Have the Factory Fill Your Oil!

No one really enjoys it and yet all of us have to do it or suffer the consequences. Changing the oil has never been fun, but with the Honda CRF it's twice the pain. Basically, changing the oil in one CRF is equivalent to changing the oil in two bikes! We covered getting the oil out in the ManFunnel review and now we are going to show you how to get the oil back in...using the Factory Fill.

So what's the big deal about getting the oil back in the engine and transmission? Well, for one, each takes a different amount and it's not a full quart in either. The engine at draining requires .66 liter (.70 US qt.) and transmission at draining requires .59 liter (.62 US qt.). For another, many owners like to run different oils in the engine and transmission.

The Factory Fill Honda CRF Kit from BillyWho, comes with two bottles, one for the engine and the other for the transmission. Each of these has specific oil level markings to indicate the proper oil level for your application. It even shows the proper engine level with or without a filter change. No big deal it's in the owner's manual after all right? Sure, but you have to get that out, find the right page for that information. Having it right on the measuring bottle is a great "effort" saver if not time saver.

If you were to test the level markings with water you'd find they are a bit "fat". The reason is oil tends to stick to the sides of any measuring device. Most measure fluid as an exact amount as if you could actually get all of that fluid out. No one has that much time for that last drop of oil to drip out. BillyWho took this into consideration and increased the level markings to save you that time. Does it work? Absolutely. We used the Factory Fill to fill both the engine and transmission with oil and then checked the levels. They were spot on.

The Factory Fill is easy to use. Just fill to the appropriate level and insert the tube into the oil fill opening and squeeze the bottle forcing the oil out of the bottle. Squeezing the bottle does take some effort. In fact, it takes enough effort that you'll find yourself wishing the oil would move faster. The reality is it moves pretty well if it weren't for the amount of effort you have to use to make it move. In a clean environment I actually find it easier and faster to just remove the cap from the Factory Fill bottle and pour it in using the ManFunnel. At the track or riding area I would keep the cap on to avoid dust and dirt from getting in the oil.

After using the Factory Fill, I refill it to the proper level for the next use. They are great to take with you on extended riding trips or if you'll be putting in a full day of practice at the track and need to change the oil mid-day.

Conclusion

The Factory Fill can definitely help reduce the time and mess normally incurred while changing the oil. These bottles serve four functions really. One, they are your capacity guide (read: no need for the manual). Two, they are your measuring device. Three, they are your funnel. Fourth, they can store your oil for the next change. Grab them and go and you have everything you need to cleanly and accurately fill up your oil after a draining.

As a bonus, the included tube cap keeps the oil residue from collecting dirt which eliminates the possibility of contamination during your next oil change. Which means you don't need to wipe anything out with paper towels or store anything in a zip-lock bag.

Does it make changing the oil fun? Absolutely not..but, it does make it quick, clean, and accurate. All of which make this routine maintenance task less of a pain.

CRF's Only Staff Review, February 2005
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