Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > Oil checking

[Lee1980]

Do you check yours hot or cold?

I have a 748s and the manual with bike says cold and the haynes says to get up to operating temp, whos right then i have been checking it cold as i guess ducati should know best.

I also get a condensation a lot on the sight glass and sometimes a creamy colured gunge that takes about 50 miles to clear. All previous bikes had a dipstick. much easier to check!!

The oil thorugh the site glass now looks dark in colour through the site glass and is only golden if a torch is shone through it
Does the glass darken with time and heat etc?

[Rushjob]

Check mine cold.

That gunge or mayonnaise is usually just by product water from the combustion of your fuel that's got into your oil - it vanishes when you get it nice & hot & it evaporates - if it never goes, you probably have a coolant leak.

The glass doesn't darken - your oil does!
It's holding carbon & other crud in suspension........

[Lee1980]

Thanks rushjob

Will check cold as the book says. It looks really dark and the oil was only changed in December at its 600 mile service.

May try opeining the filler cap and seeing how it looks there.

Wish i had a digicam then i could take a pic!!

[rockhopper]

My bike takes a good 30 miles to get the oil hot enough to make the mayo go away.

Always check mine with the motor cold (or at least not having run for an hour or so) and on the center stand.

Always make sure that the oil is on the inside of the engine as well!!

[Jasper]

Center stand?What's one of them then?

[rockhopper]

okay so i spelt it wrong!!