Howdy!
I've put about 6,000 miles on my '96 Steamer since putting her together this Spring. I have been running Rotella T 15w-40 oil, and so far I have noticed that if I fill it up to the upper mark on the dipstick, it will be at the lower mark after about 1,500 to 2,000 miles, depending on how hard she's ridden. Is that amount of oil loss normal, or should I be tearing in to the engine soon?
I've fixed all of the oil leaks (sprocket cover gasket, pushrod seal) and it's not leaving any oil on the driveway any more.
Thanks!
My 98 didn´t use to burn any oil at all, at least for the first 90-100 000 km. Now though, it burns 0,5 to 1 litre in the season, which is maybe 10-12 000km long. No leaks and valves were replaced last year, so my layman guess is the piston rings...
If you have a low milage bike I would assume the normal is (from my one Triumph experience) about zero consumption, but others may have had a different experience.
G'day. Hope this helps. I am here because I am restoring a sad old steamer. I also have had a '92 Triumph Trophy (same engine really) since 26,000km. It is now 107,000 km. It has steadily burned oil the whole time (about 200 ml per 1,000km). It has also been incredibly reliable with no mechanical issues at all (also flogged mercilessly, track days and all). I would ride it around Oz tomorrow, such is my confidence. Make of that what you will and all the best. Beernard.
My 96 bike uses no oil at all, even after prolonged 90mph motorway rides. I have owned two Tridents in the past and neither of those used any either.