I've always checked it using a telescopic mirror while sitting on the bike.

 

I use a mirror sometimes, but I just pull the bike off the sidestand until it is level.

 

paddock stand will not impact oil level reading. Just make sure bike is balanced left/right.

 

...paddock stand will not impact oil level reading. Just make sure bike is balanced left/right....

This is NOT true!

AS LONG AS YOUR REAR WHEEL IS OFF THE GROUND the bike is NO LONGER LONGITUDINALLY LEVEL. THUS you can NOT determine the CORRECT OIL-LEVEL!

 

My paddock stand lifts the V so high the oil level barely reads. When I change the oil I stand on the right side, balance the bike, and then crouch down to see the level. It's easy to do, just requires some confidence, With practice you should be able to balance the bike with one hand, providing you're on a level surface.

 

I park my bike in a Harbor Freight wheel chock. It holds the bike upright and makes it easy to check the oil. It looks almost the same when I put it on the paddock stand.

 

The bottom surfaces of the tires must be level with one another for a correct reading.

I have a block of wood that is equal to the added height of my stand; I just roll the front wheel into the wood, lift the back with the stand and presto... the wheels are even. Also gives just a bit more clearance when doing maintenance. Maybe I should get a bike lift hahaha.

 

To check the oil level start with the bike on the sidestand. Stand on the right side and pull the bike upright with your right hand on the handlebar, then find the soft neutral zone where the bike is balanced with no effort. Do a slow squat, check the level then stand up and let the bike settle on the sidestand. Easy, even for an old fart like me. I made myself learn it out of necessity working alone.
PS: I check the oil while holding a mini lite in my left hand.

Re: balancing the bike, watch this lass with her GS1200.

 

I should have said, "infirmities aside, it's easy..."

I think I might have told the tale here of being pinned in the garage by my Concours. Much heavier than my V. Not recommended. My own damn fault too.

 

More on balance, 4 minutes worth watching. The longer I've ridden, the more I've learned the importance of slow-speed skills and how much I need to work on them. Starting with the bike standing still is a good place to start.

 

I use the rear paddock stand alot when I spritz my chain and check the oil level while its up in my garage. Like Eddie says, its not totally accurate unless you use the front axle paddock as well to get the bike level front to back. Kind of a pain. I also have a quick handle bar ceiling lift as well but also a pain for a quick up and check. Such is the life of a geezer, I don't totally trust my balance. I was thinking of building a plywood ramp(couple of inches-ish thick) for the front wheel to compensate for the raised rear axle when up. If you don't see oil at all up on just the rear paddock stand you have a problem. I think just on the rear stand you should see a little more level in the glass. But on the road after a long day when I would like to check the oil level for peace of mind its still a balancing act. The only reason I would add a centre stand I guess.

 

IF I'm on BOTH my paddock-stands - I do NOT see oil in the window, which is WHY I came up w/ just using the rear one. It WORKS!

 

I didn't think about taking into account the difference in height due to non-OEM tire dimensions. Using data from the Shinko site, my rear axle is approximately .355 inches over stock height, while my front axle is .790 inches higher than stock. Taking the difference of those, it would mean my front axle is .435 higher than stock relative to the rear, so for a true measurement I would need to adjust for that, either by lifting the rear by .435 or lowering the front by the same amount. I use a block of wood under the front so I should shave that block by .435.

I would definitely experience an increase in horsepower were I to use this method.

Moral of the story... there's a bit of tolerance here. Another factor is suspension adjustment; the user's manual doesn't give a suggested suspension setting for the oil sight glass.

 

If you've got side cases, it's pretty easy to stand on the right side, grab brake with right hand, pull the bike up, and use your left leg/hip/thigh against the case to keep it balanced. (If the ground/floor is level, you don't even really need the right hand on the brake.) I can lean my body over far enough to see the oil sight glass well enough using this technique, but I'm 5'9" -- if you're tall or not as flexible perhaps it would be more difficult?

 

AS part of my 'advancing-age' I'm quite leery of getting down beside the bike's right side to see how the oil-level is (it DROPPED once when doing that, but I wasn't hurt, altho' my leg WAS trapped for a few minutes), so I worked on a solution when I did an oil-change just the day after hitting 100,000 miles.

I had my wife photograph the 'sight-gauge' while I balanced the bike from the LEFT, side-stand down, until the pic showed the level at the FULL line once I'd filled enough oil.

Then I took a short ride (which ALWAYS makes the oil look black!), and reconfirmed w/ my wife that it STILL was even at the FULL line back in my shop, in the following pic.

THEN I put my TREX rear paddck-stand back under, and lifted the rear of the bike, got my camera and looked at 'WHERE FULL IS" when lifted.

NOW I can check my oil safely w/out needing another helper.

It's FULL when the oil-level is SLIGHTLY above the "MINIMUM OIL-LEVEL" line on the sight gauge!

Well... better the bike falling on you when stationary than when at warp factor 9

As part of your (our) 'advancing-age'; you may appreciate this,
as it makes deploying our paddock stands a one handed job...
by increasing ones leverage/mechanical advantage ie
ratio of where our effort is applied and the length of the stand from
the ground to pick up spools on the swing arm.
as well as multiple other benefits such as:
1. Making the stand more stable.

