Is there any way to change the oil without it dripping on top of the bash plate? I've let it drip for years and after taking the bash plate for the first time I saw that the oil deteriorated the rubber between the plate and the engine. The back engine mount had metal to metal contact. Getting the plate back on was very difficult even after trying to bend it back into the original shape. I tried hammering and driving my truck over it but it would not bend back.

I put a piece of card under the engine on my sherco, long enough that it overhangs the bashplate, fold the sides up a bit so the oil doesn't overflow.

From The Yorkshire motorcycle maintenance manual..

take the hammer and hide it.. get a nice big adjustable and a tea towel from the missus ( if you married right she'll know where both are) get a good grip on the nut and let the oil run out on to the tea towel. take sodden tea towel into kitchen, empty potato peelings from colander squeeze towel over colander to catch any important bits. Catch oil in mother in laws pint tea mug and pour back into motor.. any important bits trapped in colander should be saved as spares for when bike is sold across border...

for todays modern bike i use half a dozen of those catch all kithen cloths but the principals expressed above still hold true.

Edited September 7, 201015 yr by totalshell