te511 oil change from hell...any tips?

Did the first oil change on the 511.

Little background I had a 06 450smr husky before and a few other high maintenance bikes. I had no problems with weekly/bi weekly oil changes on those bikes.


First how the f do you guys get the oil filter out of the hole? I tried everything! Eventually I punctured it with a sharpened bicycle spoke abd hooked it out. At one point the bike was laid on its side with me trying pliers, screw drivers, the works!

SO about 45 minutes later. I then try to pull the screens. One comes out with a spoke/hook end easy. The other has nothing to grab really. I dont recall how I eventually got it out.

Okay got everything back together put my new stainless oil filter in and go to tighten the screw cap, it goes on easy then realllyyy tight. So I pull it out and the aluminum threads are kind of messed up toward the end. What a fragile piece of junk! I filed the threads and used a bit of grease and just torqued through the "tight" spot. All has been good so far.

I must have set the cap down hard on the threads or something, but looking at them they have hardly enough material to bite. If you had a piece of sand in the case threads it would obliterate the aluminum cap!

Also another slight annoyance is how the oil drains right into the frame. Oil filter removal puts oil everywhere.

Anyways, not looking forward to a thousand more of these . Any tips on filter removal?

I think since its getting road miles I could drain and refill clean all the filters every other change. There was nothing on the screens and nothing noticeable in the filter when I sliced it. The drain plug magnet had a ton of sludge or fuzz. No large chunks (yay got a weds bike).

Now if the chain did not get sloppy loose every ride I would be happy. I have to tighten it every ride or two (45 miles round trip).

Yeah oil changes can be a messy affair. I have a wide catch basin I put down under the bike with a towel under that. I unscrew the filler cap and start with the oil drain screw and work past the prefilter drain screws next with the bike vertical. Then after 10 minutes I lay the bike over onto my Stand and let more oil out. That's when I remove the oil filter. Helps drain oil into the basin instead of running down the side of the bike. Should get zipty anodized caps for all screw caps. Gas oil filter axel etc!

It's a dandy, aint it?
Before I got a stainless filter I was using a pair of lock ring pliers set to open when squeezed to pull the main oil filter. A small set of needle nose pliers is all I've used to pull the pre-filters.

With the stainless filter I push the middle of a piece of string in there and let it drop behind the filter. Then slip both ends through a small box wrench and carefully push the wrench into the cavity. Holding the two ends of the string and the box wrench tight (with the end of the wrench just beyond the inside end of the filter) pull the strings tight. Now you can pull both the strings and the wrench out together and it'll pull the filter with it. Sounds complicated, but in practice it's easy.
I don't recommend pulling on the outside end of the filter. It will stretch the filter material and could pull the end caps off (ask me how I know). I've read that some people put grease, instead of oil, on the rubber gasket on each installation of their stainless filters, but I haven't figured out what type of grease to use yet.

Great idea with the string...never thought of that..I think next time I will drill a tiny hole in the endcap or something to make this a bit easier.

Yea, I bought a bunch of parts from the dealer so im recharging the mod fund to put a zip ty order in. I want so much, but only need the things that make life easier.

I would use a superlightweight grease, mainly because if some gets into the oil system you would likely want it to break down easier right?


I had a huge drain pan under the bike so I caught all the oil (luckily). I actually leaned the bike way over on the drain side to help it drain everything, then removed the oil filter cover, nothing came out....finally got the filter to come out and third of a quart splooshed allover the bike!


I ran a drain line from the airbox drain down around over by the chain. I filled the oil level to the top where it was coming out of the plug upright, and then leaned it over a bit more. Guessing 1.2 quarts? No oil coming from the drain line, so either its not getting into the line from the airbox, or its not getting into the airbox. With the synthetic oil, stainless filter, and all that jazz, I noticed about 0 difference in its running. BUT it does run WAY WAY WAY cooler.

I did upload the nick burson flaming missle map or whatever its called. Also bumped the idle 0% tables up a bit, so around idle its getting a bit more fuel. The cooling fan isn't kicking on nowhere near as much. It used to come on every stoplight. I don't think it kicked on but one time last night and this morning.


Anyways if you have anymore suggestions or tips to make this easier POST THEM! My old husky I could pull screens out with my finger and the oil filter came right out easy peesy. And it drained into the bucket without firing allover the frame .

I've also been leaning the bike over to the opposite side of the drains. Lean it as far as you can and hold it there for a minute. Then lean it back to the drain side and more oil will come out. I do this about 5 times until no oil comes out. I was surprised how much extra comes out by doing this. I have no idea where it comes from. But it makes me feel like I'm getting a cleaner oil change.

Huskylove that's hilarious. I did the same things on mine too. For the oil filter I used a large deck screw and lightly tapped it in the end of the filter and screwed it in a little bit and pulled the filter out. The long filters by the drain plug I used needle nose pliers and pulled them out. I'm real careful screwing the oil filler and filter caps back on they are flimsy. I lean bike over and drain remaining oil out too. I use my cc cup and refill with the Mobil 1. One full court and another 100 to 150 cc's. I do both 449 and 511 at the same time, also I take the skid plate off and use lots of paper towels around oil filter and drain plugs. Tons of fun....

I cant believe I did not find a thread complaining about this. I can change oil in a 8-71 faster than this husky!

I figure theres no harm in doing a drain/refill and clean the filters every change or two right? Since my last husky never got anything on the screens/filters.

