| Author | Message | ||
     Acav80 |
Hello to all in the Badweb universe! My first post here after lurking for a month following my recent purchase of a 2006 Uly. I also just recently got married, and the new Uly was integral in our honeymoon trip, which was a truly epic ride. We rode from Roswell, GA to Santa Fe, NM and back. 11 states and about 3200 miles in 8 days! Yeah...our families think we're crazy. But it was great and the Uly did awesome all things considered. Since I got the bike I've been zeroing in on some small-to-medium sized issues with the machine. I was pretty sure it would be dependable on our trip, and it was, but I was really surprised when I checked the oil after about the first 150 miles and it was pretty low. Not dry but low for sure. I started watching the oil level and found that it took a little over 1 qt to keep it in the correct range over the course of our 3000 miles. I have a theory I'd like to bounce of of y'all. The previous owner stupidly had some local Jethro up in Virginia "upgrade the exhaust" by cutting the end off and doing god knows what inside before welding a second output pipe to the end and closing it back up. Needless to say, I'm in the market for a new pipe (if you got a stocker shoot me a line!). I also took the airbox cover off and found a bunch of poorly-done drill holes in the top of the airbox. So my theory is that the bike is running lean and therefore running hot and causing oil to burn off. Does this seem logical to any of the more experienced wrenches here? I hope it does, cuz any other possibility might be harder to solve than a muffler/airbox replacement. Oh, and I noticed that in the high-altitude air the bike was not burning oil as much, I assume because the AFV was compensating by richening the mix. Am I on the right track here? Otherwise the bike did great on the trip. We even did a bit of 2-up dirt riding on a rough, washed out forest road near Santa Fe, and it was great! I'm working on a ride report that will go up over at ADV. Look for it in the next week or so, titled "Honeymoon on the Wildebeest". We call the Uly "the Wildebeest". I've got a few other tech issues I'll be working out and posting about here in coming months I'm sure. Glad to be part of the community and thanks for any input you can provide! | ||
| Chadhargis |
First off...if your oil level is showing on the dipstick, then DO NOT add any oil. For some reason, any time I add oil up to the "full" mark, it just blows out the CCV and into the airbox and will show no more than half way up the dip stick. I've learned to just check it, and if I see oil on the dipstick, it's good. The engine tends to hide oil. If it's hot, it will show more oil than if it's cold. Strange beast. That being said, some Ulys that were broken in "by the book" with their engines lugging dangerously never seated the rings properly and could burn oil. But this is a topic of much debate, and I'm sure you'll have a contrasting opinion from someone. I add less than a quart of oil between 3000 mile changes. Typically, after adding the 2.5 quarts of oil at a change, I only need to other half quart to keep it "on the stick". Even when doing lots of high RPM work on a race track she doesn't burn much oil. | ||
| Aeholton |
Gotta agree with Chad. If you keep topping it up to the "full" mark, it never ends. When you took the airbox cover off, did you see any pooling? I found that my Uly is happiest just about halfway between the add and full marks. Usually use less than 4 ounces in 2500 miles between oil changes. | ||
| New12r |
Yall check your oil?  I just ride the piss out of it and change the oil every 1500 miles or so.... Buelltoberfest would be a great place to meet about 50 badwebbers up at T.W.O. in Suches GA. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/37/ 312120.html?1221771057 There are a bunch of us locally as well, see here.... http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/37/ 47796.html?1221771791 | ||
| Miamiuly |
}The previous owner stupidly had some local Jethro up in Virginia "upgrade the exhaust" by cutting the end off and doing god knows what inside before welding a second output pipe to the end and closing it back up. Needless to say, I'm in the market for a new pipe (if you got a stocker shoot me a line!). I also took the airbox cover off and found a bunch of poorly-done drill holes in the top of the airbox. Holes in airbox are just a way to do the 07 air box upgrade. The "jethro modified" pipe sounds as though it may be a Drummer and I'm sure someone would like to trade for it. | ||
| Tootal |
When you look at the dipstick you'll see some X's. My bike likes to stay at the second X from the bottom. If I add more it just uses it. It is a strange beast. Some have said to put 2.5 qts. in when you change it. Get it hot and check the dipstick. No matter where it's at, that's your proper level. The holes in the airbox is common for 06'ers as mentioned above. It is usually followed by an 07 ecm program. This makes up for the holy airbox. I would recommend that you do a search for ecmspy and read, read, read. Great info there and on the buelletinboard.com . Get your connection cable and download ecmspy and with time you can dial that puppy in. If nothing else you can do your tps resets by yourself, correctly! Enjoy, tootal | ||
