want to change to oil indicator window..advise please

[uchy9999]

i can't belive that they would put a dark piece of plastic, not to mention the location, that makes it inpossible to see the oil
level. i would like to change it for something clear any advise

[The Velvet Monkey]

Your plastic view glass is clear. You might be looking through the oil, so I'd check your fill level as it sounds as if it's at the top of the glass, or possibly overfilled.

My custom is to make sure the oil is right in the middle of the glass when the engine oil is cool. The position of the glass, however, is a pain. The fatter I get the harder it is to check.

Good luck!

[Photoguy]

Pretty sure that the stock *glass* (plastic) is clear.

Just read a "how to" from someone that did a trail-side swap on a GS over at advrider. FWIW, it didn't sound too complicated a task.

[Airman]

Pretty sure that the stock *glass* (plastic) is clear.

Just read a "how to" from someone that did a trail-side swap on a GS over at advrider. FWIW, it didn't sound too complicated a task.

Perhaps it is easy, but don't let the guys over at ADVRider fool you, they do incredible feats of maintenance. There's a photo story in the maintenance section over there where a guy starts on a clutch change and by the time one thing leads to another, the only recognizable part left is the engine and front forks. He complains that it's going to be a long weekend to get it finished. Holy cow! They do get experience on the repair end I guess. They are hard on their bikes. Another story I liked over there had to do with limping the GS back down off the mountain after they knocked a fist sized hole in the valve cover.

[Photoguy]

You're right about that Airman...I wouldn't have mentioned it other than the repair (or at least the description) seemed on the lighter side of technical. One guy even carries a spare, just in case.

[jfslater98]

While the ADVriders do seem to make little of doing things like clutch swaps, this is a pretty easy one, from what I've read here. It was documented in more detail, but I believe the process is heating up an awl, or similarly sharp object, and then just sticking it in the "glass". It is plastic so it melts. Then you simply unscrew it (?). Do a bit of searching here and you'll find it. I think cyclerob posted the advice. Seemed doable to me, and I'm not a mechanical genius. Just read what happened when I tried to check my valves and broke off some bolt heads.

[Airman]

You're right about that Airman...I wouldn't have mentioned it other than the repair (or at least the description) seemed on the lighter side of technical. One guy even carries a spare, just in case.

I wonder what else they carry on their little outings? They're big on armored preparation, roll bars and diamond plate. Pelican luggage and the like.

[mcmarcia]

I went to the ADV westfest 08 in lake city Colorado and got to see what they do. About half probably trailered their dirt bikes in and had jacks and fancy tools, changing out sprockets and such. They wave at each other with their middle fingers One guy came on a goldwing with a slick lightweight custom trailer to haul his dirt bike. I rode my GSPD in the dark, throu torrential downpours on gravel/dirt/mud roads and ran down my battery with heated liner, gloves, grips, lights and eventually pushed started the bike down a hill to get it going and finally arrived at the event soaking wet covered in mud. I donated a small piece of tie wire that was crucial for a late night overhaul on someones broken bike. I grovel on my knees to look at my oil. I have heard a mirror can work. I heard of a failure where the glass/plastic broke.

[stilldking]

This post on Adv-Rider has some good info...

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=315999