Basic maintenance is vital to the long-term use of any motor vehicle. With the price of fuel and the cost of experienced technicians on the rise, the need for many cyclists to perform scheduled maintenance themselves and conserve their riding budgets has also increased. If you think you want try to do it yourself, here are some steps to help you change the oil on a motorcycle.
Place an oil-catch pan under the oil drain plug on your motorcycle.
2
Loosen and remove the bikes oil plug, being careful not to burn yourself if the engine is still hot.
3
Let the oil drain into the pan.
4
Unscrew and remove the oil filter with your hand, replacing it with the manufacturer's recommended part.
5
Replace the oil drain plug and tighten until it is firmly in place then turn it another quarter of a turn, to ensure that it stays in place during normal vehicle operation.
6
Begin refilling the engine with oil slowly, the amount of oil your bike needs depends upon the size of your engine and the manufacturer's specifications. If you are unsure about how much your oil your motorcycle needs, look for an oil window on either side of the lower part of the engine block. The oil-level should ride above the bottom mark and below the top mark.
7
Start your bike and let it idle until it gets to full operating temperature, turn it off, let it get cold and check the oil again. The oil-level should now appear a little low. This is normal. A certain amount of oil fills the empty oil filter. Just top off the oil to the top of the mark on the window and you'll be good to ride.
Tips & Warnings
Keep your bike's engine and chassis clean before and after working on it with a light-duty spray solvent such as engine degreaser or WD-40.
Most motorcycles require between two to four quarts of motorcycle grade oil. Keep this in mind when choosing your oil drain pan and when trying to decide how much oil you will need.
If you are unsure of how much oil your bike needs ask the salesman at your local auto or motorcycle parts shop. They will need to know the year, make, model and engine size of the bike you want to maintain.
You can avoid having to top off the oil in your bike by pouring a little bit of oil into the filter before replacing it.
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