So I have posted a couple times here before (well more then a couple, lol). I have a 1997 Honda XR 650 L which I am riding down to Mexico and hopefully Cost Rica. So far I made it down to California and I have been bumming around here for a while. I have noticed a few things on the bike;

1) Oil loss, on hot days (the hotter the day the worse) after alot of riding my oil level decreases. Some times just a little, other times alot (up to a litre yesterday when I put almost 1000 km on the bike at speeds greater than 100 km/h and temperatures around 25 to 30 degree's celcius.) A few people told me this is to be expected as the XR's are prone to burning oil, but I have also had a few people tell me alot of wrong information before so I wanted to check with you folks as well.

2) Engine Temp. / Oil Temp. I currently do not have any method or measuring any temperatures on my bike besides the most common one of placing my hand on the frame while riding and seeing how long it takes to get burnt. On cooler days I have been able to keep my hand on the frame almost indefinately, however on hotter days, especially the ones where I have been burning oil If I go to touch the frame my skin almost instantaneously sticks to the frame. Is it normal for the engine temperature/oil temperature to get this hot?

3) While I am on about the engine temp. I have been considering putting an oil cooler on the bike for Mexico, I am not sure if this is neccesary or reccomended pre-caution or simply crazy talk but I would love to hear your guys thoughts and perhaps some leads to where I could track one down or leads to how it is done.

4) Chain Stretch: When I left B.C. Canada, I adjusted the chain to the 4 cm or required slack which left the snail adjusters set at 35. Now I am 2700 km into my journey and my snail adjusters are set at 45 (maxed out) and my chain must have like 10 cm of slack in it. I ordered a new chain but I am wondering if this is common due to the fact that the drive train and everything else on that bike was designed for a smaller CC engine or there is something else I should be checking out. When I ordered the new chain I opted for a model or two up form the base line (reluctant to spend the extra $) But if I am right about the drivetrain I imagine a more expensive chain to prevent stretch should be neccesary. (The chain I ordered was about $80 USD, instead of the base line @ $40 USD)

5) Oil filter, I also ordered a new one of these as it recomends to change them with every oil change and I am coming up to the 3000 km oil change interval soon. Would anyone disagree with changing these filters more or less often then the manual suggests?

6) Stopper Plate: I believe is what the little thin piece of metal on the outside of the swing arm on the rear axle is called. I noticed my bike only had one on the left side when I took the rear wheel off, and for some reason I seem to recall my old 1984 XR200 having one on both sides, should my XR650L also have them on both sides? (the manual was no help here.)

7) Air Filter: I cleaned and oiled my air filter before I left and I should probably do it again and most certainly will have to do it in the future. I currently have what appears to be the original filter on there (resemble a car K&N filter). Unfortuneately due to lack of storage space on a dirtbike I left my air filter cleaning and oiling supplies at home and opte for the chain oil instead. I was told I could clean my filter in a solution of soap and water (with very little soap to water ratio) and oil it with small amounts of engine oil. I am not sure if this is true or not but seems reasonable. My other concern is as follows. Before I left home I modified the carb and air filter as per "Dave's Mod's" HOWEVER due to a tight budget I never purchased the Uni Foam air filter it suggests. How necessary is this filter? My concern being not only the money but the lack of supplies to clean a foam filter.

Thanks in advance for anyone who takes the time to read all this left alone reply!

Cheers, Adam.

ride_gnu said:

This is fairly normal. The bike isn't actually burning the oil though, it's most likely blow-by causing it to come out the crankcase vent and ito the airbox. It's a common occurrence on big displacement single cylinder engines. What's happening is that when the piston is going up and down it displaces quite a volume of air/vapors in the crankcase (especially at higher speeds). You notice it more when cruising for extended periods on the highway.

ride_gnu said:

These bikes will get quite hot if driven at highway speeds for long distances. In your case, it might be a good idea to invest in an oil cooler. There's a guy on here somewhere that actually makes a complete kit for the XR650L (do a search for "oil cooler").

ride_gnu said:

It's not just chain stretch that you're experiencing, it's also the wearing of the drive sprockets. I'd advise also replacing both sprockets when you swap out the chain.

ride_gnu said:

Better safe than sorry, so it's best to change out the oil filter on every oil change. They only cost a few dollars anyways.

ride_gnu said:

There is only the one on the XR650L

ride_gnu said:

If you do have the OEM filter, you do not want to use any kind of oil on it. You only oil reusable filters like a K & N or UNI (foam). I'd advise getting a UNI and swapping it out for whatever you have in there. If you do have a K & N you might want to check and make sure that it's getting a good seal where it mates up with the carb inlet on the airbox. There have been issues with K & N filters not mating up properly on XR650L's and letting unfiltered air into the carb.

