SFV4S - First Service - Oil Level a Bit High

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JDJ

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Should I loosen the plug and drain a little out, at the risk of letting too much out?

Or is this nothing to worry about? The owner’s manual is pretty specific about not overfilling the bike. And the dealer is a three-hour drive away.

The tech put maybe a mile on it when I got it back per the odometer. Maybe I should do a quick 20 miles just to make sure it’s fully saturated the filter. Or something. I dunno. What do you think?

Thanks! :)
 
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Its a bit high.

Way better then they did on my bike. The sight glass was completely full and I took out about 3/4 of a quart.

After its been off for a few hours, check it when the bike is upright. If its above the mid point marks, open the drain plug and let some out. You can always add it back. But, on the V4, the engine oil is checked when cold, or at least 2 hours off. Older bikes you would run it, turn it off then immediately check.
 
I tried the hose. It worked on the V2 but not the V4. Deeper sump I suppose.

I’m thinking about cracking the bolt a bit.The level is so susceptible to balance, which is hard to achieve.

I’m going to go for a ride tonight, let it sit until dinner tomorrow, and check it again in the driveway in a different spot. Then I’ll decide whether to drain it a bit.

EDIT: Put 11 miles on. Runs good. I placed a level on the top of the fuel cap to get the bike perfectly upright in a Baxter wheel chock. It still looks a little high, like the first picture. I’ll check again tomorrow. I’ll try the front and rear Pittbull paddock stands at threat time to see if that gets it all level - side-to-side and front-to-back.

Thanks for the input. :)
 
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When I did the oil change on my V2 the sightglass was completely full until I ran it for a bit then it settled in nicely to midway between the two lines.

Not sure how it is on the V4 though
 
Just to wrap this thread up, the Ducati dealer told me in an email that the level was not a concern. Thanks for everyone’s input. :)
 
Dealer instructions are rarely dependable these days. With the amount of dealerships overfilling bikes I would be wary of where, how they get their info and more importantly what they're motivations are.

Considering the V4s tendency to weep oil from the valve covers and water pump I would recommend filling the oil to the mid to lower level of the sight glass while bike is in a vertical position.
 
Well, I appreciate that viewpoint. I’ll be doing my own oil change at the midpoint between the first service and the 7500 mile service. I’ll fix it then. And I’ve put on over 1700 miles in less than 5 weeks, and so I’ll hit that mark in another 1.5 to 2 months. In the meantime, I have it in writing that the dealer said the level in the photo was okay in case there’s a subsequent issue.
 
I don't know about the SF, but the V2 will spit out oil if it is too high. The extra oil show in the OP pic would end up on my garage floor by way of the air box if it were my V2 (especially after a few wheelies). I would not worry about it since the sight glass is not covered.

I also agree with others and would not trust the dealer's answer. I trust people on this forum way more than any Ducati dealer. Keep in mind that you basically asked them to verify that they screwed up, which they will never admit, and they don't want to burn labor fixing the issue (they aren't going to tell you to drain excess oil either).
 
bp_SFV4 said:
I'd be concerned. This is a gallon freezer bag and gives an idea how much I had to drain out to get the level right.

View attachment 50377
Click to expand...

Did you replace the crush washer if you let the oil out through the drain plug? I’m going through the manual now to see what the torque spec is for the drain plug in case I need to go that route (anyone know?). Also the manual is kind of vague, it says the level should be between the marks and the illustration shows a small bubble near the top of the site glass. Doesn’t this mean anywhere within the inner circle?

IMG_2288.jpeg


It also says:

5) If the oil level is below the middle line between the MIN and MAX marks, add oil until reaching the maximum level indication.

This means to the top of the circle, right?
 

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