Just wondering if most bikes out there tend to find there own oil level on the dipstick. My new bike (09 Softy) seems to be using a little oil, probably about 100ml every thousand km's.  I keep topping it up and the level is now sitting a bit over a quarter of the way down (between full and add) from the full mark and I am wondering if it might just find it's own level. Any thoughts ??

Checking oil in the oil tank and the gearbox is a bit of a hit and miss exercise if you ask me. I have had times when I get the same level reading in the engine oil, both hot and cold. then other times the are different. Pain in the fuggin arse. The gearbox dipstick to me is a pissant system, it's very hard to see the level on the shiny surface. They tell you to sit the gearbox dip stick in the hole with it resting (without screwing back in) on the lip and then you pull it out and read the depth. How accurate can that be when you can wriggle it around a bit. Also they have different methods of checking oil levels on different models, ie standing level, or on the jiffy stand. To me that can only cause stuff ups in the workshops when they do a bike service. Seems to me that if you have a service they drain it, put in roughly the correct amount and don't bother to see if it's correct, depending on your model. I have checked the engine oil after a service ( before I left the shop) and found the oil level halfway down the stick. Recently checked my gearbox oil, and same problem. Now I'm in the process of making sure they left it low or I am loosing a bit of oil. No evidence from underneath, but still gives you the shits. Goes to prove, you should do your own oil changes............Maybe they need to resort to the other method of checking oil levels, having a small glass sight level indicator like a lot of other bikes. Certainly would be easier.

Really not that cridical, providing you are with-in 100mls. Too much in the gear box creates drag, too little creates too much heat. Look into the trans and aim for a level thats 50% of the box. Primary is easy, oil it until it covers the clutch plates, about 1000mls does the trick on the later stuff. Engine oil on a softail, pull the filler with the bike running upright and make sure that the level is about 40mm from the filler neck. This will keep everything safe.

Yeah but what about my question ????

Can't say I ran it in hard but I didn't baby it either, took it easy for the first 50km on advice from the dealer then most of the next 1000km was two up and varied riding conditions including lots of mountains while always varying the speed and never lugging it. My 06 was run in the same way and it never used a drop. I have been told that they can vary and may settle down later on, but I really want to know if anyone elses bike uses oil and/or finds an oil level that sits below the full line ?? I am using Dino oil but am going to change to synthetic at 4000km, which is now.