Total Motorcycle Community Forums

should it be in between the level while its running? upright...ie on the center stand? or on the kick stand?

The Haynes book for the Honda Shadow says to run the bike until it's at normal temp, then shut it off and wait 5 minutes, then lift it vertical. The oil level should be between the marks (the mark and the end of the stick, really).

Dunno about a bike with a center stand. And other bikes with sidestands might have different rules.

Try it a few different ways and tell us how much of a difference it makes.

well if its on it center stand after running its in the middle...when we changed the oil thats where we figured it should be...if its on the kickstand its well below the vision hole...and when its not running its just barely above the vision hole on its centerstand.

Best to check it just sitting on two wheels.

Checking it on the centerstand might cause the oil to slosh forward, or back, depending on the location (like a bubble inside a level, ja?)

It helps to know what bike you're talking about, but generally if it has a sight glass on the side of the motor casing then the oil is normally checked with the engine OFF, the bike held upright (not on the center or sidestand) and only after it has been sitting a few minutes after being warmed up. Checking it while the motor is running will not give you a proper reading - the oil disappears from the sight glass because it is being used throughout the motor. If you fill it while the motor is running you will in fact overfill it which will cause all sorts of problems. Too much oil is just as bad as too little.

If the motor has no sight glass, then it should have a dipstick - this is normally checked as per above but instead of looking through a sight glass you are looking at the marks on the stick. The usual method is to insert the dipstick until the threads contact the hole, then withdraw it and check the reading. Some bikes require that you fully thread the dipstick in place first, then remove it and check the level. In any case, the owners manual is what you should be checking first before anything else. If you don't have one, you can probably get it here: http://www.repairmanual.com/motorcycles/

I double-checked the Haynes book, and it doesn't specifically say anything about whether my dipstick should be screwed in or just dipped. Which makes a big difference; about halfway from full to low.

Having the bike on the sidestand or held level makes about the same difference.

So if I have the bike on the sidestand and dip the stick, I'm about 5 mm below full, and if I have the bike level and screw the stick in, I'm about 5 mm above.

But everything works, so I don't think it's overfull. And the oil is fresh and clean, which is nice. It means they weren't lying when they told me it had been changed just before I bought it.

Ironic, that the book is called Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, because dealing with the quirks and tics of a particular model or unit is a lot more <i>gong-fu</i> than <i>zen</i>...

blair wrote:I double-checked the Haynes book, and it doesn't specifically say anything about whether my dipstick should be screwed in or just dipped. Which makes a big difference; about halfway from full to low.

Having the bike on the sidestand or held level makes about the same difference.

So if I have the bike on the sidestand and dip the stick, I'm about 5 mm below full, and if I have the bike level and screw the stick in, I'm about 5 mm above.

But everything works, so I don't think it's overfull. And the oil is fresh and clean, which is nice. It means they weren't lying when they told me it had been changed just before I bought it.

Ironic, that the book is called Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, because dealing with the quirks and tics of a particular model or unit is a lot more <i>gong-fu</i> than <i>zen</i>...

thats a great book...and its level when the bike is level...after about 5 minutes of running and a little cool down...

Generally speaking, bikes equipped with centerstands are meant to have their oil checked while on them. Dipsticks, at least the Honda Blackbird I owned, specified in the manual that the stick was NOT to be screwed in, rather resting at its lowest position without being screwed in.

Oldnslo is right about this. AFAIK, for all bikes that came factory-equipped with centerstands you're supposed to use them when checking the oil level.

mental note: check oil with stand in morning.