How to Check the Oil Level on a Yamaha Road Star 1700
by Chris Gilliland
Motor oil is critical to the operation of a Yamaha Road Star 1700 motorcycle, cooling and lubricating the moving components within the motor and transmission. Checking the oil level before each ride is a good habit that can prevent serious problems caused by oil starvation. Unfortunately, with so many variations of the 1700cc cruiser offered by Yamaha, figuring out how and where to check the oil can be a problem. To ease the problem, most Road Star 1700 variants use a dipstick placed on the motor. The Warrior, however, places the dipstick under the seat.
Step 1
Warm the motorcycle up for three minutes, allowing it to idle in place.
Step 2
Stop the motor and lift the motorcycle off its kickstand. Slide a block of wood under the kickstand and rest the motorcycle onto it so that the motorcycle is essentially standing straight instead of leaning.
Step 3
Unscrew the filler cap from the left side of the motor, between the front and rear cylinders.
Step 4
Wipe the filler cap's dipstick with a clean rag and reinsert it completely into the motor.
Step 5
Pull the cap and its dipstick out of the motor. Look at the oil mark on the tip of the dipstick. Ideally, the oil mark should be positioned midway between the "Full" and "Fill" lines imprinted on the dipstick.
Step 6
Use a funnel to slowly pour a small amount of 10W40 motor oil into the motor if the oil level is below the Fill line. Check the oil level again, adding more oil as needed to raise the oil mark to the midway point between the Full and Fill lines.
Step 7
Screw the filler cap onto the motor. Raise the motorcycle off its kickstand and remove the block of wood. Rest the motorcycle onto its kickstand.
References
- "The Professional Motorcycle Repair Program"; Professional Career Development Institute; 1995
- "Yamaha XV1700AMVC Service Manual"; Yamaha Motor Corp.; 2006
- "Yamaha XV1700PCR Owner's Manual"; Yamaha Motor Corp.; 2002
Tips
- Remove the seat, using the seat lock mechanism, to access the dipstick on a Road Star Warrior 1700 model.
Things You'll Need
- Wood block
- Rag
- Funnel
- 10W40 motor oil
Writer Bio
An avid motorcyclist, Chris Gilliland has immersed himself into the two-wheeled world while balancing work life and raising three daughters. When he is not managing the parts department of a local, multi-line motorcycle dealership, Gilliland can often be found riding, writing or working on his motorcycle blog, Wingman's Garage.
