Any tip overs when you use oil? Could be pouring oil down the crank case breather tube and burning it when dropped. Other wise it might be the valve stem seals that are not seated properly.
No tip overs. Well, not every time. I haven't taken the time to check the seals; been riding too much. I will, though. They may be seating, and unseating randomly.
I you keep riding while burning oil you risk getting lots of buildup on the valves which could keep them from closing properly.
How about ice?? We went out yesterday for a few hours, and today, just the two of us rode in the freezing rain. The 350 EXC is very quick on ice, and is a little easier to ride, but the romp of a 530 can't be beat. The 530 with the BD headlight has a rather fecked rear tire, and is squirly, but is fun to hang out at 110 km/h. Good times, I'm whipped. <iframe frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="640" height="360" src="https://api.smugmug.com/services/embed/2248183399_pkvDZmt?width=640&height=360&albumId=25761091&albumKey=V4BG8Z"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="640" height="360" src="https://api.smugmug.com/services/embed/2248176898_WH7gVbj?width=640&height=360&albumId=25761091&albumKey=V4BG8Z"></iframe>
That is awesome. I wish there was a lake around here to do that on. I wonder if Deep Creek in Maryland would be ok to do that on when it freezes.
Nice shots,very scenic riding you've got out there. I got in 80 miles of singletrack last weekend in nor cal,the snow has melted off and riding is great! We had 18 guys show up for sunday's ride,split up into 3 groups. One gentleman of a certain age (70) went for a swim in one of the deeper water crossings,only his helmet and handlebars were sticking out of the water for a moment. Not the thing to do in November really. I was on my 300 and had an absolute blast racing nose to tail through the woods sat and sunday with a friend on a 530. Got away with only one minor tip over.
i'm looking for a seat for my 530 exc now. I'm a biggun so i probably would be more comfy on a wider seat. Is your new one wide? Thanks
Are you getting into the throttle on one ride and not on the other? My 530 never pushed any oil when I had it. Then when Tha Ric bought it it pushed oil for him. He defiantly revved the motor higher than I did. I always had a higher gear to shift to. I singled tracked the bike. Never dual sported it.
Nope. And I would think it would burn more at high RPM, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I rode it around the Gypsum Hills in KS nearly WFO for a few hundred miles, and didn't burn a drop. Then a 40 mile putt-putt ride the next week, and it dropped halfway down the sight glass.
Mine is inconsistent as well. I can go 150 miles with no use, and then suddenly it is down. I purchased all the parts to do a top end two years ago but the usage has never got bad enough that I feel the need to tear into it. The bike now has almost 10,000 miles. I just carry one of those small slime bottles filled with oil and have a cap that seals up. I use the slime cap when I top the bike off. Has served me well for 5 day trips and the oil is so easy to add. Never uses even the whole slime bottle of oil on these trips.
Have a question for you guys regarding the ignition wire jumper behind the headlight mask. I was looking at the switch from Trailtech here, and the description states the stock configuration is mild. The earlier explanation I read here was that the stock configuration is wild, and removing the jumper or adding a switch is to enable the mild mode. I know you guys know, can you confirm?
I got the tall seat set up from Seat Concepts and really liked the width and cushioning, but it was a bit high for me (at 6'1", I was right on the edge). Long story short, I bought a used pan and put on the regular SC, which is perfect for me. I've still got the tall seat/pan, perfect condition, and have been meaning to list it. Let me know if you are interested and I'll send you some pix.
I'm convinced that you can have fairly different sight glass readings with the same amount of oil in the engine. Drain and measure is the only way to be 100% sure what you've got. My proof of this theory is that mine used to routinely "make" oil- low at one check, higher at the next, none added in the meantime. I also think that the valve guide seal issue can come and go. They go up and down with the valve for a while- crazy consumption. They reseat on the head for a while- no consumption.
