Changed Oil level at 2500 miles but super dry wtf?

[Valerian95]

I was smelling a strange smell from the engine- didn't know what the hell was causing it- I did the first thing a novice would think of: workshop manual suggests check oil level every 5000 miles or 12 months. I gave it new oil at 2500 and now it 's just short of 5000-I take the dipstick out then wipe it and it seems the right browny colour- I am unsure what to say about min/max because that oil is DRY and sticking to the dipstick- used a torch to look in the engine oil compartment and it is BARE as far as the eye can see- what could be causing this? Very confused- I've never noticed any trail under the bike- it can't be the oil has been leaking out... the sump nut seems dry too.

[Chris45]

A hot metallic or strong burning oil smell is always ominous.

Are you sure it was topped up with the correct quantity? Any sign of it burning oil? Smokey exhaust?

Whatever, top it up to the max, let the engine turn over for a few secs (use the kill switch to stop the engine from firing up). Then start it. Don't rev it, let it settle and listen. Check it every 500 miles. It's a 50/50 chance the engine is fekked.
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Honda CG125>Suzuki GT185>Honda CB 250N>Suzuki GSX400>Honda CX500B>Kawasaki GPZ305> Kawasaki GPZ550>Kawasaki GPZ500S+BMW 650GS

[Valerian95]

I emptied a full litre of Castol 10w-40 into the damn thing. I might undo the sump plug and let it out to see how much is left.
If very little or none comes out I am going to be a sweating very hard.

[NJD]

[Valerian95]

[Polarbear]

[Polarbear]

Change the oil. I would flush out with cheapy Asda oil then put a decentish one in, Motul or the like. Make sure you put in the correct amount and check it on the dipstick, almost certainly with the dipstick resting on the threads (not screwed in) and bike level.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Valerian95]

This is a good short term solution I guess- but what could have caused the oil to disappear like this? in 2000 miles? the heck? seriously unheard of.

[pompousporcup...]

cbr125? ride at the limit (of the engine) a lot by any chance? by that i mean high rpms..

my old 500 would not lose a drop through town riding for over 12months. I then did a few weeks on the motorway pushing the engine and it burned off half the sumps worth before i noticed.

[Valerian95]

[Polarbear]

[Valerian95]

If everything is alright and this is just a breeze and not the storm if the engine was fucked due to no oil then this was a good wakeup all to check stuff regularly and not just according to the manufacturer's guidlines

Went to Halfords now and picked up 10w-40 again. Will check it now and come back if something's wrong. Thanks again

[Rogerborg]

Thanks for making us guess the bike.

A 125? No chance should you leave that for 5,000 miles between changes, let alone checking it. It's not one of the bikes that are known for devouring oil (CBF125, YZF-R125 spring to mind) but I'd be checking it every time I filled the tank, and changing every 1000 - 1500 miles or so. It's only a litre, and it's all that's stopping your engine from becoming a grenade.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Valerian95]

I left it 2000-2500 miles and would have done way longer if not suspicious cos I was told to follow handbook to the letter.
I don't think pompous guessed - I think he saw I implied what bike it was on another thread I replied to just after making this one

[Robby]

You've had enough hints, what bike is it?

Either your manual is wrong, or you are reading it wrong, but I've never come across a manual that tells you to check your oil level every 2500 miles. They usually say check it weekly, or every time you fill up with fuel.

2500 miles is more likely to be the oil change interval. On a 125, I'd change it twice as often as that.

[Valerian95]

Workshop manual

Edit : Oh I realise you said check and it says change- so when it's decreasing every week I'm supposed to top up until full and then at the 5000 mile mark like it says just completely change the whole thing?

[Nobby the Bastard]

[Commuter_Tim]

Still ignoring "what bike?"
At this point I'm declaring 'Tritey' and demanding to claim my 5 ponds.
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The above post is most likely nonsensical.

I ride a Bandit 600... badly.

[Nobby the Bastard]

[Commuter_Tim]

[Mark65]

[rpsmith79]

Just checking, but you are checking the oil level when the bike is upright aren't you, not when it's tilted over on the pavement on it's side stand aren't you
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Current Bike: Honda CG125 ES4 // Honda CB600FS Hornet // Triumph Street Triple R

[skatefreak]

[pompousporcup...]

[Valerian95]

I'm probably missing some kind of inside joke but anyway
when I put the bike upright luckily it was just on the minimum mark close call and about 480ml of oil came out- so defo not bare
I think it also looks about the right colour and there were no bits in the oil. One tissue is when I wiped loads excess oil around drain bolt area the other tissue where i wiped dipstick.
The fellow who reinstalled the exhaust foolishly put it right under the drain bolt
It's all dried up and gone now but does any oil on a part which gets hot when the bike is running become dangerous? Fire hazard?

Correct pompous I am being legal.