[CBRNewbie]

Decided to check my oil level last night as I have done 1000 miles since the 600 service. I was surprised to see that it was just on the minimum level in the sight glass. I know it was at maximum after the service cos I checked it. Should this level of consumption be expected? My commute involves lots of twisties and full throttle accels but I'm surprised by the consumption.

CBRNewbie

 

[llory]

Standard questions here.
Did you check it with the bike on the side stand or with it upright?
Did you check it after the service?

 

[CBRNewbie]

Standard questions here.
Did you check it with the bike on the side stand or with it upright?
Did you check it after the service?

Hi, Level was checked with the bike upright, and yes I did check it straight after the service.

 

[jkv357]

Did you check both the same way? Engine should be warmed up, then wait the same amount of time (usually about 3 min is recommended), and make sure it's sitting completely level.

Sounds like you run it pretty hard, but that shouldn't be a problem. It is common to use some oil if you are at high RPMs often, but as long as you check it and keep the level up you should be fine. It's also possible that consumption might drop as it wears-in more.

You might want to consider a high quality synthetic oil.

Only time will tell if the CBRs engine is prone to using oil or not.

 

[Pete]

I had to top it off every thousand miles or even less on my old Nighthawk but of course that was an air/oil cooled bike where the oil did everything.

 

[CBR_Rod]

Check as per owners manual, top off if needed, keep and eye on it. It's still being broke in, they can consume oil during break in. Some bikes always use a little, others don't

 

[cricri]

I run mine very hard and oil is still at the maximum level 2000 miles after the 600 miles service. My bike spends a lot of time at ~85-ish mph highway speeds (but not always on highways ), full throttle accelerations, I shift at the red line all the time too.

 

[CBRNewbie]

Did you check both the same way? Engine should be warmed up, then wait the same amount of time (usually about 3 min is recommended), and make sure it's sitting completely level.

Sounds like you run it pretty hard, but that shouldn't be a problem. It is common to use some oil if you are at high RPMs often, but as long as you check it and keep the level up you should be fine. It's also possible that consumption might drop as it wears-in more.

You might want to consider a high quality synthetic oil.

Only time will tell if the CBRs engine is prone to using oil or not.

Good points jkv, it was checked the same way both times but cold not hot. Even so the level has dropped from max to min. I have had Silkelene Pro 4 10w30 fully synthetic in since the first service. My Honda dealer re-filled it with that without asking me before or telling me after. I noticed on the receipt. My bike was the first 250R they had serviced tho' so I guess they just used what they always use for the bigger bikes.

 

[qlred]

Sounds like you have a oil leak, but I guess you would have noticed that. Azulthecat had a leak at the shifter. I don't think it would be right if it was burning it either.

I haven't noticed any usage in 6K miles, but changed the oil four or five times with Honda 10-30. No oil usage is one thing I really like about this motor. Keep a close eye on it.

 

[jkv357]

Good points jkv, it was checked the same way both times but cold not hot. Even so the level has dropped from max to min. I have had Silkelene Pro 4 10w30 fully synthetic in since the first service. My Honda dealer re-filled it with that without asking me before or telling me after. I noticed on the receipt. My bike was the first 250R they had serviced tho' so I guess they just used what they always use for the bigger bikes.

That's a quality synthetic oil.

My only issue would be seating of the rings. Because you run it hard, that should have been accomplished within 600 mi, but I personally wouldn't have gone to synthetic quite as soon.

Load seats rings. That's when you are opening the throttle a large amount and pulling the engine hard - but not reving it. Short-shifting and accelerating hard is usually how it's done. Idling around, shifting without accelerating very hard, or even just reving high under light loads won't seat the rings. You don't want to be too gentle on a new engine. That means you want load, but not RPMs, and you always want the engine to up to operating temp before loading it.

If you look at how engines are broken-in on a dyno, you'll see they pull them hard but not to high revs. They watch a gage for crankcase pressure to see when it begins to drop-off. That tells them the rings are seated. Most builders will use a conventional oil for break-in.

You might want to look for evidence of where the oil is going. Check the plug for dark heavy deposits, check the airbox for oil from the breather, or have someone follow you while you run it through the gears and note if there are any puffs of blue smoke at any time from the exhaust.