Have a good trip Adam, and remember ATGATT!

I can address some of your questions.

Chain: If you are not using an O or X ring chain, that is what you want to put on next time. The O and X will far far outlast a standard chain and the sprockets will last much longer too. Don't oil the chain riding in sand, it will accelerate wear. The sand sticks to the oil and grinds things away.

Stopper plate: There is only one plate on the right side, none on the left.

Oil filter: Every other oil change do a filter change.

Air filter: Don't use chain lube on the filter you have, way to viscous. Get a Uni or a Twin Air foam filter and the proper filter oil (motor oil is OK in a pinch) and clean the filter when necessary. Don't overoil.

Oil loss: A little oil consumption is not to worry. If it starts to use lots of oil and starts smoking, I would worry. What kind of oil are you using?

Oil cooler: I have run the snot out of an XR280, a stock XR600 and an HRC628 in Mexico with no oil coolers and had no problems. That isn't to say that an oil cooler wouldn't be a benefit and help keep the engine temps down.

Advice: Don't skimp on the important aspects of your bike, you don't want to find yourself out in the middle of Este Consolador looking at your non-running bike.

1.) Oil consumption may or may not be a concern depending on how it is being lost. I typically don't have to add any oil to my 600 between oil changes, but it is a pretty fresh engine. How many miles are on your bike?

2.) Burning your hand on the oil reservoir isn't exactly an accurate gage of temperature, so I guess neither of us really know how hot is too hot. Sounds like it may be getting somewhere around 105-135°C if I had to guess.

3.) An oil cooler is never a bad idea with the RFVCs.

4.) Better chains tend to last longer and stretch less, especially the sealed type(o-ring, x-ring, etc). A steel rear sprocket will also help it last longer.

5.) The owner's manual says to change the oil every 3200km and the filter every 6400km after the bike has accumulated the initial 1000km.

6.) The service manual shows there being only one stopper plate on the brake side of the rear axle.

7.) If it's a stock filter, then about the best you can do it carefully blow it out with compressed air. It's not ideal, obviously, but it will get some more mileage out of the pleated paper element.

To adress some of the questions so far:

1) I was using Moto Craft 10W 50 oil when I left my garage at home, unfortuneately in the states that specific brand of oil and weight I cannot find so when I went to top it off I purchased 2L of oil from a motorcycle shop down here but I went with 10W 40 instead because they only had 10W 50 in full synthetic and I didn't want to spend the extra to drain it out for an oil change in a week.

2) When I purhcased my bike it had 10,000 KM's on it and now it had almost 16,000 KM on it, and just about ready for an oil change.

Now to keep you guys informed.

1) I will definately be looking into an oil cooler for this bike before I get down to Mexico, I much prefer the idea of my bike running cool rather then hot.

2) I will make sure to go with an X or O ring chain when I purchase the new one in the next few days.

3) I may pick up some new sprockets now but won't change them yet as the ones I have on their look pretty decent at the moment and I would like to get my money's worth out of them.

A few questions I have conjured up while reading over the posts:

1) What weight of oil do you folks suggest I run with through Mexico, I will be entering Mexico anywhere from 1-2 months and be heading only South form there? I will consult the manual as well for what weight of oil depending on the temperature, but will that change with the addition of an oil cooler or will the manual still be correct?

2) I was also thinking if I am going to add an oil cooler I should probably add a temperature sensor and gauge as well, agreed? Are their any good posts on here about that?

