MotoReveries

---

Motorcycle Maintenance

A step-by-step how-to guide for the single most important motorcycle maintenance routine.

NOTE: Although this article focuses on a Suzuki GSX-R, this oil change method applies to all if not most sportbikes.

Oil is the lifeblood of your motorcycle. It pumps and circulates through the engine, transmission, and clutch to lubricate vital parts. Furthermore, it also acts as a sealant, a cleaner, and a coolant to keep components from overheating. Basically, the oil keeps the engine alive and running. Therefore, learning how to change your motorcycle oil is the single most important maintenance task you can learn for your motorcycle. If the oil runs out or, if it goes bad, your engine will suffer damage and possibly even worse, become totally destroyed. Nobody wants to hear that bad news.

However, the good news is, that maintaining motor oil isn’t that hard. It’s easy to check the oil levels and fairly simple to change the oil. Moreover, contrary to popular belief, this routine does not require advanced mechanical skills. With this step-by-step how-to guide, and a little drop of patience, you’ll be changing your motorcycle oil in no time.

📦 Affiliate Disclosure:
Some of the links in this article are affiliate links — if you click and buy, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps support the channel and future content 🙌

Performing an oil change is a simple servicing routine that has many benefits.

• You will prolong the life of your motorcycle.
• You will save money on mechanic visits.
• You will become more familiar with your bike.

Call it a ‘bonding experience’. After learning how to change your motorcycle oil, you’ll be more in tune with how your motorcycle works and performs. Therefore, you will learn even more service routines. You’ll also feel proud for successfully accomplishing this task. You’ll become an official “gearhead”.

Gearhead (noun) Definition: a DIY enthusiast for motorcycles mechanics and various automotive machinery. Pronunciation: /ˈɡirˌhed/

Gixxer (noun) Definition: Short for GSX-R. Pronunciation: /‘jik-ser/

---

When To Change Your Motorcycle Oil

• According to the service manual, engine oil should be changed after the first 600 miles or first 2 months, and every 4000 miles or 12 months after.
• Along with the oil, you’ll also need to replace the oil filter. This should be first replaced after the first 600 miles or first 2 months, and after 11,000 miles or 36 months thereafter.
• Some riders prefer to change the oil each year when the riding season starts, after winter storage.

How To Check Motorcycle Oil Level

Here’s a diagram of a Suzuki GSX-R showing the typical location of the oil sight glass on a common sportbike. The oil sight glass level indicator should be on the bottom right side of your sportbike. However, if it is not located in the same area shown here, refer to your owner’s manual on the specific location.

Warning: Always remember to let the bike cooldown before touching engine components such as the oil sight glass. Areas holding motor oil can get especially hot. Therefore, always use caution when checking motorcycle oil and performing a motorcycle oil change.

The procedure

The steps below will take you through the procedure of how to check your motorcycle oil level.

1. Put the bike into neutral.
2. Start the engine and let it idle for 5 minutes.
3. Turn off the engine and wait about three minutes. This will allow for the engine oil to flow into the sight glass seen in Figure 1.
4. Stand the motorcycle up level so it no longer leans on the kickstand. Do this either by leaning the motorcycle against a wall, lifting the motorcycle on bike stands, or have someone help you hold the bike up straight. Alternatively, long-time riders can hold the bike up and lean down low enough to check the oil sight at the same time but, I would not recommend this technique for new/intermediate riders that haven’t mastered the balance of their bikes yet.
5. With the bike balanced straight up and secure, locate the oil sight glass at the bottom right side of the bike as seen in Figure 1 and Figure 1.2.
6. As seen in Figure 1.2, the oil sight glass has two gauge level markers located on the left side, F(Full) and L(Low). The oil level should be just beneath the F marker when the bike is level and balanced — straight up without the kickstand. If the oil level is near the L marker, this means the engine is low on oil and needs more added. If the oil level is above the F marker, it means there is too much oil in the engine and some oil needs to be drained out.

Here’s a close-up of the oil site glass.

Here’s a video guide on how to check your motorcycle oil level.

---

The Type Of Oil And Oil Filter Needed

Suzuki recommends the use of Suzuki Performance 4 Motor Oil and an engine oil grade of 10W-40. A popular engine oil brand for Suzuki that many riders purchase is the ECSTAR 9000 Full Synthetic Motorcycle Engine Oil Change Kit. It is a premium performance oil kit package, which can be a bit too pricey for some but, there are other options out there. If you are not pushing your bike to the limits on a race track, any 10W-40 grade motorcycle oil should do for normal street riding.

Be sure to read your manual for how many quarts of oil are needed to fill the engine. For a 2006 GSX-R 600, it takes about 2.3 quarts quarts of oil.

As far as oil filters go, the K&N High Performance Motorcycle Filter is a popular and well-performing brand.

The Tools Needed

• Rubber gloves to protect your hands.
• 17 mm socket wrench for the oil drain bolt and K&N oil filter.
• Oil filter wrench to remove the old oil filter.
• Oil drain pan to catch and dispose of the oil.
• 6 mm hex screw to remove the left-side fairing and under-cowling. (This should be in the toolkit, that comes with every Suzuki GSX-R.)
• Oil funnel to pour new oil into the engine.
• Shop towels to clean up any spills.
• Cardboard box as a work mat to support knees and lay on while working on the bike. You can pretty much get this anywhere. Just find a decent-sized cardboard box and flatten it out to make a nice work mat.

