[Strykerrabbit]

Okay , so when I first got my stryker, I changed the oil . 3 quarts and almost another with filter. (Manuel says should be 3.59 quarts ). Okay , so then I had over oiled my kn air filter and had some oil misting out . Just to be on the safe side I bought a new kn filter . I also had no idea if there may have been any gunk build up from the years past so , I did another oil change just to be sure . Changed it about a month ago . No leaks no issues .

Now come to take a peek in that stupid oil level sight glass and I can't see the oil level . At best guess it's all yellow in there and that can't be right because I know I didn't overfill it . The pictures I took are with the bike standing straight up and the engine was cold if that matters . Am I missing something or do you guys also have a hard time reading the level.

 

[plisken]

Okay , so when I first got my stryker, I changed the oil . 3 quarts and almost another with filter. (Manuel says should be 3.59 quarts ). Okay , so then I had over oiled my kn air filter and had some oil misting out . Just to be on the safe side I bought a new kn filter . I also had no idea if there may have been any gunk build up from the years past so , I did another oil change just to be sure . Changed it about a month ago . No leaks no issues .
View attachment 124451 Now come to take a peek in that stupid oil level sight glass and I can't see the oil level . At best guess it's all yellow in there and that can't be right because I know I didn't overfill it . The pictures I took are with the bike standing straight up and the engine was cold if that matters . Am I missing something or do you guys also have a hard time reading the level.

The service manual says: start for several minutes, stop and walt a little before doing like you do. The level should be more or less in the middle of that f-----g glass, some push-ups are optionals or the same but sitting in the bike while taking a pic - Learned here!-

 

[Draeger]

Here's the deal with my Stryker. It takes an entire gallon of oil, 4 full litres. That's with filter change. I have had the oil changed at dealerships who followed the manual guidelines, and it ends up measuring far too low in the sight glass.

The nice thing is I don't have to measure out my oil. I just know it's a whole gallon in there, and the oil level is perfect.

I have no idea why it says 3.59 in the manual.

 

[Steve]

I fill mine to just about the top of the glass. If the bike isn't perfectly level and you estimate 3.59 litres, you could come up slightly short and a light will come on while riding up or down grades.

 

[Strykerrabbit]

Thanks for replying. Here's the thing guys and I think you'll agree. As beautiful a bike as we have, it may have been designed by a female 😀... Such an easy procedure as a one hole oil change and we still have questions, because someone designed the bike for an ostrich who can stick his head between his legs and check the level 😆.. And my inside thought on my stryker is that I don't know the previous owner (PO)... The bike went almost 7 1/2 years from the break-in oil change to 7900 miles . That's crazy and although I don't think there's any real damage done, certainly there's a chance that some of the oil caked up on the bottom of the oil pan. ( IF , and i say IF, the PO didn't change it every year or two ) This might cause unreliable or false level readings because adding any amount of oil would raise the mark because there's less volume area for the oil to sit in . Maybe I'm just over thinking. 😕. What got me going on this is when I did MY first oil change the filter was locked on there so hard it made me wonder if the PO just added oil and never bothered to change the filter itself. Thoughts??.... 😎

 

[plisken]

Thanks for replying. Here's the thing guys and I think you'll agree. As beautiful a bike as we have, it may have been designed by a female 😀... Such an easy procedure as a one hole oil change and we still have questions, because someone designed the bike for an ostrich who can stick his head between his legs and check the level 😆.. And my inside thought on my stryker is that I don't know the previous owner (PO)... The bike went almost 7 1/2 years from the break-in oil change to 7900 miles . That's crazy and although I don't think there's any real damage done, certainly there's a chance that some of the oil caked up on the bottom of the oil pan. ( IF , and i say IF, the PO didn't change it every year or two ) This might cause unreliable or false level readings because adding any amount of oil would raise the mark because there's less volume area for the oil to sit in . Maybe I'm just over thinking. 😕. What got me going on this is when I did MY first oil change the filter was locked on there so hard it made me wonder if the PO just added oil and never bothered to change the filter itself. Thoughts??.... 😎

What you suspect maybe can be true in ooolds vehicles without any regular maintenance I think.., if the oil warning is off "climbing high" I'll stay cool... Probably will be issues leveling the bike -a bike lift It's a must have for these cases-.

 

[Dennis Towell]

Here's the deal with my Stryker. It takes an entire gallon of oil, 4 full litres. That's with filter change. I have had the oil changed at dealerships who followed the manual guidelines, and it ends up measuring far too low in the sight glass.

The nice thing is I don't have to measure out my oil. I just know it's a whole gallon in there, and the oil level is perfect.

I have no idea why it says 3.59 in the manual.

Same here. 3.59 litres is not enough

 

[Last1]

Yeah, that sight glass placement is god-awful. Not the first bike I've owned that has had one though, so I have a small extension mirror with a hinged head. I can sit on the bike and position the mirror down where I am able to read the level - beats the heck out of trying to contort myself just to check the oil

 

[chrispaulsen56]

Okay , so when I first got my stryker, I changed the oil . 3 quarts and almost another with filter. (Manuel says should be 3.59 quarts ). Okay , so then I had over oiled my kn air filter and had some oil misting out . Just to be on the safe side I bought a new kn filter . I also had no idea if there may have been any gunk build up from the years past so , I did another oil change just to be sure . Changed it about a month ago . No leaks no issues .
View attachment 124451 Now come to take a peek in that stupid oil level sight glass and I can't see the oil level . At best guess it's all yellow in there and that can't be right because I know I didn't overfill it . The pictures I took are with the bike standing straight up and the engine was cold if that matters . Am I missing something or do you guys also have a hard time reading the level.

A couple years ago I ran into another Stryker a guy had just bought. It has a dip stick! I still can't find one but he told me it came from the dealer that way. I have know idea but it shouldn't be too hard to come up with. LOL

 

[preacherman]

A couple years ago I ran into another Stryker a guy had just bought. It has a dip stick! I still can't find one but he told me it came from the dealer that way. I have know idea but it shouldn't be too hard to come up with. LOL

They never had a dip stick not from Factory. I’ve never had an issue checking the oil. Flashlight and clean the lens first works great! But a DS would be a nice mod! I think an older member here actually made one I’ll look and see if I can find the thread.

 

[Dennis Towell]

Easy to make. Just get a 12" length of aluminum rod & notch it as shown in the picture.

 

[Strykerrabbit]

Easy to make. Just get a 12" length of aluminum rod & notch it as shown in the picture. View attachment 124464

This might be workable but dipping this into the crankcase may allow for an angle that would cause irregular readings . I'm just guessing since the rod has no guide to follow the same path . Not saying it wouldn't work but this should have been something that
YA- MOMMA- HA designed years ago when the bike was in production. Oh well . Thanks for sharing. 😎