Lol I don't see why not but I'm sure others may disagree. I'm gonna use the paper filters for mine they're cheap and I just toss them after oil change. I did my first oil changes at 200 miles run Mobil 1 now and gonna do next oil changes at 1000 miles. Then 1000 miles there after, filter and oil all in one. My reasoning, with the bikes having motard set up they don't get any dirt miles on them, I don't race them, I zip around wheelie and just have a ton of fun on them. I spoke with a couple large husky dealers and they said they're demo bikes get severely abused and ridden mostly in dirt and that's about they're intervals or when they remember to do oil changes. Also when you do motard set up it seems the speedo is off a bit, when my buddy's are at 50 mph my huskys are at 68 mph. It may be due to having the caliper bracket located different from stock and then you have to jb weld on a magnet to new rotor to get speedo to work.

Gotcha, I am prepared for the speedo inaccuracies. What gearing are you running? I went with 15/44 and am worried it may be too short still. I need to be able to cruise at 65 for about 3 miles or so. Right now it is really ripping at those speeds with 15/51. I actually get off on a exit and then get back on just to slow down a bit and save a half mile of braaaapppp 7300rpm!

I am not sure if I would stretch the oil changes to 1000 miles man. These things only hold a quart of oil, and it gets hotter than hell and used/abused. Maybe not used up, but definitely used. The way the oil came out of my smr450 I would never ever ever have stretched more than 300 miles from a oil change. It always came out thin as hell, black, smelled like fuel, etc. Bike never gave me any issues

I am using rotella T6 synthetic. Its a 5-40W always works with wet clutches, and dirt cheap. I paid. 22$ a gallon delivered to my door.

I meant drill the end of the stainless oil filter...So I can just hook it and pull? not all the way through just through a corner. If its thick enough

It is "easy" to drain and refill, but you can tell looking at the motor in the frame. It was not meant to be a happy union. Motor is tucked in behind everything. Not the easiest to work on. My old husky was literally MADE to be worked on. You can do everything short of a crank/rod/gear R&R with it in the frame!

Stock front sprocket and 40 rear. If my speedo is off by about 20 mph then I figure I'm doing oil at around 600 to 700 miles in real time. The book says a little over 600 mile intervals so I think I'm close. It's just easier in my mind for miles sake. Even after first oil change the oil wasn't bad at 200 miles but I wanted to get the first one done and get the crap like metal shavings out. The large husky dealers I spoke to said if your just running them on the street like iam they said even longer than 1000 mile intervals. I won't go over the 1000 miles between but looking at the Mobil 1 that's in it now at 300 miles since my last service it still looks like it came out of bottle. I'm OCD for sure but 300 mile oil changes seems a bit excessive. Again I'm not racing them, just ripping around and no dirt....dirt on my bike OMG....lol
This is my other baby....oil change at 600 miles for first then every 3000 with full synthetic, it red lines at 14,500 lol

It is kind of funny as I thought this bike ranked as one of my easiest to change the oil.

Tough bikes - my current BMW.

Worst of all time, my KTM LC4 with oil IN the frame. Yeah guys, GREAT idea.

With a bit of tinfoil in below the filter, I never spill a drop on my 449. And yes, the filter doesn't want to jump out. I have a sharpened screw pick. I pop it and twist out. I found it in the bargain bin at Harbor Tools for 50 cents!

I thought oil changes were pretty straight forward as we'll. after having numerous 450 Japanese dirt bikes this husky thing was a piece of cake. No reservoir tank, just dump and go. The oil filter cap and filler cap along with the gas cap are cheapo and I will definitely be buying some better quality ones.

I found the oil changes pretty easy. I use a paper clip to pull the filter out. Works like a charm. I purchased the 7602 oil bolt kit to make things even easier.

im with you on that, im another newbie oil changer, at a fresh 35 miles, yesterday, started pulling strainer plugs, the flow immediately progressed to the kick stand, and off to the shop floor it went, completely missing a 18" oil pan, I could swear it took a whole roll of paper towel to mop up, im thinking next time of putting it on the bike stand, with a block under the other side.

Used a little suction cup that I had (local hardware store) to pull the filter out. Worked well.

You guys work too hard. Get 7602 prefilter caps, they press onto the filters and self pull the filters for you. The SS big filter is thinner and can be pulled with ease. Tuck a paper towel under cap area to catch residual oil. Never had an issue with the oil filter cap, but my new cap coming is made out of hardened aluminum and is not likely to strip.

1st oil change is at 30 miles, next 100 miles, then and there after 300 miles. Do not stretch to 1000 miles.

Ahh, I got the stainless filter that fits perfectly. (whoops) ya know the really expensive one (ordered it before I even got the bike :P)

New problem, I lost my fmf powercore 4 exhaust insert yesterday, it was a quiet insert. Flew out on the freeway. HOLY F_ this thing is insanely loud. With the open pipe+custom vented airbox (mimic the tc airbox lid but just same dimensions cut out) this thing is ridiculously loud. Also it stalled just off idle EVERYTIME! with the tip missing. With the quiet insert it was great. Do people actually ride these bikes with pipes like this?? It revs SO THE HECK much faster, and really pulls the wheel off the ground at the the top half the rpm range, vs before right in the middle it would lift her up.

I added the stock fmf powercore spark arrestor tip back on, and it is still loud as hell.

35$ later I should have the quiet tip back in middle of the week. Seriously, my ducati with zard 2-1 and pod filters is literally like HALF as loud as this fmf powercore 4. No wonder people complain about it!!


Are the akraprovic pipes this loud?