An oil change is the classic first DIY job on a motorcycle: cheap, satisfying, and the single best habit for engine life.
Updated August 08, 2026, after a fresh review, with updated visuals and links.
You'll need about 30 minutes the first time, less than 15 once you've done it. Here's the whole job, step by step.
What you'll need
- The right oil for your bike (check the manual for grade and amount)
- A new crush washer and filter if due
- Drain pan, funnel and the correct wrenches
- Engine slightly warm, not hot
Step by step
- Warm the engine for two minutes. Warm oil flows out faster and carries more contaminants with it. Two minutes of idling is plenty, hot oil burns.
- Find the drain bolt and place the pan. Under the engine, a single bolt at the lowest point. Bike upright (center stand, not sidestand) so everything drains. Position the pan slightly downstream: oil arcs when it first releases.
- Drain it completely. Loosen the bolt by hand at the end so you feel it release, and pull it away quickly. Let it drip for ten minutes while you tackle the filter.
- Replace the crush washer every time, they cost cents
- Inspect the magnet on the bolt for big metal flakes, light fuzz is normal
- Swap the oil filter. Unscrew the old filter (a strap wrench helps), smear a fingertip of fresh oil on the new filter's rubber gasket, and spin it on hand tight plus about a quarter turn. That's it, no Hercules grip.
- Refill and check the level. Refit the drain bolt to the manual's torque, add the specified amount minus a little through the filler, then check the sight glass or dipstick with the bike level. Top up slowly to the middle of the marks.
- Start it, wait, recheck. Run the engine for a minute, look for leaks around bolt and filter, shut off, wait three minutes and confirm the level once more. Oil in the filter lowers the reading slightly.
Tips that actually help
- Write the date and mileage on a bit of tape near the battery. Future you always wants that record.
- Take used oil to any parts store or recycling point, it's free everywhere.
- 10W-40 is a grade, not a suggestion: use what the manual says, cars oils with friction modifiers can make motorcycle clutches slip.
Pitfalls worth skipping
- Overfilling is as bad as underfilling: frothy oil doesn't lubricate. Stay between the marks.
- A drain bolt torqued like a wheel nut strips aluminum cases. Snug with a normal sized wrench, consult the manual number if you have a torque wrench.
Before you ask
How often should oil be changed?
Typical intervals are 3,000 to 6,000 miles, but your manual wins every argument.
Do I need to change the filter every oil change?
On most bikes, yes, and on all of them every second change at minimum.
Keep reading
- Motorcycle Tire Pressure: How to Check It Properly (and Why It Changes Everything)
- How to Keep a Motorcycle Battery Alive (Tender, Storage and Winter Tricks)
- How to Clean and Lube a Motorcycle Chain (and Make It Last Twice as Long)
Wrapping up
Half an hour, twenty dollars of supplies and confidence for every thousand miles ahead. There is no better first wrench job.
