oil capacity

[hotrodkawi]

My KLR seems to be burning a little oil. about a quart between oil changes. It is an 07' it only has about 5000 mi. They are mostly hard miles as I'm a bit of a throttle nut. Should I be concerned? It is running well and I change the oil fairly often. 3000 miles or less. Most of my riding are freeway miles at or above 70 MPH. Anybody else have this problem? Any advice would be apreciated

[Dennis Griffin]

On Nov 13, 2009, at 4:23 PM, Martin wrote:

> > > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Dennis Griffin wrote: > > > > Hi Eddie et al, > > > > This is really odd. I have now returned home and checked my service > > manual ('08 - ), which I wasn't able to do before my previous post. I > > see the same info in it that you presented from the owner's manual, > > with the addition of "2.5L (2.6 US qt) (when engine is completely > > dry)". So apparently these engines are are designed such that removing > > the oil drain plug & oil filter cap will completely evacuate every > > last drop of oil, including the film on all the internals touched by > > oil, yielding a completely dry engine. Either that or something is > > really wacked in Kawasaki's engineering or tech pubs department. ??? > > > > While pondering this, and seeing the .3 L or .3 qt (obviously rounded) > > difference in refill amount with or w/o a filter change, I was having > > trouble visualizing the filter cavity holding 300ml. So I measured a > > new oil filter element and, using generous dimensions, I calculated > > the volume of a cylinder of those dimensions (in mm), which yielded . > > 170 L. That's with no allowance for the volume displaced by the mass > > of the filter cartridge or its pipe. So, maybe another amount of oil > > .13 L is released and free to drain just by removing the filter > > cavity cap. ??? > > > > Anyway, considering that my KLX250S seems to get on fine with only > > about 1.5 quarts of engine/trans oil and that it is certainly working > > harder than the KLR650 engine, I think I will just continue to fill to > > the upper mark, as I always have, without too much regard for the > > actual quantity added. I do know that overfilling can have undesirable > > consequences. > > > > Lastly, to clarify for the newbs and the uninitiated of the list, what > > is often (mistakenly, I think) referred to as the "bubble" seen in the > > oil fill sight glass is actually the upper surface of the oil in the > > sump of the engine. It resemble a bubble when that oil surface level > > nears the top of the sight glass aperture; this is due to the > > formation of a meniscus in the cavity behind the sight class. Remember > > in high school chem lab how you were taught to ignore the meniscus > > when reading the amount of liquid in a graduated cylinder? Same > > applies here. > > > > Cheers, > > > > Dennis > > Scottsdale, AZ > > > > '09 KLR650 black > > '09 KLX250S red > > '08 Versys red > > '06 KLR650 red > > '06 DL1000 V-Strom grey/black > > '04 Triumph Daytona 955i miss me yellow > > '00 Triumph Sprint RS 955i miss me yellow > > '99 KLR650 nasty green > > > > P.S. Just checked a KLR600 service manual; it showed oil capacity at > > 2.0 L. The supplement to it for the newer old (up to '07) KLR650's > > showed 2.5 L, with no qualifiers. I'm inclined to think that the 2.5 L > > for a dry engine is correct and the amounts for change refills are off > > a bit to the plus side. I have to believe the 2.5 L value for a dry > > engine was verified. > > > > Ah Dennis-- > A seeker after my own 'art (heart). > so what are we to belive? > The Baptist, The Methodist, the Catholics or the Orthodox--smile. > aahhhh. How/what method do you find peace? > so what are we to believe? > > Just like the 4 'faith' groups above--the KLR cult has more than one choice--not an equally defined choice--to help us reach peace with our pig. > cough. > The base manual (KLR600), the owner handbook, the 2.5 casting mark, or the sight gauge? > What to believe, what to believe. > > Using deductive reasoning-- > I would suggest that we follow those items that are most common. > The base manual (Dennis says) suggest 2.0L > So, at a minimum--2.0L. > Amen? > Which just happens to correspond with the sight gauge. > Amen? > > Don't shout me down here-- > > However, there is the sticky wicket of the owners manual-- > 2.3L without filter change. > 2.5L with filter change. > Hmmmm. > IRT to your (Dennis) earlier post/reply, the "several voids that could hide 100ml of oil" are null and void = no longer relevant to the discussion after you replenish the 2L of oil and find it at the top of the 'full' line in the sight gauge. imo. > > Which leaves the 2.5L capacity mark on the right case, and the 2.5L capacity suggested in the owners manual (pre-08)--over/against the thought that 2.0L is full capacity oil. > > What to believe, what to believe. > > I for one believe the bike should be operated at the owners manual capacity of 2.5L (oil filter changed). Through 6 years of trial and error, agree that the top of the sight gauge is 2.OL with filter change--and that I add oil above the sight gauge, until the proper amount of oil is 2.5L installed after an oil/filter change. > shrug. > I also believe that the long term riders of the KLR follow this same plan/idea--2.5L oil change/filter change--and rocking the bike l/r to help drain any additional oil from the sump-voids. > > For all who are concerned/reading--its your bike. > > Keep the oil changed often and never let it get below the 'lower-limit' mark if you can help it. > > And if you are so inclined (=belives the sight gauge to be the gospel truth on oil capacity) to never put more oil in the bike than the top of the sight gauge, give the person you are selling your bike to the benefit of the doubt and tell him/her you are running the bike at 4/5 capacity or less (as described in the owners manual). > > For one thing I am sure (and believe)--they won't run without oil. > Amen. > smile. > > revmaaatin. > > PS-- > Hey Dennis-- > Nice stable of bikes. > Do you have recurring episodes of 'bike-disease' or are you finally in remission? > smile. > PPS > Isn't the 99KLR supposed to be teal blue not nasty green? >

