gileraclub.de

Hi Everyone.

I finally picked up my first Gilera Nordwest the other week after seeing an advert for one, not too far from me, that looked in good standard condition. I first saw the Nordwest in a bike dealers in south London (Slipstream Motorcycles) in the early 90s and thought how radical they looked and I still think the design looks great now 20 years later. I've had numerous different bikes over the years but pretty much overlooked the Nordwest in favour of newer machines, however after seeing this one, having a quick test ride, the deal was done and I returned home the happy new owner of a Nordy.

I've bought all the bits needed for the service and have downloaded the manual from online, but I have one question regarding checking the oil level. The manual states it takes 2.2 litres of oil, when the filter is changed. I have changed the filter and put in 1.9 litres of oil so far, but on checking the plastic sight glass on the engine it is way over the middle mark on the window, actually past the top of the sight glass altogether. Incidentally the mark on the window states 'MIN'. I have run the engine, so the oil filter would be full of oil now also, but this still hasn't changed the sight glass on the side, which is past the top of the window. I have to lean the bike over some way before the oil even registers near the top of the plastic sight glass.

So my question is this, do they all do this, and should I just fill with the remaining 0.3 litres, or should I drain some oil out so it is level with the MIN mark halfway down the window. I think I will probably have to drain about 0.25 litres for this to happen.

Hi Beemer,
Just lean the bike slightly as if you had a prop stand on the other side, I have a padded bit of wood attached to the garage wall to lean the bar end against and fill to the top of the sight glass, being an old bugger with not such good eyesight these days it is even harder to see the dam oil level in a sight glass the same colour as the oil Apart from the sight glass, cracked bodywork and the neck threads in the tank breaking the bike is great - hard to understand how Gilera failed when you look at all the class leading bikes they made from the late 1980s - I blame it all on Piaggio
Regards
John

The second best method doing this job is to drain the old oil carefully (it's an ease because the side stand is on the same side as the drain plug.
Change the filter and fill in the mentioned ammount of 2,2 l

ciao Joachim

Thanks for the advice guys.

I did measure the oil with the bike upright and the oil was drained when the engine was hot. It seems that if I add the rest of the oil to top it up to the 2.2 litre mark then it will be way past the window.

I think I will drain enough oil out to bring it half way up the window and then run it around the block to see where the level will sit.

Never had any issue with other bikes I've owned like this, but hey never mind it's a Gilera and one of those quirks that go with it I suppose. .

It is easy to see when you have way to much oil filled in.
You can find it on your rear wheel

ciao Joachim