---

How To Change The Oil

The engine should always be warm when the oil is changed so that the oil can flow out easier.

• Before starting the oil change process, run the engine and let it idle for a few minutes to warm the oil up.
• Be sure to only let the engine run for a few minutes. The longer the engine runs, the hotter the oil and motorcycle parts become.
• A hot motorcycle can cause severe burns. DO NOT WORK ON A MOTORCYCLE WHEN IT IS HOT.

WARNING: Do not let the engine run long enough to get hot. The extreme temperatures of engine oil, engine components, and exhaust pipes can cause severe burns. Always allow your motorcycle to cool down before you work on it.

---

Drain Out The Motorcycle Oil

This section cover the process on how to drain the motorcycle oil from the oil pan.

Warning: Always remember to let the bike cool down before touching engine components such as the oil pan screw. Areas holding motor oil can get especially hot. Therefore, always use caution when checking motorcycle oil and performing a motorcycle oil change.

Oil drain procedure

1. Place the oil drain pan underneath the oil drain bolt.
2. Unscrew the oil drain bolt with a 17 mm socket wrench turning counter-clockwise. Allow the oil to drain out from the engine completely.
3. Next, check the crush washer on the drain bolt for any damage. If damaged, you’ll need to replace it to prevent leaks. You should change the crush washer on every third or fourth oil change.
4. Once the engine oil is completely drained, torque the oil drain bolt closed to 6.5 foot-pounds. Do not to screw it too tightly because you can easily crack the oil pan.
5. Remove the screws from the left side fairings with a hex screw. There are 4 hex screws and 3 snap rivets. You may not need to remove the entire left-side fairing. Try to loosen the fairings up enough so that you can easily fit the oil drain pan underneath the oil filter (Figure 2.4).
6. Locate the oil filter (figure 2.5) and place the oil drain pan below it. Unscrew the oil filter with the oil filter wrench, turning counter-clockwise.
7. After the oil completely drains out, apply a bit of oil to the o-ring (inner rim) of the new oil filter. Screw the new oil filter on with your bare hands so as not to over-tighten it. You can also use a socket wrench that can measure the 14.5 foot-pound torque needed for sufficient tightening.
8. Wipe off any oil that may have spilled.
9. Reinstall the left-side fairings back onto the bike.

This diagram showcase common locations of sportbike fairing screws.

Oil filter location

Warning: Always remember to let the bike cooldown before touching engine components such as the oil filter and header pipes. Motor areas can get especially hot. Therefore, always use caution when checking motorcycle oil and performing a motorcycle oil change.

---

Add New Motorcycle Oil

Tip: When adding oil to the motorcycle, pour it slowly and in small amounts. Furthermore, allow adequate time for the oil to flow through the engine parts and into the oil sight glass, as seen in Figure 3.3., for accurate oil level measuring.

The Procedure

1. Locate the oil filler (Figure 3.1). Twist off the oil filler cap.
2. Place the funnel into the oil filler.
3. Slowly pour 2.3 to 2.6 quarts of oil into the engine (Figure 3.2). Do not over-fill the funnel.
4. Once the recommended amount of oil has been poured into the bike, securely tighten the oil filler cap back on.
5. Start the motorcycle up to circulate the new oil through the engine for a few minutes.
6. Shut the engine off and let it sit for a few moments.
7. Check the oil sight glass (Figure 3.3) to see where the oil level is. As mentioned previously, the oil level should be between the F(Full) and L(Low) marks, preferably just below the F mark. Make sure the bike is balanced straight and level without the kickstand to get an accurate reading. If the oil looks low — closer to the L(Low) mark, slowly add a small amount of more oil and recheck the oil sight glass. If the oil is above the F(Full) mark, drain a small amount back out into the drain pan from the oil drain bolt. Add more oil back into the oil filler slowly and little by little as you check the oil sight glass.
8. After filling up the oil, screw the oil filler cap back on securely.
9. Securely close the oil drain pan holding the old oil. Dispose of the old oil filter and old oil at an oil recycling center or auto-mechanic shop near you.

Here’s a completely full oil level.

Notice how the oil is just under the full mark.

You Got This

Now that you’ve learned how to change your motorcycle oil, all you have to do is put your knowledge into action. With this guide and the right tools, you’ll be able to knock this task out in about 45 minutes. Moreover, the more you do it, the faster you’ll get at it. If there are any questions feel free to get in touch. My contact info is below. Now go out there and get your “gearhead” card.

Additionally, if you successfully learned how to change your motorcycle oil from this read, check out another helpful DIY motorcycle article on how to wash your motorcycle.

For more informational motorcycle content and tutorials, subscribe to my YouTube and add me on Instagram. And, ride safe out there wherever you are.

---

Share

• ShareCopied to clipboard
• X
• Facebook
• Bluesky
• WhatsApp

---

📌 Subscribe so you don’t miss any of my useful motorcycle reviews, installations, and tutorial guides.
📩 Business Inquiries: 📧 motoreveries@gmail.com

---

---

How To Lift A Motorcycle