Oil Change Question

[Pete]

I changed my oil today. ( 350 widecase ). I removed the drain plug and left it until no more oil came out. Then I tilted the bike on one leg of the centerstand and the sidestand and waited until the oil stopped draining. When I refilled the oil, it only took 5 pints. Is there a way to get the extra 1/2 pint to drain? Or is that no big deal? I seem to remember something with my old 750GT where I had to tip the bike away from the drain plug and then towards the drain plug to get everything out.

Thanks,

Pete

[Daniil]

No big deal if you change oil often. If not, you might have a sludge accumulation issue. Change your oil every 1000 miles or less and you are golden. You may also try to run the bike before changing oil. It mixes all carbon particles in the oil, making them drain in larger quantities and more completely (as they settle on the bottom of your crankcase if not circulated for a while). But honestly, you will never get the full specified amount into the engine, unless it is dry off the rebuilt. Don't sweat it, main concern is metal flakes in the oil. That is what I look out for every time I change my oil. Dan

[Pete]

That is what I figured, but just wanted to make sure. Thanks.

[DewCatTea-Bob]

I must say Pete, you're a smarter than average oil-changer! _ Cuz most bike owners don't even think or care to get out all of the old oil,, and often, it's that last bit of oil that's most important to get out! As it often contains the most contaminates.
__ Most all motors benefit from tilting back & fourth during oil draining! As doing so allows leftover oil to move to spaces that are no longer as highly filled with oil (which was in the way, before each retry (to get another stream dripping)!
I've found that tilting them side to side, (actually from L-side to vertical to L-side, then L-side to R-side to vertical to L-side), over & over again, about a half-dozen times, pays to do. _ (AS NOTHING'S TOO GOOD FOR MY DUKEs!!)
But to get that to happen, you have to have the motor good & hot! _ That's about at least a half-hour ride. _ And that should be done preferably after several days of rides, so as to get all the gunk that gets rested on the bottom internal surfaces, stirred-up & absorbed by the oil, just before draining.
__ I then let the motor drain on side-stand all night... Next day, I stick my finger into the drain-hole, (NO JOKES PLEASE), and feel for anything on the bottom surface that didn't get washed out with the oil. _ And if my finger comes out clean, I expect that the next oil-change won't have to be sooner than expected.
__ As Dan indicated, if you change the motor's oil often, then it's not real important to get all the old oil out. _ But if the old oil was really bad (& acidy), then too much of it left behind can ruin your new oil before it would normally be time to change again!
____ Whenever I drain oil out of my motors, I then measure all the oil that came out into my drain-pan! _ (Hopefully it won't be more than I had put in! - That's another story.)
__ If ya get all the oil drained-out of any wide-case Duke, then ya should be able to fit 3-liters (that's about 3 & 1/2QTs), back into it.
If not, then try tilting to R-side when topping-off.
Keep in mind that the oil-level will drop after the engine has been run a bit! _ (And all those hiding-places that finally got drained before, all get filled again.)

DUCATIly,
-Bob

[Pete]

Thanks Bob,

I changed the oil before I put the bike away for the winter and I will change it again in the spring before I start riding. I will give it a few extra shakes next time. The old stuff that came out did not look too bad and I plan to keep it that way.

[DewCatTea-Bob]

" The old stuff that came out did not look too bad and I plan to keep it that way."

____ I gather that you didn't measure how much oil you drained-out!?
Did you check it for the smell of gasoline?
__ I'd suggest that you ride on it for at least 20 miles before you dump that, next time. _ That way your current change of oil can get a chance to help wash-out what's been left behind from the last change!
__ To keep from wasting such barely used oil, I would drain it into a clean pan, then soon after pour it through a coffee-filter into a container for later use in one of my cars or a Jap-bike, (which uses a better oil-filter).
After the coffee-filter has passed all it's oil, I'd place it between some sheets of news-paper, and then a day or so later, take it out and look it over for any signs of metal-flakes, etc.
__ Before storing a DUKE for an extended period (over 5-months), I recommend leaning it well over to the right-side, then remove the clutch inspection-cover and dump a couple extra quarts of oil in there, plus some drops through the sparkplug-hole, (then of course put the cover & plug back tight & stand back up).
However that's not at all necessary if kept stored in a warm & dry place.

DUKEcheers,
-Bob