2. Having the tyre closer to the ground when on the stand,
one can then jam a wedge between the tyre and the ground to bias
the axle "up" when the chain is adjusted and when the axle nut is done up...
as well of course as making the bike substantially easier to lift...
I had an associate with a GSXR 1000 who stayed at my place after
his missus kicked him out... he could never work out why I could lift
my ZX12R so easily when he busted his nuts lifting his gixxer with
his (same but unmodified) stand. lol... I can be such an arse hole.

3. The difference in indicated oil level is negligible.

If you want to do this, measure the distance between the tyre
and the ground, (before the cutting) and subtract the distance
you want the tyre from the ground for example 7/10th of an inch
from that, then cut that amount out of each vertical leg and weld the remains together.

Just for the record, the tyre will clear the ground by approximately 3/32" less than your calculation, as the axle is behind the pick up spools on the swing arm. You could include
that into your calc if you want.

For example: if the tyre clears the ground by 4 inches on the stand
and you want it to be 7/10ths" (.7 of an inch)
4" minus .7" = 3.3"... to be cut out of the "verticals".

Please excuse my duck shit electric welding... it's never been the best...
and I used a $99au gasless MIG welder for the job which didn't help.

I'm good with oxy acetylene, but that was not available.

 

Some VERY complex oil-checking solutions here, but I believe the one I came up w/ is SIMPLE!

I started w/ the oil at the PROPER level after an oil-change, aided by my wife taking pics of the "sight-gauge", and THEN put it ON the rear paddock-stand, where it IS stable, then took a good TIGHT close-up pic of said "sight-gauge" to see WHERE it is.

NOW I KNOW what 'full', bike-on-the-tires is, when the bike is ON my paddock-stand. AND I'm NOT where the V650 can fall onto me. (YOU young guys probably can't IMAGINE my concerns...!)

 

I had to laugh when subscribers started in with advice (to you) on how to balance the bike.

Also mate I understand... (understood from the outset) that your methodology
of checking the oil with the bike on the stand is totally valid... and simple too.

I have to say, my paddock stand was okay in it's original form, but
after "lowering" it, it is far easier to use (especialy the lifting part) and is more stable than its former self...
I love it now.

The ZX12 with a fully loaded 38 litre gear sack and fishing gear (unfortunately not a self loading SUV/4x4 seeking missile launcher) on the lowered paddock stand , on unlevel ground on "cobble stones" and steady as the proverbial brick outhouse... ready for a 3 day interstate fishing holiday...

COWABUNGA!

 

How perfectly upright it sits on paddock stand will depend on the actual paddock stand's precision of engineering, and how perfectly level the floor or ground it's laying on... Even if it happens to be perfectly upright by chance, rear end will always be higher than when checking oil level properly while holding it balanced upright on level ground.

 

No worries, no offence taken.
I'm an old geezer like Ed and have likely ridden as many miles. Like the past, my balance isn't what it used to be.

 

As we age our physical abilities (such as balance) decline... but we know that,
especially aged ones like you Ed and myself.

 

AS part of my 'advancing-age' I'm quite leery of getting down beside the bike's right side to see how the oil-level is (it DROPPED once when doing that, but I wasn't hurt, altho' my leg WAS trapped for a few minutes), so I worked on a solution when I did an oil-change just the day after hitting 100,000 miles.

I had my wife photograph the 'sight-gauge' while I balanced the bike from the LEFT, side-stand down, until the pic showed the level at the FULL line once I'd filled enough oil.

1-sidestand=fresh oil by Ed Copeman, on Flickr

Then I took a short ride (which ALWAYS makes the oil look black!), and reconfirmed w/ my wife that it STILL was even at the FULL line back in my shop, in the following pic.

2-sidestand=engine run a "bit" by Ed Copeman, on Flickr

THEN I put my TREX rear paddck-stand back under, and lifted the rear of the bike, got my camera and looked at 'WHERE FULL IS" when lifted.

3-on paddock-stand by Ed Copeman, on Flickr

NOW I can check my oil safely w/out needing another helper.

It's FULL when the oil-level is SLIGHTLY above the "MINIMUM OIL-LEVEL" line on the sight gauge!

Your post is very enlightening Eddie, and has inspired me to
do the same with my V on my lowered paddock stand.
Result below:

 

The big point (for ME) is knowing where the FULL oil level is, when up on the paddock stand.

BTW - my balance 'issues' come from the Bells palsy that I got as a FREE side-effect from my second Moderna vaxx one year ago.

 

I realized that (vis a vis oil level) when I read your original post.
And I digested what you said about your balance issues
back on page one. Have you recovered from the Bells?

How has the possibility that you picked up a different virus
(that causes Bells) around the same time you had your covid vaccination (a coincidence)
been eliminated Eddie?

My first two vaccinations were Pfizer and my third was the Moderna
with zero side effects for any of the shots... just sayin'

Lastly, I'm not sure if your post I quoted above was directed at me
(hence my comments in this post) or to all readers?