Checking the oil

[NeilS]

How do y'all check your oil?

Sounds like a simple question. The manual tells you to do it with the engine hot, 5 minutes after you shut it off. But I'm not very good at doing that. I'm usually hot/cold/tired/hungry/thirsty after I come home, and I really want to be doing something other than waiting for the oil to drain down. So I'd rather leave the bike on the center stand overnight and check the oil the next morning (T-CLOCS?). It also seems to me that that procedure would give more consistent results.

I understand that oil expands with increasing temperature. But is the expansion significant? In other words, if I set the oil level, say, to the middle of the sight glass after the overnight rest, how different will the level be when measured using the "official" procedure? Is there any other reason why this might be a bad idea?

[deilenberger]

Neil,

I check it when I think of it - which is usually after it's been sitting overnight. I don't think the expansion is a really big factor, nor (unlike some others) do I think the exact level is that critical. If I see oil in the window while it's on the centerstand, I'm good to go. Right after I change it (like now) the oil will be at the very top or very near to the top of the window. As I put miles on - it very slowly drops.. until at around 6,000 miles it's down to the bottom 1/4 of the window in the morning. That change is less than 1 pint... since the bike takes 4 quarts, the change isn't really that significant so I don't worry about it. My last bike ate oil, and it was more critical that I keep an eye on it.

The other nice thing on the R12R - since the oil cooler is located low on the bike/engine, it isn't like the GS and other bikes with a high-mounted cooler, where the thermostat might, or might not, open and dump the contents of the cooler back into the sump. Those bikes require a good deal more of a ritual in checking oil (or a lot more casual attitude towards it.) Stuff like - 'stop engine, count to 10, put on centerstand, wait exactly 8.5 minutes, circle bike three times chanting "Oil Level be GOOD", check level.'

Basically on the R12R - Kiss works..

[MikeCam]

Those bikes require a good deal more of a ritual in checking oil (or a lot more casual attitude towards it.) Stuff like - 'stop engine, count to 10, put on centerstand, wait exactly 8.5 minutes, circle bike three times chanting "Oil Level be GOOD", check level.'

It's 7 minutes exactly on the sidestand and the chant is "Oh gods of the oil cooler, let my oil go!.