Steps
Step 1
Warm Up the Engine and Secure the Motorcycle
Before draining the old oil, you must warm up the engine. Start your motorcycle and let it idle for approximately three to five minutes. Warm oil has a much lower viscosity, or thickness, which allows it to flow rapidly and completely out of the engine case. More importantly, warming the oil suspends microscopic metal shavings, sludge, and carbon deposits that have settled at the bottom of the pan, ensuring they are flushed out rather than left behind inside your engine.
After running the engine, turn it off and carefully shut off the fuel valve if your bike is carbureted. Next, you need to securely position your motorcycle on a sturdy rear paddock stand, a center stand, or a professional motorcycle wheel chock. The bike must be perfectly level and stable so that all of the old oil drains out completely and to eliminate any risk of the motorcycle tipping over while you are working underneath it. Place your protective cardboard or newspapers on the floor beneath the engine area to catch any unexpected drips.
After running the engine, turn it off and carefully shut off the fuel valve if your bike is carbureted. Next, you need to securely position your motorcycle on a sturdy rear paddock stand, a center stand, or a professional motorcycle wheel chock. The bike must be perfectly level and stable so that all of the old oil drains out completely and to eliminate any risk of the motorcycle tipping over while you are working underneath it. Place your protective cardboard or newspapers on the floor beneath the engine area to catch any unexpected drips.
💡 Pro Tip: Be extremely careful when touching the exhaust pipes and engine casing after warming up the bike; they become intensely hot and will cause severe burns if contacted.
Step 2
Locate and Remove the Oil Drain Plug
Position your clean oil catch pan directly underneath the lowest point of the engine crankcase where the oil drain plug is located. Consult your motorcycle owner's manual if you are unsure which bolt is the drain plug, as removing transmission bolts or coolant drain bolts by mistake can cause major headaches. Using the correct size socket and ratchet, loosen the drain plug by turning it counterclockwise. Once the bolt is loose enough to spin by hand, finish removing it slowly while pushing inward slightly to counteract the pressure of the oil behind it.
As the plug clears the final threads, quickly pull your fingers away to avoid getting hot oil all over your hands. Allow the used oil to stream freely into your catch pan. While the oil is draining, inspect the drain plug and its sealing washer. Most motorcycles use a crush washer made of soft copper or aluminum that deforms slightly to create a tight seal when torqued. If your washer is flattened, cracked, or scored, you must replace it with a brand new one to prevent slow oil leaks later.
As the plug clears the final threads, quickly pull your fingers away to avoid getting hot oil all over your hands. Allow the used oil to stream freely into your catch pan. While the oil is draining, inspect the drain plug and its sealing washer. Most motorcycles use a crush washer made of soft copper or aluminum that deforms slightly to create a tight seal when torqued. If your washer is flattened, cracked, or scored, you must replace it with a brand new one to prevent slow oil leaks later.
💡 Pro Tip: Keep the drain plug pressed lightly against the threads as you unscrew the final turn; this trick keeps oil from leaking onto your fingers until you deliberately pull it away.
Step 3
Remove and Replace the Old Oil Filter
While the engine continues to drain, locate the oil filter. Depending on your motorcycle model, you may have an external spin-on canister filter or an internal paper cartridge filter housed inside an engine cover. If you have a spin-on filter, use an oil filter wrench or specialized filter socket to loosen it counterclockwise. Once broken loose, spin it off by hand, keeping the open end tilted slightly upward to minimize the amount of residual oil spilling out. If your bike uses an internal cartridge filter, remove the cover bolts, pull out the old filter element, and discard the old rubber O-rings.
Before installing the new oil filter, take a small amount of fresh engine oil on your clean finger and lightly lubricate the rubber gasket on the new spin-on filter or cartridge O-rings. This lubrication ensures a proper seal and prevents the rubber gasket from sticking or tearing the next time you change the oil. For spin-on filters, screw the new filter on by hand until the rubber gasket firmly contacts the mounting base, then turn it an additional three-quarters to one full turn. Never use a wrench to tighten a new oil filter, as overtightening can crush the gasket and ruin the threads.
