Checking The Oil Level

Tanks With a Dipstick (Adventure):
Ride your Katoom and warm the engine up thoroughly. 15 minutes should be enough to get it up to operating temperature. Always check the oil level when the engine is warm. A cold engine can distort the measuring results. Engine oil expands when heated, increasing the oil level. Note: We're not trying to get the engine to overheat here, just up to normal operating temp. Most folks find it best to check the oil after returning from a ride, before putting the bike away.

• Put the bike up on the center stand on a level surface or prop it up level if you don't have a centerstand. Don't use the sidestand.
• Allow the warm engine to run at idle for approximately 1 minute. This is a good time to lube the warm chain.
• Turn off the engine, unscrew the oil dipstick [5] and wipe off with a clean cloth.
• Screw the oil dipstick all the way back in and back out again.
  
• The oil level should fall between the lower end of the oil dipstick (MIN) and the MAX mark. Keeping it in the middle is ideal.
  
• The oil capacity between the MIN and MAX mark is 0.5 liters (0.13 USgal). Add more engine oil if necessary and check the engine for leakage.
  – Insufficient amounts of, or low-grade engine oil, leads to premature wear of the engine.
  – Do not overfill the engine case.
  – Do not underfill the engine case.

Tanks With a Sight Glass (Super Enduro):
Ride your Katoom and warm the engine up thoroughly. 15 minutes should be enough to get it up to operating temperature. Always check the oil level when the engine is warm. A cold engine can distort the measuring results. Engine oil expands when heated, increasing the oil level. Note: We're not trying to get the engine to overheat here, just up to normal operating temp. Most folks find it best to check the oil after returning from a ride, before putting the bike away.

• Put the bike up on the center stand on a level surface or prop it up level if you don't have a centerstand. Don't use the sidestand.
• Allow the warm engine to run at idle for approximately 1 minute. This is a good time to lube the warm chain.
• The oil level should be between the MIN and MAX marks on the sight glass, add engine oil if necessary.
  
• If you need to add oil unscrew the plug [1] and add engine oil. The quantity of oil between the MIN and MAX marks is 0.6 liter. Mount the plug and check the engine for leaks.
  – Insufficient amounts of, or low-grade engine oil, leads to premature wear of the engine.
  – Do not overfill the oil tank.
  – Do not underfill the oil tank.

Why it is critical to not overfill the oil tank:
Here is how it was explained to me by one of the engineers who designed the lubricating system for the LC8 engine. The suction pump pumps approximately twice the volume as the pressure pump. In doing so, in addition to excess oil from the crankcase, it draws a large amount of air from the crankcase. During this process the air is compressed to some extent. This oil-air mixture is deposited in the oil tank just below the fill hole where the entrapped air is released. The tank vents (2) are located in two separate "towers" at opposite ends of the top of the oil tank. These vents are connected to the front valve cover. If the oil tank is too full, the left side vent is cut off from the suction return line and tank venting capability is virtually cut in half. This results in increased air pressure in the oil tank.

The crankshaft reciprocating assembly is seperated from the rest of the crankcase inside a so-called "inner crankcase." The balance shaft (multishaft) has, as one of its jobs, the task of venting this inner crankcase area. The pistons moving up and down 75 degrees of crankshaft rotation apart, produces a pressure-vacuum situation inside the inner crankcase. There is also some blowby past the rings, albeit very small, even in a well sealed engine. Of course a worn engine can produce much more. Also, as the engine oil warms up contaminants are vaporized. The crankcase needs to be vented to the outside to remove excess pressure and contaminant vapor, and to provide for the piston pumping action.

The air volume of the oil tank adds to the total air volume of the crankcase. If this volume is too small, the suction pump will upset the balance between the inner crankcase and the outer crankcase air pressure and reduce the efficiency of the balance shaft venting system. Pressure will also be increased in the outer crankcase overall. Resulting in more oil vapor being forced out the ignition cover vent hose into the airbox. Too large an air volume, in itself, has little or no detrimental effect on crankcase venting, but it does represent a lower volume of oil in the lubricating system compromising lubrication and oil cooling to some extent (depending on how low).

As long as the ignition cover vent isn't blocked, there should be no problem with blowing gaskets or seals out. But excess pressure in the crankcase doesn't help them do their job either.

The lower and upper marks on the dipstick or sight glass represent the designed operating range of the air volume. Keeping the warm oil level between these marks insures the venting system remains in balance. Best to keep it in the middle of the marks rather than at the top.

Hope this helps.

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