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Oil low: 2005 R1150RT-P

Yeah, ok, I think we pretty much agree. If my oil is IN the sight glass, at least 1/4 of the glass covered, I leave it alone. If someone is adding oil when it is at 1/2, or more, than sure, you can overfill.

That's what I mean about overthinking it. If you see oil, ride.

If you let it drain down and you are at the bottom of the sight glass, and not due for an oil change, then add some (I add 1/5 of a quart--I carry an old 1/5 QT STP fuel treatment bottle with me filled with oil). 1/5 quart will put you back in the safety zone.

Unless your bike is really using oil, that's about as complicated as the procedure needs to be.

I use the sidestand, too.
 
That's what I mean about overthinking it. If you see oil, ride.

and if you don't see oil, don't assume it isn't there :scratch It might just be hiding :hide

For some real fun, watch the sight glass while someone else starts your cold bike :drink

For the record, If I didn't park on the center stand so much, I probably wouldn't have gotten in trouble with overfilling the oil.
 
At the risk of starting a "What exactly does it sound like?" sub-thread and risk another poor horse getting beaten... If you really get to know your bike, and listen to it, there IS a difference in sound when your oil gets to be "too low". A slight increase in valve noise, more metal, or just "more sound" is how I'd describe it. As heard at the engine and not the exhaust, of course.
 
My idle gets a bit rough when its low on oil. i can see the top edge of my windshield shaking a bit. My 1st thought had been "time to break out the Twin-Max"- but it has evolved to "better check the oil tonite before adjusting anything." Most times, she's just down a pint or so.
 
Unless I am killing mosquitoes with a blue fog or my boot has oil on it...or there is a puddle where one should not be...I just ride the things. Now my '64 Chebbie was a tad different.:violin
Our '95 1100R is the only oil eater in the bunch as it was prob babied at break in and always uses oil...it smokes at startup on occasion.
Even when hitting performance targets on a few of the hot rod bikes, they almost never need oil between changes...which happen fairly often for us anyways...not early...6K:whistle. Yeah, if we are running 5-6K+ RPM a lot...maybe needs a bump to bring it level...and that is the following morning after sitting.
Like mentioned, if it's in the window...ride!
 
At the risk of starting a "What exactly does it sound like?" sub-thread and risk another poor horse getting beaten... If you really get to know your bike, and listen to it, there IS a difference in sound when your oil gets to be "too low". A slight increase in valve noise, more metal, or just "more sound" is how I'd describe it. As heard at the engine and not the exhaust, of course.

Well, the thread will probably wonder now, but that's good. You raise a great point. ANY good engine guy I know really knows the sounds and feel of his machine. I recently heard a rattle, quite low but there, on my 89 Chevy truck. It ended up being the water pump shaft vibrating on a worn bearing--fixed before an issue.

I later felt a bit of vibration, sound free, in the brake pedal. That took a long time to figure out, and it had to worsen, but it ended up being a universal joint.

When you become "one" with the feel and sound a machine, it is a beautiful thing.
 
ANY good engine guy I know really knows the sounds and feel of his machine.

Even though it's a new bike to me, I could definitely hear all of the symptoms of the oil being a bit low -- slightly more valve noise, a more metallic sound overall. And the idle seemed just a little bit rougher. That's why I made it a priority to check it (even though I had to put it on the center stand with just the left arm due to the clavicle surgery on the right).
 
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On center stand, sight glass full, everything's good to go. Once you can see a gap when it's on the sidestand, drop 8 oz. in. and do the oil dance if you must.

This bikes use oil up to 20-25k, then things tend to calm down.
 
Knock on wood, once I stopped trying to do an elaborate dance of specific time on sidestand, then on centerstand, standing on one foot, I started getting consistent oil reads. Get home. Bike goes on sidestand while I get off then immediately on centerstand (if I'm checking oil, cleaning, etc.). No more fluctuations in visible oil level.
 
When I upgraded my 2002 R1150RT to Ohlins shocks, the oil level was spot on. After installing the shocks, the oil level changed to low in the site glass. I suppose the bikes profile front/back changed and was not sitting the same way as with the oem shocks. I just adjusted everything to fill again to the site glass mark.
 
Knock on wood, once I stopped trying to do an elaborate dance of specific time on sidestand, then on centerstand, standing on one foot, I started getting consistent oil reads. Get home. Bike goes on sidestand while I get off then immediately on centerstand (if I'm checking oil, cleaning, etc.). No more fluctuations in visible oil level.

If you are putting the bike on the center stand immediately after dismounting, you are not going to get an accurate reading on the oil level. The reasons are explained in this thread and countless others. Key ingredients are a hot bike and five minutes...

Probably the best concise description was in the thread rxcrider posted a link to already. If you missed it here is the exact post by GSAddict that lays it out as simply as possible: http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showpost.php?p=727818&postcount=18
 
I did not get a consistent reading from any method. 5 minutes on sidestand, 10 minutes, half an hour, didn't matter. I get pretty consistent readings using this method (as described above), but still have a day every now and then where it shows low until after the next ride. I have have yet to run with insufficient oil or to have blowby from overfilling. Mostly due to cautions I read hear about adding oil willy nilly.
 
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