just changed the oil in my RR for the first time. put in some Rotella T6 synthetic 5w40. i put in the prescribed 4 quarts [3.7/ new filter according to the manual], started up the bike, ran it, and shut it back off. looked in the spy glass and it showed no oil. yes, it was on a bike stand, and yes, i did wait for all the oil to run back to the oil pan. so i added another quart. now it is overfull, but by how much, i can not tell.

problem is...what is up with how much oil i need? was there something i didn't take into account when i put in the first four quarts? i really dislike spy glasses as opposed to actual dipsticks. logic dictates that i drain out the oil until i get a good measurement.

 

The problem is you had it up on the stand. Bike needs to be sitting on both tires on level ground, and being held upright right at the balance point to check it. Overfilling the oil can be detrimental to your engine, if full enough it will hit the counterweights on the crankshaft as it spins which will cause the oil to foam.... not good!!

Drain some out, refill with the bike sitting as states above. Sight glasses work just fine, you just have to do it right in order for it to work

If you knew it took 3.7 quarts, why did you put in 4 quarts to begin with??

 

thirdgen is right. If the bike is on the stand, the oil will disapear forward of the sight glass because the rear of the bike is lifted off the ground. And yes, that little bit makes a big difference.

Since you added 5 quarts, I'd say you need to drain at least a quart and then measure the correct way. And yes, you really need to drain the oil. you don't want to run the bike with a quart over for the already stated reasons. Also, some engines can produce excessive crank pressure when overfilled and lead to gasket and o-ring failures.

A little tip that may make it easier to read your oil level. I sit on my bike, hold it level, and then use a telescpopic mirror to view the oil level. You can pick up a mirror on a telescopic rod at just about any autoparts store for around 5 bucks. All you have to do then is sit on the bike, hold it level, then look at the mirror to see where your oil level is at.

 

i drained out the full extra quart, got the oil down to about half way in the sight glass. this while holding the bike as upright as i can and still able to see the fill level. that is good enough for me, but it does lead to one problem [to me, anyway]. what engineering genius got the go-ahead to put the sight glass in a place where it is this hard to see and get any kind of accurate reading?

if, as Jared pointed out, i actually wanted to put in EXACTLY 3.7 quarts how many times will i have to add oil, check the level, add a little more, check again, until i get the oil exactly right? [and how many people really do that?].

if i ended up with oil half way up the sight glass after only taking out one full quart [not the 1.3 quarts i should have taken out], exactly how accurate is the sight glass system, anyway?

i am not some kind of ****-retentive nit-picker, and as such, am well aware that sometimes, factory specs can be fudged a bit. i think if it were really this important, Honda would have made the process more practical and standardized.

you have to learn something new every day....this was mine.

 

the sight glass is the much more accurate than a dipstick for a motorcycle. If you think about it, its giving you real time accurate measurement. A dipstick, will hold onto oil where ever the oil level was at. So, if you tip the bike too far, then back again, then pull the dipstick out, its no longer an accurate reading as the oil may show it being at a higher or lower level than it actually is. even if you pull the dipstick, wipe it off, then check it, you may still lean the bike a bit and not even know it. If you can see the oil level, you know exactly where its at, which is where the sight glass is superior to a dipstick. I know, the sight glass isnt what most people are familiar with, but on an engine that tilts side to side, its the better choice between that or a dipstick. If the engine never tilted like in a car, a dipstick would be the better choice.

As far as what engineer made it hard to see. Most oil changes require the fairings to be pulled and the sight glass is easier to see. If you put the fairings back on then checked it, it may be why it was harder to see the level. But as I stated earlier, a mirror is the best way that I have found to see the level. Its sure better than trying to hold your bike up with one arm and kneeling down to see the level.

as long as your oil level is between the high and low marks, you'll be fine. The marks on the sight glass are basically the same as they are on a dipstick. The 3.7 quarts is a calculated amount, and doesn't always translate to exactly how much you will need. Its just a rough starting point, or what it should take if everything is emptied out. I actually lean towards it not needing as much oil since oil always sits in nooks and crannies. I would start with 3.5 quarts, recheck it and add a little until you get the right amount.

 

logic dictates that i drain out the oil until i get a good measurement.

Been there, done that - drain all the oil and redo it from the start. Put in what the book says. . Safest way IMO.

 

dont sweat it man... get a three dollar turkey baster and a small peice of tubing and remove a little till you see a line form in the sight glass...i think everyone has overfilled atleast once.peece

 

thanks, guys...this was more a gripe than an actual emergency.

i prefer dipsticks because the oil level can be checked easily from the sitting position when you are out on the road....where you might not have brought a dental mirror [though not a bad suggestion, Justasquid]. if you are sitting on the side of the road about dusk, and you are concerned about why your bike is running a bit hot, and want to check the oil...a dipstick can be much easier to check than playing the balance game in the gravel trying to see the sight glass.

sight glasses are a dumb idea...in my opinion, and i am pretty firm on that way of thinking. i guess i am stuck with it as long as i want to ride almost any newer bike, though...

 

The 08 and up RR has a dipstick instead of a sight glass. I unscrew mine, wipe it off and kneel next to it on the right side while puling it up off its side stand to the balance point. I know it won't fall over to the right because I'm there and if it goes to the left the side stand will stop it.

I then reinsert the dipstick all the way to where the threads are seated against the case and rotate it a full turn counter-clockwise to get an even reading all around the stick. I just have to be careful that I don't rock the bike back and forth while taking a reading. However, I don't have to be concerned about eyeballing a sight glass while keeping the bike balanced.