Rocket Oil Level Check

Welcome to Hell.
I've had the same thing in all three of my Thunderbirds.... almost impossible to get a reliable consistent oil level reading.
After 5 years and lots of theories I'm still not clear why this should be.
but it is.
Only today I've been out looking for a patch of perfectly flat ground to get an idea of what's in the crankcase.
I even habitually use a spirit level these days when I check the level.
It frankly irritates the **** out if me yet I have two friends with these bikes ,one never checks his oil( good luck with that, Pal) whilst the other just checks briefly and never bothers about it. On the other hand he's done 2 k miles in 2 years and I've done 17 k. on mine.
If you work it out fergawdsake tell me what's going on.

 

So, pardon my ignorance of the new rocket, is it wet sump or dry?

 

What time ya going mate?

 

Yes I do fancy it mate, I'm on call at work so don't start until 4 so gives us/me plenty of time.

 

Don't want to come now, that's all I was coming for...... GOD DAMN SOCIAL DISTANCING

I'll come down with you mate.

 

So, can, and does oil drain into the sump when left standing, or is it just a possibility?
And if it is a possibility, but not a given, why?

I remember old Brit. bikes had a gold line on the outside of the oil tank as a ‘fill to level’ and you peered into the tank neck and estimated where to line was on the outside.
There was always plenty of room between the line and the top of the tank.
Didn’t seen to matter if oil had drained into sump.
Ken.

 

https://jrcengineering.com/technical-support/wet-sumping-problems/

hope this is of some use in explaining how things work, [this is of old Triumph twins]

 

Some modern bikes do as well like my MT01 and Aprilia RSV

 

My old 650 beeza has a dry sump and it's dead easy to check the oil.......simply remove filler cap and look at the oil level in the tank!
You're right we have gone backwards in some respects!