Overfilling the oil level? (Do the dealers routinely do this?)

**Odakyu-sen** · 10th August 2012, 21:50

Hello All,

I got my KLR650 back from the dealer today after its 1,000-km intial service and oil change. The workshop has added so much oil that the sight glass is completely black when the bike is vertical. I have to tip it a few degrees over the other way for the oil level to come down to the "max" mark. Even when the bike is on its side stand, oil comes about a third of the way up the sight glass.

It is a common practise to do this or is the dealer just being slack?

Is this just a KLR650 thing?

**Box'a'bits** · 10th August 2012, 21:55

No, that shouldn't happen. They have been slack & overfilled it based on someones recollection of how much it 'should' take. Needs the surplus taken out. Drop the oil into a clean container, then refill to the correct level. Too much oil can over pressurise the crankcase, & blow seals.

You can Nuke the duplicate post. Go to 'edit post', & select 'nuke post' from there

**Woodman** · 10th August 2012, 21:55

On mine if I put in the recommended amount which is 2.4 litres it completely covers the sight glass as you describe. If I fill it to the top mark it is about half a litre short.

Don't panic it will soon go down, its a KLR after all.

**Padmei** · 10th August 2012, 22:15

I believe i had the same thing happen on mine when I did an oil change. You have been on www.klr650.net havent you- there's all the stuff you need to know about on there.

I stopped reading after the 40th Moose vs Trailhead panniers thread.

**James Deuce** · 10th August 2012, 22:29

Yes. It so the excess oil waterproofs your boots when it leaks out of the completely loose oil filler cap.

**bart** · 10th August 2012, 22:31

I always thought half way up the sight glass was the biz....but what do I know. I've never owned a KLR....and probably never will.

**Odakyu-sen** · 10th August 2012, 22:37

Originally Posted by James Deuce

Yes. It so the excess oil waterproofs your boots when it leaks out of the completely loose oil filler cap.

Great! Now I have to go downstairs and check that or I won't be able to get to sleep tonight.

**Odakyu-sen** · 10th August 2012, 22:50

Originally Posted by Woodman

On mine if I put in the recommended amount which is 2.4 litres it completely covers the sight glass as you describe. If I fill it to the top mark it is about half a litre short.

Don't panic it will soon go down, its a KLR after all.

Okay, that makes me feel a little better. I'll mention it to the workshop mechanic next week. (I've got a 2-year warranty so I guess I'm covered if the seals blow.)

Apart from that, I hope oil consumption is negligible. I don't want to have to carry oil when I go touring.

My R6 doesn't use a drop of oil between its 10,000 km services, and it has 117,000 km on it. I am thinking of selling it and concentrating on the KLR, but I like both bikes too much.

**Odakyu-sen** · 10th August 2012, 22:52

Originally Posted by Padmei

I believe i had the same thing happen on mine when I did an oil change. You have been on www.klr650.net havent you- there's all the stuff you need to know about on there.

I stopped reading after the 40th Moose vs Trailhead panniers thread.

Yes, I have had a poke around there already for this subject, but their search engine isn't the best.

**gammaguy** · 11th August 2012, 01:16

as a rule of thumb the bigger the piston ring seal area the more oil they will use(singles of large capacity obviously fit this description)

Having said that the late model Killer 650 seems to be overly hungry for saudi arabias finest.

This is a well documented issue with a number of theories and remedies surrounding it.

Maybe the mechanic was assuming yours would use oil as well.....

**Padmei** · 11th August 2012, 08:45

Originally Posted by Odakyu-sen

Great! Now I have to go downstairs and check that or I won't be able to get to sleep tonight.

Originally Posted by Odakyu-sen

Okay, that makes me feel a little better. I'll mention it to the workshop mechanic next week. (I've got a 2-year warranty so I guess I'm covered if the seals blow.)

Apart from that, I hope oil consumption is negligible. I don't want to have to carry oil when I go touring.

