Motorcycle Oil Change.

Today Im going to show you how to properly change the oil on your motorcycle. For this instructable, we are going to use my 2011 Yamaha FZ8. Please consult your owner's manual for proper oil change and filter schedule.

Here we have a photo of materials needed for our oil change. One very important piece of equipment is a rear paddock stand. These can be had fairly cheap at a local motorcycle accessory store. I picked mine up for about $40. If your bike comes equipped with a center stand then you wont be needing the rear paddock stand. I also decided to use full synthetic oil for this instructable since it is a bit better than your regular motor oil.

Then unscrew your engine's oil cap so that air can pass through the engine. This way, the oil can drain out properly from your engines oil drain hole.

Turn on the bike and let it warm up for several minutes so that the oil is warm. This helps the flow of the oil when draining.

To remove the drain bolt, simply use your socket wrench. If it is hard to remove, try using a rubber mallet on the socket handle.

Remove the oil filter by hand. If your bike comes with the kind that has a nut head on it, the removal should be easier.

Now that you have the drain bolt and the filter off, let all the oil from the engine drain out. Use paper towels on parts where some of the oil may leak onto. In this case, some was leaking on the headers.

Dip your finger into the new oil container and rub some onto the new oil filter's o-ring. This will ensure a nice seal when installing the new oil filter.

Fortunately, the new filter came equipped with a nut head. The same wrench I used on the drain bolt also works on the filter.

Fill the right amount of oil according to your owner's manual. In this case the manual specifies 3.28 US qts. After filling the bike, turn on the engine and check the oil level through the sight glass. Add more bit more oil if needed.

Remove the bike off the stand and enjoy your ride.