SuzukiSavage.com - Carrying Spare Oil?

Bear_Rider

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Carrying Spare Oil?
07/19/08 at 12:25:17

I'm going to take my first jaunt on the Savage in a couple of weeks, and have most of the kinks worked out. However, I have one little itch that I can't figure out how to scratch.

I'm running Rotella synthetic. I'd like to carry a pint or so just to keep it topped off, if necessary, but I'm at a loss about the container to use, since I can't find Rotella except in the gallon jugs. I would appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks

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Max_Morley

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Re: Carrying Spare Oil?
Reply #1 - 07/19/08 at 12:34:53

Least expensive, I had an old fuel additive (Chevron Techron I think) pint bottle that had a long neck on it so I didn't have to carry a funnel, SW carried it in a zip lock bag on her 'scoot' around WA, ID, and MT. Most expensive, REI and other camping stores have a metal flask for carrying stove fuel that seals tightly but will probably need a funnel to add oil, unless you can lean the bike over a ways. And as someone who had experience on this board said, "put the filler plug on the ground so it is there when you realize you forgot it. If you put it on the bike, it will fall off who know where". Take some shop towels or paper towels in a zip lock bag, so you have a clean one for the plus, your hands, the bottle and if necessary the bike. Max

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Max at Thumper Acres. '96 Savage bagger, '03 Savage w/Cozy sidecar for wifeni.

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Carrying Spare Oil? Reply #2 - 07/19/08 at 13:39:20 I got tired of fighting pliers on the fillerplug. A piece of wood, about7/8ths X 1/2" & about 4 inches long with a groove to fit the top of the plug, on a leather lanyard allows me to pull the plug while its hot with no worries about getting burned.
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T Mack 1 - FSO

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Re: Carrying Spare Oil?
Reply #3 - 07/19/08 at 14:13:44

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 07/19/08 at 13:39:20:

I got tired of fighting pliers on the fillerplug. A piece of wood, about7/8ths X 1/2" & about 4 inches long with a groove to fit the top of the plug, on a leather lanyard allows me to pull the plug while its hot with no worries about getting burned.

Lordy lordy..... it's an o-ring... make sure it has a film of oil on it and it will come off fine.

Something an old engineer told me. Rubber & rubber like compounds can molecularly bond to surfaces. They bond faster with pressure or high temps. Well DUH .... we have both at the oil fill and the timing inspection plug. The film of oil helps prevent the bond. Since o-rings seal by squishing, the oil film won't hurt. Ever read the instructions on an auto oil filter........

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Engineers design things, Technicians make them work.
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30% of being mechanical is confidence/30% is knowing to go slow when needed/30% is looking repeatedly at what you have/10% is dumb luck Wink

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Carrying Spare Oil? Reply #4 - 07/19/08 at 15:26:28 Ive even used antisieze on it, Its not finger tight, just the tiniest bit beyond , MY fingers to loosen, so I built a cheater. Its fingers on, helper off. Its not too big a deal, since its just a groove in a stick that I use to pull it.
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LANCER Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Savage Beast Performance Parts Posts: 10661 Oklahoma Gender:	Re: Carrying Spare Oil? Reply #5 - 07/19/08 at 20:41:53 There's nothin like a cheater stick when you need one...it can also be used to beat off all those female Savage groupies that constantly follow us all around the country too.
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Charon

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Re: Carrying Spare Oil?
Reply #6 - 07/20/08 at 06:47:40

The real question here: Does your motorcycle use oil? If not, you don't have to carry any. If it does, why not run regular oil instead of expensive synthetic? After all, Suzuki recommends regular oil, with a change interval of 4000 miles. My plan has been to use regular oil, don't bother to carry any along, and if I need oil I'll buy a quart of whatever major brand is handy when I need it. Rest assured, the engine won't care.

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Eschew obfuscation.

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thumperclone Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline PGR rider riding with respect Posts: 6056 Grand Junction Colorado Gender:	Re: Carrying Spare Oil? Reply #7 - 07/20/08 at 07:25:29 trip to farmington a few weeks ago i carried a partial qt of amsoil(my regular brand)on the 225 mile trip down i topped er off at all three gas stops..the rest of the long week end and 550 more miles didnt need another drop...was the first time in 10,000 miles my 06 has gone over 100 miles in a day....
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Bear_Rider

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Re: Carrying Spare Oil?
Reply #8 - 07/20/08 at 17:32:51

Charon wrote on 07/20/08 at 06:47:40:

The real question here: Does your motorcycle use oil? If not, you don't have to carry any. If it does, why not run regular oil instead of expensive synthetic? After all, Suzuki recommends regular oil, with a change interval of 4000 miles. My plan has been to use regular oil, don't bother to carry any along, and if I need oil I'll buy a quart of whatever major brand is handy when I need it. Rest assured, the engine won't care.

I haven't had the synthetic in long enough to figure out how much oil I will lose over a given distance. Also, I don't know how long this trip will be, in total. I plan on wandering around until I run out of money, oil, or hide on my butt; or my wife runs out of patience.

I'm taking the bike over tomorrow to get the seat redone, so the length of this trip may increase yet again. Grin

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Carrying Spare Oil? Reply #9 - 07/20/08 at 18:37:41 I took mine to Tyler not long ago, 80ish miles, round trip. NO appreciable oil usage. 50 miles around town? Gotta add 3 or so ounces, IF I run at stops & downshift. If I kick it in neutral & coast, no vacuum sucking oil. I dont know if this says Valve seals, or rings, or not enough data to know.
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