Checking your oil

[kermit]

After or whenever you do it, when checking your oil do you screw down your dip stick or just put it on loosely...if you screw it in all the way you get a different reading then just putting it on loosely...just want to make sure i have enough oil in there....i believe the book says to put it on loosely can't remember if i read that in the owners manual or another book thanks....

[Gideon]

You  are corrrect.
Do not screw it in.
Bob

[R J]

I straddle mine on the seat, upright,  and then put the cap on top, NO SCREW it in.

Pull out and take a reading.    It should be either on or slightly above the line.

If you can't find where the oil is on the stick, wipe it clean and redo the test.   Now shine a bright flashlight on the stem, once ya find it mark it in some way shape or form.    Then file a notch in it for future reference.

Make sure their are no filings on the stem , before ya put it back in.

[Mallett]

Make sure you check it upright....when I first bought my bike I didn't know that...put a quart of oil to much & run it a few hundred miles before I realized what I had done...I don't guess it hurt anything tho...that was about 15000 miles back....

[kermit]

k thanks for all the reply now my next question with a new filter how much oil do i put it i believe it says 3.75 liter cause i'm canadian.....so that is about 3 and 3/4 quarts of oil or do i have to put more if i put a new filter on....cause the filter will take almost a quart itself

[signart]

With a new filter, get a gallon jug of oil, pour it in.

[Farther]

My preferred oil comes in a gallon jug and I put the whole thing in.

[Chrisj CMA]

My preferred oil comes in a gallon jug and I put the whole thing in.

exactly put the whole gallon in.....every day before I ride I check under the bike.  If theres no oil then HEY its still inside the motor, after 5,000 miles or so I dump it out and see it again, Yep, it was still in there, in goes another gallon.......

[Gryphon Rider]

From the service manual: 3.7L. If you buy your oil by the US quart, 4 quarts = 3.78L. Close enough.

[Tailgate Tommy]

My preferred oil comes in a gallon jug and I put the whole thing in.

exactly put the whole gallon in.....every day before I ride I check under the bike.  If theres no oil then HEY its still inside the motor, after 5,000 miles or so I dump it out and see it again, Yep, it was still in there, in goes another gallon.......

+1 That's always worked for me.
tkylli

[kermit]

From the service manual: 3.7L. If you buy your oil by the US quart, 4 quarts = 3.78L. Close enough.

So I guess i would need  4.3 liter of oil if i change the filter and oil like you are suppose to do according to the chart you are showing me .......Dam i hate the metric system easier just to put in 4.5 quarts and not 4.3 liters....thanks for all the help people...


P.S. in one in ontario close to the niagara region that has after makert pipes on their Interstate i want to see how loud they are i really don't want them to loud i hate waking up the neighbors in the morning with loud pipes not nice to wake them up at 5:30 am....

[Bone]

easier just to put in 4.5 quarts

3.9 quarts

[Chrisj CMA]

Just dump in the 4 qts.  I just dont drain drain drain each bottle thinking whatever is stuck to the bottle is close enough to .1 and call it good.  

If I buy the Mobil 1 in the 5qt bottle I use my one qt funnel bottle and fill it to the line 4 times and then call it good..........

Or you can use some complicated algebra and expensive measuring devise to insure exactly 3.9qts and not a drop more gets put in, but then you'd better measure the exact amount that comes out too, to make sure of the end result.  Heck maybe  we should get an MRI of our crank cases to insure there's no anomaly causing a need for a tad more or less.......

......dump in 4 qts and go ride

[Gryphon Rider]

Read it again. 3.7 litres when you change the oil and filter. 4.3 litres if you disassemble the engine.

So I guess i would need  4.3 liter of oil if i change the filter and oil like you are suppose to do according to the chart you are showing me .......Dam i hate the metric system easier just to put in 4.5 quarts and not 4.3 liters....thanks for all the help people...

[Donut]

  since 1983 and after 4goldwings, 4 ventures and now a Valkrie..I checked my oil often...never had to add a drop.....am I wasting my time ?????    gittin in my beer time....LOL