When checking oil level do you guys run the engine beforehand or check to stone cold. I notice in the owners manual it says run for 3-minutes then check but surley you get a inaccurate reading ?. all previous bikes i have owned had the good old viewing glass and always checked cold. seems odd you check it when oil may still be stuck up the top end of engine but i suppose honda must be right. Also can you check it on a paddock stand or will it give false reading as oil may be pushed to front of engine ? Thanks in advance
I run the bike for 5 mins then leave it sitting for a couple. Remove dipstick and wipe then sit on bike to keep it level,insert dipstick to check oil. Having the bike on a rear stand would give a bad reading.
dont forget 'DO NOT' screw the dip stick back in to take your measurment,just let it fall to the threads then check level.
Thanx peeps, Just seemed strange that you run engine first. never checked oil this way before and just want to get correct level.
When oil is warm/hot it returns quickly so only a light coating is left if checked 5 mins after stopping. Most cars I have had do the same procedure too. I'm lucky as my 2006 still has sight glass
You can check using a rear paddock stand as long as you measure the height the rear wheel is off the deck when on the stand then insert a piece of 4x2" etc under the front to compensate so the bike sits level. Obviously you push/ride the bike on to the wood spacer first then lift up with the rear paddock!
I check when cold to make sure it isn't too low, and then when warmed for a few minutes to check if it needs a top-up.
When you are on the move, then 3~5 mins minimum will give you a good enough indication perhaps less accurate. By default, I do it with the engine cold as you get maximum oil drained into the sump therefore more accurate level. But this is not always possible. If you really want to find out and have the time, perhaps you can run both methods and let us know what you find. If you jack up the back of the bike, it should affect the level on the dipstick, the only way to find by how much is by doing it. What is also important is to make sure the bike is fully upright and not leaning.
I would have thought up until reading this you'd check it cold & level. Make sure all the oil is in the sump thus getting an accurate reading...
Put on paddock stands, run for 3 mins let it cool down 3 mins , then check. Do not screw dip stick in, just rest it in . Do every 500km.
