About to pick up a 2010, worried about oil burn

Hi guys,

So i've got my mind set on a 2010 blade with 3000 miles on it, but i'm a little worried after reading about oil burn issues with 08+ fireblades. I know that it's mostly 08-09 that seem to suffer from this problem & i had thought 10's were less prone to it. But after having done some more research quite a few 10 owners have reported these issues as well.

I would imagine the problem is with the design of the engine since people who've had their rings replaced have still faced the same problem after a little while. So does that mean that the problem will remain with the 10-12 as well since it's basically the same engine? What i can't understand is why some bikes don't suffer from this issue? Is it because of how they're broken in or different riding styles?

Also wanted to know how to look for signs of oil-burn, besides looking for oil splatter on the exhaust etc. What's the worst that can happen as a consequence of this oil burn? I read that some people had to rebuild their engines but that was after doing a good 30-40k miles or so.

So i would appreciate it if people with 2010's can comment on whether they're facing oil burning issues. Just want to get an idea of what percentage of bikes seem to suffer from this problem.

 

I have a 2010 HRC and have had no oil burning issues at all, usage is minimal over the last 2700 miles and I am very happy with the bike, I have had it from new and ran it in as if it was a normal bike not mad but spirited riding

Hope this helps

 

Thanks for the reply, that is reassuring. However there are some people that mention these issues creeping up after 5000 miles or so but then there are others that have had it since the beginning. So i guess it's random.

 

Seems that way, I am sure stevebetts will be along soon but he had oil burning issues on his 2010 HRC and now has a 2011 Repsol with no issues, I guess like most things in life your lucky or your not, you could get a 2012 with issues its all luck of the draw.

I have not heard of many later bikes having issues though

 

I have a 2010 black gold bought it new aout 6 weeks ago 600 miles on it now (bloody weather has Stopped me riding more) not used a drop yet!

For me so long as the amount of oil the engine uses is within the tolerances set by Honda I'm not worrying about it.

Buy the 2010 it's a awesome bike!

What colour?

 

didnt steve find out his bike used to belong to ron haslam race school lol.
There are no obvious signs to look for appart from the dark exhaust. try and test ride it with somebody as bad oil burners will give out the odd puff of smoke here and there. If you have a good nose try to smell the bike when its running and you might be able to smell if its burning too much. It sounds stupid i know but worth a try

 

I have a late 2009 HRC i have done 9000 miles on it now and it burns no oil, in fact i change the oil every 2000 miles and have never topped it up once. I don't even bother to check the oil now as i know it is fine.

 

Tried that Fez bit worried now think my bike may be a oil burner ?????????????

 

Got a RRA 2010,registered 2011 Bought from new done 1800 miles with no oil consumption whatsoever.I do check it before venturing out and so far the oil ready for it is still unopened.
I don't know if others do this? Warm up for a few minutes before riding. It smokes slightly on first minute (choke)then settles down.

 

The problem is Honda have set their tolerance pretty high, i think they claim that 1 liter per 1000 miles is normal? Seems excessive to me!

I guess it might also have something to do with how hard you ride it. Mine will be getting most of it's use on the street with the occasional twisties. So i'm hoping it won't be too much of a problem. I did try putting my finger inside the exhaust and there was some black soot but not too much, so i think it should be normal.

This is the color, it's U.S spec:

 

Nice. Are the US bikes restricted?

 

Yes they are but you can get rid of the top end restriction by getting a z-bomb/irc. Even then they might make a couple of ponies less than the euro spec's but I guess I won't be able to tell the difference on the street.

 

haha i was thinking more along the lines of putting your hand over the exhaust then smelling your hand but what ever works for you lol

 

I have a 2010 hrc and have had no issues with oil at all, just under 2000 miles on it, always warmed up before go out, get it there great bikes!!

 

I have a 2010 swan colours no issus with oil and over 3000 very happy miles.

 

Snap !!

 

No issues for me either but iv changed the oil every 2k miles

its probably not a good comparison thou as my bike has only done 3k lol

 

Just do the best you can when checking it, as said, its a simple case of luck in most cases.... like that game of Russian Roulette in the Deer Hunter film !

 

The way I found it on my 2010 HRC (apart from the fact there was no oil on the dipstick when i checked it after 700 miles) is to get the bike warm and give it a good rev.
Below 6K you could see nothing from the exhaust - with a good rev you could see smoke from the exhaust and a strong smell of oil.
Although I think this is unbelievably poor and unacceptable from Honda, I have given up worrying about it.
If my new bike starts to use oil I will just top it up.
If there was another bike I wanted as much as the Blade I would change, but there isn't!

 

Thanks guys, i guess the problem isn't as bad as i had feared. It really is a shame that honda hasn't been able to fix this issue for so long because it spoils an otherwise perfect bike.

I'll try revving it to see if it smokes like this video. I checked the exhaust & while it didn't look as bad as it does in this video there was some black soot when i put my finger in there exactly like in this video.