Left hand on the brake lever, pull the bike towards me and lean it against my left side until I reach the balance point, tip it back and forth slightly and look!

 

You're suppose to check it ????? :wink2::wink2:

 

I'm not a fan of the glass eye. I used to have a Fuji engine had a threaded hole in the crank at the proper level. All you needed to do was fill the oil filler until oil ran out the hole, and poof! done.

much simpler and easier to deal with. the only downside was that you couldn't really check if the level was low, but I could live with that 'limitation'.

 

Rear spools and a paddock stand work well too.

Really a must have if you do your own work on the bike.

 

I will say that the level is DIFFERENT between wheels on the ground, and rear-stand in use (so nose "low" as opposed to level). NOT an issue as long as you take the difference into account.

 

I like the sight glass over a dip stick. Quick check and no dripping or paper towels needed.

Kawasaki put it on the correct side by putting it opposite the side stand. I crouch or kneel and pull it towards me to balance and check it. It is easier to push it away from you and pull it towards you if it starts to get away from you.

Yamaha put the sight glass on the same side as the side stand. Don't care for that as much from a safety standpoint.

When I had my big Voyager XII, I used a dental mirror to check the level while I straddled the bike.

A paddock stand does take the bike a little off level, but if you are just checking to make sure you have enough oil for a ride then it is fine.

Bikes with oil pans are easy to check. Bikes with dry sumps have specific procedures for checking the proper oil level. Some of the bikes I have had make you go through a 6 minute ordeal to check the oil level.

 

I used to religiously check the oil level every ride. Now I check it weekly, or before each sporty ride/distance ride.

I also check tire pressures by the air tool only once a week. Otherwise I let out too much air and have to refill regularly!

 

...I also check tire pressures by the air tool only once a week. Otherwise I let out too much air and have to refill regularly!

I check tire pressures EVERY ride the way truckers do - w/ a mallet.

I started w/ the pressures where I want them, whacked w/ the mallet and noted how it felt; removed some air - whacked again, etc; and again..., to give me a base-line. I re-check every few weeks w/ a gauge and my pressures have stayed consistently UP.

 

I put a small plastic level on the gas cap and use a small mirror taped to a yard stick-works great

 

The Versys is so light and the CG so low compared to all the DOHC inline fours I've owned over the years that pulling it upright to check the oil seems very easy, and I'm a 165 pound weakling. :^)

 

straddle the bike, level it up, use a mechanics mirror (a mirror on the end of an extendible rod) available from Amazon for $6: