Oil Usage

[seawolf]

I have a 07' 1600 with 45k km's. Just completed a 4000 km trip and used 1 litre of oil. :'( Using Mobile 1 V-twin syn oil for the last two changes and prior to this it was always Amsoil. The motor has the pinging from day one. Service guys say it is set up from factory and I think that this has caused the oil rings to fail. Anyone have similar experience or advice?
Thanks,
John

[voyager]

John,
My wife and I are in Stony Plain as well. Why not swing your ride by my place and I'll have a look at it. I have operator's trike in my garage next week as well so we should coordinate.

Kevin

[seawolf]

Sent you an email to follow up. Thanks Kevin. :)

[AlabamaNomadRider]

If you haven't installed a digital fuel processor, adding one might elininate the pinging. I would also use the highest octane gas I could get.

If your trip was done in a short period of time I feel that any bike is going to use some oil although a litre of oil sounds like a good bit. Two cyclinder engines work hard and if you rode hard this can explain some oil usage. All oils tend to break down some with hard riding whether it be Amsoil, Mobil 1, T6 or what.

Also you didn't say how many miles or kms you had on the oil. Was there additional kms on the oil other than the trip. The more mileage you have on oil the more it will be broken down.

Just my thoughts. I know with our Impala if I change the oil at 3,000 miles it does not use any oil. If I go 5,000 miles I will usually have to add a half quart of oil.

[ringadingh]

I found that if I rode my bike at 70-80mph constantly on a long trip it would use a bit of oil, at more normal speeds it wouldn't use any.

[seawolf]

Thanks for the information ;)
I was riding with lot's of extra weight and riding harder than normal. I still hate the pinging and guess I should invest in a tuner device. I always run hi grade gas but as everyone knows not all companies are equal, and all new pumps have the same hose for all grades so you always get the blended octane

[ringadingh]

You really should try to eliminate the pinging, its not good for the motor if it goes on for any length of time. You should install a fuel processor.

[clayton]

Seawolf
I have been using high test gas in my 1600 since the purchase but to help the ping I have been adding from time to time Seafoam to my gas. I usually add 1 oz to 1 gallon.
For me during the time the Seafoam is in the gas I have noticed a decent amouint of ping reduction.
However as Ring and others have mentioned the best route to take is a Fuel Processor...which is on my list of "The next thing to buy for the Nomad..."
Seafoam also helps keep the fuel system clean...hence better gas mileage and a happier wife :) (because I don't fill up as much)

[seawolf]

Thanks for all the responses. Since last posting I've added a PC 3 and the motor sounds much better. I've had a dyno test prior to the install and the motor was running very rich according to them. The HP was down considerably. Would pinging come from too much fueling? Or is it running too lean?

[AlabamaNomadRider]

The pinging should be more pronounced with a lean mixture. I guess it could also ping because of being too rich. The fuel modulator should cut down on the pinging.

[ringadingh]

Pinging is also associated with timing being to far advanced, which we cant control on our bikes, and too low an octane fuel.
The fuel processor can usually allow you to run a lower octane fuel without pinging most times. Hot weather also makes the pinging more noticeable.

[pooker]

Originally Posted by seawolf

I have a 07' 1600 with 45k km's. Just completed a 4000 km trip and used 1 litre of oil. :'( Using Mobile 1 V-twin syn oil for the last two changes and prior to this it was always Amsoil. The motor has the pinging from day one. Service guys say it is set up from factory and I think that this has caused the oil rings to fail. Anyone have similar experience or advice?
Thanks,
John

I had an oil burning problem with my 2008 Nomad,....it has never ran right since I bought it new.
Kawasaki put new rings and pistons in it last year under warranty.
I have about 10,000 more kms on it since then and I am sure it's burning oil again!!!!!!!!
http://www.vulcanbagger.com/phpBB3/v...start=0#284405

[macmac]

Ping is caused by too lean. I think something is wrong with the test equipment if it showed too rich and you still had ping, or the fuel was bad, but this was on going a long time right?

