XR650R burning oil, help needed..

[caferaca]

Morning Gents,

I bought a rather tatty XR650R 4 months ago, road it home and thought I'd give it some lovin' before using it properly.. so I thought, its a simple bike I'll get a manual and do the work myself So new tires, chain, sprockets, lots of cleaning and re-greasing. I've upgraded to larger alloy rads after it spat coolant on me after idling for a minute, new hoses, thermostat, and stripped / cleaned the carb, new jets (175, 2nd clip, 68s).

Finally all back together and gave it an oil change, and there was about 700ml in it! (it holds 1.7l). Anyway new oil filter, fill to brim with oil. That was 3 weeks ago. I have done less than 300 miles since, and have needed to add another litre since to keep a reading on the dipstick!

Its turned into a two stroke!

I've been all over it and can't find an oil leak. Nothing where its parked up. Not in the airbox, or countershaft seal. Today I gave it some gas next to well lit white wall, and the damn thing is smoking, quite badly I guess. Not piles of black smoke, but definately smoking and it smells bad. The plug is also sooty.

This is where I need the advice. Is it the piston rings? dodgy exhaust value? both, or worse?

I think I'm at my mechanical limit with what I've done to the bike already and do not have a garage to work on it, so tearing the engine to pieces might just be too much for me, unless I'm convinced its quite straight forward.

Can anyone recommend a mechanic / garage in London (South preferably) that KNOWS XR650R's or at least Honda Thumpers. I really don't want this thing to turn into a bottom pit.

I appreciate any help as I really want to love this bike, but its turning into a right PITA

cheers

[Sage]

Hi.

I have never owned a 650, but when I got my 600 the fella was using nfully synthetic oil and I was quite worried it was using a lot of oil, I have always used Morris's Multivis 10w40 in all my bikes, so I did a oil and filter change and it then, used next to nothing.

Another thing if your plug is sooty it might be runing rich and that would also give you black smoke.

[AlanH]

A litre of oil in 300 miles is not good. That's two-stroke territory. If there is no visible leak, the usual suspects are rings/piston/barrel or valve guides/seals. Sounds like time for a rebuild. Hopefully someone will be along in a minute with a recommendation for a mechanic...

[AIRWOLF]

Sound's like a top end rebuild is needed, . . . you could be lucky and get away with just piston rings, . . won't know till the head and barrelsare off.

Its a single so not hugely complicated, take the engine out and strip it in the kitchen.

[caferaca]

Cheers gents.

yeah sounds like everything is pointing to a top rebuild. I've booked it in with Motoden Honda next week. £65 +vat per hr is heartbreaking though. How big a job is it? Could a keen amateur do it? I could have a crack doing it in the kitchen, as I have a few weeks off work coming up.

It would go down like a cup of cold sick with the girlfriend though. Christmas dinner next to a knackered dirt bike engine

cheers

[AIRWOLF]

Get a Haynes workshop manual and read up on the procedure, then you can decide if you feel confident. . . . its not rocket science.

Don't look at it as a big job, its a series of little jobs.

As you take bits off put them in seperarate boxes/plastic bags and label them, put rockerbox / head bolts in holes in a piece of cardboard (in pattern) so they go back in right place.

Give it a good clean before you start, and keep everything clean.

[piguglyshandydrinker]

The sooty plug & smoke could be from running rich, what colour was the smoke & when did it smoke - black on acceleration is rich mixture. Generally, blue smoke on deceleration is burning oil/piston rings, blue on startup is oil valve seals.
Its a new bike to you, why not get some more miles under it's belt to get a more accurate idea of oil consumption before pulling it to bits?
Aren't these things a dry sump & notoriously fickle to get an accurate reading? Be consistent when you check the oil - ideally after a run.

Phil

[416cc]

Where abouts in London are you? I'm near Eltham & have a leak down tester that can check for worn piston rings (as well as badly seating valves etc). These engines are very easy to work on & more often than not the top-end can be removed without having to remove the engine from the frame.

I don't get PMs on here but if you email me on yama-blue2@hotmail.com then I could help you to do the tests before you start asking a shop to do the work.

[caferaca]

cheers for the help / advice.

I took it Motoden Honda, they removed the head. It's totally fooked. The parts alone are over £1,600. £2,300 inc labor. I've just arranged to ship it to Mike Wright, and he's going to to a stage 1 tune / high comp piston for about half the price. It's money I didn't want to spend, but at least I get a bit more performance out off it..

I'll let you know what its like..

Has anyone got the same? would be interested to know your thoughts.
cheers

[AlanH]

Ouch. That sounds like it was a real mess inside. Bad luck.