Engine oil level.

[avgas]

Rule 1 - Oil gauge only reads from oil sensor - not whole bike, trust it as a last resort (long story). If you are unsure - keep an eye on the temp gauge, if it spikes or fluctuates, your in trouble.
Rule 2 - You also can hear when oil isnt where it should be (if you use a good oil), as the motor becomes quite noisy and ratt-like. Grinding noises, cam rattles....etc get worse with limited oil.
I only know the basics (others on here know way more than me), but these two rules have saved a total of 3 of my bikes so far.
Hope this limited intelligence saves another bike

[scumdog]

I'm assuming the fork seal material is plumbers tape.

Roofing RTV, the screwdriver is only to scoop the congealed goop out of the nozzle so you can smear the fresh stuff around the leaky seal.

[FROSTY:Me]

I would have thought Yamaha would have a safety margin built in so the light comes on before you're sucking thin air,whats the point of a warning light coming on when it's just to tell you "sorry you've just rooted your motor"

my bad matey--check post time--anyhoo i meant to put--on your honda -if the oil light comes on.....

[F5 Dave]

The oil light in my FZR and my mates XV come on when the thing is full to the top. Fuggen annoying really. The sensor for mine must be on the LHS somewhere as it usually comes on after taking a right hander at speed...or is it the other way around? Anyway, you get the idea.

Yeah FZRs are known for it, The YZF doesn’t seem to give false readings but I seem to remember one of the early 1000 tests they had the issue. Scared a few FZR riders for no reason. Hard to make a level indicator in such a harsh environment I guess.

[Velox]

You are a bad bad girl for not keeping up with this vital maintenance ritual. Nuff said.

She was told by all on the welly cruise last week bout regular maintenance..... probly did it this week so we couldnt giv her shite tonite.......

Velox - you shouldnt have done anything serious yet, and it'll like you for a while now uve changed it. theres usually around a half litre variation on the scale on the oil level gauge so you dont wanna have to put more than that in............... ..

Oi you lot! Every other time I've done my oil change pretty much on the dot so enough of that nonsence thanks! Straight to your rooms.


The bike's fine - I know I haven't hurt it (yet) but I didn't realise it was an oil pressure gauge rather than oil level. So I take it that the light is basically just to tell you "Sorry - too late. Your bike is stuffed. Go away". Not so useful.

Cheers for the advice guys!

PS: It takes 2.2L (when changing the filter too) and is a very happy bike at the mo with new oil. Although I haven't noticed much of a difference (except it won't use up nearly as much oil now).

[vifferman]

Hard to make a level indicator in such a harsh environment I guess.

When the engine's running, yes, then an idiot light for pressure is better.
Our car has an oil level gauge - comes on when you turn the key on, and stays on for the first 15 seconds after the engine's running. And the other car has two gauges for the cooling system (probably because it has a very thin, lightweight aluminium radiator, like a bike) - one gauge for temperature, the other for the level in the coolant reservoir / expansion tank.

[DEATH_INC.]

You gotta do WHAT?!?!?

Jees...
Step 1 Run the engine till the oil's hot enough to burn your hands
2) put bsomething under your bike to catch said oil
3) burn your hands while taking out sump plug
4) burn your hands with gush of oil pouring out
5) burn your hands recovering sump plug from oil in container
6) remember to remove oil filler thingy
7) clean side of bike coz oil all over it from oily hands (refer 4 above)
8) burn your hands putting sump plug back in
9) fill with oil till it shows up in the little window thingy (you can use this new oil to soth your burned hands too)
10) put filler thingy back on
11) wipe hands clean(ish) and side of bike
12) head into burns unit
13) upon return, check oil level and return to step two above as needed

How do you guys do it?
MDU

That's pretty much it,cept after step 4 you retreive the drain container that you sent flying pulling your hands away from the hot oil and look for something(like the mrs sweater...)to soak up the 3 litres of oil thats now flooding the gargre....

[madboy]

Oi you lot! Every other time I've done my oil change pretty much on the dot so enough of that nonsence thanks! Straight to your rooms.


The bike's fine - I know I haven't hurt it (yet) but I didn't realise it was an oil pressure gauge rather than oil level. So I take it that the light is basically just to tell you "Sorry - too late. Your bike is stuffed. Go away". Not so useful.

Cheers for the advice guys!

PS: It takes 2.2L (when changing the filter too) and is a very happy bike at the mo with new oil. Although I haven't noticed much of a difference (except it won't use up nearly as much oil now).

How bout before next Thur you remove the oil completely so I don't have so much trouble keeping up?

[DarkNinja]

I guess im a shocker. Ive done 6000kms on the wee beastie and i havent changed the oil yet. im just reading up on a website how to do it for the GPX and i dont get this oil changing thingie. filter: where do i get that? tighten to 14.5 lb/fts: i dont have a speciallydesignedcompressionomater to do that so i might bung up.
it also mentions types of oils but its amercaaan so i dont know how that converts to with the purity etc of the oil in nz. dont know about synthetics and stuff either.
Im a newbie to all this stuff i confess. some help?
DN

[FlyingDutchMan]

I changed my oil just over a week ago. Drained out ~13 litres of crap. I had intended on changing the oil at 3,300km, but the bike waspretty insistent that it happen at 2500km. So it stuck float valve in carb one open a tiny amount, and the entire tank drained through carb, inlet valve, cylinder, past piston into the sump, past outlet valve into exhaust, back up the carb and into the air box and into the carb 2 just for good measure. and this happened in Tekapo while sitting for a few days after it wouldn't start post tank fill. Took me six hours of work to dissassemble, drain the sump, clean the carbs, de-hydro lock piston 1, put fresh oil in and reassemble the beast. Runs like an absolute dream now though. I highly recommend a carb clean!