Andi
06-13-2004, 05:40 PM
Oil - Regular oil and filter changes will keep your motorbike young. Oil level (four stroke engines only) Checking your oil level is not a simple matter when in comes to motorcycles i.e. should the oil be hot or cold, is the oil level checked in the crankcase or in a separate reservoir (a dry sump), should the dipstick be fully screwed in or not, must the bike be on the center stand, side stand or simply 'level' and does the bike have a dipstick or a sight glass? All this adds up to reading the manufacturers handbook very carefully. An under filled crankcase can be disastrous while an overfilled one may flood you air cleaner with oil. You should also know the difference between the 'low' level and the 'high' level in ml e.g. if the difference is 300ml you cannot purchase a 500ml tin and pour the whole can in!
Here are some pointers regarding oil which are true for most motorcycles
1. The bike should be level as possible.
2. The oil should not inspected cold and is therefore best done when you stop for fuel.
3. Do not allow foreign matter and dirt to fall into the sump during the inspection process
4. With threaded dipsticks do not screw the dipstick in when taking a reading
5. With a sight glass you are OK if oil is visible (there is probable no 'high' or 'low' markings)
6. High temperatures, time, speed, heavy traffic, short trips and dust quickly destroy the quality of your oil
7. Change your oil every 5000km or 3 months, whichever comes first although take note of point 6 above.
8. Never use a pirate oil filter. An excellent quality pirate unit can still destroy your engine as its "Bypass Filter Rating" may be incorrect for your particular model. Thus, use only the one from your manufacturer.
9. Motorcycles can and do use the same oils as cars although special synthetic motorcycle oils are available for sportbikes that are ridden hard. Note that synthetic oils are not recommended if your bike has a wet clutch (a clutch that runs inside the oil in your crankcase) In South Africa a semi-synthetic oil graded as SAE 20 W-50 is usually fine. Deviate from this only if you will be riding in extremely cold temperatures.
Here are some pointers regarding oil which are true for most motorcycles
1. The bike should be level as possible.
2. The oil should not inspected cold and is therefore best done when you stop for fuel.
3. Do not allow foreign matter and dirt to fall into the sump during the inspection process
4. With threaded dipsticks do not screw the dipstick in when taking a reading
5. With a sight glass you are OK if oil is visible (there is probable no 'high' or 'low' markings)
6. High temperatures, time, speed, heavy traffic, short trips and dust quickly destroy the quality of your oil
7. Change your oil every 5000km or 3 months, whichever comes first although take note of point 6 above.
8. Never use a pirate oil filter. An excellent quality pirate unit can still destroy your engine as its "Bypass Filter Rating" may be incorrect for your particular model. Thus, use only the one from your manufacturer.
9. Motorcycles can and do use the same oils as cars although special synthetic motorcycle oils are available for sportbikes that are ridden hard. Note that synthetic oils are not recommended if your bike has a wet clutch (a clutch that runs inside the oil in your crankcase) In South Africa a semi-synthetic oil graded as SAE 20 W-50 is usually fine. Deviate from this only if you will be riding in extremely cold temperatures.