Dipstick DRY.. dealership #$@/ me over

[Chubs604]

Brand new drz400sm... first service done at 1300km.. dealership told me to come for service every 4000 - 5000km..

Im at 4800km and im completely dry. Not a drop of oil on the dipstick, not even on the very tip. I dont know how long iv been riding dry but the night before I was praticing wheelies hard.. most definitely with no oil.. on a brand new bike.. cheers!

I ride mainly around the city, and highway, have done 3 days of offroad.

Very worried and upset.

Any thoughts on how bad I could have messed my bike?

[Signman606]

Brand new drz400sm... first service done at 1300km.. dealership told me to come for service every 4000 - 5000km..

Im at 4800km and im completely dry. Not a drop of oil on the dipstick, not even on the very tip. I dont know how long iv been riding dry but the night before I was praticing wheelies hard.. most definitely with no oil.. on a brand new bike.. cheers!

I ride mainly around the city, and highway, have done 3 days of offroad.

Very worried and upset.

Any thoughts on how bad I could have messed my bike?

 

You're going to have to check how much oil you DO have by draining it.......did you start it first and let it run for a bit before checking dipstick? That engine holds almost 2 qts.......I doubt you're completely dry

[x_JT_x]

Brand new drz400sm... first service done at 1300km.. dealership told me to come for service every 4000 - 5000km..

Im at 4800km and im completely dry. Not a drop of oil on the dipstick, not even on the very tip. I dont know how long iv been riding dry but the night before I was praticing wheelies hard.. most definitely with no oil.. on a brand new bike.. cheers!

I ride mainly around the city, and highway, have done 3 days of offroad.

Very worried and upset.

Any thoughts on how bad I could have messed my bike?

If you were truly running dry, you would have MAYBE a minute tops before the entire thing was frozen up. More likely seconds. Like the above post, did you start the bike first? It has to pump all the oil from the bottom end into the frame before you get an accurate reading.

[mickeydee]

After the first service your bike will eat up a little oil.i go thru 200mls between oil changes and I do a change every 1500 to 2000 kms.you could easily be down 300 mls and that won't show up on the dipstick when you check( per oil level check instructions)

[klx_dude]

It's not the shop's fault your not checking the dipstick routinely. At the end of the day it's on you to check the fluid levels and condition before each ride.

[Qqqqqqqqqqqq]

Yeah .. Check the Dry Sump system correctly first .

I let it idle for 3 min .. Turn it off .. Wait 3 min and check .

[Rib Eye]

Just drain the oil out of the engine and frame, measure how much was in there, then replace with new filter, add 2 liters and ride. 

 

You should do this at least every 1000 miles for street only, and 600 miles for dirt. Check your oil regularly, and if you ride freeway speeds for commuting, expect it to lose some through the crankcase breather, check and replenish often.

[Stuwy123]

Yeah .. Check the Dry Sump system correctly first .

I let it idle for 3 min .. Turn it off .. Wait 3 min and check .

 

This.

I'm willing to put money on that he didn't check the oil properly.

[MtnRyder25]

Not the shops fault you were not checking the oil level...

[everlast]

This.

I'm willing to put money on that he didn't check the oil properly.

Same thing happened to me when I went to look at my bike from the previous owner. After finally finding the damn dipstick I was alarmed when it was dry. 3 mins of running, and it was fine.

[gerryb]

You DO realize that this is DRY-SUMP system right????

 

If you checked the oil first thing in the morning BEFORE running the engine - then 

your dipstick will show no oil in the engine..

 

Run your engine for a couple of minus and THEN check your oil.

 

If you fell uncomfortable - open BOTH oil drain plugs and measure the quantity of oil in the engine.

 

As others have said - checking the oil level is the owner's responsibility - no way the shop or manufacturer

can control this.

 

Gerry

[matty86suk]

You DO realize that this is DRY-SUMP system right????

 

If you checked the oil first thing in the morning BEFORE running the engine - then 

your dipstick will show no oil in the engine..

 

Run your engine for a couple of minus and THEN check your oil.

 

If you fell uncomfortable - open BOTH oil drain plugs and measure the quantity of oil in the engine.

 

As others have said - checking the oil level is the owner's responsibility - no way the shop or manufacturer

can control this.

 

Gerry

Weird?? When i check the oil it is at the full mark when cold?? Too much oil maybe, bike is new to me....

[Noble]

Seems like such a simple question but so hard to understand because it is not like your car.  The main volume of oil is carried in the frame. Gravity will move the oil from the frame to the motor sump over time.  "Time" depends on the temperature, oil weight and the specific motorcycle.  When the motorcycle is parked (assuming it had been run a mile or more) the oil is all distributed where it should be.  It may take a day, a week or a month for the oil level to disappear off the dip stick.  The best time to check the oil is after the motor has been run.  Suzuki says 3 min.  I say longer.  Keep in mind it is not a quart of oil from FULL to ADD.  It is more like 8 oz.  The oil can be checked (done correctly) after a ride and show no oil on the dip stick.  That is obviously a warning sign but it does not mean you are out of oil.  It means the oil volume is something less than what will read on the dip stick. Could be near none, could be a quart and a half.  At this point oil can be added to bring the level up and keep track of the amount added.  Or the oil can be drained from the sump and the frame and the amount measured for volume.  Reading the owners manual might help the OP.

