An idiot's notes after first Gen2 FJR oil change

NAPA oil filter is shorter then OEM oil filter, allowing greater clearance for MCL highway peg bracket.

My old John Deere oil filter wrench fit, yay!

When Yamaha states 4 quarts, they mean not a cc less than that. You might not even want to let it drain excessively if all you have is 4 quarts.

The oil sight window is very sensitive to slope fore and aft. Check it both ways.

Next to my John Deere mower, the FJR is second runner up for suckiest location of drain plug and filter to soak parts below with drained oil.

In my experience, the supposed purpose for the sponge in the lower fairing just below the oil filter is to absorb unavoidably spilled oil. When I was done, I kept squeezing the oil out with paper towels.


For idiots, ahem, "recovering engineers" like me, the oil catch pan manufacturers should apply a warning label that reads, "Hey dumbass, be sure to remove this from under your bike before you move it for any reason, even for deploying or retracting the centerstand. Yes, this means you, dumbass!" In the process of deploying the centerstand, the front tire predictably contacted the oil catch pan, sloshing oil on my asphalt driveway and on the front tire. I sprayed the tire with degreaser and rinsed. I only wiped the asphalt with paper towels. Can anyone recommend if I should go buy some kitty litter for the asphalt, or is it too late?

It is only 4 Qts if you don't change the filter. If you do, it will be 4 plus whatever was in it. And that depends on what size filter you had on there. The newest filters are smaller than the older ones. None of which really matters except for access with highway peg brackets.

I know that your handle is 'no rain', but wait for a little rain and your driveway will be taken care of without kitty litter.

When I replaced my oil filter recently the OEM filter is now shorter than the original OEM filter. They told me the part number had changed.

Gen II

Dude...Wrap that lower fairing piece with a strip of tin-foil. Shape it so any oil that runs onto it will go into the pan. For less than $.50, oil-in-the-foam problem solved.

Man, read up around here before just jumping into things. We have already experienced any issues you're gonna have, and many of them have simple fixes. AND as already said, if you replaced the filter and only put 4qts in, you're low.

I can beat that. Several years ago I was changing the oil in one of the cages. My oil pan was square with a port spout triangle extending from one side - this allows you to easily empty the pan (in more than one way). I had just finished draining the old oil and slid that pan out toward the front of the car just past the front bumper. Put the plug in and was buttoning it up. I slid out from under the car and Kris (my DW) stepped into the garage to ask me for something. I knew exactly where it was. I stood up wiped my hands and made a bee line around the front of the car. Completely forgetting about the oil pan. I know what you are thinking - shoe right in the pan slip fall - mess. No it is even better. I stepped on that tapered end of the pan used for pouring. That launched the pan and its contents into the air. Oil is freaking every where. Both cars covered, in my hair on my face - head to toe. I was wearing flannel shirt and even the pocket got oil inside. Took hours to clean that up - found remnants of oil in the tool box months later.

There now what were you saying about a little oil in a sponge? Cover that bad boy with aluminum foil and you will be amazed how quickly you can change oil.

Just guessing this one is bound for NEPRT since it has mostly been covered before.

If anyone dislikes changing the oil in the FJR they should just try a Honda ST1300. That is the most irritating oil change in the motorcycling world.

The oil filter is situated to allow oil to run all over the centerstand, the headers, and the ground. No provision for any of the oil from the filter removal to actually get into a container. Without the Owner's Manual no one will ever find the oil fill cap on an ST1300. I tried for two weeks to find it while waiting on my Owner's Manual to arrive.

I am so looking forward to a new FJR. The more I think about it, the happier I get.

4 quarts, 6 ounces with a new filter.

You want a story??? I got a story. In the middle of my first valve check, spark plug replacement and throttle body sync. Also removing the Air Induction System using the WynPro covers; I think they make the job look very professional even tho it was done by a hack. A learning experience for sure. The plugs I took out had 21,492 miles on them and they looked darn good (see pic). 8,000 miles my a$$. Won't bore you with the details of the rest of the adventure, but it is fun and satisfying to learn so much about the bike and gain confidence in doing your own maintenance. I've been doing my own stuff for years on all my Beemers, but a fully faired, inline 4 presents many new learning opportunities.

Using a new long filter, I put in 4.3 litres, which is near the top of the sight glass or depending on how long you wait to check it, can be at the top of the sight glass. You would have to grossly overfill to do any harm, but too little is not often a good thing........ The sight glass is a guide and the variation due to your wait time before a check and viscosity of oil will affect the level. Don't get too hung up on it..........

I recently managed to do a seven litre oil change.

Took the bike for a warmup ride (check). Parked it and put it on the center stand (check). Removed the fill plug and the drain plug (check). Let the oil drain while I removed the oil filter (check). (Note: undo the Allen bolt on the lower fairing and use the empty filter box to hold it out so oil doesn't run all over it)

Lubed the gasket on the new filter and installed (check). Put funnel into fill hole and poured the remaining three litres of a partially empty jug into the bike (check). Shit!! forgot to replace the drain plug first!!

Insert drain plug (CHECK!) Pour another four litres of oil into the bike, verify fill level, button it up and go for a ride (check).

The FJR is, by far, the easiest oil change I have encountered on a motorcycle. With filter it should take no more than 10-15 minutes including cleanup. I rarely end out with more than a couple of drops to wipe up off the garage floor. Fortunately, with the above mishap, I was using a 10 litre drain pan and I left it in place while I "rinsed" the sump with an extra 3 litres of expensive synthetic oil.

How do you get an oil pan under the FJR without getting oil all over the floor when doing an oil change ?

Sidestand gets in the way, centre stand gets in the way.

redjay said:

How do you get an oil pan under the FJR without getting oil all over the floor when doing an oil change ? Sidestand gets in the way, centre stand gets in the way.

Click to expand...

Depends what oil drain pan you use. I have several including a 6 qt. capacity triangular shorty for the FJR and my wife's Mazda 3.

Photo ?

redjay said:

How do you get an oil pan under the FJR without getting oil all over the floor when doing an oil change ? Sidestand gets in the way, centre stand gets in the way.

Click to expand...

I bought a small 7 qt one from NAPA for under $4, perfect.

Duhhh

Thanks for all the input and consolation. I just looked at the owners manual again and realize now that I was looking at the liter units instead of quarts, shit! The first time I cranked it I had even a little less than 4 qts, but I only let it idle, so hopefully all is fine.

graler said:

I can beat that. Several years ago I was changing the oil in one of the cages. My oil pan was square with a port spout triangle extending from one side - this allows you to easily empty the pan (in more than one way). I had just finished draining the old oil and slid that pan out toward the front of the car just past the front bumper. Put the plug in and was buttoning it up. I slid out from under the car and Kris (my DW) stepped into the garage to ask me for something. I knew exactly where it was. I stood up wiped my hands and made a bee line around the front of the car. Completely forgetting about the oil pan. I know what you are thinking - shoe right in the pan slip fall - mess. No it is even better. I stepped on that tapered end of the pan used for pouring. That launched the pan and its contents into the air. Oil is freaking every where. Both cars covered, in my hair on my face - head to toe. I was wearing flannel shirt and even the pocket got oil inside. Took hours to clean that up - found remnants of oil in the tool box months later.
There now what were you saying about a little oil in a sponge? Cover that bad boy with aluminum foil and you will be amazed how quickly you can change oil.

Click to expand...

I think you stole my show!

Now we need pictures of oil drain pans? I can't imagine any normal pan that will not work.