Billy Who? Man What?

If you've seen one of these oddly shaped plastic funnels, called the ManFunnel by Billy Who, you have probably asked yourself, "What the heck is that thing?" Simply put, it's the best $15.99 you'll ever spend on your Honda CRF!

Let's face the facts, our infatuation with the Honda CRF is only dwarfed by the hatred we feel for changing the oil. First, there's not just one oil drain plug but two. Second, neither drain plug is on the bottom of the case where gravity and oil get along like best friends. Third, the tranny oil drain plug is recessed so far back there's little chance you'll be able to drain the oil without making a huge mess. Add a skid plate and you'll spend more time cleaning up oil than changing it.

In comes Billy Who to the rescue. Let me say that I'm the first to be skeptical when it comes gadgets and trinkets that promise to change the world, in addition to making great julian fries! In fact, if changing the oil on a CRF450R wasn't so unpleasant at core I may not have made the effort to try a ManFunnel. Let's just say that I'm glad I did. It has absolutely made changing the oil a quick and easy.

So, how does this thing work you ask? Once you adhere the included foam strip on the back of the ManFunnel, you simple installed it under the case and over the rail as pictured. Once it's installed correctly, you can remove the engine and tranny drain plugs to let the oil flow.

Getting the funnel installed correctly is pretty easy when you understand that the rear of the funnel gets installed beyond where the tranny oil drain plug is located. The slot in the rear of the funnel is there to allow the funnel to fit snuggly under the case in that area. When installed correctly the rail support on the funnel will slip on the rail with ease. If you find yourself trying to force this fit you have not installed it correctly.

If the funnel is installed correctly it will transport the oil without spilling it all over your rail or skid plate. In fact, I've been successful in changing the oil with the ManFunnel without a drop spilling.

A couple of tips that will help to get the same results. One, make sure you have the foam strip installed per the instructions. See the photo. Two, make sure the funnel is installed correctly and the left side of the funnel is flush against the case. Three, use the included "splash guard" when kicking the bike over to evacuating more oil. NOTE: When kicking the motor over make sure you have your thumb on the kill switch to prevent accidentally starting the motor dry. Fourth, when initially draining the oil have the bike on the triangle support. This will give gravity a better chance of moving the oil away, preventing overflow at the rear and sides of the funnel. You can level the bike out once the majority of the oil is drained. Clean up consists of one paper towel to remove excess oil from the ManFunnel. That's it! To keep it from becoming a dust magnet, I store mine in a zip lock bag.

Conclusion

It makes changing the oil quick and clean. If you don't have one then you've probably already spent $15.99 on paper towels! Bottom line, this is the right tool for this job.

CRF's Only Staff Review, February 2005
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