GPX eating oil like a fat person in a candy store

[zeocen]

Sorry if this is the wrong thread, wasn't sure where to put it.

Anyway, my gpx250 is going through oil stupidly fast, is this a sign of a problem or do some bikes just churn through oil like no tomorrow?

Cheers!

[Ixion]

Quantify churning through oil? How many litres per 1000km ?

[James Deuce]

GPX eating oil like a fat person in a candy store

For that comment alone I have cast the hex of chain stretching and valve seat recession.

I'm not fat, I'm big boned.

(As Ixion said without a hint of what you consider normal oil consumption, we can't help)

[Motu]

, is this a sign of a problem or do some bikes just churn through oil like no tomorrow?

Old worn out ones do - does that describe your bike?

[zeocen]

Quantify churning through oil? How many litres per 1000km ?

I can't really say, I'd top it up to the right level and in a few weeks it's gone.. and yeah, it's old.. but I wouldn't say worn out - although it's definately a mature bike

Sorry Jim2, you're the exception.. you're very cuddly!

[Ixion]

Gone? If ALL the oil was gone, your motor would have seized by now.

Some degree of oil consumption is to be expected. It is 15 years old. And motorcycles hold (usually) only a very small amount of oil . So quite a smal consumption may mean a need to top up. If you only need to top up once every few weeks I'd say that was not untoward, assuming that you do a reasonable mileage.

[twinkle]

gone? like gone gone? or just a bit gone? you've checked for oil oozing out of the engine when its hot? underneath?

[Disco Dan]

after a good long ride, pop it in your garage and put paper underneath... will start to build up a picture of where it's losing oil. Could be a leak outwards or it could be leaking inside the combustion chambers. Start norrowing things down...

[marty]

why would a fat person be eating oil in a candy store?

[kneescraper]

Have you checked the water, maybe it has a blown head gasket and the oils getting into the water. However you would notice water exiting the exhaust.

Does it blow alot of smoke? If you were losing that much oil at that rate I think you would notice it on the ground or in the fairings...so its gotta be a problem inside the engine.

[peasea]

I can't really say, I'd top it up to the right level and in a few weeks it's gone.. and yeah, it's old.. but I wouldn't say worn out - although it's definately a mature bike

My bike (17 years old, 96k's) was using a bit (200ml here and there) between oil changes when I was thrashing it. I eventually got around to replacing the leaky barrel gaskets and did the valve seals at the same time. The old rings went back in yet the oil consumption dropped noticeably. If I ride it sensibly (for the most part) I don't need to top it up between changes, which are every 3,or 4000k's. Had to be the valve seals, right?

How often do you change your oil and is it the right grade? Sad, old oil will get past rings and seals more easily. Also, older engines can sometimes benefit from a slightly thicker oil.