Before installing the new oil filter, take a small amount of fresh engine oil on your clean finger and lightly lubricate the rubber gasket on the new spin-on filter or cartridge O-rings. This lubrication ensures a proper seal and prevents the rubber gasket from sticking or tearing the next time you change the oil. For spin-on filters, screw the new filter on by hand until the rubber gasket firmly contacts the mounting base, then turn it an additional three-quarters to one full turn. Never use a wrench to tighten a new oil filter, as overtightening can crush the gasket and ruin the threads.
💡 Pro Tip: Always verify that the old rubber gasket came off with the old filter; occasionally, the old gasket sticks to the engine mounting surface, and installing a new filter over it will cause a catastrophic oil blowout.
Step 4
Reinstall the Drain Plug and Refill with Fresh Oil
Once the oil flow has reduced to an occasional slow drip, take your clean drain plug equipped with a brand new crush washer and thread it back into the engine casing by hand. Turning it by hand initially ensures that you do not cross-thread the delicate aluminum threads of the engine block. Once finger-tight, use a calibrated torque wrench to tighten the drain plug to the exact manufacturer specification listed in your service manual. Overtightening can strip the engine case threads, which is a very costly and difficult repair.
Next, remove the oil filler cap located on the side of the engine. Insert your clean funnel into the filler opening to prevent spills. Slowly pour in the precise amount and viscosity of fresh motorcycle oil specified in your owner's manual. Do not dump the entire bottle at once; pour about 80 percent of the required capacity, pause, and check the oil level using the sight glass or dipstick. Once you reach the appropriate fill line, securely reinstall the oil filler cap and wipe away any stray drops of oil from the engine casing.
Next, remove the oil filler cap located on the side of the engine. Insert your clean funnel into the filler opening to prevent spills. Slowly pour in the precise amount and viscosity of fresh motorcycle oil specified in your owner's manual. Do not dump the entire bottle at once; pour about 80 percent of the required capacity, pause, and check the oil level using the sight glass or dipstick. Once you reach the appropriate fill line, securely reinstall the oil filler cap and wipe away any stray drops of oil from the engine casing.
💡 Pro Tip: Always use motorcycle-specific 4-stroke oil rather than standard automotive oil, as automotive oils contain friction modifiers that can cause motorcycle wet clutches to slip and fail prematurely.
Step 5
Test the Engine and Verify Oil Level
Now that your motorcycle is filled with fresh oil and all plugs and filters are securely tightened, it is time for a final system check. Start the engine and let it idle. As the engine runs, the oil pump will circulate fluid through the brand new filter and fill the internal oil galleries. Keep your eyes focused on the oil filter housing and the drain plug area to ensure there are no active leaks. Look at your instrument cluster to verify that the oil pressure warning light turns off within a few seconds of starting.
Let the engine idle for about one minute, then shut it down. Wait three to five minutes to allow the oil to drain back down into the crankcase sump. With the motorcycle held in a perfectly vertical position, check the oil sight glass or dipstick once more. Because the new oil filter is now completely filled with oil, the overall engine oil level will drop slightly from your initial fill. Top off the oil through the filler hole until the fluid level sits comfortably between the lower and upper marks on the sight glass. Wipe down your tools, properly recycle your old oil at a hazardous waste facility, and you are ready to ride.
Let the engine idle for about one minute, then shut it down. Wait three to five minutes to allow the oil to drain back down into the crankcase sump. With the motorcycle held in a perfectly vertical position, check the oil sight glass or dipstick once more. Because the new oil filter is now completely filled with oil, the overall engine oil level will drop slightly from your initial fill. Top off the oil through the filler hole until the fluid level sits comfortably between the lower and upper marks on the sight glass. Wipe down your tools, properly recycle your old oil at a hazardous waste facility, and you are ready to ride.
💡 Pro Tip: Never check your motorcycle oil level while the bike is resting on its side stand, as this will give a completely false reading and lead to dangerous overfilling.
