Too low of oil, Did I ruin it? XR650R?

[J_T]

Since the day I bought it...Jan 2001 (its a 2000) its been about 1/2 to 1qt between oil changes depending on how I rode it. I thought I read that was similar to others...I am the second owner. but the previous owner only had it for 2 months and sold it to me to pay Christmas bills? So do to my school and it not being ridden for 3 of the last 5 years. I have probably only put 2000 miles on it and 1000 of it just since May of 2007!

So How much oil is expected to burn in these XR650R?

Not that it matters too much...a rebuild should fix it since its not leaking. but it never smoked either.

[HeadTrauma]

You said don't cheap on the crank but you had yours rebuilt...are you recommending rebuilt as an option or saying to not try to skimp and do it right with new? I've heard the stock is quality...if rebuilt is just as reliable?

Three-piece cranks like most single cylinder bikes have are rebuildable. Most rod kits come with a new crank pin which is what holds the halves together. A good bike repair shop should be able to split the crank and replace the rod/bearing/pin/washers without any trouble.

[J_T]

thats comforting... I was thinking of car crank where they are all one piece? I guess I didn't think through it, it has thrust washers on it so I guess they have to be put on somehow...So rebuilding the crank is fine with me!

[J_T]

Since I'm starting to ask about motor building questions I'm going to start a new post! Thanks All for your input!

[yan67]

four strokes use oil when revving high. it gets flung around and out the the different tubes you see leaving the head and crankcase. and what i meant by dont cheap out was to get your crank fixed or replaced. not just hope it was ok and bolt it together. YAN

[J_T]

four strokes use oil when revving high. it gets flung around and out the the different tubes you see leaving the head and crankcase. and what i meant by dont cheap out was to get your crank fixed or replaced. not just hope it was ok and bolt it together. YAN

Thanks for the clarification! I've heard "uses more when riding hard" wasn't sure how it translated.

Good point on the crank. I feel you are right about rebuilding it...I was getting sticker-shock when I saw prices of new. But will certainly rebuild. (get it done right the first time!) approach!

Thanks Yan67

JT

[Maroast]

So How much oil is expected to burn in these XR650R?

I dont think any bike thats running well should be consuming a substantial amount of oil.

My dual sported 2006 XRR has over 20K miles on it and I beat the snot out of her...rev it out in every gear pretty much every time. I may be an "adult", but my bike is certainly not adult ridden.

I change my oil whenever I get around to it (about 1000 miles) and the motor consumes no oil. When I first bought this bike I was worried about the service intervals and motor life....but so far this bike has proven to be a real solid machine. ?

[J_T]

Maybe My previous owner beat the snot out of it more than it appeared? Mine used oil 1/2 to 1qt per oil change. (before this time I'd top it off between)

Maybe it was due for a rebuild anyway.

[HeadTrauma]

thats comforting... I was thinking of car crank where they are all one piece? I guess I didn't think through it, it has thrust washers on it so I guess they have to be put on somehow...So rebuilding the crank is fine with me!

The 4-cylinder crotch rockets and some v-twins have one-piece cranks and bolt-together rods. To be honest, I sometimes wish our bikes did as well(the aircooled XRs, anyway), but that might require something sensible like a healthy oiling system. ?

[yan67]

excessive high rpm's(travelling at 80+mph) for extended periods of time will result in oil loss. Watch dust to glory if you want video proof. YAN

[J_T]

I guess High RPM no matter the speed would do it...Before I was Dual Sported...I used 13/50 for trails and I do have a tendency to hold my gears for longer than I probably should. I guess I shouldn't use the rev-limiter sound as a shift point signal ! :-)

I loved the "dust to glory movie" my wife has watched it as well one of the many times I have watched it. (she isn't into these things but she loves the rider nicknamed "Mouse" and whenever she sees anything related to motorcycles and dirt on Television she asks, "is that Mouse?" (no matter the type of riding) It gives me a grin!

[HeadTrauma]

If a 4-cycle is spewing oil from sustained high rpm operation, something is wrong somewhere, be it with crankcase ventilation, blowby, valve seals, or whatever. It's not just a given that they lose oil from high rpm use. Mine doesn't, not even top-offs between changes, and it's an aircooled oil cooker. YMMV. ?

[yan67]

exactly, air cooled. doesn't rev high enough. YAN

[martinfan30]

exactly, air cooled. doesn't rev high enough. YAN

Just because its air cooled, doesnt mean it cant rev high... That is due to the rev limiter.

[HeadTrauma]

Just because its air cooled, doesnt mean it can rev high... That is due to the rev limiter.

I know, I had to shake my head at that. Law of plausible argument: Anything is possible if you don't know what you're talking about.

I like I said before, your mileage may vary. Any engine that is losing oil because of high rpm operation has a problem. It's not a given that they all do by nature. I used my bike as an example because it is an extreme one. It runs hotter, the oil thins out more, tolerances tend to be looser because of the higher temps, and it still doesn't need topping off between ~1000mi changes. It doesn't blow oil out the crankcase vents, either, even after miles of 90-96mph WOT. It cracked a header weld, but lost no oil. I qualified my statement twice, so I'm done.

[yan67]

i take it neither one of you is a racer huh?

[martinfan30]

i take it neither one of you is a racer huh?

No, that has nothing to do with the fact that an "airhead" cannot "rev up".

The RPM's are limited by the CDI, not the physical quality of the engine.

[yan67]

this is like arguing with my girlfriend! high revving four stroke engines can and will use oil under extreme conditions. how much depends on the condition. i race motocross and cross country at an intermediate level, and have done so on different makes and models of bikes. they will use a bit under these conditions trust me. everyone i ride/race with knows this. yes in some cases it can mean something is wrong or worn out, your right. but at high rpm's for extended periods of time it is not uncommon.quit arguing Annie.

[HeadTrauma]

this is like arguing with my girlfriend! high revving four stroke engines can and will use oil under extreme conditions. how much depends on the condition.

That's all we wanted was some qualification.

I guess if this is like arguing with your GF, that would mean you're wrong anyway. ?