How do I check and change oil on an XS650? Oil recommendations?

[royfisk]

Also while your at it pull the whole oil pan and check out your screen.

 

[xjwmx]

If I lay my bike on its side and go at the rear drain plug with a hammer and impact driver with a socket on it in an attempt to get the plug loose, will I regret it?

 

[pamcopete]

xjwmx,

I had a similar problem when I got my '81/H. Both drain plugs were seized. I replaced the front sump plate and left the rear alone, figuring that if I screwed it up, I would have to tear the engine down and somehow find a replacement lower case.

In the 13 years that I have had my '78/E I initially would drain the oil from both drains, but then it dawned on me that not very much oil was coming from the rear, so I just stopped draining the rear. Now, I'm doing the same with my '81/H.

 

[XSLeo]

I don't think I would lay the bike down. I might try a long breaker bar. Put some wood blocks under the socket end of the breaker bar to keep the socket on the drain plug. Get a some what large friend to set on the bike. Now put some pressure on the breaker bar. While holding pressure on the bar, wack the bar with a large hammer. This should get the plug loose.
Or leave it alone as Pete suggested.

 

[xjwmx]

I don't think I would lay the bike down.

It lays down fine It's great at 2 mph crashes on slick gravel, dewy grass, mud holes in the yard. Doesn't seem to bother it much.

I read elsewhere that not much comes out of hole #2, so with Pete's confirmation on that now, I'll just leave it alone. I've noticed myself that putting in the spec'd amount of oil at changes doesn't overfill it, implying it's all coming out for practical purposes.

 

[Beean123]

Hello Campetre, If your looking for the best oil for your bike and a oil that will protect
your bike while in storage, I recommend Amsoil. I use in in everything.

 

[XSLeo]

Most any motorc ycle specific oils work well.
On the deisel oils The amounts of ZDDP are higher than on car oils. The extra ZDDP helps keep the rocker arms and cam contact areas from wearing as fast. Look on the back of the jug and look at the ratings. Look for a JASO MA, this means the oil was tested and approved for wet clutches. Some deisel oils have this rating and others don't.
Oils that don't have the JASO MA rating may work, just not tested and approved.

 

[littlebill31]

Amsoil 20w50 does have a Jaso MA rating, but I have a 5 gallon can of Rotella. Gonna be a while.

 

[XSLeo]

Yes, it does have the JASO rating. I use Amsoil in my Harley. A bit to expencive for 1500 mile changes.

 

[Greg]

never herd of Rotella where can i get it

 

[Gordon]

Advance Auto Part's, or Auto Zone. Even Wall-Fart has it.

 

[xjwmx]

Here's a tip. On 2 out of 2 center stands I've noticed the foot tang was bent such that it raised the left foot an inch into the air making the bike un-level. The oil reading is very off that way.

I found that the tang is easy to bend back to the right position. Put the bike on the center stand on a concrete floor and tap the tang near the foot with a medium sledge until the foot is on the floor. The tang is a tube, not a solid piece. It bends pretty easily. Then you can check the oil.

A hair below full on the sight glass = a hair above full on my dipstick with it just resting on the case and not screwed in, on my '81. They must vary.

 

[Travis]

Don't bang on that tube too hard. the one on my SR500 is broken off and it's a pain in the ass to get it up on the center stand without it. I need to weld one back on there.

 

[xjwmx]

A friend gave me a replacement stand, and I noticed it was bent the same way as the one I wanted to replace. I had a smithy heat it and bend it. When I got it home I realized it was a tube. So I just bent the one that was already on there the way I described.

 

[benway0007]

my 650 i just bought is slipping a little in 3rd gear, will this go away with use and fresh oil.? it was sitting for 2 years and the clutch was stuck. should i put an additive or just bite the bullet and install a new clutch assembley?

 

[Gordon]

It is possible that a oil change will help stop the slipping. Check the sticky's on the top, tech section, for a proper procedure to adjust the clutch. Chance's are the cable and housing are dry, so lube inside the housing would also be good. I, myself, use Rotella 15/40 diesel oil. It has a high zinc compound that aids in clutch adhesion. I use that oil in all my vehicle's EXCEPT my Ironhead. That require's a minimum of a 60 wt. oil.

 

[XSLeo]

On your bent tang, after you get it straight get a gusset welded to it to better support the tang. Greasing the pivot bolts helps prevent bending the tang.
Leo

 

[trat]

I have been using Mobil 1 4t racing synthetic in both bikes (XS650 and Yamaha Royal Star) for a while. 10w40 year round. It's a little pricey but it's available at Walmart. The Royals are noted for a whine coming from the straight cut gears on the clutch basket and the Mobil 1 seems to quite it somewhat.

 

[blackleather650]

If you have the OEM solid copper washers, they're good for a very long time. Heat them cherry-red and quench to soften the copper.

15/40 diesel oils were a good choice because most of them carried very low molybdenum content (some moly compounds will build up in your friction plates and eventually cause slipping) and a high ZDDP content. EPA regs forced reduction of ZDDP awhile back, but it can be restored with a product called ZDDPlus. I'm currently adding 2 oz.of that stuff to a gallon of Shell Rotella 15/40, which, if I'm reading the dilution tables for the product and the VOA's for the oil right, gets the ZDDP level where it needs to be. Check www.zddplus.com . It's also available from Eastwood.

The nicest stuff I've used is Golden Spectro semisynthetic 10/40 or 20/50, but a price of around 8 bucks/qt. is hard to justify when you're changing oil every 1000 to 1200 miles.

Hey guys! Thanks for the excellent info! I'm currently rebuilding a "76 XS650 that's been sitting outside for about 20 years, under a cover...it needs LOOOVVVVEEEE! To help with the oil question, even the late Gordon Jennings recomended using a 15-40 deisel oil, because don't forget...wet-sump motorcycle systems share the oil supply with the clutch and trans, as well as the crankcase. You need to use an oil that satisifys all 3 of these, especially with no clutch slippage, and keeping the gear teeth happy with enough zinc in the oil formula, without having to add something to the oil. Most desiel oil meet these specs, look up the JASO DH-1 spec and compare it with the JASO MA spec! The biggest difference I've found has been that the DH-1 spec allows for a slightly higher amount of ash (rated in PPM) than the MA spec. Soooo...what i did was look on the manfacture's website (Shell Rotella-t, Mobil Delvac 1300, Chevron Dello400) to see if their particular oil had the JASO DH-1 rating. So far, the only ones that advertise this is Shell Rotella-T 15W-40, or their T6 full synthetic 5W-40.Most of these oils have at or above the ratings and formulation to satisfy any motorcycle with a wet sump, clutch/trans/crankcase combo. Oh, and by the way...the most expensive of these is the Shell synth, at about $18-21 A GALLON! Most of them are about $12-15 A GALLON! The proper protection, and cheap price, PLUS availability at just about ANY truck stopo on the planet, especially in these time=a bargin for me! Butn dont believe me...do the research for yourself, if you're on the internet! Just trying to save fellow bikers a buck or two, especially when we're dealing with "vintage" bikes! (AKA old two wheelers

 

[blackleather650]

Advance Auto Part's, or Auto Zone. Even Wall-Fart has it.

you can get Shell Rotella-T at about ANY truckstop on the planet! At a pretty cheap price, too!