Change your oil and filter

Cost £16.02 (filter), £47.55 (oil) Stuff needed Oil, filter, drain tray, sockets, torque wrench

Why you need to do it Over time, your bike’s engine oil will break down, lose its ability to protect the engine’s moving parts and can become contaminated, especially if the bike has been stored. An oil and filter change at the start of a new year can only do good.

Step 1 Use original parts — in this case our BMW F800GS needs a filter and a new sump-plug washer. First drain the oil, ideally with the engine still warm. Undo the sump plug and allow the oil to drain into a tray.

Step 2 While the oil is draining, remove the oil filter. Try to avoid universal filter wrenches or adapters, as it’s hard to feel whether you’re crushing the filter on removal or torquing it up correctly on re-installation.

Step 3 When all the oil has drained, give the area around the sump plug a wipe. Fit the new sump-plug washer and tighten to spec with a torque wrench. To fit the oil filter, first wipe the area and smear some oil around the rubber gasket at the base of the filter. Screw the filter on and tighten it by hand. Check the manual for a specific torque value and tighten accordingly.

Step 4 Check the manual for the quantity of oil for a filter and oil change (different from oil change because of the extra capacity of the filter). Pour the oil in using a suitable funnel and when you have reached the prescribed amount, replace the filler cap and start the engine. Run for a couple of minutes and then check the oil level, using either the sight glass or dipstick, and top up as necessary.