A few weeks ago I hosted a Tech Daze and one of the guys showed up with a new gen KGT and needed an oil change. Great! Steve and I had a chance to learn how to change the oil on someone else's bike before we attempted it on our bikes.

Here is Allen looking at his KGT and worried about handing his baby over to two complete strangers.



About an hour later the job was complete and Allen, the owner of the KGT thanked Steve and me even though we spilled more oil on the floor and on his exhaust pipe than made it into the catch pans.

I came away from the experience with 2 questions; why does BMW have to complicate the most mundane of bike maintenance--the oil change, and how can I keep oil off the floor and exhaust system even with Steve in the room.

So here is what I did.

First I purchased an oil extraction system. I went down to the local West Marine and purchased a MOELLER Fluid Extractor Kit. With this nifty tool I could avoid oil spillage problem #1: BMW advise you to disconnect the oil hose at the top of the oil tank and guide it down past an obstacle course of wires, pipes and exhaust and drain the oil tank into a pan. An ear plug stuffed in the end of the hose will keep the oil from spilling out all over the place while you guide it to the pan, but I prefer to suck the oil out with the Moeller extractor.

To use the Moeller extractor you must pull the dip stick and the basket from the oil tank.


Next stick the extraction hose into the oil tank and find the low point in the tank. Pump the Moeller up to create a vacuum and within 5 minutes the tank is empty.



I noted about 2.2 liters extracted from the tank.


Next I removed the engine plug and drained off another 1.2 liters of oil and then it was onto the oil filter removal--the source of oil spillage #2.

Here is a picture of the plug at 3,066 miles--just a little fuzy stuff. By the way the bike has not burned a drop of oil.


Ok, keeping the oil filter from spilling oil all over God's earth...Nothing fancy here; I just used an awl to puncture a hole in the filter at the 6 o’clock position and let the oil drain out. This is a trick used by many of the RT folks and it works well with the KGT too.


The only other thing I did to keep the oil from the exhaust was to wrap them in aluminum foil. This turned out to be a good thing because the filter oil ran back in the direct of the exhaust and would have made a mess had the foil barrier not been in place.


Here is my oil wrench; from Channel Lock.


Oh, one last thing; I changed over to Super Synthetic at 3,066 miles and noticed an immediate improvement in shifting.


Cheers!

Very nice presentation.

Er.....

Were they aware how you became known as "Quick Lube"?

Have you ever made that lamp from the crank?

Shhhhhh.....funny thing Calvin, the filter was difficult to get off and when I finally got it off (over torqued) the o-ring was stuck to the block...sheesh, fond memories.

My son-in-law owes me a lamp. He has the crank, but has been busy with my grandaughter, so I need to cut him some slack.

Good to hear from you Calvin!

advise

when you do this kind stuff try to keep your old oil filter mint ... i mean dont make ani hole on it ... try to extract it clean it using some disel ... and place it againg... if your bike neads 4 lts or 1 gallon of oil ... refill it usin this simple conversion ... 1 lts of oir remplace it with 1.25 lts os disel ...
i made this simple proces for keeping my inside engine free or carbon deposits ... check too if you all ready have insataled a magnet in to the drain cap oil for keep out your bike of metal dust. well after you filled with disel... star your bike in neutral gear for not les than a 10 sconds ... an then keep out the old filter an place the new one at the same time drain it using the oil drain cap down your bike ...

check in the oil visor ... and you should have to see the diference btw a clean engine with new oil ... and the other one just with new oil...

good look

Interesting, but I think I'll pass and rely on the detergents in the oil to do their job.

Nice write-up, I have one of those extractors around here from doing oil changes on the old boat. I'll have to remember to keep it around, it just may be the excuse I need to get that new K bike... "But honey, I really needed to use this tool on something"

Try a K&N oil filter, you don't need no stinkin filter wrench. K&N filters have a nut on the end. All you need is the right size socket and driver. I used a bit of cardboard to keep the oil off the pipes. Sucking the oil out of the tank is a great idea, I need one of those marine oil suckers. I just graduated to full synthetic oil in my GT at 8000 miles. Wait till you try the final drive which was super simple on my RT. You will need a perkoset and a shot of Wild Turkey for that one. better yet, take it to a BMW dealer for that job!! <<<<Softtail>>>>>

Just be aware of the recent experience of a fellow Board member who posted about having warranty coverage on his motor denied by BMW USA because he was not using a BMW brand oil filter.

That would get a law suit from me, BMW SUCKS if that is true!

There was a very long thread about it quite recently. If I remembered what the name was, I'd give you the link.