[nettshubby]

Is there a correct time to check and top up the engine oil on my 500 Bullet?
I found last week there was no oil showing on the dip stick, with engine cold in garage, so topped it up.
This week after a couple of runs I again checked it and it was only just on end of dipstick!
There are no leaks, no honestly! And no smoking exhaust.
I seem to remember there is a sequence to follow when checking the level. The manual doesn’t give any info apart from amount and grade.

[AzCal Retred]

The pre-unit has a dry sump engine and a seperate oil tank. Best to check after it has run a couple minutes and everything has had a chance to find a proper level.

[allanfox]

Is there a correct time to check and top up the engine oil on my 500 Bullet?
I found last week there was no oil showing on the dip stick, with engine cold in garage, so topped it up.
This week after a couple of runs I again checked it and it was only just on end of dipstick!
There are no leaks, no honestly! And no smoking exhaust.
I seem to remember there is a sequence to follow when checking the level. The manual doesn’t give any info apart from amount and grade.

Run it for a 4-5 minutes and then let it rest for 2 minutes before reading the dip stick, oil should be circulated and any splash run down giving the true level, topping up from cold will usually mean oil coming out of the breather as you will have overfilled it. Unless of course it really is low! 

[nettshubby]

That sounds about what I half remembered from past ownership.
Thanks for replies.

[nettshubby]

On another note, when posting a message, how do I set it to receive an email notification of replies? Is it the little email icon in the top column?

[stinkwheel]

As above. Also don't worry about it being on the tip of the dipstick, that's not dangerously low. Dangerously low is a fair bit below dipstick level. Here's a picture of the oil tank area of a bullet with the cases split and the dipstick in place. As you can see, if it's on the tip of the dipstick, the oil tank is still well over half full.


Some of them seem to prefer running at the bottom of the dipstick and persistantly puke out oil that is topped up higher. I do wonder if they genuinely need a longer dipstick sometimes.

[nettshubby]

My bike has the double tubes on an extended filler, with a longer dipstick.
I should think the overall length will be the same. I’ll get the torch and ruler out to check.
Comforting info though! It did run fine with “no” oil showing!

[Raymond]

SW's well-illustrated point on low oil level according to the dipstick but bike runs fine is very reassuring. Especially in a week when my newly-rebuilt Bullet had some sort of seizure and I'm trying to eliminate reasons for that - low oil very unlikely to be the cause.

[tooseevee]

On another note, when posting a message, how do I set it to receive an email notification of replies? Is it the little email icon in the top column?

       Click on Notify.

[allanfox]

My bike has the double tubes on an extended filler, with a longer dipstick.
I should think the overall length will be the same. I’ll get the torch and ruler out to check.
Comforting info though! It did run fine with “no” oil showing!

I have the same set up and it is the same level across both dipsticks, I would be cautious about 'no oil' showing as it may be well below!  Just run and check and keep topping up and playing about until you find your happy place and are confident about the level, it is less of a science and more of a dark art!!

I personally never go about half way up the dipstick or it will fill the catch can. 

[AndyMcP]

When you park the bike, try and leave the piston near TDC.  This helps to prevent the oil draining into the sump (Wet-Sumping) through the oil feed pump over time.

[michiel]

The oil level is measured AFTER the journey. After approx. 5 minutes.

[ddavidv]

The 'stopping past TDC' is a good practice. Also sets the engine up for kick start. 
Mine will 'reject' oil levels past about the halfway mark. Turns the engine into a Scottoiler as my breather has a duckbill that moistens the chain.

[stinkwheel]

The 'stopping past TDC' is a good practice. Also sets the engine up for kick start. 
Mine will 'reject' oil levels past about the halfway mark. Turns the engine into a Scottoiler as my breather has a duckbill that moistens the chain.

I find killing the engine with the decompressor almost invariably means it comes to rest just before or after TDC.