How often do you change the oil?
- Thread starter Madmo
- Start date
Charliemurphay
Well-known member
Every 5k, and then again in the fall before she sits for 6 months through winter. Is it overkill? Sure, but oil is cheap and engines aren’t.
Haha I think I posted here first then forgot to check this thing again
FTR London
Well-known member
Good luck telling OPEC that.
Charliemurphay
Well-known member
Cheaper*? (Than engines)
FTR London
Well-known member
Sigh. Depends how much you buy I guess.
It was another, possibly crap joke, that completely failed on this forum.
MacBayne
Active member
What does your manual say?
I just truly get tickled pink by most motorcycle owners... "I change it every weekend ride," or " I change it every 1000 miles."
How often do you change your oil in your car? "3000 miles?" If your car is newer than model year 2000... and you change it every 3000 miles... you are an absolute idiot. My 2014 Focus manual says every time the light came on... it came on after 8000 miles, on average.
My '03 F150 manual says every 4500 miles... and that's before synthetic oils... she's my daily... btw... my first "auto"... is now 19 years old. No, I don't use "synthetic" it didn't exist when the engineers designed my truck...
"3000 miles" for cars is marketing wank that started 50 years ago...
Spark plugs are warrantied for 120k, (plus!)miles now, versus 5k miles when the oil change BS was peddled...
My FTR manual says I should change my oil every 10k miles, or once a year. They give me a two-year warranty and still make that claim...
I changed it at 500 miles, as-per-manual... for the break-in. What the manual said to do...
I just truly get tickled pink by most motorcycle owners... "I change it every weekend ride," or " I change it every 1000 miles."
How often do you change your oil in your car? "3000 miles?" If your car is newer than model year 2000... and you change it every 3000 miles... you are an absolute idiot. My 2014 Focus manual says every time the light came on... it came on after 8000 miles, on average.
My '03 F150 manual says every 4500 miles... and that's before synthetic oils... she's my daily... btw... my first "auto"... is now 19 years old. No, I don't use "synthetic" it didn't exist when the engineers designed my truck...
"3000 miles" for cars is marketing wank that started 50 years ago...
Spark plugs are warrantied for 120k, (plus!)miles now, versus 5k miles when the oil change BS was peddled...
My FTR manual says I should change my oil every 10k miles, or once a year. They give me a two-year warranty and still make that claim...
I changed it at 500 miles, as-per-manual... for the break-in. What the manual said to do...
JPDuffy
New member
Per the manual weighed against riding style. Twice on the 2019 since May since I've ridden 9500 miles, and once on the 2022 since June not having reached ~ 8500 miles just yet, where I begin evaluating current oil life.
The manual is more or less a baseline. Every engine runs differently as does every rider. I use every stop light as a drag racing starting tree and every corner like the last turn to the finsh line.
The manual is more or less a baseline. Every engine runs differently as does every rider. I use every stop light as a drag racing starting tree and every corner like the last turn to the finsh line.
MacBayne
Active member
And idling is actually harder on your engine than "going hard."
And "going hard" on the street does not exist.
MacBayne
Active member
I bought a Grom from a riding school that I teach at that had less than 300km... it was on clutch #4... one of those I actually burned out on purpose in about 30 feet in the friction zone, on purpose, just to prove that they are junk for an MSF-style course.
I was over 250 lbs and put over 1000km on it with clutch 4, before I was offered 40% more than I paid... so I sold it.
It was my commuter, which included 70% WOT highway... she'd do 102km/h or 95km/h, indicated, whether or not I had my elbows in. lol
I tracked her, once... once I find the drive the 3 pics are on, I'll post 'em.
That's my anecdote... I'm not a motorcycle engineer...
Manuals have some pretty high numbers for replacement intervals... and they're "written by lawyers with input from engineers."
If only I could find some Shell Rotella15W-60... for now, I will still allow myself to get "taken to town" for Indian brand.
FTR London
Well-known member
It's incredible how many riders don't understand this. Going hard doesn't equate to thrashing the life out of the motor. I'm always amused by the idiots that 'rev bomb' motorists though, not appreciating the damage this can inflict.
wallycycle
Member
Every 6-10K (miles) and/or every year or so for oil changes.
In old age, I'm obsessing about other things now.
PS: I know the question is about oil and nobody probably gives a shit about the following but here it is anyway:
I don't do valve clearance checks any more either. Every bike I've owned (except for a BMW boxer) in the recent past (10-15 years), when I've checked, the clearances were either within limits or just a RCH out. The last one I did was a few years ago on my '06 Gixxer thou with around 60K Km on it and it was the first time I looked (original owner). All 16 were within limits. Total waste of time. I could have been riding instead. Plus the small risk of the new cam cover gasket leaking and I have to start all over. Same goes for changing fork oil. If the suspension is working to my satisfaction, eff-it. If they're leaking and my Risk Racing Seal Doctor tool (highly recommend) won't stop the leak, then I'll go through the drill. Same with brake fluid. Most bikes specify every 2 years +/-. If they're still performing well, eff-it. If getting spongy and not performing, I'll change it. I don't care what color it is. And coolant: maybe every 5 years or so assuming I own the bike that long. That Gixxer has had it changed once. Runs as strong as it did when I bought it new. Doesn't burn any oil. Except for that BMW boxer, I can't remember a bike I've owned in the last 20+ years where I've had to add oil in between changes. We're extremely fortunate to be living in an age where motorcycles are so incredibly reliable and require almost no maintenance.
In old age, I'm obsessing about other things now.
PS: I know the question is about oil and nobody probably gives a shit about the following but here it is anyway:
I don't do valve clearance checks any more either. Every bike I've owned (except for a BMW boxer) in the recent past (10-15 years), when I've checked, the clearances were either within limits or just a RCH out. The last one I did was a few years ago on my '06 Gixxer thou with around 60K Km on it and it was the first time I looked (original owner). All 16 were within limits. Total waste of time. I could have been riding instead. Plus the small risk of the new cam cover gasket leaking and I have to start all over. Same goes for changing fork oil. If the suspension is working to my satisfaction, eff-it. If they're leaking and my Risk Racing Seal Doctor tool (highly recommend) won't stop the leak, then I'll go through the drill. Same with brake fluid. Most bikes specify every 2 years +/-. If they're still performing well, eff-it. If getting spongy and not performing, I'll change it. I don't care what color it is. And coolant: maybe every 5 years or so assuming I own the bike that long. That Gixxer has had it changed once. Runs as strong as it did when I bought it new. Doesn't burn any oil. Except for that BMW boxer, I can't remember a bike I've owned in the last 20+ years where I've had to add oil in between changes. We're extremely fortunate to be living in an age where motorcycles are so incredibly reliable and require almost no maintenance.