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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| Sometimes I come up with fixes for things that aren't even problems. This is probably one of those cases. Anyway, I read that a lot of experienced guys never even check their oil between changes and I can understand that. Call it paranoia or whatever but I just have to check mine from time to time whether it needs checking or not. Can't help it! The problem is that I find it difficult to hold the bike up straight and still be able to reach down and unscrew the dipstick without burning my fingers or worse. I have my foot controls all the way back which makes access even harder. So I made a dipstick that can be used while sitting comfortably in the saddle without even leaning over. It consists of a cylindrical piece that slides into the dipstick hole with a marked scale on one end and a long shaft on the other. All you have to do is: - remove the original dipstick
- sit on the bike straight up
- slip the new dipstick in the hole
- pull it out and check the level
- lean the bike back on the stand
- add oil if needed
- screw the original dipstick back in again
If nothing else I had fun making it  
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Cruiser
Posts: 132
Durango, Colorado | I just put a 2x4 laid flat under the kickstand. Bike is almost fully upright and I know that the level will read slightly low but as long as it is above the fill line I call it good. Checked this method against fully upright (buddy sitting on bike) and the difference is "neglegable". sp? Paulhu |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | marc, you definitely did not need to qualify anything there about checking your oil. I encourage everyone to do it often even though I'm one not to check it between changes.
I like your invention and it works well in the gargage, a great place to keep it and most like where you'll check your oil before your journey. That would be a great tech tool and time saver, you might market that. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| Thank you varyder! Probably the 2x4 paulhu mentioned would do the job just as well for most riders. Because I have the foot controls so far back it really is a bitch to get the dipstick in and out when the bike is hot. Normal checking means I have to take the dipstick in and out twice which is a pain. At least using my little contraption I only have to remove and reinstall the dipstick once. You know Harley went so far as to put two sets of marks on their dipstick; one set for upright and one set for checking on the side stand. I wonder why Vic didn't do the same thing. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | I've not gone that far to figure it out, but I would think that it would be easy to figure out where that mark is to check it on the side stand. As with anything that is "negligee-able" (sp) it should be checked fully erect. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | i just do the 2x4 under the stand as well. then i unscrew the oil dippie. =) |
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Cruiser
Posts: 132
Durango, Colorado | varyder - 2010-07-31 6:35 PM I've not gone that far to figure it out, but I would think that it would be easy to figure out where that mark is to check it on the side stand. As with anything that is "negligee-able" (sp) it should be checked fully erect. Though with those more youthful among us, fully erect may be the more achievable option. tee hee, couldn't resist VA |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA |  |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | varyder - 2010-07-31 9:47 PM
[/QUOTE
time to trade her in ? trany will completely fail soon. you need that new 100K trany..lol |
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Tourer
Posts: 340
Regina Saskatchewan Canada | My method of checking the oil is as follows:
- remove dipstick and clean it
- screw dipstick back in
- bring bike to an upright level position and hold it there for a few moments
- Put bike back on kick stand
- remove dipstick again and check level
The oil takes more than a few minutes to run off the dipstick, lots of time to check the level. No special tool or piece of 2x4 needed.
Edited by Crawford 2010-07-31 10:54 PM
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Cruiser
Posts: 132
Durango, Colorado | Crawford - 2010-07-31 9:53 PM My method of checking the oil is as follows: - remove dipstick and clean it - screw dipstick back in - bring bike to an upright level position and hold it there for a few moments - Put bike back on kick stand - remove dipstick again and check level The oil takes more than a few minutes to run off the dipstick, lots of time to check the level. No special tool or piece of 2x4 needed. BRILLIANT! never though of that...... |
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Cruiser
Posts: 181
Henlow, Bedfordshire, England | my answer:
(stand1.jpg)
Attachments
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 stand1.jpg (77KB - 0 downloads)
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Iron Butt
Posts: 741
Central New York | What happens when the 80,000 mile transmission hits 80,000? Are you then riding a pumpkin? |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 14
| sooo,I dropped alittle blue pill down the dipstick hole... |
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Cruiser
Posts: 192
Republic of Tejas | olds34dude - 2010-08-01 8:07 AM
sooo,I dropped alittle blue pill down the dipstick hole...
Sooo... does that keep your dipstick from getting limp??? (the devil made me do it! Apologies to the OP.) |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | ...no enhancements needed here.. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1290
Ruskin, Fl | I have been doing it the same way as Crawford. Don't check it very often since I change it about every 6 weeks. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | glighto11 - 2010-08-01 8:58 AM
What happens when the 80,000 mile transmission hits 80,000? Are you then riding a pumpkin?
