So just got this bike about 4 weeks ago. already put 1600 miles on it.
When i pulled into work it was making clanking sounds around 4 grand. checked the oil it was low.... very low. put 3 quarts in to fill her up. still makeing sounds at 4 grand and as i accelerate past that. got a date with the doctor this thursday. anybody have any idea whats wrong with it so im prepaired for when i take it in. should i drive it or give it a ride to the shop? man im missing presious days of riding here in northern idaho lol.

 

spun/worn main and or rod bearings? I'm afraid it's not going to be a good diagnosis. Maybe it's just bad cams, i'm sure the top end was oil starved.

How do you ride with your oil that low? There's a sight glass you know.

 

I don't expect the outcome to be good either. Why did you not check everything when you first got the bike? Who knows how many miles the previous owner had put on the bike with the low oil level before you got it? Did you get a really good deal on the bike? You may have been cheated because the previous owner may have known about this problem and thats why he sold the bike. These bikes are not known to use oil so being that low makes me think someone changed the oil and forgot to put the correct amount of oil back in the bike.

I would drain the oil and look for metal shaving or anything else in the oil. Then measure the amount of oil that you get out of the bike and determine just how much oil was in the bike before you added oil.

 

you said clank... so i'm assuming that a "tick" sound is not what you're talking about right?
ticking is generally an indication with trouble with the valves or problems, and knocks and clanks are in the bottom end.

i would agree with everyone else so far. looks like you have an engine knock, and its probably in the main or rod bearings. that would come from low oil, but i wonder why your bike has that low of an oil level in the first place....

does it smoke a lot? check in the airbox, is there oil? if it does smoke a lot, or there is oil in the airbox, you could have fried piston rings, and thus lose oil. the loss of oil means that you weren't able to have to get enough oil pressure to properly lubricate the bearings (as well the whole engine).

and didn't you have an oil indicator lit up on the guages? i hope you get good news from the doc on thurs, but if it is a knock, you're looking an engine build - which is going to be EXPENSIVE!.

 

saw the level when i first bought it. was good. the light would come on when i turn the key and have it running in nuetrual. after i put it in first it goes away, when the problem accured the light would flash on and off one or twice in awhile while riding it. I was told there was black smoke when i would really get on it at high rpms. idk either why the level would just get that low. bike ran fine when i got it. put 1600 miles on it before having this problem. taking it in today tho.

 

ouch, those noises are never good

 

Black smoke at high rpms is nothing. If it's using oil, then it's going to be noticeable at lower rpms.

 

got word today from the shop. They checked the cam, all good. pistons all have good compresson across the board. so there gonna take a look at the valves tomorrow.

 

so what's the prognosis?

 

Still in the shop there taking the engine out and I'm up to a grand . Thinking its in the top end