Oil Level

Raymond said:
Does that mean, it would read Full if the bike was on original centre stand? To be clear, that would mean that when they designed the dip stick, Yamaha assumed bike is on level floor and allowed for the engine being slightly tilted forward when on the stand?
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I honestly do not know how Yamaha designed it. Checking it on the center stand. Remove dipstick, wipe it off and insert till threads touch and remove. When I change oil I only put in 2300cc of oil.

Jim had a very good idea.
Jim said:
To be honest David, none of this matters... threaded in... resting on threads... on the centerstand, front wheel chocked.... tongue situated just so... none of that matters. Fill it with 2.5l, configure it however works best for you whilst on the road and check the level. Mark the dipstick at that level (file or whatever) and call it a day. That's your full mark. If you want to get real fancy, fill it with 1.5l and put a mark for 1l low... add the extra liter and now you have a full and 1l low mark. Just make sure you set your configuration so it's easily repeatable on the road.... threads and chocks be damned. :rolleyes:
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oil level check.jpg
 
Jim said:
To be honest David, none of this matters... threaded in... resting on threads... on the centerstand, front wheel chocked.... tongue situated just so... none of that matters. Fill it with 2.5l, configure it however works best for you whilst on the road and check the level. Mark the dipstick at that level (file or whatever) and call it a day. That's your full mark. If you want to get real fancy, fill it with 1.5l and put a mark for 1l low... add the extra liter and now you have a full and 1l low mark. Just make sure you set your configuration so it's easily repeatable on the road.... threads and chocks be damned. :rolleyes:
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I like this method - it “calibrates” the dipstick to the way that you want to check your oil level. On larger new car engines with large oil capacities, 1/2 a litre really doesn’t matter so much but on these smaller engines I suppose it’s best to keep it very close to spec.
 
From the SH Supplement Manual:

D. ENGINE OIL LEVEL MEASUREMENT

1. Place the motorcycle on the center stand. Warm up the engine for several minutes. NOTE: Be sure the motorcycle is positioned straight up when checking the oil level; a slight tilt toward the side can produce false readings.

2. With the engine stopped, check the oil level through the level window located at the lower part of the right side crankcase cover, or screw the dip stick completely out and then the stick in the hole. NOTE: Wait a few minutes until the oil level settles before checking. When checking engine oil level with the dip stick, let the unscrewed dip stick rest on the case threads.

3. The oil level should be between maximum and minimum levels. If the level is lower, add sufficient oil to raise it to the proper level.

There are little variations depending on which year manual you read. The SH Supplement mentions about waiting for the oil level to settle before taking a reading.
 
When I first got my '81 it used a quart every couple hundred miles, it would use the most on the open road, sustained speed. One time I forgot myself somewhere in Kansas or Nebraska. It was getting toward dark and a bad storm was coming so I shut down for the day. I checked the oil, and there was nothing on the stick. So I put in some oil and it took pretty much the whole capacity to get it between the marks. Probably a hundred miles or more running like that. And probably over 90 degrees ambient. Afterward it was none the worse for either oil consumption or compression. Not suggesting you do that, but just saying oil level is perhaps not so critical as you are thinking. Vehicles in general, you don't have a real problem short term as long as you have enough oil left to not lose oil pressure. That means enough oil left for the oil pump to draw up. Yes, this might not be a good idea with your average airplane...

One thing you can do is on the center stand as recommended get the oil level where you want it. Then, push it off the stand and check where it is on the stick now. Thereafter you don't have to put it on the center stand to check the oil.

Re: Pete's statement, personally doing everything by the book my oil level is between the marks when it contains the recommended amount, with the stick not screwed in, although I screw one or two threads in to make sure it's in the right place.
David Toll said:
Unhappily, I'm about to take off into the Wide Blue Yonder
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How is that even possible?
 
Also, just to cause controversy, when you change your oil it's probably best to open the rear plug first to try and wash out a large area there where sludge builds up.
 