Victory comes out with the 100,000 mile transmission, so I'm wondering now, what did the pre-2011's have. Somebody suggested that it is an 80,000 prior to 2011 and I've go 79,000 on the clock, meaning I have about a grand of fun left.
Of course, it is running fine and I expect that I'll get well over 100,000 miles as well as anyone else who stays with it that long.
To keep the context of the post and reply, my sig at the time of posting
"2008 w/80,000 mile Transmission (79,000 on the clock)"
Edited by varyder 2010-08-01 1:17 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 1350
| So when you use that looonnnngggg dipstick where do all the oil dips go? Tell me you have a rag down over your pipes and floorboard BEFORE you do this? |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| Actually I made the part that goes into the oil shorter than the stock one so it brings up less oil. No drippings at all RedRider - 2010-08-01 5:43 PM So when you use that looonnnngggg dipstick where do all the oil dips go? Tell me you have a rag down over your pipes and floorboard BEFORE you do this? |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 669
Peachtree City, GA | Crawford - 2010-07-31 11:53 PM
My method of checking the oil is as follows:
- remove dipstick and clean it
- screw dipstick back in
- bring bike to an upright level position and hold it there for a few moments
- Put bike back on kick stand
- remove dipstick again and check level
The oil takes more than a few minutes to run off the dipstick, lots of time to check the level. No special tool or piece of 2x4 needed.
Someone is thinking logically! I like it.
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Iron Butt
Posts: 669
Peachtree City, GA | varyder - 2010-08-01 2:16 PM
glighto11 - 2010-08-01 8:58 AM
What happens when the 80,000 mile transmission hits 80,000? Are you then riding a pumpkin?
Victory comes out with the 100,000 mile transmission, so I'm wondering now, what did the pre-2011's have. Somebody suggested that it is an 80,000 prior to 2011 and I've go 79,000 on the clock, meaning I have about a grand of fun left.
Of course, it is running fine and I expect that I'll get well over 100,000 miles as well as anyone else who stays with it that long.
To keep the context of the post and reply, my sig at the time of posting
"2008 w/80,000 mile Transmission (79,000 on the clock)"
The real answer is - unlimited mileage
LOL |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | Webhair - 2010-08-02 7:54 AM
varyder - 2010-08-01 2:16 PM
glighto11 - 2010-08-01 8:58 AM
What happens when the 80,000 mile transmission hits 80,000? Are you then riding a pumpkin?
Victory comes out with the 100,000 mile transmission, so I'm wondering now, what did the pre-2011's have. Somebody suggested that it is an 80,000 prior to 2011 and I've go 79,000 on the clock, meaning I have about a grand of fun left.
Of course, it is running fine and I expect that I'll get well over 100,000 miles as well as anyone else who stays with it that long.
To keep the context of the post and reply, my sig at the time of posting
"2008 w/80,000 mile Transmission (79,000 on the clock)"
The real answer is - unlimited mileage
LOL
so much road, so little time.... |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 721
| Okay guy, how about this one:
Immediately after I changed oil (and having started the bike and let it run for a little bit to fill up the filter) and know for certain that I have the full and proper quantity of oil in the engine, I waited a short time for the oil level to settle and with the bike on the side stand I removed the dipstick and made a new mark exactly where the proper oil level should be with the bike on the side stand. Simple and I never have to worry again about checking the oil with the bike straight up! |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | Webhair - 2010-08-02 7:52 AM
Crawford - 2010-07-31 11:53 PM
My method of checking the oil is as follows:
- remove dipstick and clean it
- screw dipstick back in
- bring bike to an upright level position and hold it there for a few moments
- Put bike back on kick stand
- remove dipstick again and check level
The oil takes more than a few minutes to run off the dipstick, lots of time to check the level. No special tool or piece of 2x4 needed.
Someone is thinking logically! I like it.
On the rare occassion that I check my oil, I do it this way standing on the right side. The Vision is easy off the kick pulling on the handle bar and get it level. I don't know if I have ever checked the oil sitting on the bike. I see this little invention sitting next to the bike when checking, pull the dip out, right the bike, dip the tool and remove. This allows you to bank time, albeit, ever so slight. But, when the pipes are hot, this saves some skin... |
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In answer to a question never asked.
