Oil Level

Tortuga · 01-14-2024, 08:16 PM

Help me understand why one must go through warming up a 1700 and allowing the oil to "settle" before checking the level. If, for instance, the bike has sat all night, the level must be as high as it's going to be in the morning. Likewise,stopping for fuel should allow enough time for the oil to drain down so you could check it. I continue not to get it.

MrMikey · 01-15-2024, 03:37 AM

Something I too have wondered since I've had my Voyager. Only thing I can figure is the oil must drain back to one side thru a smaller orifice when it's on the sidestand and the purpose of warming it up is to allow thinner oil to level out.

andyvh1959 · 01-26-2024, 02:48 PM

People obsess about oil levels to no end. And BMW riders are the worst! I've been riding BMW twins since the late 80's, have three of them, and I check the oil level after the bike has sat some hours on the side stand and then straighten the bike up to check the oil level. If the oil level is in range of the indicator to me its good.

Some riders I know obsess and dick around with adjusting the oil level checked and filled/drained (yes they do that) until it is perfectly on the center of the sight glass. When actually anywhere visible in the sight glass is at most 1/2 pint off prime.

Well, same for the Vulcans. If the oil level, after the bike has been sitting for a while (hot or cold) is in the sight glass with the bike straight up, good to go. That's how I check it on my VN1600 Classic. Like I do on my three BMW's which have an accumulated 265,000 miles between them. I don't obsess about oil levels.

Tortuga · 01-26-2024, 11:29 PM

1700's don't have a sight glass. Even if they did, that is not responsive to my question. My point is why the explicit instructions. A sight glass, somewhere other than nearly under the bike as it was on my 1600, would be nice, but the 1700's don't have one.

andyvh1959 · 01-29-2024, 02:50 PM

Ahh, right. But I agree with you. Anytime after the bike has been run and allowed to rest for 20 minutes, overnight, are both fine for checking the oil level. Like after a gas stop, or after the bike sat overnight and you check the oil in the morning. In that rest time the oil should have settled into the engine sump. I think on both the 1600 and 1700 the oil filter is on the bottom/left side of the bike. So after rest the oil filter/sump will have collected oil draining down from the top end. I don't recall that either the 1600 or 1700 have any sort of check valve system to keep any oil up in the heads/cams/valve guides after shutdown. So after a rest the oil will have drained down. Just the action of starting the 1700 to warm up the oil means some oil will remain up high in the engine again until it drains down to the bottom of the engine. To those that obsess about the level shown on the dipstick they might want to keep "topping it up" and over time may end up over filling the sump.

Since I own a 1600, I'm not fully aware of the oil check procedure on the 1700. What is the process that causes the issue?

01-14-2024, 08:16 PM	#1
Tortuga Advanced Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Sahuarita, AZ Posts: 559	Oil Level Help me understand why one must go through warming up a 1700 and allowing the oil to "settle" before checking the level. If, for instance, the bike has sat all night, the level must be as high as it's going to be in the morning. Likewise,stopping for fuel should allow enough time for the oil to drain down so you could check it. I continue not to get it. Login or Register to Remove Ads
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01-15-2024, 03:37 AM	#2
MrMikey Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 403	Something I too have wondered since I've had my Voyager. Only thing I can figure is the oil must drain back to one side thru a smaller orifice when it's on the sidestand and the purpose of warming it up is to allow thinner oil to level out. __________________ '09 Voyager
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01-26-2024, 02:48 PM	#3
andyvh1959 Advanced Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Green Bay WI Posts: 755	People obsess about oil levels to no end. And BMW riders are the worst! I've been riding BMW twins since the late 80's, have three of them, and I check the oil level after the bike has sat some hours on the side stand and then straighten the bike up to check the oil level. If the oil level is in range of the indicator to me its good. Some riders I know obsess and dick around with adjusting the oil level checked and filled/drained (yes they do that) until it is perfectly on the center of the sight glass. When actually anywhere visible in the sight glass is at most 1/2 pint off prime. Well, same for the Vulcans. If the oil level, after the bike has been sitting for a while (hot or cold) is in the sight glass with the bike straight up, good to go. That's how I check it on my VN1600 Classic. Like I do on my three BMW's which have an accumulated 265,000 miles between them. I don't obsess about oil levels. __________________ My $1200 Vulcan, to start from.
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01-29-2024, 02:50 PM	#5
andyvh1959 Advanced Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Green Bay WI Posts: 755	Ahh, right. But I agree with you. Anytime after the bike has been run and allowed to rest for 20 minutes, overnight, are both fine for checking the oil level. Like after a gas stop, or after the bike sat overnight and you check the oil in the morning. In that rest time the oil should have settled into the engine sump. I think on both the 1600 and 1700 the oil filter is on the bottom/left side of the bike. So after rest the oil filter/sump will have collected oil draining down from the top end. I don't recall that either the 1600 or 1700 have any sort of check valve system to keep any oil up in the heads/cams/valve guides after shutdown. So after a rest the oil will have drained down. Just the action of starting the 1700 to warm up the oil means some oil will remain up high in the engine again until it drains down to the bottom of the engine. To those that obsess about the level shown on the dipstick they might want to keep "topping it up" and over time may end up over filling the sump. Since I own a 1600, I'm not fully aware of the oil check procedure on the 1700. What is the process that causes the issue? __________________ My $1200 Vulcan, to start from. Login or Register to Remove Ads
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01-26-2024, 11:29 PM	#4
Tortuga Advanced Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Sahuarita, AZ Posts: 559	1700's don't have a sight glass. Even if they did, that is not responsive to my question. My point is why the explicit instructions. A sight glass, somewhere other than nearly under the bike as it was on my 1600, would be nice, but the 1700's don't have one.
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