Oil Change

Message

#1 Unread post by **t_bonee** » Sat May 07, 2005 6:01 am

Hey all,

I got my first bike home last night and want to change the oil. I don't have any manuals for it yet and I can't find where the oil filter is. It is a Suzuki GS650L.

Anywho, I'd like to put fresh oil in it even if I can't change the filter at this point. I don't mind doing it again in a couple weeks when I get the manuals.

Question is, seeing as I don't have a manual yet to let me know how much oil to put in, after I drain the old and start to put in the new, with the bike on it's center stand should I just eyeball it through the oil indicator until it is half way between low and high or so?

Thanks a bunch.

Tom

ronboskz650sr · Sat May 07, 2005 6:48 am

Just an educated guess, but its probably on the bottom of the oil pan, next to the drain plug. probably see a round recessed plate about 3 1/2 inches diameter with a bolt through the middle. Look under the seat for oil capacity, than put a little less than that in until you check it, then top it off to just under the top line. There should be info for with or without filter change. I check mine in a level spot with a small mirror on a telescoping handle, while seated on the bike.

BuzZz · #3 Unread post by **BuzZz** » Sat May 07, 2005 7:02 pm

Most bikes have the oil capacity cast into the cases someplace, often near the oil fill hole, or near the drain plug as Ron said. Failing that, bike level in all planes, halfway up the sightglass should be safe.... after the bike has been run and the filter has been filled with oil by the oilpump.

Gadjet · #4 Unread post by **Gadjet** » Sun May 08, 2005 5:28 am

Being the resident GS650GL guru here (being one of the few owners of one on this board) here's the info that you need.

There are two drain plugs on the bike to drain the oil - one is in the centre of the oil pan between the exhaust pipes, the second one is on the left side of the bike, just above the exhaust pipe and below the shift lever.

If your bike is a chain drive model, then you will not have the second drain plug on the left side of the bike.

Oil filter is on the front right side of the engine, between exhaust pipes 2 and 3 (looking forward, counting from the left side of the bike). the filter cover is a round cap with three acorn nuts holding it on. It also has a drain plug on it.

Be very careful taking the filter cover off, as there is a large spring on the back of it that helps to hold the filter in place. It will want to push the cap off, so when you are taking the last acorn nut off, you should try to hold the cap in place and take the nuts off with your fingers (once you have them loose enough to do so)

Oil capacity for the GS650GL is 3.2 litres (3.4US quarts) with a filter change. Every time that I have changed the oil on my bike though, I have put in the required book amount of oil, and then slowly added more to bring the level in the sight glass to just below the full line.

Oil capacity for chain drive models is 2.6 litres (2.7 US quarts) with filter change

Owen

as a handy tip, you might want to take your old filter out of the bike and take the old o-ring off the filter cover before you go out to buy a new filter. clean up the o-ring and take it with you to make sure that the o-ring that comes with the new filter is the right size and shape. I have had two occasions where I have purchased the correct filter (right part number) but the o-ring was the wrong one.

ronboskz650sr · Sun May 08, 2005 6:46 am

Wow..my apologies...didn't know it was that different in configuration. At least there was a plug in the middle of the plate! Sorry.

Gadjet · #6 Unread post by **Gadjet** » Sun May 08, 2005 7:33 am

ronboskz650sr wrote:Wow..my apologies...didn't know it was that different in configuration. At least there was a plug in the middle of the plate! Sorry.

No worries Ron.

I was confused when I first got my bike. Even with the manual, I still had fun working on it over the winter.

I might try to rebuild my dad's old KZ650 sometime this year. fortunately, there is already a manual handy and my dad used to race the bike, so he has lots of experience tearing it all apart and rebuilding it.

Either that, or I'll try to rebuild one of the three Bultaco's that we have in the garage. I suspect I'll have all kinds of questions with those bikes.

ronboskz650sr · Sun May 08, 2005 4:08 pm

Cool! I really like the kz650. I really thjink the hardest thing is the shim under bucket valve adjustment, but that's a small price to pay for reliability. Let me know if your cam chain tensioner runs out of adjustment (if yours is automatic), as I have a pretty easy fix for that to get you a few more miles on the cam chain.

BuzZz · #8 Unread post by **BuzZz** » Sun May 08, 2005 7:04 pm

Unless you have a real good line on Bultaco parts, you may be better off with the KZ, Gadjit. You might not be able to just reach into your bag and pull out Bultaco pistons.

The finished Kawi would be killer, to.

But if you live next door to the ex-Bultacao North America CEO who has a warehouse full of parts handy....

Gadjet · #9 Unread post by **Gadjet** » Mon May 09, 2005 1:38 am

BuzZz wrote:Unless you have a real good line on Bultaco parts, you may be better off with the KZ, Gadjit. You might not be able to just reach into your bag and pull out Bultaco pistons. The finished Kawi would be killer, to.

But if you live next door to the ex-Bultacao North America CEO who has a warehouse full of parts handy....

Swap meets my friend, swap meets.

#10 Unread post by **t_bonee** » Mon May 09, 2005 7:07 am

WhyteGryphon wrote:Being the resident GS650GL guru here (being one of the few owners of one on this board) here's the info that you need.

Excellent. Glad to know there is a guru on the board for the type of bike I bought. Your expertise will be sought many times I'm sure.

WhyteGryphon wrote:There are two drain plugs on the bike to drain the oil - one is in the centre of the oil pan between the exhaust pipes, the second one is on the left side of the bike, just above the exhaust pipe and below the shift lever.

Do you need to drain oil from both of them or just one?

WhyteGryphon wrote:If your bike is a chain drive model, then you will not have the second drain plug on the left side of the bike.

Oil filter is on the front right side of the engine, between exhaust pipes 2 and 3 (looking forward, counting from the left side of the bike). the filter cover is a round cap with three acorn nuts holding it on. It also has a drain plug on it.

Be very careful taking the filter cover off, as there is a large spring on the back of it that helps to hold the filter in place. It will want to push the cap off, so when you are taking the last acorn nut off, you should try to hold the cap in place and take the nuts off with your fingers (once you have them loose enough to do so)

Oil capacity for the GS650GL is 3.2 litres (3.4US quarts) with a filter change. Every time that I have changed the oil on my bike though, I have put in the required book amount of oil, and then slowly added more to bring the level in the sight glass to just below the full line.

Oil capacity for chain drive models is 2.6 litres (2.7 US quarts) with filter change

Owen

as a handy tip, you might want to take your old filter out of the bike and take the old o-ring off the filter cover before you go out to buy a new filter. clean up the o-ring and take it with you to make sure that the o-ring that comes with the new filter is the right size and shape. I have had two occasions where I have purchased the correct filter (right part number) but the o-ring was the wrong one.

Thanks a bunch for the knowledge. I appreciate it.

Tom