I've had this 1990 Electra a week, ride it 65 miles from where I got it to home, been in the shop getting "Super Serviced" and cleaned up really good, as well as a fresh starter.
When I go the scoot, the P.O. had a pile of reciepts from mid 90's to 2006 (when he stopped riding the bike) on all the service and "farkles" he put on it. So I have a good time line of what went on with this machine.
The P.O. had a reman. motor installed, (looks like it was back a few times before the replacement for a oil leak at the rear main seal) @ 16,000 miles ago, (16,000 seems to be a lucky mileage here, I see ALOT of threads with that mileage in it!).
It's got 42,000 on it now.
I see he seemed to have an oil use issue with it.
There was a top end repaired new valve guides and valves after the motor was done like 4,000 ago.
(A tip of the hat to you guys here, he had the rocker and base gaskets replaced TWICE for leaking- I learned here you gotta let these bad boys warm up. I oftern wondered why some guys let the bike idle whilist they are putting their gear on, now I know why-keeps the base and rocker gasket from blowing out!!)
Is this motor know for oil use??? (my old as well as new Royal Enfield will use oil if pushed, it's just the way the motor is).
Seems he went from Pa. to Datona, and used almost a quart (2 up, loaded for trip I'm thinking).
When I dumped all the oils, I noticed it was less than what I put back in, (@ 1 1/2 qt missing???. I know I checked the motor oil before I left his house...........................)
Just trying to get a handle on this motor, if I gotta take the top off and rebore to true it up and do a head service, It's a few days of work after work, no really big deal, winter is comming and I want it 100% next riding season.
Joe
If it weren't for bikes what would I spend my $$ on??

 

I had a reman motor put in my '93 ultra , and it used oil if I ran it on the highway between 50-70. But only Harleys oil, when I switched to amsoil that stopped. Didn't use alot of oil, as I check the oil before I put it away after it cools down, but maybe a 1/4 of a qt in 600 miles. If you check the bitog site you can see different brands of oil have different flash points, and synthetic's tend to have higher points. That would make them better suited for twin cams as they run alot hotter then Evos. Running in hot temps will cause oil to thin out and vaporize, thus being consumed. You could try another brand to see if that helps before tearing the motor apart.,,

 

How much oil and how far? Anything leaking out? Puking all over the ground when you start? Smoking? Is the level in the primary stable (not filling up)?

A quart in a thousand miles is nothing to be worried about. These aren't new Toyotas. My bike will use a lot more oil on fully synthetic oil versus HD old style Dino oil.

 

my 85 uses a qt. every 1k, i don't worry about it. it isn't a show or go bike. i just ride it.

 

When I looked at it and fired it up stone cold, it didn't smoke, nor on the test ride, or the run up the turnpike home.
I swapped out the "fish tail mufflers", (I have tentious in my ears, and a certain tone drives me crazy, loud mufflers don't help) for a set of stock mufflers off my departed '07 Ultra.
When I was firing it up, no smoke, nor oil drips anywhere I can see.
The P.O. was a "Harley Oil Only" user.
me.... I switched out to Amsoil last spring after I talked the rep at Daytona, happy with the oil PSI hot, the way it cleaned out my '07, so that's all I run, (I had put the gear oil in my trans. 2007 Ultra's were know for a gear "rattle" . The Amsoil gear didn't cure it, but "Red Line" gear oil did, so I use that in the gear box.
I may run it for while to "reseat" in the rings, watch the oil level,and then run a comprssion test and check the valve giudes if it looks like I'm using some.
Thanks
Joe
I've become an information junkie!

 

Open that primary and see if you get out approx 1 quart of clear prim oil If alot more of black oil this could be your problem

 

My Twin Cam uses 3/4 of a quart between oil changes with Amsoil. Always has. Dyno oil-none! Not a drop from what I can tell.
My Evo burns a qt. every 800-1200 miles depending how I ride it. The oil gets dirty right away (I even tried flushing it). A mechanic friend of mine said that is from "blow by." What do you guys think? Normal? Bike has 36K on her.

 

Ride it and don't worry about it, Brett.

I put new base gaskets and rings in about 15 years ago at around 50K miles. Before that, that is, with the motor untouched from the factory, I would always use about a quart in 1000-1500 miles, depending on how hard I ran. After the new Hastings rings and a dingleball hone on the cylinders to just put some hash marks in there, I used virtually no oil. Now I'm back to a quart in 1-2K or so. There's some scoring inside the cylinders. At leas in the rear, as I had that head off a couple years ago and saw them. I'll keep running it until there's a problem and worry about it then. I have 80K on it now.

 

Thanks Hess-that will save me some time and money this winter! More cash for other mods!

 

The mileage I'm hearing from you guys is WILD!
I had no idea these motors were that solid!
I had dropped my primart oil, and it was clear, (wanted to see if there was any "reeses pieces" that might be a problem).
I'm gonna "assume" the rear main leak that caused the P.O. was the other side, (hence the oil leak)?
My buddy who has been a "life long Harley Owner", (I had a 900 in the 70's, raced MX on a 250 in the 70's and just switched from off road to touring last year and got back into H.D.'s) told me that in the 90's there was a recall and a motor swap cause the case was or went bad @ a seal.
I guess I'll just have to toss a qt in my saddle bag! like I do my Royal Enfield!
Joe
A bike is more than a machine. Only a real rider knows that!