So I had a nice day on the track at Snetterton last Sunday with my bro on his RSV Mille (I couldn’t keep up with him, naturally). We had a great day though apart from me having the gear shift rod disconnect on the first sighting lap and having to coast to the pits and therefore losing the session time. I did notice late afternoon that I had a few spots of oil in the belly pan, it looks like they may be be coming from the horizontal cam inspection cover, I need a closer look. However, I seem to have lost quite a bit of oil that’s unaccounted for. I filled the oil to the max line the day before, but after about 90 miles at the end of the day it was just slightly below minimum. I’m wondering if I’m burning oil. Engine has 22k miles on it, so maybe the valve guides are worn? Any advice to properly diagnose? I do love the 748 but if the engine needs a rebuild I will consider selling it, or maybe using it as an excuse to fit an 848/1098 lump or something
I've also taken my 748 to the track. They're a great bike and capable of very good corner speed but frustratingly underpowered out of the corners. This is partly the reason why they are such a great track bike. At max revs my bike does also burn a bit of oil and also I get some weeping around the seals in the head. I wouldn't worry about it overly. I also commute on the bike and oil consumption is normal at these times. My video if you are interested
cam cover is an easy fix, and worth doing anyway. Regards oil, generally, for track use you would set the oil level nearer the minimum line and keep an eye on it more. Most bikes tend to blow a bit of oil with sustained revs if filled right to the top. Just my 2p worth
