TOPPING OF MOTORCYCLE OIL

Even the best motorcycle oil can only protect your engine if you keep it at the right level. We explain how to top off your engine oil quickly and safely.

Topping off motorcycle engine oil

If the inspection window or dipstick tells you that your oil level is low, but that the oil is still in good condition, it's a great idea to top off your oil as soon as possible.

The first step in doing this is to make sure you add the right grade of oil. Your bike's user manual can help with this.

Once you have your oil, make sure your bike is again parked on level ground and on a centerstand or paddock stand. Your engine should be cool, and you should wait at least 30 minutes after a hard ride, or 10 minutes after idling your engine, to give the oil time to drain fully back into the sump.

Now it's time to unscrew and remove the oil filler cap, and place a long-neck funnel into the hole. You should then add a small amount of fresh oil, and then wait a minute or two for it to arrive in the sump.

Then, check the level again using the inspection window or dipstick, and keep adding oil in small amounts until you are happy with the level. Bear in mind that over-filling is as bad for your engine as under-filling; so don't treat the high level mark as a target. It's best to aim for a little below this line.

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How to check motorcycle engine oil

It's very important to check the level and quality of motorcycle engine oil on a regular basis. The good news is that this is an easy task, whether your motorcycle has an oil inspection window or a dipstick. There are just a few easy rules that you need to follow.

Chcecking Oil through the inspection window

Checking Oil through the inspection window

Most modern bikes have a glass inspection window to let you see the level and the condition of your motorcycle engine oil without getting your hands dirty. You may have to get close to the ground to use this properly, but oil checks like these are easy to get right by following a few simple rules.

Checking motorcycle oil with a dipstick

It's important to check motorcycle oil at regular intervals in order to maintain your bike's performance and safety. Fortunately, this is an easy task even if your bike has a dipstick rather than an inspection window. Just follow our simple guidelines to assess your motorcycle oil level and condition in minutes.

How to change motorcycle engine oil

Pretty much the best thing you can do for your bike is to change its engine oil regularly, especially as your gears will generally share the same oil supply. The good news is that it's pretty easy to change you motorcycle engine oil, with just a few simple tools and few easy rules, as we explain here.

Recycling used motorcycle oil

It may be a natural product, but waste oil can be incredibly harmful to the environment if not disposed of correctly. Castrol is committed to recycling oil to the greatest possible extent, and we encourage every valued customer to play their part by learning how to make sure their used motorcycle oil is safely recycled.

How often to check motorcycle oil

How often to check motorcycle engine oil? Our answer will always be to check it as often as possible. That's because even the best motorcycle oil won't protect your engine if the level gets too low, and even if your bike doesn't usually burn much oil, a few hot days and hard rides can burn off more oil than you might expect.

How to check motorcycle brake fluid

Motorcycle brake fluid, or motorcycle brake oil as it's also known, is a highly engineered fluid that has the ability to withstand extreme temperatures and look after the entire brake system. It's vital to check the level of your brake fluid regularly, and to follow our simple guide to topping off whenever necessary.

How to change motorcycle transmission oil

While many motorcycles have one sump that lubricates the engine and transmission, some classics have a 'pre-unit' construction that means they need separate gear oil. The good news is that it's fairly easy to do this job at home by following our simple, step-by-step guide to changing motorcycle transmission oil.