Oil level sight glass

[adouglas]

Okay, this seems terribly obvious to me...

Why the heck do motorcycle manufacturers position the sight glass so that the bike has to be upright to check the oil?

Wouldn't it make MUCH more sense to position it so that the oil level can be read when the bike is parked and resting on its sidestand? (Note I'm assuming a stock bike, which is what the mfr would assume also.)

As it is, you have to somehow balance the bike upright while bending over to see the glass (dicey at best), or put it on a track stand to do something that you should be able to do SIMPLY and EASILY every day.

I still haven't figured out a really simple way to do this. I can do it, sure, but the only way I can think of to make the bike both vertical and not prone to fall over is to use a track stand. And that's a PITA.

[Chubbs032]

1. grab the throttle bar with right hand and have left hand on your seat
2. kneel down to oil sight
3. as your kneeling slowing tip the bike from the stand so that it is perpendicular with the ground
4. make mental note of oil level, drop bike back on stand

[Slabrocks]

Originally Posted by Chubbs032

1. grab the throttle bar with right hand and have left hand on your seat
2. kneel down to oil sight
3. as your kneeling slowing tip the bike from the stand so that it is perpendicular with the ground
4. make mental note of oil level, drop bike back on stand

sounds exactly how i do it!

[Alex]

"Honey, can you come look at the sight glass?" works for me.

[Cedilla]

I usually just grab the right grip, and pull the bike up right, then I kneel down and look at the glass while holding the bike upright. The hardest part for me is keeping the bike perfectly upright while kneeled down, it always wants to tip over a certain way.

I learned the hard way that if your holding or pushing the bike while standing beside it, you should always slightly tip the bike towards you. I was pushing my bike once when I was lubing the chain before I got a rear stand, and long story short the bike started to fall to the side that I was not on, and I then dropped my bike, then proceeded to fall on top of it while trying to catch it. I would much rather the bike fall on me, than the other way around.

[Snake]

I can see the oil level in the sight glass standing up while holding the right grip with my right hand. No need for me to bend over, maybe it's because I am short? 5'7" ?

[miks]

Originally Posted by Slabrocks

sounds exactly how i do it!

Same here, but sometimes I tend to lean the bike over too much, not a great feeling. Thank god for them gym sessions

[Sailariel]

I went to my local Auto Supply and bought one of those mirrors on an extendable handle. I sit down on the bike, position the mirror, and Voila! Get the large square mirror and do your checking outside. If you go on a trip, put the mirror in your tank bag.

[adouglas]

See, all these responses show exactly what I'm on about.

Balancing the bike and having it almost tip over.... having to use mirrors on sticks... etc. etc. etc.

I'd really like to be able to walk up to the bike and just look at it.

Or how's this for a radical idea: A sight glass you can see while seated on the bike, without telescoping mirrors, without cooperative spouses.....

[Banzai]

Originally Posted by adouglas

See, all these responses show exactly what I'm on about.

Balancing the bike and having it almost tip over.... having to use mirrors on sticks... etc. etc. etc.

I'd really like to be able to walk up to the bike and just look at it.

Or how's this for a radical idea: A sight glass you can see while seated on the bike, without telescoping mirrors, without cooperative spouses.....

Sounds like the price of having a bike. Heck, at least you don't have to dissasemble the vehicle, find the stupid little yellow tab, pull it, drip oil all over the motor, and use a rag to wipe it all clean, and slide the stick back into a tiny tube, close up the vehicle again......like you do on a car!!!

I have a mirror taped to a paint stick sitting on the shelf next to the bike.

[Snake]

The best thing would be an electronic display on the console that gives you oil level display. I don't think Kawasaki will ever have this as an option but we have a lot of smart members here that may be able to come up with something.

[Snake]

Originally Posted by Banzai

I have a mirror taped to a paint stick sitting on the shelf next to the bike.

Now that is an excelent idea. Simple but efffective.

[Banzai]

Originally Posted by Snake

The best thing would be an electronic display on the console that gives you oil level display. I don't think Kawasaki will ever have this as an option but we have a lot of smart members here that may be able to come up with something.

...but history shows that the simple machine (or simple sight glass) always works. That's why hammers and nails haven't evolved much in the last 10 thousand years of human history.

Originally Posted by Snake

Now that is an excelent idea. Simple but efffective.

Do I have to also admit that the mirror is a pink Mary Kay item that my wife gave me, and the paint stick was pilfered from Home Depot?

[rockNroll]

there's a sight glass???

