Yamaha V Star 650 Simple Oil and Filter Change 

Thanks for that. More will be coming as I work through the bike. Skäl. David

Cheers Shane. Great to hear that you succeeded with that. Well done 👍 Skäl. David

Simple, maybe. But what I'm showing is exactly how Yamaha prescribe the process.

put 3 quarts in with a filter change and you are done, there is no where else the oil can go

@@MsHooper101 no it's not as simple as that is it supposed to be halfway up the sight glass all the way to the very top what

@@kenwittlief255 I'll know when I change the oil now my bike is leaking oil out the cover didn't do that before I changed the oil everybody's telling me I'm over full of oil well we're in the hell on that sight glasses at all levels supposed to be

the cover over the filter uses a gasket, if didnt leak before, logic tells me you made a mistke, retrace and you will figire it out,, if you are not savey to the ways of re-sealing oil filled part,s, some research may help, these junks are easily injured, if you are not mechanically at leastt a novice, get someone els to do it or help you,

Good luck!

Cheers. Always a new challenge on a new bike

Thanks. Much appreciated. Skäl. David

That sort of tip is why I try and search for the factory manuals when I can. Skäl. David

I always use the torque wrench, esp for the side covers and other 8 ft lb fasteners, becaue its way easier to strip those than a 32 ft lb plug I looked for a smaller torque wrench, just for those - you can get little ones rated in inch-pounds, some are like screwdrivers.... still looking

Great tip David. Ah the good old o ring discussion! Some people change them, some don't. Both camps can be very vocal about it. I fall somewhere between the two camps. Skäl David

Cheers John. A great practical tip. I must admit that I usually forget to take it off until after anyway 🙄. Skäl. David

Thanks Springy. The XT600 was a pain too, but largely because it was dry sump and they are always a challenge to get the oil level right.

Thank you Denis. Much appreciated. Skäl. David

Thanks. Running by quantity works 99% of the time - why wouldn't it? But never can be relied on with a new bike or if your bike has developed a problem. Always best procedure to not make assumptions because it will always bite you sooner or later. BUT! It's your bike so do what works for you. Sometimes what I do and what I show are not the same, because I take responsibility for my own risks.

@@MotoMirius I dont see your logic when you drain the oil there is no place for it to be trapped, causing you to over fill it if you buy three 1 quart bottles you dont have to measure anything, you put all three bottles next to the bike, and you make sure you did not forget one...or two when you put the oil in there is no where else it can go - what problem can an engine have where it absorbs oil? Ok... while typing this, I guess if this is the first time you change the oil, or if you are filling it from a 5 quart bottle, or the phone rings in the middle and you wander off to do something else and come back later, yes there is the possibility of making a mistake, and checking the level when you are all done doesnt hurt anything. BTW, you have one of the better oil change videos here, a lot of people make videos when they dont really know what they are doing. When taking an oil drain plug out I find its easier to tap the wrench handle with a small hammer to break it loose - they are torqued on pretty good, and using brute force you can mash your knuckles when it lets go. I have that same oil drain pan, I hate it, its an ordeal to pour the oil out into a waste oil can. I have 50k miles on my 650, and I have never checked for oil flow to the top of the front head. These bikes will normally last 100,000 miles. I guess the question is, if you check the flow at the top of the cylinder every time you change your oil, and one day it doesnt flow... you are looking at what? breaking the case and replacing the oil pump, the bearings, the crank shaft? It seems that if the engine is worn enough that the oil doesnt reach the top, what are the odds that you will happen to just catch it at a 4000 mile oil change? 100,000 miles is 25 oil changes - if you check it at each one seems like you are likely to bugger up that 14mm plug.

This is the process that the Yamaha engineers dictate for this bike. Can you do it other ways, yes of course, but that is not what this video is for. @@kenwittlief255

Lol. Fingers crossed then! Thanks

Thank you and you are very welcome.

You are welcome

Cheers GT. Yup, making some changes to suit my current riding needs - that and looking to making some mods.

Thanks Marty. Well I'm glad it was entertaining, that is all I ever hope for! Nope, not a teacher, though I did spend quite a bit of time teaching when I was younger, I guess it carries over in your style.

