How To: Yamaha XSR900 Oil & Filter Change

Posted by: YouMotorcycle in How To's & Walkthroughs October 3, 2020 2 Comments

Today we’re going to change the oil and filter on a Yamaha XSR900 based on Yamaha’s own service manual. In other words, this article will show you step by step how to change the oil and filter on a Yamaha XSR 900 exactly as they do it at a Yamaha dealer.

By learning how to change the oil and filter on your Yamaha XSR900 the right way, you can save a lot of money, and still know that you’re doing the job the right way.

Tools you need for an oil change on the Yamaha XSR900

2.7 litres of 10W-40 semi-synthetic (or 10W-40 full-synthetic) motorcycle oil
1 K&N KN-204-1 oil filter
Torque wrench (even this cheap $35 one promises to be within 4% accurate)
Either a 17mm bit (if you have a K&N filter on your bike) or an adjustable oil filter wrench (like this one)
Something to drain your old oil into
Gloves, rags, and other supplies to clean up any spills
This Black Widow motorcycle table lift isn’t necessary but it sure made the job easy and it wasn’t too expensive – full review here)

Click the little unmute button in the bottom left corner to unmute the video.

Before you start your oil and filter change…

Before you start your oil and filter change, you should do two things:

Make sure your Yamaha XSR900 is warmed up (run it for a couple minutes) but not hot.
Make sure your Yamaha XSR900 is in a full vertical, upright position (you may need to ask a friend to hold it if you don’t have a way of securing your bike upright).

Note: If any of the instructions below are unclear, they should be painfully obvious in the video above, so you should watch that in full first.

Time needed: 30 minutes.

Changing the oil and filter on a Yamaha XSR900 can save you a lot of money. Follow these instructions to do it exactly as a dealer would.

Step 1) Remove the oil fill cap
Step one is to remove the oil fill cap.
While you’re there, you may as well check your oil window screen to see your oil level and color.
Step 2) Remove oil drain plug
To remove the oil drain plug on a Yamaha XSR900 you’ll need a 17mm socket wrench.
Make sure you don’t lose the washer around the drain bolt (drain plug).
Check the drain plug for any metal shavings that would show wear in the engine.
Check the washer for any signs of wear that would mean it needs replacement.
Step 3) Remove oil filter
Remove the oil filter using an adjustable oil filter wrench.
If your XSR900 is presently using a K&N oil filter, you can use a 17mm bit to remove the oil filter.
Step 4) Lubricate the new oil filter
Lubricate the new oil filter by running a bit of clean new motorcycle oil over the black rubber gasket that runs along the bottom of the oil filter.
Lubricating your oil filter’s o-ring prevents you from having to deal with a seized on oil filter the next time you try to change your oil.
Step 5) Install the new oil filter
You can install the new oil filter once all of the old oil is done pouring out.
The torque specification for the oil filter is 17 Nm (12 ft-lbf) according to Yamaha’s factory service manual.
Using the correct torque specifications are important because they stop you from over-tightening the oil filter (which could damage the filter or motor) or under-tightening the oil filter (causing a leak).
To avoid problems, I recommend using a cheap but effective torque wrench like this one. They’re very easy to use, you just twist to set the wrench to the desired torque spec.
Step 6) Install oil drain plug and washer
Next, install the oil drain plug (and the washer) back into your Yamaha XSR900.
The torque specification is 43 Nm (31 ft-lbf).
You should clean the oil drain plug and washer of any old oil and debris before putting them back into your motorcycle.
Step 7) Pour in new oil and check the level
The last thing to do is pour in your new 10W-40 semi-synthetic (or 10W-40 full-synthetic) motorcycle oil and check the level in your oil level window along the way.
If you replaced only the oil, but kept your old filter, you will need 2.4 litres of oil.
If you replaced both oil and filter, you will need 2.7 litres of oil.
Pour in just a little less than the amount of oil you need and check the oil fill window.
Start the motorcycle and watch the oil level go down, turn the motorcycle back off and watch the oil come back up again and settle.
The oil level should be halfway between Min and Max.
If the oil level is too low, add more. If it’s too high, drain a bit from the drain plug.

The only thing left to do now is to take your Yamaha XSR 900 out for a ride. Note that you may see or smell some smoke if you accidentally splashed a bit of oil onto your exhaust pipe. Not to worry, it will quickly burn off.

FUN FACT: You can read error codes on the Yamaha XSR 900 for only $20 to $40 yourself, no special dealer tools or trip to the dealer needed, click here to find out how.