SilverbackHayabusa
Registered
No kidding.
This will be my first post. Used to lurk here long ago but guess it's been so long that my account no longer exists.
Anywho, apparently I ran my bike (02 Busa) yesterday with almost no oil. It's been sitting about a month and was running fine then and there was no oil spots/pools under it in the garage to indicate it was leaking. It didn't have a lot of miles on it since it's last oil change so the level should have been fine but I was ignorant of some of the signs the bike was giving me to let me know it was low on oil and I jacked it up.
The most obvious sign I finally did get was the oil light came on and the bike started knocking. I was a mile from the house and road it the last bit home. Needless to say, the bike was pretty damn hot though it was in the normal range on the temp gauge while riding.
I added oil this morning; it took 3 quarts [insert shame face here]. I started it up and it gave a couple significant knocks right away but immediately sounded near normal. I let it idle a couple minutes and took in on about a 3 mile ride. After about a mile it started knocking mildly but consistently. Around the 1.5 mile mark it got a bit louder and I turned around towards the house. By the time I got home, the knocking was consistent and moderately loud. At idle, it's only a little noticeable but *any* throttle and it's significant.
My questions are:
Being motor ignorant, what the hell did I do to my engine? Quick Google searches sound like I probably ruined the engine but being motor ignorant, I'd like to know what I probably did to the engine specifically (I understand basic motor concepts like pistons, seals/rings, oil for lubrication, air/fuel mixture for combustion/power, etc.) and what the fix is, if any.
Being that the bike is 14 years old, if the engine is broke, is it worth getting a new engine or should I just use that money for a new bike? My concerns are the risks associated with buying a used engine, the costs of a brand new engine (if they're even available), the cost to have a new engine put in and the relatively low value of the bike once all is said in done (bike has blemishes on the plastic in a number of places, mirrors need replacing, and a few other minor issues that would keep it from selling for much more than $4K with a good engine). I'm weighing that against not having to pay $16K for a new bike Cost+TTL.
Lastly, if you were to buy a new bike, would you go for a new '14,'15, or '16 and why (I'm just starting to research any changes to each model year)? How much off do you think a '14 or '15 should be compared to a new '16?
Thanks for your thoughts.
This will be my first post. Used to lurk here long ago but guess it's been so long that my account no longer exists.
Anywho, apparently I ran my bike (02 Busa) yesterday with almost no oil. It's been sitting about a month and was running fine then and there was no oil spots/pools under it in the garage to indicate it was leaking. It didn't have a lot of miles on it since it's last oil change so the level should have been fine but I was ignorant of some of the signs the bike was giving me to let me know it was low on oil and I jacked it up.
The most obvious sign I finally did get was the oil light came on and the bike started knocking. I was a mile from the house and road it the last bit home. Needless to say, the bike was pretty damn hot though it was in the normal range on the temp gauge while riding.
I added oil this morning; it took 3 quarts [insert shame face here]. I started it up and it gave a couple significant knocks right away but immediately sounded near normal. I let it idle a couple minutes and took in on about a 3 mile ride. After about a mile it started knocking mildly but consistently. Around the 1.5 mile mark it got a bit louder and I turned around towards the house. By the time I got home, the knocking was consistent and moderately loud. At idle, it's only a little noticeable but *any* throttle and it's significant.
My questions are:
Being motor ignorant, what the hell did I do to my engine? Quick Google searches sound like I probably ruined the engine but being motor ignorant, I'd like to know what I probably did to the engine specifically (I understand basic motor concepts like pistons, seals/rings, oil for lubrication, air/fuel mixture for combustion/power, etc.) and what the fix is, if any.
Being that the bike is 14 years old, if the engine is broke, is it worth getting a new engine or should I just use that money for a new bike? My concerns are the risks associated with buying a used engine, the costs of a brand new engine (if they're even available), the cost to have a new engine put in and the relatively low value of the bike once all is said in done (bike has blemishes on the plastic in a number of places, mirrors need replacing, and a few other minor issues that would keep it from selling for much more than $4K with a good engine). I'm weighing that against not having to pay $16K for a new bike Cost+TTL.
Lastly, if you were to buy a new bike, would you go for a new '14,'15, or '16 and why (I'm just starting to research any changes to each model year)? How much off do you think a '14 or '15 should be compared to a new '16?
Thanks for your thoughts.
Last edited by a moderator:
