Ok, managed to get both my lower fairings off without any great drama !!!
So chuffed, i am about to start a ' mega ' clean of the lower half and chain but have noticed my bike has an after market filter on it (silver), i think its a K & N. I have read how to do an oil change but for the people who have done it, just how hard is it and is there anything to consider or look out for.

Any oil filter removal tools recommended also. Ta.

 

Oil changes are easy. Simply remove the engine drain bolt to remove the oil, then reinstall it. Unscrew the filter and replace it with a new one. Then fill the engine with new oil to the fill line on the sightglass. there are no "special" tools required, but make sure you have a funnel that fits the fill hole. You should be able to unscrew the filter by hand, but it may be tight on there. If it doesnt have a nut built on, use channel locks to loosen it. Thats it, but you may want to cover your header with some rags to prevent the oil from getting on them, and have some brake parts cleaner handy to clean up.

Demon

 

This is a pretty easy task, and a good start on learning to care for your own bike.

There are only a couple of things to watch for...

One: The oil drains best when the bike is warm. This also makes it an easy way to
burn your hand, while removing the oil-filter (if it's tucked behind the headers).
So loosen it to hand-tight, before warming the engine.

Two: To properly drain the oil and check the level later, the bike should be standing upright.
Not on the side-stand. If you don't have a main-stand, you should get a rear-stand.
This will help for other procedures (like chain lube/adjustment), as well, so is a good investment.

Three: I use a piece of cardboard under the oil filter to divert the drip away from the
headers and into the catch-pan. This helps avoid any mess on the headers/floor under the bike.

Four: While you should not strong-arm the drain-plug, be SURE it is properly torqued
to avoid it vibrating loose and dumping your oil out, while riding later.

Five: the proper method for installing an oil-filter is to hand-tighten and then snug it
1/4 turn further, with the wrench. Also, use a little of the drained oil to moisten the
rubber o-ring on the base of the filter. This will assure a good seal, using the above procedure.

Do NOT over-fill the engine! If you do fill beyond the top-mark, drain the excess,
and carefully re-fill back to the mark. Failure to do so, will potentially, cause the
head-gasket to fail. Leading to a needless and expensive repair.

This is a sad lesson I learned the hard way, when I was starting out.

Hope this gets you started on the fun and rewarding path to caring for your baby.

Ern

 

My method:
Run engine for a couple of minutes.
Put bike on stands.
Remove my R lower fairing.
Place oil pan under bike.
Loosen oil nut but don't remove.
Place aluminum foil under oil filter & direct out to oil pan.
Remove oil cap.
Remove oil nut & allow to drain.
Remove oil filter carefully & tilt upward to prevent spilling oil on headers during removal.
Allow to fully drain.
Install & tighten oil nut.
Install new filter (dab oil completely around seal ring on filter b/f install).
Fill oil to spec & reinstall oil cap. Run engine for a couple of min, turn off & let sit for a couple of minutes, recheck level & add more oil if necessary.
Reinstall R side fairing.
Down from stands. Done.



Notes:
B/f Removal of the oil filter, I wipe it clean to get a good grip on it to remove. If it won't release by hand, I use an oil filter wrench.



If you have a shop change oil & filter: Most technicians don't care if they get oil all down inside your fairings or on your headers...its all about getting the job done quickly w/ the least amount of labor possible.

 

Cheers guys, just what i needed, what filter wrench would you recommend ? Also i had read somewhere that its best to put the bike on its side stand to drain all the oil from the engine ??? Ie if you drain it whilst on the ABBA stand (i have one of these), then there would still be oil somewhere in the engine .....

 

oil filter pliers.



the amount of oil left in the engine, either way, is insignificant. the rear stand works better because it provides more clearance. i use a trash can lid as a low profile drain pan. it fits under the bike well and bends easily to make pouring it into a transportable container (old laundry detergent container with the spout punched in works well)

 

Any little bit left is negligible.

 

+1 to demon's pliers, that's what I use as well.

Ern

 

I did mine on my own the first time in about a hour. Spent more time removing and replacing the fairing and waiting for oil to drain then anything else.

Also, not sure if it's been mentioned, the fairing bolts are different sizes, remember where you took them out of.

 

Cheers for that, but i have taken my fairings off (both lower cowls) for my intense clean.... and they all appear to be the same size, two have rubber grommits in them but apart from this all are the same ?