How often do you check your oil?

[IanDMacDonald]

So, just a little curious here, how often do you guys check your oil? When I was younger, I burned-up two 750 engines in one summer not checking the oil level.

[GLoweVA]

When you say 'check' do you mean looking at the sight glass or something a little more involved?

I guess for me, I 'check' the sight glass almost everytime I have the bike on the center stand. (maybe once a week) I do trust my oil warning light.
If the level got too low in my G, after coming to a stop light, the oil warning light would come on briefly and I'd very soon after that put about 1/2 qt in.

[natemoen]

maybe once a week or so. just takes a couple seconds to look at it.

[ViperRon]

It only takes a few minutes to walk around a bike check for oil dripping, parts loose, tires low, brake fluid level, and oil level etc. I do it every time I stop for gas. I guarentee its a lot less time than it takes to fix the bike or heal if you have an accident and less money than it takes to haul it home. My dad always refered to the oil light as a dummy light. ( you have run it out of oil dummy)

[Diskman01]

I fill it every evening I go ridin'. I really need to get my valve seals replaced this winter.. And a pesky head gasket oil leak that just won't quit.

[BA80]

Okie only uses a quart about every 1000 under normal use so about every couple weeks I look at it.

Haven't ridden The Hornet enough to know for sure but it looks like it's gonna be about the same.

[Tat2demon]

About once a month I pull the cap and smell for gas. I have zero leaks so its something Im not too concerned about.

[jjz28]

I check mine before I leave every time just to be sure there is not gas in it. Never know when something may fail.

[fredintoon]

Um, now and then, when I think about it.
But the BSA is a different story. 300 miles from home and developed a nasty oil leak.
Not a by the roadside fix.
Stop every half-hour to buy a quart of 15W40 (heaviest that most gas stations carry) to pour into the oil tank and check the gas.
Made it to within 5 miles of home before the bore seized.
So, Two buttons to press! Before every ride AND when seized up at the side of the road.

[BA80]

Um, now and then, when I think about it.
But the BSA is a different story. 300 miles from home and developed a nasty oil leak.
Not a by the roadside fix.
Stop every half-hour to buy a quart of 15W40 (heaviest that most gas stations carry) to pour into the oil tank and check the gas.
Made it to within 5 miles of home before the bore seized.
So, Two buttons to press! Before every ride AND when seized up at the side of the road.

Ha ha ha, that's what you get for riding that Brit POS Fred.

[Rasputin]

I check mine before I leave every time just to be sure there is not gas in it. Never know when something may fail.

+1. I check it before every ride in case I have a stuck float or needle valve which could cause a major catastrophe if there is gas in my oil. For the few seconds it takes and the ease of mind I will always do it.
Point is that until I joined this forum I never knew it could be an issue. I know of at least two instances where this has happened to me. Both would have been financially devastating at the time, as well as mentally. This forum is great!
This is also why I have elected to run my Octy on all my bikes that have it. I hate the damn thing but it gives me one more point of possible protection.
My 2 cents.

[oldyam80sg]

Ever since i had my accident on my Kawasaki last year and got fuel in the oil,i check both bikes every time i start them.

[fredintoon]

Ha ha ha, that's what you get for riding that Brit POS Fred.

Hi Greg,
HA! Mocking me for supporting my heritage, eh?
Riding an oil-puking POS Britbike is a tradition I shall proudly maintain.
Admittedly that was the last time I rode the thing the ~300 miles to the Handhills small bike rally, these days it travels there in a trailer and is only ridden on the 20 mile lunch ride to Wayne AB

[TomB]

I check every time I ride a few hundred miles as I need to do the valves seals too.

My dad always refered to the oil light as a dummy light. ( you have run it out of oil dummy)

+1 on that, if you're waiting for an oil light to come on you're basically waiting for the "Your engine IS destroying itself" red light to tell you when to check the oil.

UNLESS its an XJ11 with oil level light, the oil light on XS11's is an oil PRESSURE light, if its on your crank has no oil pressure. This also means everywhere else will be starved of oil, cams/head, gearbox pressure fed shafts, the underneath of pistons are cooled with oil thrown from the crank so even a couple of seconds oil light on will mean pistons getting too hot.


.

[jwhughes3]

Um, now and then, when I think about it.
But the BSA is a different story. 300 miles from home and developed a nasty oil leak.
Not a by the roadside fix.
Stop every half-hour to buy a quart of 15W40 (heaviest that most gas stations carry) to pour into the oil tank and check the gas.
Made it to within 5 miles of home before the bore seized.
So, Two buttons to press! Before every ride AND when seized up at the side of the road.

Fred once when I was 18 my folks went on vacation - I went on a date and took Dad's Mercedes 300D to impress - I was late and driving too fast on a bad road bottomed out near the dancehall.

Upon coming out after there was a sea of oil surrounding the car...I'd cracked the oil pan and everything was dry.

Since in my beer addled brain all I needed to do was get the car home 35 miles... I went to the nearby 7-11 and wiped the shelf of all the cheap motor oil they had - about 14 quarts - put 8 in and drove a few miles - stopped and added more - every 5 miles till I got home and went to bed figuring I'd fix it in the am.

Did I park it in the ditch? NO! Right where I usually parked my Honda and proceeded to drain all remaining oil onto the driveway overnight that my Dad was so careful to keep a single spot off of.

Some JB Weld and dirt for camo and the MB was good as new. The drive was never the same.

I did not drive it anymore that trip

John