[lakeportmike]

Seems like such a simple question but so hard to understand because it is not like your car.  The main volume of oil is carried in the frame. Gravity will move the oil from the frame to the motor sump over time.  "Time" depends on the temperature, oil weight and the specific motorcycle.  When the motorcycle is parked (assuming it had been run a mile or more) the oil is all distributed where it should be.  It may take a day, a week or a month for the oil level to disappear off the dip stick.  The best time to check the oil is after the motor has been run.  Suzuki says 3 min.  I say longer.  Keep in mind it is not a quart of oil from FULL to ADD.  It is more like 8 oz.  The oil can be checked (done correctly) after a ride and show no oil on the dip stick.  That is obviously a warning sign but it does not mean you are out of oil.  It means the oil volume is something less than what will read on the dip stick. Could be near none, could be a quart and a half.  At this point oil can be added to bring the level up and keep track of the amount added.  Or the oil can be drained from the sump and the frame and the amount measured for volume.  Reading the owners manual might help the OP.

^this...when my oil gets real low on the dip stick it only takes a small amount of oil to bring it back to the top .

[gerryb]

Weird?? When i check the oil it is at the full mark when cold?? Too much oil maybe, bike is new to me....

 

Probably; 

 

The only way to be sure is to drain the oil (sump and frame) and put in the correct quantity. 

 

Gerry

[Noble]

First read post #13.  You might have a motorcycle that does not (or very little) change after sitting overnight.

 

Over-fill - depending on how much over-fill, it may be no problem at all or rather messy.  Either way it is not a big deal.  Say for example you dump in a quart when the oil is just a hair off the dip stick.  You will now have about 2.75 quarts in a 2 quart system.  The excess oil will find its way into the breather system, the air boot, air box and carb.  Smokes and makes a mess draining out of the air box.  Most people only do it once.

[Chubs604]

This.

I'm willing to put money on that he didn't check the oil properly.

 

 

Not the shops fault you were not checking the oil level...

Hello all, first off I want to thank each and everyone who gave the knowledge and thoughts they had on my problem and replying so fast. this forum is amazing i dont know what i would do without you guys!  ?    ...probably run my bike with a dry engine all day.. ?

I checked the oil properly, followed exactly what the manual said I ever turned the timer on my bike to make sure it was idling/sitting for perfect amount of time  --> turned on, let idle for 2 mins, rode around the block, pulled back in my garage, at 5 min mark i shut the bike off. waited 3 mins, sat the bike straight (not leaning on kick stand) , removed dipstick, wiped it off, inserted it back down the hole to where the threads are (didnt screw it in)  pulled it out and nothing. after doing this a couple times, i even tried to screw it in to see if i would pick up any oil.. nothing, I also tried having it fully screwed down and shaking the bike, still nothing.

 

I took the bike in for service and everything was fine

 

I still had 1.2 L of oil, I wasnt doing anything wrong when checking the oil,   **There was something stuck in the frame blocking the oil (this is what the shop told me)

 

[mickeydee]

I still had 1.2 L of oil, I wasnt doing anything wrong when checking the oil, **There was something stuck in the frame blocking the oil (this is what the shop told me)

if the shop told you there was something stuck in the frame blocking the oil they feed you some bs

[Chubs604]

i have a very weird problem ?  with my acceleration in 1st gear. after doing lots of 1st gear wheelies, all of a sudden I have no pull or power at all to even get the tire up. even just being in first gear and trying to accelerate fast there is a huge problem and i dont know what piece of the bike it is related too. So in 1st gear if i open throttle fast and fully to get a fast acceleration or pulll/torque, the power cuts and pulls like a bucking bull, choppy as hell.

 

Going at a steady speed of 24km in first gear, i open the throttle fully and after half a second it begins to accelerate but not with much power, then it suddenly cuts all the power or 'pull' off then half a second after this the power kicks in suddenly with a quick jolt of pull, for again like half a second only then it suddenly cuts out and then begins to finally accelerate and gain speed until there is no more gear left and it needs to be shifted into 2nd..

I know whatever problem this is, it is from doing wheelies alot because sometimes when praticing wheelies over and over again (finding a long straight road and wheelie, down, get at steady speed, wheelie, down, get at steady speed, wheelie, down --> repeat till the end of the block, do a U turn and keep praticing them back to back. occasionally after 10 mins or so of doing this I would get this choppy problem and couldnt get the wheel up anymore, i would go to pop it up and it starts to raise then it cuts and drops down right away..

    ?  ?

[x_JT_x]

i have a very weird problem ? with my acceleration in 1st gear. after doing lots of 1st gear wheelies, all of a sudden I have no pull or power at all to even get the tire up. even just being in first gear and trying to accelerate fast there is a huge problem and i dont know what piece of the bike it is related too. So in 1st gear if i open throttle fast and fully to get a fast acceleration or pulll/torque, the power cuts and pulls like a bucking bull, choppy as hell.

Going at a steady speed of 24km in first gear, i open the throttle fully and after half a second it begins to accelerate but not with much power, then it suddenly cuts all the power or 'pull' off then half a second after this the power kicks in suddenly with a quick jolt of pull, for again like half a second only then it suddenly cuts out and then begins to finally accelerate and gain speed until there is no more gear left and it needs to be shifted into 2nd..

I know whatever problem this is, it is from doing wheelies alot because sometimes when praticing wheelies over and over again (finding a long straight road and wheelie, down, get at steady speed, wheelie, down, get at steady speed, wheelie, down --> repeat till the end of the block, do a U turn and keep praticing them back to back. occasionally after 10 mins or so of doing this I would get this choppy problem and couldnt get the wheel up anymore, i would go to pop it up and it starts to raise then it cuts and drops down right away..

??

Kickstand switch is going off when the kickstand moves.. Disable to switch and you should be good to go.

Of course that's just what I think it is, could be wrong.