my first oil change...

[Creech]

So after learning the same shop that did my 600 mile service failed to put some of the bolts back where they belong and used the cheapest crap oil known to man, I decided to do an oil change early "just to be safe" (3300 miles)

What the hell were they thinking when they designed this thing?

Instructions for an oil change...

Step One: Disassemble motorcycle completely.

Step Two: Undo drain bolt from oil tank and dump 2 liters of oil all over the electrial components.

Step Three: Undo that weird oil line thing behind the drain plug to dump the oil from there.

Step Three A: fish around the oil drain pan for the bolt you dropped in the hot oil.

Step Three B: realise how damn hot the oil is and go for the nearest rag to get hot oil off your hand. Finish pulling and clean the screen.

Step Four: Undo the large drain bolt at the bottom of the motor. (after you removed the shield and everything else in the way)

Step Five: try to figure out where the hell that little screen they show in the manual is hiding. Figure out it's on the opposite side of the motor. Remove and clean.

Step Six: put everything back together.

Step Seven: fill oil tank with 2.5l of oil. Start and run (listening to that great sound as a dry sump motor starves for oil for 10 seconds)

Step Eight: Add oil (.5l per manual) and check oil again. Realise you're not even getting to the Min mark.

Step Nine: Run motor again, wait one minute then check oil again. Still nothin'. (yeah, I'm running the threads all the way in and it's on a flat level surface.) Add more oil.

Step Ten: Keep adding oil just to the point that you think there's no way this can be right. Check oil and realise you're 1/4 way up from Min.

Final step: add more oil (almost 1/2l more than called for) and call it good once it reaches 3/4 way up to the Max limit. Ride and check every 10 miles to see if it's spewing out some crankcase breather or other unpleasant place.


Sigh...

-Creech

[hogmolly]

Here is my simplified version:

1) drop bashplate
2) remove engine drain plug and remove filter
3) install drain plug and new filter
4) remove drain plug from oil tank and use a beer can cut sideways as an oil chute.
5) install oil tank drain plug
6) fill with 2.5 quarts of oil and start bike
7) kill bike and add remaining 1/2 quart of oil
8) check for leaks and install bashplate (use loctite blue).

checking the screen each time in not really needed IMHO. I save my screen checks for my valve adjustments since the tanks must be removed anyway.

[cagiva549]

Check the screens the first time , If they are clean good, run it . If they ever trash up with metal changing the oil isn't going to help. good luck. SEYA

[1stiski]

Found that changing my oil is worth the effort, Nice to see that all the wires and vaccum lines are were they are suppose to be. All it would take is a careless (paid) mechanic to route something or pinch something, and you've got a problem. I'd rather do this myself, and really, its not that bad, everything has a place.

[jsrider]

Originally Posted by ssls6

6) fill with 2.5 quarts of oil and start bike
7) kill bike and add remaining 1/2 quart of oil

When I followed the owner's manual instructions on this to the letter, I ended up with the perfect oil level. It is hard to see the level of new oil on the dipstick.

[JBird]

Try changing it in a Duke II. Half the old oil ends up on the Garage floor everytime. I found it helps to drink a beer between every step!!

[SamM]

To avoid spilling the oil all over the electrical parts, remove the small metal fuel tank mount plate right above the battery and you can easily fit a funnel under the oil tank to avoid the mess.