How do you change oil on a Yamaha XT250?

Answer 1

It depends on the series and the oil you want to change

for motor oil:

For the first xt 250s (in the 1980s), there is a plug under the motorbike.

Under the bike (I mean under the engine), there is a protective metal sheet which is normally attached by three screws at the fork. Unscrew them.

Now you have a normal access to the oil plug which is approximately 4cm large (1.5").

In order to have it done right, you have to unplug both the the oil tank and under the bike; and keep your motorbike up (like if you were driving) and therefore not on its leg. Count 20min before refilling.

changing the filter at the same time can be a good idea

for fork oil:

it's better to ask a mechanist because it is clearly difficult.

on the fork, next to the wheel, on each side you have a small screw which you should unscrew (not totally) in order to have the oil getting out of the fork.

on the upper part of the fork, you have two plastic parts (on each side of the tachometer) hiding the refill entry; unplug them, take a screwdriver or anything in hard metal, push hard against the metallic covers that were hidden by the plastic (this may be difficult if the bike is old since rust can be formed and therefore i advise you to do that before emptying the fork of its oil). Then two plastic parts should appear when lowering the metal shield, push them to keep the fork oil open.

put the motorbike up and count 20min to have a complete drain of the fork.

then you can fill it up. dont forget the screws near the wheel, unscrewed it's useless.

pay attention to the screws and other small parts, on old bikes they are rusty and sometimes fragile up to the point to break or crumble and become impossible to use afterwards