OK, The consensus appears to be as per the manual, at least in terms of procedure. I'll top the oil up now with the bike on the stand and the stick on the threads. Next oil change, I'll use Jim's calibration technique. Bosco may be right. The regular loss of a little oil may, over time, cause a significant drop in the level. As I say, the bike's only done around 150 miles since the last oil change and I didn't think enough time had expired for the loss to be so significant - obviously, this is not the case.
My father always stressed the importance of the correct amount of the right oil. In those days we checked the oil every time we pulled into a service station and I like to look at mine regularly to avoid issues. The factors affecting an accurate reading of the XS's oil level seem unacceptable for what should be a simple process but, perhaps the process is simple and it's me who is the problem.
I'll do it by the book.
As usual, thanks gentlemen for your interest and patience.
xj, "wide blue yonder" is an allusion to the freedom we all encounter on the open road. Didn't see any of it yesterday as I was involved here but, it's blue skies over sunny weather today and I'm off.
Cheers
 
xjwmx said:
When I first got my '81 it used a quart every couple hundred miles, it would use the most on the open road, sustained speed. One time I forgot myself somewhere in Kansas or Nebraska. It was getting toward dark and a bad storm was coming so I shut down for the day. I checked the oil, and there was nothing on the stick. So I put in some oil and it took pretty much the whole capacity to get it between the marks. Probably a hundred miles or more running like that. And probably over 90 degrees ambient. Afterward it was none the worse for either oil consumption or compression. Not suggesting you do that, but just saying oil level is perhaps not so critical as you are thinking. Vehicles in general, you don't have a real problem short term as long as you have enough oil left to not lose oil pressure. That means enough oil left for the oil pump to draw up. Yes, this might not be a good idea with your average airplane...

One thing you can do is on the center stand as recommended get the oil level where you want it. Then, push it off the stand and check where it is on the stick now. Thereafter you don't have to put it on the center stand to check the oil.

Re: Pete's statement, personally doing everything by the book my oil level is between the marks when it contains the recommended amount, with the stick not screwed in, although I screw one or two threads in to make sure it's in the right place.

How is that even possible?
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I screw one or two threads in to make sure it's in the right place

Same here
 
I have the oil sight glass on both of mine, and use it regularly because it's just so easy. Just a glance tells me if I need to add oil. It's reading may not perfectly match the stick but I know if I don't see any oil, I'd better add some, lol. It came stock on my '83, I swapped on a newer sight glass equipped cover to my '78. Great mod I would do to any one of these that didn't have the window.

I don't accurately measure the amount of oil I put in at oil changes. I dump in 2 quarts then enough of a third to bring the reading up to where I want it on the stick (between the half way full and full mark).
 
5twins said:
I have the oil sight glass on both of mine, and use it regularly because it's just so easy. Just a glance tells me if I need to add oil. It's reading may not perfectly match the stick but I know if I don't see any oil, I'd better add some, lol. It came stock on my '83, I swapped on a newer sight glass equipped cover to my '78. Great mod I would do to any one of these that didn't have the window.
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Not a real fan of the sight glass I have one on my Triumph
Once you know where the oil needs to be on the center stand your good to go
On my Triumph ya gotta bend down to see where the levels at I carry a flashlight so I can see it better
On the Yamaha just pull the dipstick Never a question where the oil levels a just my :twocents:
 
Greyandridin said:
Triumph ya gotta bend down to see where the levels at I carry a flashlight
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I've got several like that; balance an 800 pound motorcycle with one hand up on the handlebar while kneeling and bent around with my head upside down to see the :cussing:sight(less) gauge that's buried deep behind frame, fairing, under footpegs etc. :wtf:
I'm getting better at taking a picture with my phone to "see" it.:cautious:
 
These 650s are a piece of cake to check oil on. On my RE 535 single there is only one way to get an accurate oil level reading.
You have to stop, shut it down, get off and put it on the centerstand without it leaning to the right or left before putting on the centerstand. If you use the kickstand even for 15 seconds and then put it on the centerstand the oil level will read low. No matter how long it sits on the centerstand the oil does not come back. Some quirk in the internal passages. It's just the way it is, you learn to live with it.
 
Paul Sutton said:
Filling to Hi put the oil to the top of the view glass.
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Same on mine. A PO had fitted the sight glass casing, I assume.
It's close enough for me and after decades of using sight glasses I'd have fitted one if it didn't already have it.
I often check level on the road, by pulling the bike toward me and eyeballing the sight glass - been doing that with every bike for the past few decades.
Tip: when doing that with a heavy bike, make sure the grip is firmly fixed and the sidestand doesn't spring back.
 
gggGary said:
I've got several like that; balance an 800 pound motorcycle with one hand up on the handlebar while kneeling and bent around with my head upside down to see the :cussing:sight(less) gauge that's buried deep behind frame, fairing, under footpegs etc. :wtf:
I'm getting better at taking a picture with my phone to "see" it.:cautious:
Click to expand...
Never thought of that
 

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