Thanks. I’m not sure of the make. Previous owner fitted them and there are no markings, but I love the sound. Like a lot of drag pipes you need a baffle otherwise they sound horrible. Skäl. David

Hi Jerônimo and thanks. Oil filters are quite generic and often fit a range of bikes. The KN-145 www.knfilters.co.uk/yamaha/xvs650-v-star-classic/650/2005/ also fits other bikes as you can see by clicking on vehicle applications www.knfilters.com/kn-145-oil-filter I would always recommend double checking filters against the year of your bike to avoid issues. Skäl. David

Hi Michael and thanks for subscribing. The bike came with the exhaust so I can’t claim credit. But it’s running drag pipes with baffles. The baffles are key to good sound. Too many people just look for loud but tone is far more important and anyway open drag pipes are terrible for performance. Skäl. David

From memory it's Sealy, but you need a short six sided socket and a wobble bar extension so that you can get past the frame tube.

Thanks Erik, that is really much appreciated! 👍. Skäl. David

Why do you think something is wrong with your bike if the bike has been on the Dyno? Short shots look and sound great, but my engine builder advised me against them on my Sportster.

Thanks. That’s a great question. The point of servicing is to catch problems before they become things you need to repair. Just because the bike has been running smoothly doesn’t mean that it will continue to do so. Skäl. David

Moto Mirius that makes sense. I’m learning a lot from your videos. Great work and thanks for the reply.

Moto Mirius just watched the segment again and noticed that your fins are not uniform in color. I have the same issue with mine. Any method to make them shine again? Thanks.

@@teh1owner If you mean the edges of the fins? The alloy needs cleaning. The simplest way is to use a small foam block with some say 400 grit emery and carefully rub side to side, or you can use one of those blocks you can buy. This is a job I need to do on this bike but the black paint on the barrels and heads could do with being redone at the same time. It will happen when I get some other jobs out of the way.

Moto Mirius thanks for the tip! Have a great week.

Hi Dean, apologies for the delay. That is a Norbar torque wrench, don't recall the model off hand. Skäl David

Welcome. Skäl David

If the dealer follows the factory manual then they will do it right. If it's not a dealer you take your chances. Skäll David

the 650 is actually pretty easy, esp if you are not doing the filter (only need to on every other oil change) the 1100 requires pulling part of the exhaust off the Royal Star V4 1300 is really easy, it uses an exterior screw on oil filter (like a car), and you only have to change the oil every 8000 miles (water cooled) the bike is designed for road trips, you can go NYC to LA and back without having to change your oil

Hi, I don't have that information although I think that the later models have a 3.2l capacity. However, you don't need to measure it - you just need to refill it to the correct level and to check it after running the engine, especially if you have changed the filter. Hope this helps. Skäl DAvid

And if you are still unsure, then make sure the oil level is correct before you start working on the bike. Then drain and measure the oil that you remove. You will lose a little in the process, but you will be close enough that you can be confident that you will be close to the right level.

So long as it’s a motorcycle specific oil then there should be no issue with modern fully synthetic oils. I would be more concerned as to the quality of the oil and manufacturer than whether it was synthetic or not. It is an oil recommended for the dragstar by Ipone. Whether it is the right grade will depend on the temperatures where you live. Skäl. David

Tnx for answer. In Serbia is Mediterranean climate. When they change oil, when is engine cold and start it i hear some rattle noise in front of engine, later when engine is warm up noise disappear. No one know what it is. Someone tell is chain tensioner.....?!? Milage on motorcycle is 9000 miles.

@@MrSalepetrovic Hard to diagnose engine noises remotely. I assume it started after the service - but could be related to something they did during the service and may not relate to the oil. Bear in mind that Harly make and recommend a 20w50 fully synthetic oil for their V Twin engines when reading my comments. If a manufacturer like Ipone or Harley recommends an oil for your bike, they are admitting liability if it were wrong. Personally I find 15w50 to be quite a thick oil and I worry about its ability to flow to the heads when the bike is cold. Harley claim their oil has good cling properties which allows it to remain in place until the oil pumps properly again. The oil used when building engines also has this property, so it's a reasonable claim. I don't know if Ipone also claim this property but I recognise that they recommend 15w50 Katana in the Dragstar for temperature ranges 5 to 45 C. For where you live this seems OK for summer but I would have chosen 10w30 or 10w40 as this is recommended down to -10C. I don't recall the head design and oil feed system in the Dragstar but it could be that there isn't enough oil getting to the heads when they are cold - as the bike warms up and the oil thins out, this changes and the noise goes away. Or it could be unrelated to oil. Still it seems an odd choice of grade unless the temperatures where you are exceed 35C in the Summer when they changed the oil. In which case it would be the right oil.

Difficult to torque with a box wrench but yes otherwise. Yes, diff oil also has a replacement cycle just like the fork oil. Thanks

@@MotoMirius

@@MotoMirius crows-foot

Just a couple of minutes. Don't over think it.

