Your Yamaha V-Star motorcycle is dependent on a fresh oil supply to lubricate the many moving parts within its motor and transmission. This means that your V-Star is even more dependent on your ability to change its oil regularly. Doing so isn't complicated; you may even find yourself wanting to learn do other jobs because of it. Armed with the right tools, the entire oil change shouldn't take you longer than 30 minutes. You can use this method on all V-Star models.
Instructions
1. Start your motorcycle to warm up its oil supply. Let it idle in place for three minutes or take it for a very brief ride. Don't let your motorcycle run for too long or it will get too hot and become difficult to work with later. Stop the motor once it's warm and let it cool slightly for another five minutes.
2. Place the motorcycle in an upright position, using a service stand or lift. Unscrew the oil filler cap from the motor's left crankcase cover to vent the oil circuit.
3. Look under the left side of the motor, near the frame, to locate the oil drain bolt. Place an oil pan directly beneath the drain bolt. Use a 17 mm socket and a socket wrench to unscrew the drain bolt and allow the oil to drain for at least 10 minutes.
4. Pull the sealing gasket off the oil drain bolt and wipe the bolt's threads clean with a shop rag. Slide a new sealing gasket into place over the oil drain bolt's threads. Screw the oil drain bolt into the motor by hand once the oil has drained completely. Use a torque wrench to tighten the oil drain bolt to 31 foot-pounds.
5. Move your oil pan to the right side of the motor and position it beneath the oil filter cover on the right crankcase cover. Unscrew the oil filter cover's bolts with a 4 mm Allen wrench, then pull the cover off the motor to reveal the oil filter element. Allow any oil remaining in the oil filter housing to drain into your oil pan. Insert a new oil filter element into the filter housing and reinstall the oil filter cover. Tighten the cover's bolts to 7.2 foot-pounds, using a torque wrench.
6. Insert a funnel into the left crankcase's oil fill neck and pour up to 3 qts. of SAE 20W40 motor oil into the motor. Remove the funnel and wipe away any spills with your shop rag before screwing the oil cap onto the filler neck.
7. Wipe away any remaining oil from the oil drain bolt and oil filter cover with your shop rag. Start the motorcycle again and watch for oil leaks at the drain bolt or oil filter cover. If oil begins to leak from either location, tighten the drain bolt or oil filter cover bolts slightly. Stop the motor and remove the motorcycle from the service stand if oil leaks do not occur.
Tags: drain bolt, filter cover, bolt filter, bolt filter cover, cover bolts, drain bolt filter, bolt threads
