense chris not trying to step on toes here. just don't want his next post to be i dropped it. your method ofholding it up is for experinenced riders imo.

 

+1 on it not being broken in right. My bike has 25k on it and it burns oil. I just check the oil level every weekend when I clean and lube the chain and add oil when it gets below the full line. Its been that way since I got the bike with 16k on it. My bike runs fine. If your ok with having to keep an eye on the oil and add oil then I don't really see a need to rebuild the motor.

 

Thing is, when it is perfectly level, it is very easy to hold up with one hand. (That's how you know it's level.)
You have the sidestand on the other side of the bike in case it starts to get away from you, and you kneel in such a way that you are prepared in case it starts to fall toward you.
Been doing it for years and have never had any incidents or even close calls.
No offense intended and thanks for the clarification.
Peace!
-CCinC

 

I always check my level by balancing it with my hand. if you do it this way, just have the bike real close to a wall on the other side of you just in case.

 

But Chris, you definitely brought up an excellent point about checking the oil level properly. We all know some people have, or DO check their oil on the sidestand.