Thanks for spotting that. I will pull the manual and see if I can put a note into the video. 👍. Skäl. David

Thanks. I’ve not had that issue. Did you use a motorcycle grade oil? Car grade oils can have additives which can cause issues. I don’t have a clutch adjustment video yet but I will consider doing one. Skäl. David

@@MotoMirius yes I went full synthetic 15w-50 recommended by a yamaha shop here.

If your oil is ok then it suggests clutch issue most likely is a coincidence.

@@MotoMirius tested it today on a long drive, while driving and when standing still with engine on cluch works perfectly, no slipping or non engaging. But as soon as engine is off it won't roll in gear with the clutch in. Thank you so much for youre time. Will you do suzuki vzr1800 at some point?

I don’t have that bike so that won’t happen. Sounds like you might need to pull the clutch apart and see why it’s sticking. Plate teeth might be wearing.

Glad you figured it out anyway! Skäl. David

Hi Mark. It was supposed to be a winter build last year. I’m still waiting for my broken arm to finish healing as all the Lomax bits are too heavy to lift with one arm. It will come soon! Skäl. David

Sorry to hear that, hope it heals quickly and stronger than ever.

Yamaha dealer. If you find the part number from the online parts diagrams you can just do a search online.

@@MotoMirius awesome thanks! And any recommendation of how to prevent flash rust on a tank after flushing it with distilled water? (Besides refilling it with fuel)

@@pmarkpmark Almost impossible to stop bare steel flashing to rust in an enclosed damp environment. Try and dry it out - compressed air, hot air, put it somewhere warm etc

Which screw are you referring to? The drain or the filter?

@@MotoMirius the drain screw

Oil drain is 43Nm which according to the online converter is 32ft lb

It’s in the part your working on idk if the person j let work on it didn’t tighten my bolt

Without knowing which bit I was working on I can't help but - yes, if something isnt properly tightened then it could be an issue. You would really need to take it apart and check it - for example it might be a gasket. Good luck

Oil selection will depend on where you live but standard for the XVS is 10-40. Very few bikes, and I don't think any Japanese, just some like older Harleys run 20-50 which is a car weight oil because they are running a 1940's technology engine.

@@MotoMirius thank you👍👍

@@MotoMirius I have a cv-twin I live in Massachusetts so it doesn’t get incredibly hot during the spring woukd u recommend 10w-40 or the v twin 20w-40

@@MotoMirius I just really wanna make sure I don’t put in the wrong oil

Or sorry 10w-30

Thanks, you are welcome!

Side glass has marks on to indicate where the level is supposed to be. Apologies, I made an assumption that this would be obvious - but of course it isn't.

Great positioning of that frame rail isn't it?

you just need the right socket and extension... just like in the video

You can do that. I just don't have any 6 sided wrenches which I prefer for undoing what might be a tight bolt. Skäl David

Its too easy to strip out bolts in an aluminum engine if you dont use a torque wrench and the proper setting if you dont have a socket and extension (3/8 drive) that fits then you cant use a torque wrench

One day maybe, Still considering putting it on the XVS. Skäl David

@@MotoMirius i accept that, i just love the color scheme on it, got a 1200 custom myself, had the xvs650 before, i'm currenly helping a friend with his 650, and one thing made me wonder, isnt the oil suppose to 'cycle' like crazy when looking at the sight glass and turning on the engine and letting it idle?

@@filmfreaken Wouldn't normally expect to see much oil movement in a sight glass, often it drops out of sight while it's being pumped around the engine. It's only on dry sump engines that you see the oil being pumped.

@@MotoMirius that makes me so happy to hear :)

I see you don't understand how to use RU-vid. Go to settings, choose playback speed - I recommend 1.5 as a starting point.

Oil and filter changes are a common starting point for people new to working on bikes. They need more hand holding than the more experienced. If a video is too slow I recommend using the speed feature to run it a bit faster. Skäl. David

It's nice to have a little more knowledge than needed when you have no mechanical experience ! Found the video very informative and easy to follow , cheers !

David. Looks like you used a 3/8” drive on you shallow 17mm 6point socket? Was the extension a swivel head or the 17mm socket ? I spent 3 hrs and then gave up cause I was nervous about rounding the bolt head with the spanner. I watched your video again and might give it another go.

If I understand your question correctly, it’s a wobble extension bar which allows you a small angle into the back of the socket. Or use a spanner with six sides.

Thanks. To be honest I rarely use K&N, just happened to have one for this oil change. Nothing wrong with stock filters.