Changing the oil in your motorcycle is a straightforward process that keeps your bike running optimally and helps prolong engine and transmission life by reducing wear. Below are step-by-step directions on how to change motorcycle oil for both novice and experienced riders. The process is the same for most powersports equipment, including V-twin, race, street, adventure, dual-sport or dirt bike motorcycles, as well as ATVs and UTVs.
Motorcycles typically require JASO MA/MA2 certified motorcycle-specific oils because the motor oil also lubricates the transmission. DO NOT substitute automotive, diesel, marine or small engine oil in your motorcycle.
Before you start, you will need to gather some basic supplies and the right oil and filter for your bike. Consult your owner’s manual to ensure you have the correct parts and tools and an appropriate amount of compatible oil.
Required supplies
- Quality oil for your Race, Street, Dual-Sport, V-Twin, Dirt Bike or ATV/UTV
- Oil filter and filter wrench
- Drain pan and funnel
- A socket and box wrench set
- Clean rags and nitrile gloves
Recommended
- A motorcycle lift or wheel lift stands to level the bike at an accessible height
- A torque wrench
- A drain plug gasket, usually made of fiber, rubber or copper.
Pro Tip: Take a 10-minute ride to heat up the oil and help it drain faster.
How to change motorcycle oil
1. Clean your work area
Before you start, make sure the oil-change area is clean and free of dirt and other contaminants.
2. Access the drain plug and oil filter
Remove any parts that restrict access to the filler plug, drain plug and oil filter. Note: some bikes may require removing foot pegs or fairings
3. Drain the oil
Place the drain pan under the drain plug to catch the used oil. Identify the fill and drain plugs at the top and bottom of the engine case. Remove the oil-fill plug first, then remove the drain plug with a socket wrench. Let the old oil drain 5-10 minutes until the stream has reduced to a trickle.
4. Remove the oil filter
While the old oil is draining, remove the old filter. You may be able to unscrew the filter by hand, but an oil filter wrench makes it easy. The tools and procedure required for removal of cartridge-type oil filters may vary; refer to your owner’s manual. Use a clean rag to wipe the area where the oil-filter gasket contacts the engine.
5. Install a new oil filter
Use your finger to spread some new oil on the filter gasket to lubricate and create a good seal. For spin-on oil filters, screw the new oil filter clockwise until snug, but still removable by hand. If using a filter wrench, turn the filter a quarter-turn after it is hand-snug to secure it. For cartridge-type oil filters, tools may be necessary to reinstall the oil-filter cover.
6. Reinstall the drain plug
Replace the drain plug gasket with a new one if your drain plug has one. Screw the drain plug in by hand until snug, to reduce the risk of cross-threading. If you encounter any resistance, back it out and try again. Finish tightening with a torque wrench set to the manufacturer’s torque specifications. If you do not have a torque wrench, tighten the drain plug only 1/4-turn from hand-snug with a box or socket wrench.
DO NOT overtighten.
7. Add new motorcycle oil
Refer to your owner’s manual to verify how much oil is required. Depending on the bike there will be a sight glass on the engine or a dipstick to determine fill level. Using a funnel, add 3/4 of the recommended amount of oil. Check the oil level, making sure the bike is level. Continue adding oil until the level is between “Low” and “Full.” Reinstall the oil-fill plug.
8. Run the engine and check for leaks
Double-check the oil level.
Add or remove oil if necessary.
9. Properly dispose of the used oil and filter
It’s often easiest to return the used oil from your drain pan into your new oil containers after you’ve filled your bike. Be sure to dispose of your used oil and filter properly and in accordance with government regulations. Most municipalities, auto parts stores and oil change facilities accept used oil at no charge and recycle it, to keep it from polluting our waterways.
With some practice, changing your own motorcycle oil is a quick and easy process that can be done in the convenience of your own garage. If you’re a beginner, we recommend investing in the right tools and changing the oil cold a few times to avoid the risk of burning yourself.
If you don’t know which oil is right for your bike, we’ve got you covered.
Find the right oil for your bike
We also have a video showing how to change the oil on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
Video transcript: How to Change the Oil on a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle
Welcome to tech tips. I’m Len Groom. Today we’re changing the oil on a Harley* Davidson motorcycle. Patricia Stoll, our Tradeshow Manager and in-house motorcycle enthusiast, is going to show you how to do that.