[Snake]

Originally Posted by Banzai

...but history shows that the simple machine (or simple sight glass) always works. That's why hammers and nails haven't evolved much in the last 10 thousand years of human history.



Do I have to also admit that the mirror is a pink Mary Kay item that my wife gave me, and the paint stick was pilfered from Home Depot?

Not at all. Ass you just stated, simple machines / ideas last for ever and use what what you have and works.

[wyckedflesh]

Originally Posted by adouglas

Okay, this seems terribly obvious to me...

Why the heck do motorcycle manufacturers position the sight glass so that the bike has to be upright to check the oil?

Wouldn't it make MUCH more sense to position it so that the oil level can be read when the bike is parked and resting on its sidestand? (Note I'm assuming a stock bike, which is what the mfr would assume also.)

As it is, you have to somehow balance the bike upright while bending over to see the glass (dicey at best), or put it on a track stand to do something that you should be able to do SIMPLY and EASILY every day.

I still haven't figured out a really simple way to do this. I can do it, sure, but the only way I can think of to make the bike both vertical and not prone to fall over is to use a track stand. And that's a PITA.

Because a tilted motor will not give you an accurate level no matter where you put the sight glass. I have 2 bikes that use dip sticks, and even they require the bike to be upright.

DON'T check the oil level on a track stand, the bike is tilted forward and so the oil level will be off as well.

[adouglas]

Simple is good, yes. Always preferable.

Simple does not always equate with well designed, however.

Simple AND well designed... that's elegant.

Creating a system whereby you have to wrestle with the bike or come up with some mono-buttocked kludge just to do something fundamental like check the oil level is not elegant IMHO.

Nothing to be done about it, of course. Just griping.

BTW, yeah, I've got a mirror on a stick, too.

[CC Cowboy]

I put a mirror on the toe of my boot, no wait, that's for something else.

[JokerSeven]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

I put a mirror on the toe of my boot, no wait, that's for something else.

LOL, I did that in High School


I just lean over and look at it, the sight glass that is

[Flashmonkey]

Originally Posted by adouglas

Creating a system whereby you have to wrestle with the bike or come up with some mono-buttocked kludge just to do something fundamental like check the oil level is not elegant IMHO.

The fundamental issue with the sight glass is that the "max" level on the sight glass is important for when the bike is upright. Anyone know if they solved this issue with the dipsticks on the newer supersports?

[Talonne]

I put it on a stand. Not the best due to the forward tilting, but I am NOT strong enough to stop the bike from falling over if I hold it up by myself, so I refuse to risk it. :P At least I don't have to deal with a dipstick. I'm glad to have the sightglass.

[wyckedflesh]

Originally Posted by Talonne

I put it on a stand. Not the best due to the forward tilting, but I am NOT strong enough to stop the bike from falling over if I hold it up by myself, so I refuse to risk it. :P At least I don't have to deal with a dipstick. I'm glad to have the sightglass.

You could always set the side stand down on a 2x4 to make the bike stand level...

[backinthesaddleagain]

2X4 works pretty good, as bike is almost vertical without chance of falling to the right. Dipstick on Honda CBR1000 is said to be controversial as some report bike burning lots of oil, others have no problem. some have claimed its owners who don't know how to read the dipstick. Now harleys get checked with bike on sidestand, but what if the ground isn't truly level??

[DarkNinja52]

usually just ask someone to take a look for me.. or put it on the stand. the oil seems to last really long on the 250s so its not like its something you need to check everyday

[Reswob]

I've never had a problem pulling the bike upright while kneeling down to look at the window. Lock the forks all the way left, and as long as you don't bring it past upright, it will always fall back to the left (on the kickstand). Even if it does try to fall toward you, it's not like the bike weighs very much...

[wyckedflesh]

Originally Posted by backinthesaddleagain

2X4 works pretty good, as bike is almost vertical without chance of falling to the right. Dipstick on Honda CBR1000 is said to be controversial as some report bike burning lots of oil, others have no problem. some have claimed its owners who don't know how to read the dipstick. Now harleys get checked with bike on side stand, but what if the ground isn't truly level??

Harleys use a separate oil tank, so the oil isn't flowing around components like it is in our bikes. There is going to be less variation in the level when it is on the stand versus upright.

[OldGuy]

I use the 2x4 method but as I was reading the thread thought - a) use one of the many valid methods listed above and then b) with the bike sitting normally use a fine point sharpie and mark where the oil level is. Now you have marks for on the kick stand or "factory directed".

