It is easy to make your own oil dipstick for the Virago 250

If you have trouble reading the oil sightglass on your Virago 250, it is easy to make your own oil dipstick.
Cut a piece of thin plastic about 8 inches long and about 3/8 inch wide.
I cut mine from a slat for a vinyl mini-blind.
Firmly attach a small handle to it (wood, plastic, etc.) exactly 6 1/8 inches from one end.
Make a mark 5/8 inch up from the bottom using a permanent marker.
This mark you just made is the “Full” level and is 5 ½ inches from the bottom of the handle.
The end of the dipstick is the “Low” level and is 6 1/8 inches from the bottom of the handle.
To use it, you need to angle it to the right and have the thin edge facing you.
When you are done, remove it and replace the oil cap (you don’t want to drive around with this in the engine).

Metric version

If you have trouble reading the oil sightglass on your Virago 250, it is easy to make your own oil dipstick.
Cut a piece of thin plastic about 203 mm long and about 9.5 mm wide.
I cut mine from a slat for a vinyl mini-blind.
Firmly attach a small handle to it (wood, plastic, etc.) exactly 156 mm from one end.
Make a mark 15.9 mm up from the bottom using a permanent marker.
This mark you just made is the “Full” level and is 140 mm from the bottom of the handle.
The end of the dipstick is the “Low” level and is 156 mm from the bottom of the handle.
To use it, you need to angle it to the right and have the thin edge facing you.
When you are done, remove it and replace the oil cap (you don’t want to drive around with this in the engine).

-Les S.