Still learning lessons - Oil

Hi everyone, a little while since i've posted on here, but i just had to tell you the following tale. Well, over the winter i managed to get out on the trike quite a bit, some crisp, blue days here in the fens, ideal for a ride. Generally tarted the trike up over the winter months, heat shield on the new HH shortcuts as i melted some jeans on them, chrome radiator, new pegs, top box, leather panniers. Drivers backrest (from the US) . Spent an inordinate amount of time with baffles for the exhausts! Ended up putting larger baffles wrapped in stove rope which i think is quite good. Although i think this is one thing i will revisist time and again!
Anyway, the point of the story, changing gear from 2nd to 1st and vice versa has been a bit hit and miss lately so read a few postings which included advice to adjust clutch and to change oil, or indeed oil may be low. So, checked oil looking for the line between the 2 markings, no line, just what appeared to me to be a brown opaque glass. Horrified, i decided that i was low on oil. And scooted off to the garage to buy some appropiate top- up.( having taken an age to try to figure what to use synthetic, part, conventional, settled for part) . Anyway, added small amounts kept checking window, no line! Added more, added more, bought another bottle, added more etc etc. oh dear i said to the wife, the trike was empty! Thanking my lucky stars i had got to it in time i added another bottle and a bit more for luck. Still no line tho'. What the .... Was going on? Read blogs over and over . Went back out took off filler cap, had another look at glass started trike .........! Covered in 10/40 and i mean covered! Blimey, better add some more oil thinks I. I know i know but once you decide on a thing........! Back to the blogs. Drain the oil someone said and put back 3 litres. Ok that what i'll do. Me and my long suffering wife this morning took out roasting pans, tuppaware bowls and proceeded to drain said oil. 7 litres! At least. OMG! I've sat here all morning debating whether to post this story. What an idiot. I can't believe i did what i did. I somehow thought the brown glass had some discolouration on it and thts why I couldn't see the oil or that it was empty.
64 and still learning lessons. 'bout time i stopped i think. Anyway trike started fine and doesn't seem to have suffered any ill effects.
Gotta start thinking about the clutch adjustment i suppose. But i might leave it for a little while!,
Cheers everyone

Bill first of all glad you did post your liitle tale, it made interesting reading

One main thing I picked up on that was had you warmed the bike up before you started adding more oil and were you possibly already over filled with oil. The reason I say this is because you said the the glass was a brown opaque so this actually could have been the issue with the clutch to begin with, so it'll be interesting to see how she acts out now in that respect.

One very important thing to remember not just for you but for everyone to remember is that the most accurate way to get an oil reading on nearly all Suzuki's is to have either warmed the engine up properly or come back off a run out and then wait 3 minutes before taking the reading. Always remember that a cold engine or one that has only been run for a minute or two will not give an accurate reading plus the bike must be in an upright position.

Will be very interested to see how you get on with the clutch now you have the correct levels in oil.
Some very good points Crash

I'll probably take the trike for a run this evening and see how the gears behave.
I must have looked a forlorn figure standing there yesterday covered, top to toe, in oil. Glad no one was taking pictures!

Billy I hate to admit the following as I have owned a lot of Suzuki's but I will......
There is no excuse but I recently over filled my bike as well. I Started the bike, road it out of the workshop & then went in doors for something. I then came back out to the bike & checked my oil. I had nothing in the window and thought oh bugger thats low on oil and topped it up in the same way as you did. I ended up with about 2 litres to much in there before I suddenly clicked on to what I was doing and started cussing at my own stupidity.
It sounds like a newbie mistake but sometimes even the seasoned biker will do silly stuff for no good reason.

Now if you are making that up to make me feel better...... It worked! If it's true then i feel even betterer!! I just can't believe how daft i was. Trouble is the wife is looking at me now and thinking 'what else has he done wrong?' i'm not sure she still believes me when i tell her all doors are supposed to hang like that!!
Cheers.

Well I'm glad you feel better & I swear it's the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the stupid truth.
And as for hanging those doors, anyone can bodge a job but bodging it properly is an art. :joker:

Mr Intruder wrote:

Some very good points Crash

I have my moments

Morning everyone,
Took the trike out yetserday for ride and enjoy the sun and thankfully there seems to b no ill effects from the overfilling. I did check the airfilter as i had read that you may get some blowback into the casing after overfilling but it was as dry as a bone. As for selecting 1st and 2nd gear this seems to have resolved to some extent even when hot. Still a big "clunk" on selecting 1st but again i have read that, to some extent, this is normal. And once or twice selecting 2nd from 1st might produce a bit of grinding. I suppose this may be just technique but i wonder if an adjustment might improve matters? It seems this can be a simple adjustment or a 3 step process, anyone have any views?
Enjoy the sun whilst it lasts, cheers!

A bib clunk is definately normal in 1st especiallt when cold not really so much in any other gears

I didnt know you could adjust out the clunk, how do you mean, adjust the clutch?

I agree with crash, most bikes will clunk into 1st when they are cold, but once they warm up and the oil starts flowing its should smooth out.

Ho ho ho. You don' t know how to adjust the clutch? Well read and learn Captain, read and learn!
First, put your bike on a central stand , making sure it's facing East West, otherwise the left sprodgit pin will unwind in a westerly directon , therefore upsetting the integrity of the .......... Well, of course , total b......s, what i meant was 'adjust the clutch cable' rather than the clutch. I wasn''t to concerned about the 'clunk' in first having read so many blogs where people had asked the same question. I suppose being new to bikes / trikes and not knowing what is normal for them is certainly a problem for us 'newbies' . I just added that as as an introduction if you like, as one would in normal conversation. I suppose, I was more concerned about the 'crunch ' from 1st to 2nd, which i thought might be technique, but wondered if an adjustment of the clutch cable might help. Obviously i need to make myself much much clearer in the future.
As always, cheers!

bill start your bike then leave it for 5 mins before rideing off then when you pull away it should be less of a clunk into first before you change into second put your foot into posision agaist the gear change with just a little presure then change gaer (into second) be firm but fair it should change up a little easyer all bikes will differ from one to the next even if there the same model but dont worry if she aint broke dont fix her

Thanks F.I. I'll try and alter my technique accordingly. I definitely do not want to start adjusting things if it is not needed! That way will only lead to tears! It isn't a major issue, hopefully your suggestion will provide the answer.
As always, cheers!

Yep tinkering with little bug bears often lead to big bug bears and then you wish you still had the little bug bear

That sounds cute, wish I had a Little bug bear

Crash, That really tickled me and the Mrs