Dirty Synthetic Oil. Change?

I'm curious if any fellow R3 owners feel as I do about dirty oil. I typically always follow the oil changing procedure my late dad taught me for autos. He never would go by mileage as a gauge for the oil change, because he said/believed that every "mile" is different from the last. It all depended on how hard you pushed the motor and how dirty the air was, as in alot of dirt road travel. He determined oil change time by pulling out the dipstick, and letting one drop of oil fall onto a white label or light colored area under the hood. He said that when you couldn't "see" through the oil drop anymore, it was time to change it.
So lets fast forward to synthetic oil times, and 10,000 mile service. I went though break-in and had synthetic added at 600 miles. This should have lasted till 10,600 miles right? Well not me, because when I reached the 4000 mile mark, the oil was like black ink inside. I changed the oil and filter. Now I'm just past the 7000 mile mark, and the oil is starting to look dark brown. I figure by 8500 I will be changing it again. Trend is saying about every 4000 miles, it is going to be black.

So anyway please put your vote in!

.

If you can afford to your best changing it every 5000 anyway.
You know you love her, so feed her good food and often.

Triumph says every 10k. I change every 5k, before oil starts looking bad. Florida in-town miles are hard on oil.

ATM

amsoil

Amsoil rep said just cause it looks dirty is not a reason to change it. just means its doing its job. They Remember it doesn't break down. Rep recommended you could just change the filter at 5k (to remove the dirt and condensation)and then change the oil/filter at 10k with no problems.

Amsoil actually says you can double the manufactures milege before you change your oil.. if the manual says 7500, then you can go 15k, but you need to change the filter at the halfway point (7500).

I think amsoil is very good, but i still change everything including rearend fluid between 5-6k. turns out to be around twice a year for me. Cheap insurance.

I run it in my silverado and change it at 10k with a filter at 5k. seems ok so far.

I like my Rocket better though..

I have always been proponent of frequent oil changes but I am starting to wonder if changing the oil more frequently than both the bike manufacturer and the oil producer is really necessary. I stopped by the Triumph dealer in Lynwood WA on my way back home from my cross country to introduce myself and talk to them about servicing the bike. The service department recommended changing the oil at 5k miles. I had over that on it at the time so bought some oil and changed it within the next few days. The oil was a bit dirty, not bad, but seemed to be in good shape. I had it changed at the 10K service (actually at 11K) but I am just going to watch it closely this time and make the decision at mid service point. Cost is a consideration but not the most important issue, which is care of my engines. I just don't want to be wasting my money.

i agree, remember the oil from 20 yrs ago needed to be changed every 2k but oil has been greatly improved since then. No need to change it if it dont need it. some people still like to change there oil at 2-3k miles but thats a waste of time and money. you should at the least wait til what the manufacture says....which is normally 7500.

I use Amsoil "Synthetic Gear Lube" 80W-90
In the Amsoil guide the part Number is AGLQT and price is-
dealer cost: $6.70
List price: $8.80.
That is for the quart size.
i think you can do 2-3 changes with one quart.

5-7k is probably safe without waste. I think if i put on a lot of miles (15-20k) i would go to 7500 but if you do around 10k a year then 5k is good. I think it can go longer but for once or twice a year you may as well do it at that point.
** One more thing, Amsoil does say to change the oil at least once a year.. probably to remove the condensation.. there is a 2 filter setup that does that for you but it gets expensive, for autos only.

I'm an Amsoil dealer and an anal retentive Rocket owner.

Amsoil Synthetic Motorcycle Oil in both 10W40 and 20W50 exceed Triumph's requirements. While the extended drain intervals are valid, I like many others feel compelled to change my oil more frequently.

There's just something about changing the oil that makes me feel good. That dark brown oil may be doing its job just fine, but there's something about fresh golden oil that makes the bike seem to run better. Is it real, of course not. But, I can afford it and its my money, so I change it at 5K.

If anyone wants more info on Amsoil products you can check my website for links to white papers etc. or email me and I'll be happy to get you whatever info you may need.

http://www.gpmaz.com

And ensure you always pour that dirty oil down the nearest storm drain so that it can get right back to nature....