Royal Enfield Bullet 500 using oil !

[Dan Man]

I'm a new owner of a Bullet 500 (2006).
I'm just trying to find out if it's normal for a 500 Bullet engine to use 100-200mls of oil on a 6 hour round trip?

Before I started the trip I checked the oil level and made sure the oil was reading just above the middle of the oil dip stick. HHaving returned and parked her up over night, I started the engine and left it running on tick over for a couple of minutes before checking the oil level. ( Is this the correct method for checking the oil on a Bullet, as I don't want to end up overfilling her?).

When I checked the oil level it was barely showing on the dip stick and needed approximately 200mls to get it back to the centre of the dip stick again! There are no obvious oil leaks, the engine is tight. There is also no sign of the engine burning any oil.

Otherwise the engine appears to be running OK.

[Monkeywrenche...]

Is it going into the crank case breather catch tank?
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2001 Aprilia RSV Mille R -dead, 2016 XSR 700-gone, 2018 Dorsoduro 900

[Dan Man]

[Dan Man]

[doggone]

If it was in the recent hot weather it might have been something of a one off.
Just monitor it for a while?
2006 is getting on a bit even if it hasn't done a lot of miles.

[Dan Man]

[MCN]

[stinkwheel]

2006 will be an electra-X yes?

In answer to your question. Yes it can be normal to burn that much, especially if it's being ridden reasonably hard.

It's also probably less of a problem than you'd think.

Pretty sure you normally check them with the engine off and cold.

MCN. Bullets do have a seperate oil tank but it's integrated into the engine with internal oilways. All the scavenge goes to the top end then runs down under gravity. They CAN wet-sump but only when not running. You'd usually get a load of blue smoke on startup if it was and the thing to do is leave it to clear before moving away. The scavenge pump is man enough to shift it. Solution to them wet sumping is to park them on compression. If the crankpin is UP, it's higher than the oil level.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Dan Man]

[ThunderGuts]

[doggone]

I've seen the recommendation to run it briefly before checking before, because the level should be read with a working amount round the system rather than when it has all drained back to the sump overnight.

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[MCN]

[stinkwheel]

If it's a standard pre-unit 500 then I'd consider than much oil withing the range of normal useage.

Also yes, check level on the mainstand with the engine cool. The level in the timing chest will be artificially high and a lot will be hanging about in the rocker area if you check after running it. There is a 6mm hole for the oil to run back into the tank through.

Couple of things worth knowing.

One is that they have no valve stem oil seals so the can and will burn oil on the overrun, especially if ridden hard.

The level of oil on the dipstick is generally accepted to be rather on the high side. Some bikes will "settle" with the oil towards the bottom of the dipstick but will rapidly burn off anything over that level.

It's a dry-sump engine so oil LEVEL isn't as critical as on wet sump bikes. There needs to be enough oil to cover the feed pump pickup. most of the oil volume is to keep enough circulating to keep it cool so dropping off the bottom of the dipstick isn't the end of the world.

There IS an issue with them though. Standard 500 pistons are well known for being made of melted down rupees mixed with elephant dung (or a material with similar physical properties). They are then half sawn-through behind the oil control ring lands before being fitted. If you sit at 55mph all the time, this is fine. If you push it to a 65-70mph cruising speed, the crown of the piston will start to collapse front and back after a few thousand miles.

Early symptoms of piston collapse are a slight loss of power and compression. Later signs are an increase in oil consumption as the oil control ring gets pinched and a more serious loss of power and compression. Late symptoms are an abrupt seizure and the piston being ripped in half round the level of the oil control ring and (if you're unlucky) a conrod appearing through the front of the barrel.

Solutions include taking it easy, changing the piston regularly as a service item or blowing your wad on a forged accralite piston, an American made high compression piston or (if you can find one) an original NOS Reddich one (heppolite).

Or go mad and get a 535 piston and barrel. Or go utter full retard and do a 612 conversion for more than double what the whole bike cost you.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/BrmVosfKRUVzWwVNqiwNrXl6DR67WKqhRVMN1_Z2A6a6l00TFBG5LK-vnQQjpO74RXoMBtgNt5v6usiNnWzQcc0K4nsqcRHiHc3cMpzzVQ9J6II5CtGvNSFcxy4KKmvd8aT6-tQIkQ=w960-h720-no
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Dan Man]

[Dan Man]

[ThunderGuts]

[stinkwheel]