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[Royalroadie]

My 2012 SGSE has used 38oz of oil in 2000 miles of which 70 % at highway speeds 70+mph the rest city driving.  Is this excessive or about normal?

[Cat Eye]

That's a oz every 52 miles!!!

Houston....we have a problem!!

[HD Street Performance]

My 2012 SGSE has used 38oz of oil in 2000 miles of which 70 % at highway speeds 70+mph the rest city driving.  Is this excessive or about normal?

Not normal but excessive? Well depends on who you ask. The dealer will tell most that is normal and likely not mess with it until it uses enough oil to ping and smoke.

[Jswerve]

I go 4-5k between oil changes and never have to add any. 24k on the odometer...

[lowflight]

I would be having kittens if it was mine!

[Foot Loose]

38 ounces, really.  Did you weigh that?  Are you using penzoil 10 W 30? 

[Lever]

I wouldn't want to ride my bike behind yours  with. That much oil puking out

[Royalroadie]

Now you guys got me worrying,  I had it Dyno tuned where they really ran the engine hard and I notice fairly sooty pipes when I got it back and I thought it might be from trying different mixture setting.  I cleaned the ends of my chrome Reinhardts and they have stayed clean.  But when I noticed the soot on the pipes I took the plugs out and I thought they looked way too sooty for normal.  I have posted a pic of the plugs that I pulled and replaced.  It seems to run fine the Dyno show me at 92 hp.  I guess I need to watch it closely. 

[East Coast]

How many miles on the motor? I wouldnt be comfortable with that. Silly question but did you give the bike a really good once over for a leak?

[Royalroadie]

The bike only has 6100 miles, its a  2013 SG CVO that I bought used with 3000 miles on it.  I do not see any leaks. My garage floor is spotless.  I do not know if running the engine hard during the Dyno might have use some of it but I thought  the amount that I have had to add seemed excessive.   When I got the bike back from the Dyno I noticed the inside of the pipe was full of black soot,  so much so that where the tips on the Reinharts attach there was even some soot on either side of that seam.

[FlaHeatWave]

Is your bike pinging during acceleration? That plug looks like the motor is running lean and like it is exposed to pre-ignition / detonation.

Who tuned the TTS?

A quart & 1/4 in 2k is well within Harley specs (1qt/1k), but it is really too much.

[HILLSIDECYCLE.COM]

Some bikes like to run about 1/2 qt. low.......
Scott

[Royalroadie]

I did have some pinging when I first got the bike.  The plug shown is what came with the bike,  I replaced the plugs after the tune and putting some miles on them now.  Before the tune I had to use 93 octane to stop the ping. The ping is gone after the tune with 91 oct.  My bike still gets fairly poor mileage.  If in town usually 31 mpg, on the highway about 39-40.

[grc]

All that black soot you mentioned isn't necessarily from burning oil; it is more likely from an excessively rich mixture.  Oil will leave an oily feeling residue, whereas a rich mixture will produce more of a dry soot.

Before you get all worried over possibly nothing, I'd suggest a fresh load of oil and then careful monitoring of consumption over the next several thousand miles.  DO NOT overfill, as the engine will immediately blow the excess out through the breather system.  Also do not constantly add every time the oil level drops slightly.  Just monitor and log the level, but don't add until the level reaches the ADD line on the dipstick.  There is a simple reason for that btw.  Many Harley engines like to run a bit below full, and will quickly blow the excess out the breather system and then stabilize at roughly a pint low.  If your bike happens to be one of those, it will become obvious if the oil level drops to midway between FULL and ADD, and then stays there.  You won't know that if you constantly top it off.

Jerry

[HILLSIDECYCLE.COM]

 
Scott