• Ciao Guest - You’ve landed at the ultimate Guzzi site. NEW FORUM REGISTRATIONS REQUIRE EMAIL ACTIVATION - CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER - Use the CONTACT above if you need help. New to the forum? For all new members, we require ONE post in the Introductions section at the bottom, in order to post in most of the other sections. ALWAYS TRY A SEARCH BEFORE STARTING A NEW TOPIC - Most questions you may have, have likely been already answered. DON'T BE A DRIVE-BY POSTER: As a common courtesy, check back in and reply within 24 hours, or your post will be deleted. Note there's decades of heavily experienced Guzzi professionals on this site, all whom happily give endless amounts of their VALUABLE time for free; BE COURTEOUS AND RESPECTFUL!
  • There is ZERO tolerance on personal attacks and ANY HYPERLINKS to PRODUCT(S) or other competing website(s), including personal pages, social media or other Forums. This ALSO INCLUDES ECU DIAGnostic software, questions and mapping. We work very hard to offer commercially supported products and to keep info relevant here. First offense is a note, second is a warning, third time will get you banned from the site. We don't have the time to chase repeat (and ignorant) offenders. This is NOT a social media platform; It's an ad-free, privately funded website, in small help with user donations. Be sure to see the GTM STORE link above; ALL product purchases help support the site, or you can upgrade your Forum profile or DONATE via the link above.
  • Be sure to see the GTM STORE link also above for our 700+ product inventory, including OEM parts and many of our 100% Made-in-SoCal-USA GTM products and engine kits. In SoCal? Click the SERVICE tab above for the best in service, tires, tuning and installation of our products or custom work, and don't miss our GT MotoCycles® (not) art on the BUILDS tab above. WE'RE HERE ONLINE ONLY - NO PHONE CALLS MADE OR RECEIVED - DO NOT EMAIL AND ASK QUESTIONS OR ASK TO CALL YOU.
  • Like the new V100, GuzziTech is full throttle into the future! We're now running on an all-new server and we've updated our Forum software. The visual differences are obvious, but hopefully you'll notice the super-fast speed. If you notice any glitches or have any issues, please post on the Site Support section at the bottom. If you haven't yet, please upgrade your account which is covered in the Site Support section or via the DONATE tab above, which gives you full site access including the DOWNLOADS section. We really appreciate every $ and your support to keep this site ad-free. Create an account, sign in, upgrade your account, and enjoy. See you on the road in 2024.

checking the engine oil..

M

max

Tuned and Synch'ed
GT Famiglia
Joined
Nov 18, 2008
Messages
60
I've been reading the inputs from many folks on here in regard to checking the engine oil on the Breva and Norge. I only have 2400 miles on my Breva and the last dealer oil change was at 1000 miles. I'm assuming the service department put in the correct amount of oil. I wouldn't think the engine would use much if any oil in that short period of time. BUT--It got me thinking I had better check it out. Because of some recent hand surgery, I just can't get the bike up on its' center stand. So i have to check the oil using the side stand only. I ran the bike around for about 10 miles and got it good and hot. I checked the dipstick after the ride and also after the bike sat for about 20 minutes. Both times, the dipstick showed the oil level to be less than 1/2 way up the stick. As a matter of fact, because of the way the dipstick is grooved, I found it hard to get a really good reading. With a smooth even surface with no grooves, I think the level would show up better. Or if the dipstick was a lighter color it would be more visible. The heavier concentration of oil seems to be to the minus side and tapers off below the 1/2 way point to full. I can't really hold the bike up right to level things out so I'm a bit concerned about running low on oil and damaging the engine. No warning lights came on today , but I have heard that when warning lights come on in most vehicles, it's too late and the motor is damaged already. Come to think of it, my ex wife proved that theory about 10 years ago. I'm going to purchase some proper oil tomorrow from my dealer to have it on hand. So, I would like to hear your opinions as to whether it is safe to ride with this level or shut it down till I get the oil. And, is it normal to use a bit of oil when the motor is still new like this one. Boy that's alot of typing for such a simple question! ;) as always, thanks for the help and putting up with my rookie questions. Max
 
The stick has a 'Full' and an 'Add' mark, as long as it is between those two it will be just FINE. I tend to run them about 1/2 way between the two as adding too much towards the 'Full' mark may increase the risk of over-taxing the breather system leading to mess in the airbox and full drain tubes.

If you don't want to check the oil on the bike when it is upright? Do it once and make sure it is whwre you think it should be when upright and then put it on the sidestand and mark the wretched stick where the oil comes up to on it and use that as your 'Correct' mark.

Pete
 
Max

Can you not get someone to help get the bike onto the centrestand, or to hold the bike upright while you check? At times I struggle to get my Breva onto the stand and then get my wife to pull the bike backwards while I just stand on the lever.

Maybe one of the Griso or 1200 Sport members has checked the oil while the bike is on the sidestand but then I'd expect the reading to be way too high. I've just changed the oil in my Breva so I could do a sidestand check if that would help you.

Of course the dipstick should just be pushed home, not screwed in, while checking the level. I find that wiping the side ridge before checking makes getting a reading easy as the stick just needs to be pushed in and then withdrawn without the need to twist it. A while back someone suggested marking the side ridge with chalk, which does work well too.

