How much oil do you use?

[YourOldNemesis]

How much oil does everyone else use. I seem to be getting through 1ltr every 1000 miles. Is this normal?

[Pedro]

Mine burns it like the Amoco Cadiz! About half a litre in 6-900 miles depending on how I ride it. I got to do the valve stem oil seals sometime as thats whats causing it.

Still, it does leave a pretty blue haze on the over run.....

Ped

[YourOldNemesis]

Cheers. How do you know it's the valve stem oil seals?

[Pedro]

Because the compression on both cylinders is within spec - around 150 psi.

Ped

[Duncan]

In 40,000 miles, I have never needed to top the oil between services.

[slob]

mine uses a bit (1ltr/3000miles ish) DLS said this wasn't unusual.

[spacemonkey]

Ducati preach that up to 1 litre per 1000 miles is normal. Gulp... This is probably due to bad running in if you ask me-glazed bores and piston rings not bedded in properly. Thrash trhe bastard I say! How did you run in Duncan, and with which oil initially?

[Duncan]

Ducati preach that up to 1 litre per 1000 miles is normal. Gulp... This is probably due to bad running in if you ask me-glazed bores and piston rings not bedded in properly. Thrash trhe bastard I say! How did you run in Duncan, and with which oil initially?

Mine was run in by a magazine called Moto Retro. The staff riders were Rowena Hoseason and Frank Westworth who gave it lots of long runs thro the Shropshire Hills followed by Dave Minton taking it to Scotland. The oil was 1st changed at 600 miles by Dave when he went to Hawick to visit the Jimmy Guthrie Memorial. I know it wasnt given much wellie till 460 miles when it was up on Shap Fell in Cumbria.He was even getting 52mpg on it, I get nearer 42!! The oil put in then was Repsol according to the pics in the road test.

At 1100 miles Motorcycle ****ty changed the oil and did precious buggar all else for the 1st service using Shell full synthetic. After that its got oil changes at 6000 miles intervals and a new filter of course. I use a full synthetic cos at £10 dearer than part synthetic its a false economy not to. I have done 7 oil changes so its only £70 dearer and in that time have home serviced it, not trusting a dealer with my P&J. I did a valve shim at 36,000 and thats the first time the tappets have needed doing - and these are supposed to be unreliable Desmo valves!!!

Modern oil is marvellous and the reason cars go 3 times as far nowadays as they did 20 years ago. So I apply the same logic to my bikes only giving them the best oil, hoping they will go for a long time too. So far it has paid off.

My ambition is to take this bike round the clock and at 41000 miles I am 2/5ths of the way there. At 100k I may give it back to Ducati Bristol and ask them to service it.

[COR]

For your info, Riders use Rock Oil (not Shell Advance as recommended by Ducati). I took my 620 to France last year and it needed a full litre when we got back. I had been riding it hard and the temperature reading had been up in excess of 120 degrees. I've now fitted an oil cooler and haven't yet seen the temperature rise over 98 while riding (although it does creep up a couple more degrees at stand still). Have just ridden over 2k miles to Italy and back and haven't topped it up yet! :bunny: