If eyes are windows to the soul, then a sight glass or dipstick is a window to the lifeblood of your ride. It’s time to check your oil.
One of the most important regular maintenance checks you can perform on your bike is to check the oil.
The major reason to check your motorcycle oil is to ensure that you have the right amount in your bike. Too much oil can cause pressure to increase in the crankcase, and this can increase engine wear. Too little oil, and you run the risk of metal-to-metal contact as the engine is starved of the lubrication it needs.
Usually the way you check your motorcycle’s oil level is by using a dipstick, similar to the way you would on a car, or by using a sight glass or inspection window located on one side of the engine’s crankcase.
Before you check your oil, you need to ensure the following.
- The bike is on level ground. Checking the oil on a hill may affect the accuracy of the measurement.
- The bike is stood up straight, ideally on its center stand and definitely not on it’s side stand. Tip: If you’re doing this alone, and don’t have a centre stand, you can apply the front brake with your right hand and then pull the bike gently towards you by that side of the handlebars. You can then use the other hand to ensure the bike doesn’t come too far over while you check the sight glass. Where a dipstick is used, unscrew the dipstick but do not remove it from the housing until the bike is upright for a more accurate reading.
- The engine is cool or the bike has been standing for at least 15 minutes. While the engine is running, oil is being pumped everywhere. If you were to stop the engine and immediately check the level, it will likely read low until the oil has had time to filter back down to the bottom of the crankcase.
How often should I check my oil level?
Ideally, you would check your engine oil before every ride. Failing that, at least once a week if you are a daily or regular rider.
How often should I change my oil?
Your motorcycle’s owner’s manual will tell you how often you should change your oil. Modern oils and filters are incredibly stable and robust, so early changes are not really necessary. As a rough guide, if you want to be overly cautious or ride a lot of track days, you can change conventional oil every 3,000 kilometres, semi-synthetic every 5,000 kilometres and synthetic every 7,000 kilometers.