These are air-cooled engines and can be expected to use more oil than a water-cooled one, which can run with closer tolerences and doesn't ever get as hot. Some engines use more oil than others too, especially when young. As a guide, I'd worry about consumption only if it exceeded one litre /1,000km. Mine is less than half that. Hard riding when the engine is new will also usually result in better ring-sealing and less oil consumption. Just like us, engines thrive on strenuous excercise.
 
Max

Whoops! One litre/10,000km, that should have read. Mine is using under half that.

Just checked the oil level with the bike on the sidestand, and it reads 1/2" higher than on the centrestand.
 
I've got a 1200 Sport with no centre stand. First bike since an indulgence in HD way back in '88 I haven't had one since, except for one V11 Le Mans.

How I miss the centre stand. I have stands for the V11 that will lift the rear wheel, the front wheel (or both together), and something I knocked together out of two Toyota scissors jacks to lift the bike from points just under the footrests. I've also used the same pair of scissor jacks to do a clutch job on a Tonti by the crab-the-frame method.

But I still haven't worked out how to hold the 1200 Sport upright, except for a front tyre stand that will lock her vertically. Works fine to check the oil, but I can't spin the wheels. Gotta find a solution.
 
I've got a V7C (same engine as your Breva) with no centerstand (yet). By putting a block of wood under the side stand the bike is almost vertical for fluid checking. Carefully watch the bike so it doesn't tip over.

There are two opinions on 750 engine oil level.
1 - Keep the oil at the "max" mark because the engine doesn't have much oil to begin with.
2- Keep the oil 1/2 between "add" and "max" so it doesn't spew out anywhere.

I keep my oil at the "max" level, but am interested to hear more on the 1/2 way theory.

Joe
 
I've always ignored the manual, measured in the correct amount of oil, and checked where it comes to on the fully-screwed-in dipstick on the centre stand. On our B750, B1100 and Stone it comes to the top mark!
The B750 uses as smeg of oil over 5000km (which is when I change it), the Stone doesn't use any, and the B1100 stopped pumping oil into the overflow line at 8000km.

Correction: on the Breva 1100 it comes to the top mark when NOT screwed in.
 
Mackers

If the measured oil volume comes up to the full mark when the dipstick is screwed in, then it would be rather low if checked correctly.

After an oil change I always fill to the full mark after the engine has been run for a few minutes but don't add oil again until the level drops to the half way level. measured consumption is around 460ml/10,000km and very little oil is ever present in the airbox drain tube, like at most a teaspoonful every 1,000km. The only benefit I can see from running the oil level in a Breva lower than at max is that it reaches operating temperature a little quicker.

Guzzi call for the engine oil to be changed at 10,000km, which is what I do. Almost all my riding consists of rides of not less than 200km and under open-road conditions. If commuting in urban traffic I'd change the oil more often though.
 
Well, it's me again. After all the worry on my part about getting an accurate reading on the Breva dipstick, and not being able to get the bike on the centerstand, my pea sized brain came to the conclusion that I can simply straddle the bike and keep it in an upright position. I'm able to reach down check the dipstick. I put in 400 ml of oil and all is well now. When i return from a 30 min. ride, I let the hot oil drain down as described here. When I straddle the bike and properly check the level, it's right at the full mark.
Such a simple way of doing something and here and it never occured to me how to go about it. So thanks to all of you kind folks and it looks as though I'm the dipstick here. :blink: Max
 
:laugh: Nice solution Max, don't worrie it gave me something to read and others something to write, that's what a forum is meant for I guess.
And I must say that the stick on the B 750 is easier to check the oil with than the one on the B 1100.
 
My Breva 750 manual calls for oil change at 7.500 kilometers or 12 months whatever happens first. That differs from Graham's 10.000 kilometer change, but manuals may differ. My manual also states to "unscrew" the dipstick and to read what it measures. Accordingly, I check it fully screwed in as Mackers does.

All this oil stuff used to have me very paranoid so I simply put in a Sumpspacer and now as long as I have "some" oil showing on the stick all is well. My bike still consumes some oil at 8.000 + miles, but nothing disconcerting.
 
Hey Mundi, don't forget that you are in the BIG Breva house here and Graham's comments may not apply to the Lil Breva, and oil is checked dipstick out on BIG and in on Lil Breva.

Just in case you're not aware Lil Breva is lumped in with small blocks downstairs, and lots of good info, including the inimitable Holt down there.
 
Hey guys...new to guzzi and this forum. Not sure how to start a new post yet. I just picked up a 2007 Norge. How do you check the oil without taking off the plastic? Do we need a special tool? Thanks
 
Search this forum. Someone was making a dip stick extension for those bikes. I think Leo Tamers, but I'm not sure.
 
Thanks a bundle. It looks like someone replaced the stock one, for whatever reason. I have found someone locally that knows what is going on. Ordered the new dipstick today.
 
After reading the manual and staring at the bike for what seemed like forever, I discovered a round hole in the Tupperware just below the left cylinder. Right inside that hole was the yellow handle of the dipstick.
What a pleasant surprise. Easy peasy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top