Today we’re going to do an oil change on a Harley Davidson Softail. This is a 2014 Fat Boy Lo with a 103 cubic inch engine. Before you begin, it’s a good idea to start your engine and let it run for a bit. This will warm up the oil so that, when you’re ready to drain it, it will flow easier.
Before we get started, you’re going to need a few tools. You’ll need an oil drain pan; a ratchet; a 5/8-inch socket; 5-inch extension; your torque wrench; a filter wrench; a filter, which comes in black or chrome; and motorcycle oil 20W-50. On Softail models, you’ll find your oil reservoir underneath your seat. If you look directly below and slightly behind, underneath the frame you’ll find your oil drain plug.
Take your ratchet and your 5/8-inch socket and remove your drain plug. Now, I like to move my pan into place and remove the plug by hand. The reason I remove my drain plug by hand is I don’t like to drop it into the oil. Then remove the oil reservoir cap to increase the oil flow.
In order for all your oil to drain, you need to have your bike in a vertical position. So, if you’re working on a table like this, you’re okay. But if you are working off of a kickstand, make sure you bring your bike to an upright position in order for all the oil to drain. Next we’re going to remove the oil filter.
I already put a few towels into place to catch any residual oil as I remove the filter because there will be oil that drips. I also slide my oil pan underneath for any other oil that may drop through. So take your ratchet, your 5/8-inch extension and your filter wrench and remove your filter. So once your filter gets loose, you can finish removing it by hand and quickly move it into your oil pan.
So now you’re going to want to take some shop towels and clean up any residual oil that may have spilled when you removed your filter. Take your new filter. You want to put just a little bit of oil, a real light film on your gasket. Don’t overdo it.
You want a light film to ensure a proper seal when you put the new filter back on. So continue tightening it by hand until you feel the gasket snug up. Then turn it another half to three-quarters of a turn to complete the install. So now we’re going to put our drain plug back in.
Make sure you clean all the residual debris off of your drain plug. I’ve already done that. You want to take a new O ring and put it on your drain plug before we start, and I like to start mine by hand. Just snug it up.
Take our torque wrench and 5/8-inch socket. Finish. The torque wrench should be set at 14 to 21 foot-pounds of torque. Mine’s set at about 16, Okay.
That should be tight. We’ve replaced the drain plug and installed a new oil filter. Now it’s time to add some oil. I use AMSOIL 20W-50 V-Twin Motorcycle Oil.
The Softail calls for three quarts of oil. I’m going to start with 2 1/2 quarts of oil. Now for the second quart. I’m going to add the last half quart of oil, which will bring me up to 2 1/2 quarts of oil.
Remember the Softail calls for three quarts of oil, and I’m only adding 2 1/2 at this point. It’s very important not to overfill the reservoir on a Softail. So I’m going to take my bike out, run the engine up to operating temperature, come back, check my oil levels again; and then I’ll top it off as necessary. I just got back from bringing the engine up to temperature.
In fact, you can still hear the bike cooling down. Remember to check the oil while it’s hot and on the kickstand. So, as you can see, we need to add just a little bit more. Okay.
Now that I’ve topped it off, I’m going to put my dipstick back in, check the fluid level. The fluid level is right where it should be. We’re good to go. As you can see, it’s relatively easy to change the engine oil on a Harley Davidson Softail.
There you have it. Not too difficult at all. For your specific bike, make sure you’re looking at your owner’s manual for capacity; or check out the AMSOIL lookup guide at amsoil.com. Thanks for watching.
We’ll see you next time.
This article is part of our Motorcycle Oil and Maintenance guide. See every article in the guide.
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AMSOIL was founded by enthusiasts, and the Company of Enthusiasts series profiles the riders, racers and builders who run the products covered here.
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David Hilgendorf is an AMSOIL Technical Writer who develops content for automotive, powersports and industrial audiences. His work includes technical data sheets, magazine articles, blog posts, white papers, product literature and application guidance. Hilgendorf works with engineers, laboratory personnel and technical specialists to communicate lubricant testing, product performance, maintenance practices, metalworking fluids, grease, motorcycles, marine equipment and industrial reliability.
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