Hello all,
For some time I have been mulling over the idea to get a Commander. Ex-police appeals for the combined single seat/pannier arrangement.
The one thing that has made me hesitate is the amount of oil that the engines burn and the smoke this generates. I saw a video recently of a Commander that was for sale, that had apparently had its engine reconditioned by Startright and was running perfectly. When started, there was clearly blue smoke coming from both silencers there then cleared whilst idling. When the throttle was blipped only mildly, there was immediately a proper blue cloud haze behind the bike, which just did not look good. It reminded me of friends' Suzuki GT250 and GT550, which perhaps understandably were quite smoky.
The question I have is whether smoking engines is normal and considered acceptable? What does they mean for oil consumption, especially with continental touring in mind?
Any thoughts would be much appreciated.
Andy
Oil consumption
My Commander uses around 1 litre per 600 miles. If I take into account the fact that my Commando burns some oil and has frequent oil changes, the overall oil consumption is not that different between the two.
The Commando smokes at first but soon settles down.
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Was your friend on the Suzuki's bothered about the smoke? He was probably enjoying the ride.
My ex-police Commander might be similar to the bike you are considering. The engine oil is constant loss metered through a posilube two stroke pump. Just like the Suzuki. More throttle, more oil. They are linked.
Left standing for a long time, oil finds its was past the pump and into the engine. My pump may be a bit worn at 81,000 miles. First start in the spring can be a bit hazy.
Mine smokes if I have been bimbling along for miles and have to stop quickly, particularly on a downhill. Oil pools somewhere and gets chucked into the engine on hard stopping.
All perfectly normal and if you are riding the bike, perfectly acceptable.
I use Shell rotella, a mineral oil. Some say the alternative Fuchs Silkolene 2T smokes a bit less, but it costs much more.
A great ride, totally smooth, but to those following....?
Peter