[Mtlexpos93]

I am confused when checking oil in the Spyder.

My unit has 11 100 kms and last oil change was at 7000 km. I checked the oil in the garage on level surface, the bike was cold. I noticed that there was no oil reading on dipstick. I started it and let it run for about 10 mins, checked again and same result, or barely reading on the dipstick. I added about 500ml or so of synthetic oil, checked again, and all looked fine.

After going for a ride about 30 km or so, I checked it when I got home and it was way passed the full mark. I am quite confused.

Today, I checked it cold, and again was barely registering on the dipstick. After reading the manual and talking with neighbor who has owned motorcycles all his life, we checked it again. We started the bike and let it run for a good 10 or 15 mins, until the heat gage recorded about 3 bars, which is about operating condition. We checked the dipstick and it was just a tad below the full mark.

My question is, how do you check the oil level in your Spyder to get an accurate reading. What do you recommend?

Hoping to get good feedback from the Spyder family.

[Trickie Dick]

Mtlexpos93, on Aug 26 2009, 08:14 PM, said:

I am confused when checking oil in the Spyder.

My unit has 11 100 kms and last oil change was at 7000 km. I checked the oil in the garage on level surface, the bike was cold. I noticed that there was no oil reading on dipstick. I started it and let it run for about 10 mins, checked again and same result, or barely reading on the dipstick. I added about 500ml or so of synthetic oil, checked again, and all looked fine.

After going for a ride about 30 km or so, I checked it when I got home and it was way passed the full mark. I am quite confused.

Today, I checked it cold, and again was barely registering on the dipstick. After reading the manual and talking with neighbor who has owned motorcycles all his life, we checked it again. We started the bike and let it run for a good 10 or 15 mins, until the heat gage recorded about 3 bars, which is about operating condition. We checked the dipstick and it was just a tad below the full mark.

My question is, how do you check the oil level in your Spyder to get an accurate reading. What do you recommend?

Hoping to get good feedback from the Spyder family.

The procedure to checking the oil is in the owners manual. As I recall, you should check it after it is fully warmed up. 3 bars +, like after a ride. Shut off the engine, pull the panel and start it for 30 seconds. Shut it off and check it immediately. Make sure you screw in the dipstick immediately. If you check it cold, you will not get a reading on the dipstick.
Dick

[BeRight]

Yes checking oil level is a pain in the arse compared to 2 wheel motorcycles.

I used to do it according to owners manual. Remove left middle side panel. Engine must be at normal operation temp (3 bars). start bike and idle for 30 seconds. Shut bike off check oil-should be just below full mark.

I now, not recommended for others, check when stone cold. Oil should just touch end of stick.

This post has been edited by BeRight: 26 August 2009 - 07:31 PM

[Rod.]

Spyder's have a dry sump system which is very different than 'conventional' systems.

A big advantage is that the CoG is much lower because there is no wet sump under the engine. Another is more oil can be used because the auxiliary tank can be larger than a sump so the engine has more oil. The downside is added cost and complexity - and confusion on how to check the oil. What often happens is that the the oil is checked as if it were a wet sump, it is thought to be low and then gets overfilled.

Some older bikes used a dry sump. The older Porsche 911 (and maybe newer ones?) is also a dry sump and has exactly the same procedure for checking the oil -- and it has 12 quarts of oil, making it effectively an oil-cooled engine.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_sump>

Rod.

This post has been edited by Rod.: 26 August 2009 - 08:49 PM

[BRPjunkie]

BeRight, on Aug 26 2009, 08:28 PM, said:

Yes checking oil level is a pain in the arse compared to 2 wheel motorcycles.

I used to do it according to owners manual. Remove left middle side panel. Engine must be at normal operation temp (3 bars). start bike and idle for 30 seconds. Shut bike off check oil-should be just below full mark.

I now, not recommended for others, check when stone cold. Oil should just touch end of stick.

The problem with the cold check and "oil should just touch the end of stick" is that it might just be below the stick and you add some when it might not needed. I took a 12" plastic stick and cut two notches at 6-3/4" and 7-3/4". When inserted into the oil tank all the way to the bottom, you get to see the actual oil level in the tank. Whether you test cold or hot, it is easier to red than the stock dipstick.

[Mtlexpos93]

Thanks.

This is a weird system. The Spyder has been parked for about 3 hours now from a 15 km ride from work and is now marking full on dipstick.

When you check it cold, from what I understand is that it has been sitting for a day or so. I am just afraid to add too much oil. Do you ever add oil to yours in between oil changes? I will check it again tomorrow morning before I leave for work.

BeRight, on Aug 26 2009, 08:28 PM, said:

Yes checking oil level is a pain in the arse compared to 2 wheel motorcycles.

I used to do it according to owners manual. Remove left middle side panel. Engine must be at normal operation temp (3 bars). start bike and idle for 30 seconds. Shut bike off check oil-should be just below full mark.

I now, not recommended for others, check when stone cold. Oil should just touch end of stick.

[Mtlexpos93]

Trickie Dick, on Aug 26 2009, 08:23 PM, said:

The procedure to checking the oil is in the owners manual. As I recall, you should check it after it is fully warmed up. 3 bars +, like after a ride. Shut off the engine, pull the panel and start it for 30 seconds. Shut it off and check it immediately. Make sure you screw in the dipstick immediately. If you check it cold, you will not get a reading on the dipstick.
Dick

THanks for the tips. I will check it after my next ride and make sure it is at 3 bars or so.

I am sure that a lot of people are adding more oil than needed, now that can't be too good for the engine.

[Bill Gargan]

Mtlexpos93, on Sep 1 2009, 07:50 PM, said:

THanks for the tips. I will check it after my next ride and make sure it is at 3 bars or so.

I am sure that a lot of people are adding more oil than needed, now that can't be too good for the engine.

Maybe I am a bozo -- but, I had downloaded and read the manual twice before I took delivery. Just in case I have the PDF manual on my home PC, my laptop and my work PC. One never knows when one might have a question!

If folks overfill because they can't, don't or won't read the manual -- they get what they deserve.

This is a dry-sump system not a wet-sump like your car.

READ THE BLASTED MANUAL. QUESTION! QUESTION!

With PDF you can search -- rather than struggle with the paper version.

[Capt.Jim]

Iv'e noticed that mine would use oil at the full mark , presumably to the airbox, but it seems to quit losing oil if i keep it at the bottom of the stick when hot, shouldn't make a difference being dry sump, but those are my observations.