Hi rev, What to believe indeed. Well, I was raised Catholic, but I don't recall learning anything that addressed this. I was raised in St Louis, MO, the "Show Me" state, so my eyes are mostly my belief system. I was wired a left brainer techie at birth, so logic also plays a large in my belief system. Being anal and literal to boot, I'm going to have to stick with 2.5 L for a dry engine and filling to the sight glass marking, rather than by volume measurement. Consider that there is likely .1 - .2 L hiding in voids, cavities, passageways, holey places or wherever after one does a thorough drain and filter element removal. If one were then to add a measured 2.5 L back in, would there not be 2.6 or 2.7 L of oil now in the engine? This is more than intended. Consider also that KHI, in their infinite wisdom (though shy of omniscient), realized that most owners likely wouldn't precisely measure oil to put back in the engine after a change, so they gave us common disciples of the great KLR a sight glass, and deemed that there be light seen above this life sustaining fluid in the chalice of the KLR sump. I see this as being analogous to the automotive industry providing an approximate refill quantity, but finalizing the refill to a dipstick level, again reading the level after a sufficient dwell time. So, once again, I'm sticking to the practice of refilling to the sight glass mark. Where I do still have an issue is believing that the same quantity is used for a refill and for a dry engine, as well as the difference between with & without filter. By the way, Martin, the quantity of 2.0 L I mentioned as being in the old base manual was for the KLR600. The 650 obviously has a new lower case casting, thus bearing the cast in 2.5 L marking. I'll have to observe closer next time I do a change on the '08, but I suspect we are putting in about 2.2 or 2.3 L after a change with filter, resulting in about 2.5 L really being in there. I'll have to let you reflect on whether or not it's being supreme in there, or whether the cup floweth over. Regarding your P.S., it seems I firmly believe, even though it isn't dogma, that one can never have enough of what one doesn't really need. And regarding your P.P.S., if yeah verily a '99 was Teal, then my nasty green must be an '00 - been so long I disrecall. Disclaimer: The thoughts presented herein are my own, and while put forth in a truthful manner, they may not be gospel. I am not on a (p)fishing trip here; I only seek to feed my fellow KLRistas with non-provocativus, yet thought provoking, enlightenment. May we all be anointed with 10W-40 (now that the white season is near), in quantities of 2.5 L or less. May those of the church organ be the only (tolerably) loud pipes we hear, as the Xmas season draws near. Oh, and the only spirits that possess me mind this eve are those sent forth by the revmaaatin through this kindly exchange. That, and it's past my bedtime. Cheers, Dennis Scottsdale, AZ '09 KLR650 black '09 KLX250S red '08 Versys red '06 KLR650 red '06 DL1000 V-Strom grey/black '04 Triumph Daytona 955i miss me yellow '00 Triumph Sprint RS 955i miss me yellow '99 or maybe '00 KLR650 nasty green

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