Checking Your Motorcycle Oil

Checking your motorcycle oil is easy, and while changing the oil is a tad more involved it’s not something that you want to be neglecting OR paying someone else to do. What’s more is the oil in your bike is the first line of defence between the damaging side effects of fuel combustion and the engine. Without oil, your engine would quickly grind to a nasty and permanent halt.

It’s easy to get complacent about maintenance, but like we showed you in the Get On guide to washing your motorcycle (admittedly a smaller task), once you get the process and technique down it’s a doddle, and it can save you money too.

How to check your motorcycle oil:

Make sure your bike is as level as possible (i.e. don’t do this on a slope), and run the engine for about a minute to put a little heat through the oil and distribute it evenly around the engine. Then let the bike stand for a few minutes to allow the oil to drain back again.

If you’re motor has a dipstick, remove the dipstick and wipe off the excess oil, take note of the level indicators at the bottom of the stick. You want the oil to rest between the max and min markers. Reinsert the dipstick and pull it back out again to see the actual level. If the oil is running a little low then top up with the right oil for your bike. Then run the engine and repeat until the oil is in the right spot.

If you have a sight glass oil reading system, the method is much the same. Warm your bike for a minute and allow to rest for a minute in a level position. Locate the sight glass and inspect the level of the oil. If it is low, top up with recommended oil from your local garage.

Checking your oil should be done regularly to ensure that your bike always has the right amount, but also so you learn how much oil it uses over time.