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Unread 10-02-2009, 07:19 AM
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Smithers Smithers is offline
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Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
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The first time I changed my oil when I got my Aprilia I didn't change out the filter cover seal. The previous mechanic probably used it a couple times because it should last a couple changes. I found that it was letting just a tiny amount of oil by at the end of the oils run. They are like 5 bucks so make sure and order one up so you don't have to worry about it. Replacing it is a no brainer. I also replaced the seal on my shifter shaft. It was leaking as well so I just popped in a new one and no more leaking, amazing.

The oil was pretty black this time... my clutch is a gonner anyway so I let the oil go a little longer before changing:




I pre soaked my oil filter in a baggy to ensure that the oil starts circulating as fast as possible when it starts up. The oil doesn't just fall through the filter so fast either. I filled up the filter with oil and it soaked up quite a bit of it before letting some through. Just slap it in the Rotax engine and put the cover on quickly.

And here is a shot of my filter being soaked in a zip-lock. The ol Repsol Synthetic works awesome for me. Don't get caught up in the great oil debate. Just pick a type of oil and stick with it. Odds are your bike will be crashed or stolen WAY before you wear your engine out. I've never seen any street driven motorcycle engine fail from the engine oil giving up. But I HAVE seen engine seize up or get damaged from the owner letting them run low on oil.

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