Flakes in oil

[yellowandfast]

2014 , DD, Nash flash, voodoo pipes.
Only has 3600 miles on it.

Changing oil tonight I noticed faint flakes in the drained oil.
No noises, oil changed every season. Not sure how or why I looked this time, but only really able to see them with a flash light, barely able to feel them when rolling the oil on my fingers.
How concerned should I be?

I ride the bike hard, but don't "abuse" it. Few rolling burnouts, hard launches etc, but I don't drag race it.

 

[one2dmax]

You can run the oil for a bit and then send it to blackstone labs for a analysis. They will let you know where the most likely part(s) is that the debris is coming from.

 

[TheFleshRocket]

Yup, I'm a religious user of Blackstone analyses. I've probably paid that company a couple thousand dollars over the last two decades.

 

[MileHayabusa]

Yup, I'm a religious user of Blackstone analyses. I've probably paid that company a couple thousand dollars over the last two decades.

You and me both...I buy samples in bulk and always add-on the TFN analysis, so I can see how much 'life' the oil might have left in it.

I have never been disappointed with the service I have gotten from them and do it on every oil change or every vehicle I own...

 

[user 74794]

I have a magnetic drain plug it it always has a scary amount stuck to it but still running great at 25k miles.

 

[yellowandfast]

I have a magnetic drain plug it it always has a scary amount stuck to it but still running great at 25k miles.

Yeah, same here.
I even cut the filter open and there were very small, but ferrous pieces in there also.
I have read that ferrous would be shift dogs.
I'm going to ride it for 500 mile's then send it in for analysis.

 

[sdt354]

Keep in mind trans. parts also get in the oil. Those rolling burnouts always made me smile, but slight wear of the gear dogs happens. It happens anyway even if not on the throttle.

 

[sdt354]

Yeah, same here.
I even cut the filter open and there were very small, but ferrous pieces in there also.
I have read that ferrous would be shift dogs.
I'm going to ride it for 500 mile's then send it in for analysis.

Didn't mean to jump your post.

 

[Pighuntingpuppy]

3600 miles, the engine I would think is still on the cusp of breaking in. Less than 400 miles a year....that engine never sees operating temperature. Most wear on any engine occurs at start up cold.

When I bought my 2009, it had 5800 miles on it. I ended performing the engine break in procedure all over again. Ran a break in oil for 500 miles. Varied engine RPM while riding including a couple high RPM shifts. After, I started using the synthetic Yamalube with OEM filter. I have never seen glitter swirl, flakes or pieces of the engine.

My suggestion.....break in oil and plan a 500 mile road trip somewhere. Change the oil after that and run your flavor of choice and see what you got.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

 

[yellowandfast]

3600 miles, the engine I would think is still on the cusp of breaking in. Less than 400 miles a year....that engine never sees operating temperature. Most wear on any engine occurs at start up cold.

When I bought my 2009, it had 5800 miles on it. I ended performing the engine break in procedure all over again. Ran a break in oil for 500 miles. Varied engine RPM while riding including a couple high RPM shifts. After, I started using the synthetic Yamalube with OEM filter. I have never seen glitter swirl, flakes or pieces of the engine.

My suggestion.....break in oil and plan a 500 mile road trip somewhere. Change the oil after that and run your flavor of choice and see what you got.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

I bought the bike new in 2014, and rode it quite a bit the first few years. You need to remember I live in Wisconsin and we have a short riding season, plus i have 20 other bikes i ride and vintage cars to drive, so my time between them all is limited. Then we had kids and honestly, the last few years i have only put a tank of gas through it a season.
I was also thinking that it wasnt fully broken in yet. But the comment of it not getting warmed up properly is just plain ridiculous, like I said, i ride it hard, i dont abuse it or treat it like a piece of junk.

 

[Parminio]

the comment of it not getting warmed up properly is just plain ridiculous

Yes, it is. That's why this site has an ignore feature.

The typical break-in period of any motorcycle is 500 to 1000 miles depending on type. The absolute highest break-in period I've ever heard of is 1500 miles.

I've never heard of any vehicle requiring 3,600 miles to "break in" or that well over double the break-in period for any motorcycle ever built by man is still "on the cusp" of breaking in. That too is just completely ridiculous on its face and is also why this site has an ignore feature.

 

[Pighuntingpuppy]

Type into any search engine this question.....When does most engine wear occur? Answer is during cold starts. Once the engine has ran, yes....the oil is circulating. But on a cold engine, the oil pressure is higher than when its at operating temperature. Most engines with too high of oil pressure will bypass the oil filter to prevent blow out. So....instead of the metal flakes in the oil getting trapped by the oil filter, its still circulated in the oil. Once the engine is warmed up, the oil is thinner, the oil pressure will drop and the suspended particles will then get filtered properly.

You can ignore this fact, but its a mechanical fact.

Pressure Differential​

The pressure differential is the change in pressure from the inlet to the outlet side of the filter. If the pressure differential is too high, a valve will open, allowing the oil to bypass the filter. All engine oil filters or heads are equipped with a bypass valve.

I would like to think this site has reasonably smart people. But they like to argue against facts that are easily researchable. And I dont understand why?

 

[MileHayabusa]

Type into any search engine this question.....When does most engine wear occur? Answer is during cold starts. Once the engine has ran, yes....the oil is circulating. But on a cold engine, the oil pressure is higher than when its at operating temperature. Most engines with too high of oil pressure will bypass the oil filter to prevent blow out. So....instead of the metal flakes in the oil getting trapped by the oil filter, its still circulated in the oil. Once the engine is warmed up, the oil is thinner, the oil pressure will drop and the suspended particles will then get filtered properly.

I had this 'issue' with a B-King I bought used...4,166 miles on it and you could tell the bike had never been abused, not a mark on it and in almost showroom condition with nothing more than a set of Two Bros. mufflers and a PC3 on it.

I'd done nothing but work on it and would only occasionally start it and let it idle for 15 minutes or so with a rev thrown in now and then to keep a charge on the battery and this went on for a two years or so. Was doing some work on the clutch, putting in a Brock's clutch kit, and changed the oil at the same time and did what I always do...off went the sample to Blackstone Labs. 'Busa motors are known to be basically bulletproof and what do I get back from my oil testing: "Visible metal particles in the oil."

Engine idles fine with not a single unusual sound, so once I can get the bike out I will ride it and put 500 miles on it and send another sample off. I expect that one will come back just fine.

 

[3-Max]

But they like to argue against facts that are easily researchable. And I dont understand why.

People.