Oil gurus

S

storywriter

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I just changed my oil and filter for the first time. The owners manual said it would hold 3.6 liters. I put 3.785 L, or 1 gal. I kept adding, and looking at the sight glass and it never came up. Then I figured out the bike wasn't exactly level.
My question is: should I drain 185 ml out or sould it be OK?:roll:
Din-K-dau
 
You have to check the oil level with the bike in an upright position. I would drain some of it, overfilling is just as bad as under filling.
 
What a pain, eh? Why not use a good old-fashioned dipstick?

I use a level on my handlebar tree to make sure I have the bike level and thus get the most accurate reading on the oil level.
 
YOU HAVE OVERFILLED YOUR BIKE!!! You gotta level the bike to get the proper sight glass reading.

I'm not saying this was the best way but I lay on the ground, reached up to the right handlebar and with it in gear pulled down to level the bike and read the sight glass. Not necessarily the safest but it worked and when you're doing it by yourself what are you to do?

Drain the extra oil.
 
You always need to start it up and run it a few minutes to circulate the oil, let it settle, THEN check the sight glass. Don't just pour it in while looking at the sight glass and call it good when you see the level come up.
 
This is a RARE day.....that I disagree with DrBob.......... :shock:

Yes, overfilling is just as bad as underfilling but HOW MUCH is important.
In both cases, being off by a LOT is VERY important; being off by just a little is no big deal. I'm guessing that 185ml falls into the second category.

How would I decide? Check the sight glass. If the level is not above the top or just barely above the top, then I wouldn't worry about it, especially given the difficulty of removing just a BIT of oil. If, OTOH, you have to tip the bike a LOT to see space in the glass, then you probably should drain a bit out.

Good luck with doing that. I'd advise having at least a quart on hand since you will most likely drain out too much and have to add a little back.
 
Of course I started it up for a bit before checking the site glass. I simply forgot to mention it in my post. I did tip the bike while filling to check the site glass and then I verified by using the appropriate method of checking oil level. I'm sorry if my post was misleading.
 
In the garage, I just set a little mirror like this on the ground on the right side of the bike, about a foot away. I angle it so I can see the oil window just perfect when sitting straight up on the bike.

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Ok, this might just be me, but whenever I change my oil I always fill it up with it on the stand and when the level reaches the very bottom with the bike on the stand I know I have reached the top if the bike is level. This is what I do and has worked for many, many miles...
 
OK......yes, it's just you! :mrgreen:

That may work perfectly for your year, make and model but you are lucky in that respect. Trust me, it does NOT work for lots of bikes......LOTS. And even you must be sure it's on a level surface or it won't work for you either.
 
That's my first step. I'll put just little less than it needs then go do something for about five minutes. Then come back and check to see if the new oils is starting to show at the very bottom of the window. Then I'll and just a little bit more. Run it for a few minutes, turn it off, let it set for a bit and then do the sit on it an do the mirror check. Usually it's just perfect. If it's a bit low, I'll add a little more and call it done.
 
I do the two-person system. My wife sits on the bike and holds it level while I look at the sight glass.

I also get to stare at her great...well, nevermind, that's how I fill the bike with oil..let's just leave it at that.
 
I can't take credit for the idea, but using a cheap line level, glued to the tank filler base is how I make sure the bike is level when I check the oil. Just remove the level capsule from a line level from home depot or any hardware store; glue it right above the fuel filler cap, and you'll never guess again.

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combine this with Diamond Jim's idea above:

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:wwpics:

We just want to make sure we are doing it right when we check the oil. :mrgreen:


BTW, Cirquerider- that's a great idea. You can take credit for the level mod. I hereby bestow credit upon thee!
 
Cirquerider,

Great idea!!!
Walmart sells a 2 pc level for RV's that go on the front (like your image) and a second one for the side of the vehicle with inch markings that tell you how many inches you need to lift the front/back to have a perfect level.
and it's very cheap!!

Check for it at your local walmart in the RV/Motorcycle section.
 
I use Shell Rotella full syntetic oil that comes in 3.785 L or 1 gal containers in Walmart. I generally put almost the whole thing in leaving maybe 100 mg in the bottle. This way, when the bike is perfectly leveled it takes 2/3 of the space between low and high marks after I run the motor for a few minutes and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

And to check the level of my oil I sit on the bike and simply look at the oil window through a telescopic mirror...

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