3) My final question is about the air filter again. Perhaps I was not clear enough the first time or I am not understanding what you folks are trying to get across to me. "Dave's Mod's" suggests using a free flowing style of air filter, I assume a Uni Foam or a K&N foam sponge style one is what that is, (I am not sure what a free flowing filter is) However I don't want to have to carry any filter specific cleaning solution with me if I don't have to, and would prefer to use easily accessible solutions such and soap and water and engine oil to maintain my filter. Is their any "free flowing" air filters out on the market that would allow me to do this?

Cheers, Adam,

PS: What does ATGATT stand for?

Sprockets and chain......install new sprockets with the new chain, you will save money in the long run.

Oil.....20-50 synthetic, make sure it is rated JASO MA (motorcycle specific). I use Mobil-1, but there are plenty of other good brands.

Air filter......Dont' use the K&N, they are notorious for passing dust and crud. UNI or Twin Air are good. Air filter maintenence is very important, don't skimp. Motor oil works OK, but filter oil is better, if you have space, take a small container of it. You can use dishwashing detergent and water (warm or hot water best) to clean the filter, let the filter dry completely before oiling.

AGATT....All The Gear All The Time

the guys have pretty much answered ur questions...

but w/o a temp guage ur kinda ride'n blind...get one, then u can make decisions from there.

sustained high rpms = high engine/oil temps...gear up for the slab & gear down for the fun stuff.

i luv Costa Rica...not too sure about the stuff between the US and there...sum of it can be pretty sketchy...be careful and gud luck.

Definitely don't put a new chain on old sprockets. Then you will wear your sprockets quicker with the new chain, then replace the sprockets using your now new stretched chain........It will be a vicious cycle. REPLACE your chain and sprockets as a set. Buy ti-moly sprockets or something similiar and do it right the first time. You wouldn't buy one new shoe would you?

About sprockets.......Steel rear will give longest chain and sprocket life.

I emailed XRs Only about their oil temp dipstick. Here is what they told me:

"NORMAL TEMP IS AROUND 175 - 220 DEGREES...IF YOU HIT 205-275 YOUR
RUNNING HOT..."

ride_gnu, on 11 July 2009 - 10:32 AM, said:

I added cooling wings to my 97 XRL with a IMS tank, and they work. They lowered my oil temps a minimum of 40 deg. On the highway I used to see 255-265 deg, while cruising 65mph, now she never goes over 220 on 90 deg days at 65 mph and on the trails she lives around 200 deg. I since added a couple inches to them since my pics in my original thread.

http://www.thumperta...ings-on-my-pig/

On the issue of what oil you are using I would like to make a suggestion;

Use a 15w40 non-synthetic diesel oil.

I did lots of oil analysis testing with my L and discovered a few things. I had virgin oil analysis done on all the prospective oils followed by numerous used oil analysis to determine trends.

All oils, ie; synthetic, conventional and diesel all sheared down quickly by at least a grade by the first 1,000km in the L. Maintaining the correct viscosity, or at least as close as possible, is important in any engine. The engine shares the oil with the gearbox and clutch, which is why the viscosity breaks down more rapidly than say in a typical car engine. The viscosity modifying polymers are shredded, resulting in thinning of the oil.

I decided that I would change the oil more frequently, to at least assure the viscosity was maintained at close to ideal. Naturally, the oil is always still quite clean when it is dumped, so I only change the filter once per 6 months/season.

If changing the oil this often, it wouldn't ( for me, at least ) make sense to use an expensive oil. So, I run a diesel ( such as Rotella) conventional oil in 15w40. The additional benefit to diesel oils is the fact that they are formulated with much higher amounts of zinc and phosphorous. These are your barrier additives that will be the last resort protection if any part of the engine suffers from oil starvation. We don't have cat convertors on our bikes so this isn't a problem.

Last, diesel oil is cheap and should be widely available on your travels.

paul246, on 14 February 2012 - 04:53 AM, said:

Could you post your UOA ? I just started using Rotella T6 Syn 5w40 in my XR650L, have you ever used and had a UOA done on the T6 oil ?

zx12r, on 14 February 2012 - 10:50 AM, said:

Sorry, but the Rotella Synthetic 5w40 was not available here, it still isn't as far as I know. I would be really interested to know how it stands up in the L too considering the wide spread between 5w and the 40 grades.