Ping is caused by not enough fuel to stay fuel untill the plugs fire the mix. So it is a early explosion and not controlled burning.

This will burn holes thru piston tops, burn valves and seats, and will gas cut piston edges, just like a torch, but at random.

PING can be in- audible and will do engien damage before you can hear it. This is what anti knock sencors are all about, but Nomads don't have that sencor.

Also ping on any ignition suste that is adjustable as Ring stated would be advanced too much for the fuel type it was getting.

Back in the day some Engish cars had a octane adjustment rod on the distributors. The ingnition time was set on a base setting in the middle of the adjuster set to what was a common octane, but it you went somewhere and could only buy a higher or lower octane it was possible to sort of adjust the device in a guess and get a closer correct burn.

There is no such thing as too rich and still getting ping.

These engines are 9:1 comp ratio, and that comp ratio is for 87 octane. The reason the book says hi test is because the EPA regs are too overly lean.

I can't determine with out a leak down test if there is any damage. A comp test (wet and dry) and a leak down test are required to tell.

[pooker]

Originally Posted by macmac

Ping is caused by too lean. I think something is wrong with the test equipment if it showed too rich and you still had ping, or the fuel was bad, but this was on going a long time right?

Ping is caused by not enough fuel to stay fuel untill the plugs fire the mix. So it is a early explosion and not controlled burning.

This will burn holes thru piston tops, burn valves and seats, and will gas cut piston edges, just like a torch, but at random.

PING can be in- audible and will do engien damage before you can hear it. This is what anti knock sencors are all about, but Nomads don't have that sencor.

Also ping on any ignition suste that is adjustable as Ring stated would be advanced too much for the fuel type it was getting.

Back in the day some Engish cars had a octane adjustment rod on the distributors. The ingnition time was set on a base setting in the middle of the adjuster set to what was a common octane, but it you went somewhere and could only buy a higher or lower octane it was possible to sort of adjust the device in a guess and get a closer correct burn.

There is no such thing as too rich and still getting ping.

These engines are 9:1 comp ratio, and that comp ratio is for 87 octane. The reason the book says hi test is because the EPA regs are too overly lean.

I can't determine with out a leak down test if there is any damage. A comp test (wet and dry) and a leak down test are required to tell.

All too interesting,..................my case,.....the pinged since new on high test. I always had to baby it so that it wouldn't ping but feared it still did and I just couldn't hear it.
I was told to do the Chuckster intake mod,.........so I did!
This worked for a bit then I started to ping again. Burning regular.
Bought a Cobra 2000 and this too seemed to work for awhile. Burning regular.
Then the oil consumption started. Burning high test.
New rings, pistons,.......the bike pings with regular gas but seems okay with high test?
Then the idle,......this has never been right since the bike was new, it runs fast, then slow then fast, impossible to set the idle as it surges. Even at 90 kms per hour it surges.
Now for the interesting stuff.
Went on holiday drove through Maine and the bike acted up, didn't want to run, bogged down, after three tank fulls it was done,.............won't start!!!! Burning high test
Towed to a bike shop in Ellsworth and there they found water in the tank, drained it and the bike ran good. On regular gas!!
They pour in a can of ???? to remove the carbon from the valves,..............well I'm here to say that this was a miracle product!!!
The bike seems to idle better now, I don't feel it surging! Wow!!! This is a first. still burning regular gas.
NO PINGING ?????
Is the pinging related to carbon on the valves?
HOWEVER,..................I still have an oil consumption problem!!!!!!!!!

[radco]

Glad the pproblem seems fixed..Were you using Irving Gas :)? You must have gone to Friend and Friend Honda/Kawasaki./Victory in Ellsworth.. A pretty good place. I live 25/30 minutes from there! bummer I didnt know you were down here I would have stop in to say Hi

Rich