My R6 doesn't use a drop of oil between its 10,000 km services, and it has 117,000 km on it. I am thinking of selling it and concentrating on the KLR, but I like both bikes too much.

Originally Posted by Odakyu-sen

Yes, I have had a poke around there already for this subject, but their search engine isn't the best.

You sound like myself when I first got my KLR. I have lived reasonably successfully thru KLR ownership & my advice is not to get too worried about all you read about them. There is a reason they are used as RTW bikes. They are comfortable, simple, reliable, hardy, economical workhorses. They are relatively bulletproof if you do the initial preventative things like greasing things & loctiting.

If I was to do a long overseas trip I wouldn't hesitate to use a KLR. DRs are similar however are so boring they make my eyes bleed. Their owners are usually pretty Ghey too. Not ghey like the guy at the gym with too much hair product ghey but full strength ghey - think Seigfreid & Roy or Liberace Ghey thats how ghey they are.

BTW if you click the "+ button next to the quote button you can reply to several posts in one fowl swoop.

I can't believe how ghey those DR riders are - phwwwewww

**bart** · 11th August 2012, 09:54

Originally Posted by Padmei

I can't believe how ghey those DR riders are - phwwwewww

Do you still own that ghey 400?

**george formby** · 11th August 2012, 09:59

Originally Posted by Padmei

You sound like myself when I first got my KLR. I have lived reasonably successfully thru KLR ownership & my advice is not to get too worried about all you read about them. There is a reason they are used as RTW bikes. They are comfortable, simple, reliable, hardy, economical workhorses. They are relatively bulletproof if you do the initial preventative things like greasing things & loctiting.

If I was to do a long overseas trip I wouldn't hesitate to use a KLR. DRs are similar however are so boring they make my eyes bleed. Their owners are usually pretty Ghey too. Not ghey like the guy at the gym with too much hair product ghey but full strength ghey - think Seigfreid & Roy or Liberace Ghey thats how ghey they are.

BTW if you click the "+ button next to the quote button you can reply to several posts in one fowl swoop.

I can't believe how ghey those DR riders are - phwwwewww

That just leaves Gas Gas, Yamaha or Kawasaki for my next adventure bike then. Shame, I did like the DR, but, yeah, they are a bit too pretty.

**Racing Dave** · 11th August 2012, 15:14

Originally Posted by gammaguy

Having said that the late model Killer 650 seems to be overly hungry for saudi arabias finest.

This is a well documented issue with a number of theories and remedies surrounding it.

I've just got back from a 4000km light-duty adventure ride in British Columbia, and my rental KLR650 with 25,000km used one litre of oil in that time. Never blew smoke, never leaked, never a smell of burning oil, but gradually the sightglass level went down. On returning to Vancouver, I mentioned it to the rental company, and they agreed with the above quote, that some do seem to use oil. That's the way it is with KLRs, it seems.

Cheers, Dave B

**Odakyu-sen** · 11th August 2012, 16:00

Originally Posted by Racing Dave

I've just got back from a 4000km light-duty adventure ride in British Columbia, and my rental KLR650 with 25,000km used one litre of oil in that time. Cheers, Dave B

My Ducati 900SS (1992) used to burn about 250 ml of oil every 1,000 km, so that's a litre for 4,000 km. Talk about progress.

BTW, I went for a ride on the KLR with some mates from Kopu to Hikuai this morning over wet roads. I had no trouble keeping up with a Ducati 749RR and a new BMW1000RR through the wet, tight, shiny stuff (45-55 km corners). Of course, once the road opened up they were gone.

I don't want to go much over 120 km/h until I get my fairing windscreen sorted out. I'll get a square of smoky polycarbonate (3 mm thick) and make a (shorter) windshield to eliminate the wind roar component. About 15 cm lower should do the trick.

I am surprised at how the KLR manages to do 100 km/h just about everywhere on the tarmac. It's really relaxing to ride at 110 km/h.