If I remember correctly, it's about 300ml / 1000 KM. Called my dealer and they insisted it's okay because the DVT engines were prone to using oil. I thought for a while I was back on my 50cc two stroke scooter I had when I was 15! ;-)
If you are only running off a 1/2 litre or so don't bother warming the oil. It will be easier to get the sump plug back in again if the oil is running more slowly and you won't burn your hand. You only need to warm the oil if you are doing a complete oil change.
There is a mod of notching the skid plate that works great and you never have to remove the center stand again to change oil after you do the 2 notches , but if your mechanically challenged you wouldn"t be able to do it .
A Absolutely. Only warm the motor if you want to drain all the oil or attempt to remove some via the filler.
Mission successfully accomplished! Drained the oil out this weekend. I'm now back to just over the 'minimum mark' in the glass window. Thanks again for the help everyone - that guide is great. Btw you don't need to remove the center stand from the DVT Multistrada.
Glad you got it sorted. I do understand and never worry too much about people who love bikes, ride them but don't have the confidence to maintain them. They key here is that you are a fellow bike rider. Personally i always keep a spare sump plug with a new crush washer in my spares kit in the garage. Mind you I also keep condoms in the garage which have a lot of uses beyond the obvious. The key with oil levels is consistancy, when you check it, try to use the same temp ( I always do this on a Sunday morning when cold), always on the same area in the garage which is level and in the same way.
Your yo-yo oil level may be explained if you're checking the sight glass on the centre stand, then at other times on the side stand. The side stand will lean the contents to the sight glass, giving a fuller reading than the one you'll get on the centre stand. My advice would be to put the bike on the side stand and carefully lift it away from the stand till its upright, so you get a reading when the bike's level. Even on the centre stand the bike is pitched slightly forward, so the reading could also be slightly false, however, if you check it consistently on the centre stand, you are at least comparing like with like.
Both my recent Ducatis have had sight glass on right, side stand on left, so reading on side stand is low rather than high. Also, not convinced about the consistency thing. Consistently right is fine. Consistently wrong, less so.
For me it wasn’t really the position of the bike when I checked the oil (it was on the center stand on even ground) but rather I didn’t let it stand long enough after driving and – since it was consuming so much oil on my bike trip – I made the mistake of filling it up all the way to the maximum line. Then when I checked the next morning it was too much… Anyway, sorted now! Now if only it didn’t rain in the UK all the time!!!
When the DVT is on the side stand there is nothing visible in the sight glass. Manual says bike standing upright to check levels, but on the center stand it's almost an identical reading
Had the same at my recent service. The oil was just above the maximum line (not my doing) and I noticed one of the head studs seemed constantly wet on the left side. The mechanic said this was more likely an O ring on the upper left case, it was but he also said that the bike builds up a good pressure and so when the oil is overfilled it has to go somewhere. Oil and filter change done with the service and was refilled to just above the minimum line, no issues since. Oil level was done whilst on the centre stand.