[karlosdajackal]

I actually think its quite an elegant solution. I can pick up the bike, bend my knees, look at the sight and put the bike back on its stand without any issues. I think its harder to put it on the rear stand, anyway it reads low when you do that.

If you think about it, its no more complex than braking and taking a turn with the same 2 outcomes, you'll either do it right or you don't and risk dropping the bike and hurting yourself. I did it once one handed in the dark, while holding a mobile phone as a torch in the other hand, its not exactly hard, especially if you do it daily.

Even if you have a bad back you should be able to do it, as your doing all the lifting with your knees, even if your quite weak for whatever reason you must be able to get the bike upright to ride it so your more than strong enough to hold it up near vertical already. I'm glad nobody has tried over engineer a solution to this one yet. Maybe after trying they realized the current solution works better

[Rayme]

How would you know the bike is perfectly leveled when you need to have the bike leaned to read the oil level? It makes no sense! one degree makes a difference in the reading.

[karlosdajackal]

Originally Posted by Rayme

How would you know the bike is perfectly leveled when you need to have the bike leaned to read the oil level? It makes no sense! one degree makes a difference in the reading.

If the bike is leaned over it feels heavy, for each degree it leans over the more strength you need to hold it up as the weight is leveraged, if you have it level it feels almost weightless. One degree makes a difference but not a significant one. Even a few degrees either side of level you should be able to see the oil half way up the sight glass.

[randomwalk101]

I used to kneel down looking up girls' dresses so it comes naturally to me...wait, did I just said it out loud??? J/k
Posted via Mobile Device

[Snake]

I think some people are making way too much out of what is realy a very simple procedure and whether you off a degree or two from level is realy not a big deal. The bike does not use much oil so check it once a month and you will be fine.

[DarkNinja52]

Originally Posted by Snake

I think some people are making way too much out of what is realy a very simple procedure and whether you off a degree or two from level is realy not a big deal. The bike does not use much oil so check it once a month and you will be fine.

qft

[cnichols79us]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

I put a mirror on the toe of my boot, no wait, that's for something else.

Was a a mirror, or a Camera?

[backinthesaddleagain]

Originally Posted by DarkNinja52

qft

+1. grab bike on right side, squeeze brake lever so bike won't roll, squat down, pull bike towards you but stop pulling before it leans towards you. see where oil is, an put bike back on side.

Note: older euro bikes with those kickstands that retract the second the bike is lifted off the stand could give ugly results when putting bike back towards kickstand side. This does not apply to Ninja's of course, just extraneous info.

[250Rocket]

Here's a rule of thumb, if the 250R is leaned over and you see oil (not just residue of some) then the bike is overfilled. Stupid mechanic put 2L in mine and i saw it right away when the bike was leaned over.

Other than that, yeah, a 2x4 works great. I use it so that there room to park the car and bike in a 1 car garage, but it doubles as a rough oil check.

[backinthesaddleagain]

Originally Posted by 250Rocket

Here's a rule of thumb, if the 250R is leaned over and you see oil (not just residue of some) then the bike is overfilled. Stupid mechanic put 2L in mine and i saw it right away when the bike was leaned over.

Other than that, yeah, a 2x4 works great. I use it so that there room to park the car and bike in a 1 car garage, but it doubles as a rough oil check.

Rob for a second I was scared you were going to say "put bike on 2X4, park shiny car next to it, view oil level in bikes reflection on car." Then I realized kick stand side (left) was facing car.

[mrlmd]

There's not really room in there for both of those. The bike's going to get mashed by the car door.
Leave the car outside.

[DarkNinja52]

Originally Posted by 250Rocket

Here's a rule of thumb, if the 250R is leaned over and you see oil (not just residue of some) then the bike is overfilled. Stupid mechanic put 2L in mine and i saw it right away when the bike was leaned over.

Other than that, yeah, a 2x4 works great. I use it so that there room to park the car and bike in a 1 car garage, but it doubles as a rough oil check.

save some space, get flush mounts

[250Rocket]

Lol, at the responses.

I've got flush mounts. I got them after my drop on a gravel road when i got lost.



And that pic was from the day I got the bike (other post). I was still a SUPER noob. I got it in but it was in the middle. Now i can park it inches away from the wall no problem. There's enough room to walk normally and besides no passenger gets in the car inside. The driver backs out and they get in the car in the driveway.

That piece of wood is worth it's weight in gold but i think i'm going to cut myself another to get a piece that makes the bike 98% level.