| Hughlysses |
#2 or 3 on the "don't try to keep your oil at the top of the operating range on the dipstick". You mention a 2nd outlet pipe on the exhaust; it may be a Special Ops (board sponsor). Go to the sponsors section of the board, look for the link to his homepage and you can see if that's what you've got. You can probably get someone to swap you for a stocker. | ||
| Bobmcc |
I call the correct oil level on my '06 "Dos Equis"... for some reason that's easy to remember...  I might add a few ounces every 1500 - 2K miles. | ||
| Sanchez |
I go 5k between changes (Buell recommended interval), and I've only had to top it off once in 20k miles. I just ran it up from 20k to 22.5k last week, though, so maybe I should at least check it again.  | ||
| Ulywife |
Buelltoberfest would be a great place to meet about 50 badwebbers up at T.W.O. in Suches GA. What New12r said! Congrats on the new bike and maybe we'll see you in Suches in a few weeks! | ||
| Gamdh |
+1 on the "Dos Equis". My '06 (34K+ miles)seems to like it around there as well. At oil changes I add the 2.5 qts and then about an ounce or so more. I have add a little oil between changes but have never used the entire .5 qt (really never even close to using all the remaining .5qt). I generally try to change oil every 3K but its usually somewhere between 3-4K. FWIW..I did the 'hot' motoman breakin... I also have an '06 stock exhaust.. PM if your interested. | ||
| Wesman |
Some Jethro???? ..... Did Fatty sell his baby?  | ||
| Acav80 |
I'll have to look at the pipe again but I'm 99% sure it's not a Special Ops or Drummer. The PO told me straight up that he had "a guy I know who lives near my parents in Virginia" do the mod on the pipe. It looks too rough to be a pro job. Welds are all rough and the seams look like they might leak air. Of course it's not necessarily a worthless piece, I'm just suspicious. I've got a ecmspy cable and I'm gonna be getting a new laptop soon, so I can do some datalogging and try to iron out the kinks. Hey I'm glad you all mentioned Buelltoberfest, cuz it looks like I can make it! I'll read up on the details and meet up , probably saturday morning. Can't make it Friday...no time off after wedding and honeymoon trip. | ||
| Froggy |
Post some pics of the pipe! | ||
| Acav80 |
as requested...   | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
That muffler looks like Dr. Frankenstein had Igor welding on it..... "It's Alive I tell you, ALIVE!" If that is a Drummer (and I doubt it) then someone needs to learn how to lay a good bead. I'm glad I Motoman broke-in my bike because mine uses no oil that I can tell. I use full syn Mobil 1 15W50 automotive and currently have 2000 miles since last oil change and haven't needed to add a drop and yes, I do check it frequently for peace-o-mind. Make sure you check the oil fully hot and on the side stand and after you fully screwed in the dipstick. Your oil is only fully warmed up if the fan comes on while riding or it comes on at ignition shutdown. Level ground but resting on side stand. My oil is always 150 F or up to 200 F in the swingarm when checked and this corresponds to fan operating while running or at shutdown. Mobil 1 automotive is great stuff and is way cheaper than the V-twin stuff. | ||
| New12r |
Jethrow it is!! WOW... | ||
| Acav80 |
Thanks to all for the input. Definitely some good info on oil levels here. I'm learning. But I'm not sure if my question has quite been answered. It seems many of us have SOME oil consumption, but none have seen as much consumption as I've seen. I'll have to check the air box for oil pooling, but... The question: How likely is it that this Frankenstein pipe and air box mod are causing a lean condition that is making the Wildebeest run hot and burn off oil? I really don't think the ECM has been changed to match up with the "exhaust upgrade". | ||
| M_singer |
>>>>>>>>> I'm not sure if my question has quite been answered. It seems many of us have SOME oil consumption, but none have seen as much consumption as I've seen. I'll have to check the air box for oil pooling, but... I think what others were saying is that if you fill the swing arm/oil tank to the full mark on the dip stick, it will be over filled. Over filling causes oil to get puked up into the air box and consumed. If you change your oil be careful to put exactly 2.5 quarts in. Then check where the oil mark is on the dip stick. That is your "actual" full mark. On most Uly's this seems to be at the 2nd X from the bottom. | ||
| Portero72 |
Not to be the fly in the ointment here, but my 06 Uly, at about 9500 miles, developed an appetite for oil. It got quite bad on the first 2 days of a long roadtrip-it consumed a quart the first 500 miles, and continued to do so the remainder of the trip. I just got it back after having new piston rings, valve guides and seals installed under warranty. Check your airbox, keep an eye on the level, but don't assume your bike is 'using up excess'. | ||
| Froggy |
That ain't no pipe I have ever seen before. | ||
| Tankhead |
damn sure it is not any muffler Kevin would make. The drummer is king. | ||
| Sanchez |
Yeah, Odie wouldn't let a spec ops pipe out like that either. Oh, and I just checked my oil after 2500 miles, and I still have dos equis. |
