Hi Alex,

I had exactly the some problems and confusion when my girlfriend and I got our XT600E and XT600Z Tenere.

They were the first dry sump bikes I had had and I eventually decided that the only reliable method of measuring the oil level was to ride the bike for 15 min, let it tick over for 1 min and then turn off the engine and measure with the dip-stick immediately, holding the bike up vertical (not on the side stand, and don’t screw the filler cap back on to take the measurement)

If you need to add more oil you will get another false reading if you don’t run the engine again for 15 min etc.

Also, when you change the oil you need to carefully measure the correct amount, to the nearest 0.1 litres when re-filling, the dip stick will mis-lead you until you have done the 15 mile ride etc.
On our bikes the oil tank wont take the full quantity until the engine is started and the level in the tank drops, an which point the remainder of the measured quantity can be added.

When the engine is stopped after a long ride and the oil is hot some of it leaks back past the part of the oil pump that normally takes the oil from the engine and returns it to the oil tank. This reduces the level in the tank and can take up to 15 min to restore the correct proportions on oil in the engine and tank. It has been suggested by some that if this happens that the pump is excessively worn but it happened just the same on my Tenere when I fitted a new pump.

I would suggest that you check the oil level at the end of a ride and don’t worry about topping it up if it’s below ‘min’ on the dip stick at the start of the day, I wouldn’t even check it then. This is the approach I took and after 83000 miles I had my girlfriends bike engine overhauled and the engineer was astonished at what god condition it was in.

Mark