Hi i am a bit concerned about the oil consumption, at my first 500miles i took the bike back to the dealers as the dip stick did not reach the oil level. After the first service when i had a centre stand fitted i checked the oil level with a cold engine and it was mid way with a cold engine. I have just checked the level after 1000 miles and the oil does not touch the dip stick again! I topped up and found it took half a litre to bring it back to mid way with a cold engine. Is half a litre per 1000miles normal? the bike has done 1600 miles up to now.

run the motor for a few mins then check the oil level..
oil drains down into the sump when the bike has been sitting
for a while.. " over night etc"

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Harley Davidson..
The easyest way to turn gasoline into noise with out the side efect of horse power...

As Pete says, you must check the oil on a warm engine. If you don't it is highly likely you will end up over-filling, which WILL result in oil loss as the excess will inevitably get blown out somewhere (usually into the airbox).

What happens is that on a cold engine a fair amount oil drains down into the sump. After warming up the oil pump will scavenge this excess and return it to the tank, reaching an equilibrium. This is the point at which the level should be measured.

Have a read of this.

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Thanks folks it seem s a daft system when you have minutes to check your oil level. I have probly overfilled my bike, i will give the filter tube a check tommorrow.

No oil in air filter tube so i drained out some oil out so the level showed about a quarter full went to the petrol station 3miles and checked the level as soon as i turned the engine off. result well over the full mark but not to the top of the dipstick. i think next time i will fill till it just shows on the dipstick when cold and see where it shows when hot, hopefully it should show full.

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XTz 660 tenere, adventure spec bash plate, main stand, skid marks tall screen, Oxford tail pack 36 litre. Kobra hand guards, Bigger cast footpegs, Zen overland luggage plate, USB power point, iridium spark plug, TKC80 f k60 R tyres, o2 and fuel Kev mods, DNA stage 2 filter. bark buster bar wieghts, Touratec side stand base and GPS mount. Led spot lights

When mine is full, or very nearly full on the dipstick (warm engine), the level doesn't even register on the dipstick when cold.

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Yes, but it does mean your engine is safer when the bike is on i't side.

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Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

It's not unusual, in fact it's a pretty common method with almost all dry sump bikes.

Another thing to watch out for, which nobody has mentioned yet, is that the dipstick should not be screwed home when checking the level. If it is, then false readings are likely (you'll possibly end up over-filling). The cap should just be rested against the first thread.

Also, make sure you do it with the bike upright and level front to rear. Don't try and do it on the side stand. Even on the centre stand the bike is tilted forward and not completely level. Personally, my preference is to check the level whilst sitting on the bike.

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+1. I'm with Pleiades here. Sitting on the bike after a ride just after shutdown. Not difficult or time-consuming, nor at all unusual for dry-sumped motorbikes ever since BSA powered Roman chariots. Just a bit weirder than peering at an oil window - and they are another story. Even different diameter tyres or floor slopes upset those readings! Not to mention a few degrees off vertical.

Speaking of which: I noticed my Tenere has to be pretty much vertical or the dipstick reading can be a bit off.