I own and plan to keep until either I or it falls apart, a 2011 V7 Classic which I bought new. It came with a ‘Use and maintenance book’ type owners manual.
Page 73 of the English language section of the V7 Classic manual on ‘Engine oil level check’ reads:
“Engine must be warm to check oil level. The dipstick must be inserted but not screwed in. If you check level when the engine is cold, oil level could temporarily drop below the ‘min’ mark. This should not be considered a problem provided that the alarm warning light and the engine oil pressure icon display do not turn on simultaneously.”
Something is not screwed in alright and I think it may be the author of the above. I may be wrong but assuming the engine operates a wet sump, with the engine cold most of the oil should be right there, in the sump area. So logically if you want to know how much oil is present that is the time to do it not when the engine has been working when the oil on the dipstick presumably represents the ‘spare’ oil available to the pump since all the rest of the stuff is distributed about the engine. This is the time (i.e. on a hot engine) when the dipstick level should read at its most minimal. The manual’s advice ‘when the engine is cold, oil level could temporarily drop below the ‘min’ mark’ - is contrary to common sense and beats any logic that I operate by. The way I have been doing it so far is (a) dipstick oil level when the motor is cold and (b) at service time draining the oil after a longish ride and refilling with 1750mls of fresh oil.
Does anyone know what the manual is on about ???
Safe riding.
Paul