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From: mjranum@gouldsd.UUCP (Marcus the Ranum)
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: Re: Flashing Oil Light
Message-ID: <177@gouldsd.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 15-Sep-86 14:42:41 EDT
Article-I.D.: gouldsd.177
Posted: Mon Sep 15 14:42:41 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 27-Sep-86 08:33:05 EDT
References: <1271@drutx.UUCP> <1848@ihlpa.UUCP> <20783@rochester.ARPA>
Organization: Gould Inc, ASDD, Landover, MD
Lines: 31
Summary: oil pressure failure

> 
> It's my impression that when an oil-pressure warning goes off, it's
> like the chip-detector in a helicopter:  You're already getting big
> time damage; land (pull over) the thing IMMEDIATELY.  Anyone care to
> comment on how long a bike engine lives after oil pressure fails?
> 
> Stu Friedberg  {seismo, allegra}!rochester!stuart  stuart@rochester

	Depends a lot on how fast you are turning the engine over at
the time. Certainly every second you run at low oil pressure is going 
to put several hundred (thousand?) miles worth of wear on your bike.
It all depends on what kind of shape your beaings are in already, and
how much of an oil film they retain. There's also the matter of heat,
since you might just melt those 'ol bearings right out of there....
	I've never ridden very far on a bike with low oil levels. Just
far enough to coast to a stop with the bike in neutral and the kill
switch punched. I know a guy who routinely logged mega miles on his
old Kawasaki 440 with the oil light flashing. Thing still runs, from
what I hear. It could be that oil pressure warning lights mean different
things on different bikes. On some it could mean you're marginal, and
on some it could mean you have 3,000$ of junk between your legs....
Best to avoid it, unless you can talk Honda into giving us a brace 
of interceptors for some exhaustive testing...  :-)

Live Free !!
mjr
-- 
 
Moon so bright for love!
Outstretched palm at dusk dies
With insect-talking