Sight Glass Oil Level- What is the Secret ???

[Blrfl]

The oil level reaching the lower level line tells you that you have already consumed / lost a substantial amount of oil. I want to know if there is a problem before then.

Then all I can recommend is draining and measuring the oil once every two weeks and a full tear-down of the engine quarterly, more often if you can swing it. Seriously, you're expending way too much energy on this. The 1300 isn't a sport bike where the engine is built for performance at the expense of everything else. This mill is overengineered to begin with and tuned to prevent beating itself to a pulp even when you're giving it the beans. Two things it isn't famous for are oil consumption and mechanical problems.

To be more precise the reference point I am referring to would be one that aligns with the oil level when it is filled with exactly the correct amount of oil. You then have a starting point to reference from and can then tell if there is any oil lost. ... No problem- maybe I will add another reference line at the appropriate place.

Good luck with that. I will, however, bet good money that it will be a great reference point until the first time you run the engine, after which you'll rarely see the oil level in exactly the same spot.

The membership here has put millions of miles on these bikes, and our experience has been that the oil level varies when you check it. The manual, which was written by some engineer at Honda who probably spent an entire day slaving over a hot drawing board to come up with this recommendation, says that when you reach the lower line, add enough oil to get to the upper line, otherwise leave it alone. Trying to read the sight glass as if it were a piece of laboratory equipment using that as a basis for measuring consumption is a fool's errand. If you want a real answer, keep track of how much oil you add between oil changes (e.g., you consumed x amount of oil over y distance). If you notice an upward trend, you have a problem.

Personally, I just had to add a couple of ounces of oil for the first time in 42,000 miles. The math says I should have consumed the quart I opened by the time the odometer rolls over 672,000. I can live with that.

--Mark

 

[Tom Mac 04a]

To be more precise the reference point I am referring to would be one that aligns with the oil level when it is filled with exactly the correct amount of oil. You then have a starting point

As Mark stated.... NOT gonna Happen! I've own my current bike since 04, At the first yr or so I drove myself crazy over this. I could never get the oils level the same... close but not the same ( to the point where I even marked the site glass at the oil level ) ...

Some times it's up a 1/4 inch, sometimes down... oil usu varies less than +/- a half inch ( the two lines are what an inch apart?)

As some have mentioned it may be due to the split style oil pan where some stays in the front half.

Either way, I long stopped worrying, the ST's as a whole don't burn/use oil, As long as I put in a gallon and see oil in the site glass it's riding time.

 

[st1300r]

Your measurement system (sight glass, engine temp, time of measurement, ground slope, when in the drain back you put the bike on the center stand, fuel weight, tire psi....) has inherent natural variation. The only way to get around that is increase your measurement points. No one point is truth but the average will be closer to an unknowable true value.

That guy at the drafting table knew this and put 2 lines on the site glass and appropriate responses for oil addition.
He didn't give you 10 lines because he knew you're measuring noise not a signal.
An evil engineer would have given you a digital readout.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

Everytime I have changed the oil, which is only three times since the bike is new to me, I noticed this so I thought I would ask you guys about it. Other than the very first oil change where I thought I had not put in the correct amount of oil, I have not expended any more energy then what is involved with the actual oil change and a few extra seconds to take a look out of curiosity before each ride.

Not looking for 10 lines- only one that is located where 4.1 quarts of oil lands. Since the last oil change I have ridden the bike 9 times. Before each ride I have looked at the oil level with the engine cold and with the bike on a level surface. So far every one of the 8 times the oil level was at the very same point in the sight glass under these conditions. If this continues to be the case after a couple more checks I will have satisfied my curiosity.