 

[Aargee]

Synthetic oil hmm...my experience was the same as CBRNewbie; I used Motul 7100 fully synthetic, but, I experienced far worst than him; I experienced what he did in less than 100 Kms (60-62 mi); ever since then, I switched to mineral (that's what Honda India suggests) or semi synt (10W-30 which is also Honda India suggests)

 

[Brian]

I had a problem with mobil 1 on a '78 suzuki 550, the oil pressure light would come on during hard braking. I switched back to petroleum an no problem.

I think I would wait 2,500 miles minimum to switch to synthetic, all engines are not broke completely at 600 mi., this is just a first service.

I read an interesting Honda Fit forum where the first oil change is determined by the maintenance minder on the dash. The maint. minder will have you doing the first oil change between 5 and 7 thousand miles. This is giving gear heads fits. One guy posting is a bigwig honda service tech, and he claims honda has record of early oil change vehicles that have oil consumption problems due to early oil change. The qulity of the oils plus honda additives dont break down fast enought to warrant an early oil change. Hondas claim is that the engine and ring seating does not begin until the oil begins to break down, causing a little more friction.

I am not suggesting this for the bike. Something to consider. This forum was an automobile, lower rpm engine. I do not personally know the 'honda service tech', and I have not read the honda papers. I do know the Honda owners manual says to 'follow the maintenance reminder on the dash', and 'do not change the oil early'.

I thought it was interesting.

 

[sendler]

Zero consumption

I have zero oil consumption with 3000 miles since changing to Mobil 1 4T synthetic at 600 miles.

 

[CBRNewbie]

Oil Loss from front rubber pipe?

I've been parking the bike on a clean piece of concrete in the bike shed at work and have noticed that at the end of the day there is evidence that oil has dripped from the very front rubber hose underneath. The crankcase breather at the back (the clear one) seems to be free of oil. Does anyone know what the very front pipe is? I can't find it in the parts catalogue, and it is only shown in the handbook, p.82, but not described.

Strangely I don't get any loss at home. At work the bike is in the sun for most of the afternoon. At home it's in a cool garage.

Any thoughts?

 

[dlallen]

I had a problem with mobil 1 on a '78 suzuki 550, the oil pressure light would come on during hard braking. I switched back to petroleum an no problem.

I think I would wait 2,500 miles minimum to switch to synthetic, all engines are not broke completely at 600 mi., this is just a first service.

I read an interesting Honda Fit forum where the first oil change is determined by the maintenance minder on the dash. The maint. minder will have you doing the first oil change between 5 and 7 thousand miles. This is giving gear heads fits. One guy posting is a bigwig honda service tech, and he claims honda has record of early oil change vehicles that have oil consumption problems due to early oil change. The qulity of the oils plus honda additives dont break down fast enought to warrant an early oil change. Hondas claim is that the engine and ring seating does not begin until the oil begins to break down, causing a little more friction.

I am not suggesting this for the bike. Something to consider. This forum was an automobile, lower rpm engine. I do not personally know the 'honda service tech', and I have not read the honda papers. I do know the Honda owners manual says to 'follow the maintenance reminder on the dash', and 'do not change the oil early'.

I thought it was interesting.

I have a '09 Honda Fit. I took it in for the first oil change at 1 year old and 10,287 miles - the mileage minder still wasn't down to 15% (the point Honda says to change the oil). It used no oil and still doesn't. I think the mileage minder tracks how the car is driven to calculate % of oil life remaining.

I have a 1999 Harley Sportster with over 166,000 miles on it (original rings, valve guides, etc.) that doesn't need added oil between 5,000 miles changes. I started useing automotive Mobil 1 grade 15w-50 at 10,000 miles. My '03 Sportster with 50,000 miles doesn't use oil but it does leak some.

 

[missingcalifornia]

1400 miles on roadtrip WOT ---oil loss extreme?

Guys I've been on a rode trip cross-country with 1400 miles (started with around 5000 miles on the odometer) -- at the start of my trip I topped the oil off and now it's at the low level mark or even slightly below.... kind of scary...is this oil consumption normal if I was going through South Dakota, Wyoming, and Utah at pretty much WOT the entire way?

 

[missingcalifornia]

Oh and I checked it with the bike being level (not on the side-stand) - I added about .25 liter or 1/4 of a bottle and it's now make to the upper mark.

 

[TX_Dj]

Keep it between the lines and keep an eye on it.

You should not consume any oil.