First time out, couple questions

[Hawkeye]

Hey all,
I got my bike out today to do some pre-ride maintenance, and I have a couple questions.
First a little background. The bike I bought is an 03. The guy I bought it off of (for some reason) was running it with the choke closed(?) and the throttle screw played all the way out to lower the idle.
Because I bought it end of Dec, I parked it in my friend's garage and it's been sitting until today.
Today I did a full oil change with filter, charged the battery, started it up and adjusted the throttle screw.
My first issue: I think I *might* have over filled the oil, I'm not entirely sure. When the bike is running, it sits at the full mark, but when I turn it off, it fills the whole "window." I haven't noticed any issues, but I'm wondering if there's a way to rectify it without pulling the drain plug.
Second issue: There is what appears to be a slight backfire when I let off the throttle while it's in neutral. There doesn't seem to be any performance issues that I can tell, and you can only barely hear it when sitting in place revving the engine a little.

I know that's a lot of typing, but anyone who reads all of it and has a suggestion or two, I appreciate all help.
Thanks,

[Water Warrior 2]

Sounds like you need a little info.

The oil level is always checked with the engine off, just like a car engine.
To properly check the oil level the bike must be held upright, not leaning on the side stand. Get yourself a mirror on a stick so you can sit on the bike and look down to see the sight glass in the mirror. Or you can hunker down and hold the bike upright while checking the level.
Oil volume is most important. 1300 milliliters or 1.3 liters. 1400 milliliters or 1.4 liters with an oil filter change.

The oil itself should not be an oil for your typical car engine. It should be a moto specific oil suited for a wet clutch in a bike. Jaso specs are the required oils. You can find that on the oil container. If your oil meets Jaso specs you are good to go.
Rotella is a cheap effective oil that meets Jaso specs. Dino or synthetic will work well. Cost wise the dino will do very well compared to many other oils on the market.
Oil filters are pretty much all the same but don't go paying for a Suzuki oil filter. Hi-Flo make an identical filter for less. HF-136 is the part number. Bike shops, small engine shops and parts stores are a source as they are a common filter for many engines out there.

If you do have too much oil in the engine just drain some out. Too much oil with likely get all foamy and not do any lubricating.

[jonathan180iq]

IF it turns out that you've poured in too much oil, A turkey baster and a bit of clean tubing can solve your problem. Just attach the clean tubing to the end of the turkey baster, stick the skinny end down the oil-fill opening and squeeze that bulb at the top. You can take out as much as you need.

As WW said, only do this after you have properly checked your oil level.

A little pop out the exhaust when letting off the gas near idle is actually pretty common. These bikes are jetted lean from the factory, so if you're getting just a little pop as you come to a stop, then you're really close to the original setting.

[Hawkeye]

Thanks for the info. I picked up some Yamalube and the Suzuki filter (same price as the Hi-Flo minus shipping). I figured it was the oil level while motor is off, but I figured I double check. I still plan on changing the plug and maybe some seafoam in the tank.
Also, I don't suppose there's a how-to on how to replace the rear signal stems? I know the wires track under the fender and (I assume) to the little fuse box by the battery. I just didn't know if there was a write up on the most efficient way to do it.

[jonathan180iq]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

Thanks for the info. I picked up some Yamalube and the Suzuki filter (same price as the Hi-Flo minus shipping). I figured it was the oil level while motor is off, but I figured I double check. I still plan on changing the plug and maybe some seafoam in the tank.
Also, I don't suppose there's a how-to on how to replace the rear signal stems? I know the wires track under the fender and (I assume) to the little fuse box by the battery. I just didn't know if there was a write up on the most efficient way to do it.

What is it that actually needs to be replaced? Just the lense, or the whole light assembly?

If it's just the lens, just about every Suzuki cruiser uses the same fixture, so just order one of those for replacement. If it's the whole assembly, or if you're worried about the wiring, do a search by my name for "Rear Trunk" or "Brake Lights". There should be quite a few photos attached of when I had the back end apart and you'll find what you're looking for.

[Hawkeye]

My apologizes for the delayed response.
The arm that holds the left rear turn signal is broken. The arm is broken where it attaches to the plastic fender and just hangs there by the wires.

[jonathan180iq]

You could use something as a splint in the meantime, or just get a replacement from Suzuki. As I said, almost all of their cruiser blinker housings are the same part number