oil change intervals ( Members survey)

xhdskip

Living Legend
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Jun 4, 2007
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North of Tulsa, OKLAHOMA
Nope,
you're right, he's wrong.
You care about your bike,
he's there to make money.
i usually change mine about every 10,000 miles.
Don't wash it that often, but that's not a requirment like oil is.
 
Do mine every 10,000 KMS (dassabout 6,000 miles) - best oil I can get, new filter, don't do any short runs.....

Book says 10,000 kms.....but it comes out **** near as good lookin' as it went in......could easy stretch it out for longer....
 
Every 5,000 miles and I do it myself. I've always regarded oil as cheap engine insurance. There have been some very good articles over the years on this subject in the various bike mags on everything from visquosity breakdown to acids in the oil. I've always been able to tell when the oil gets "tired" in my Evo Harley by the valve train/lifter noise when the engine gets hot. Four quarts of fresh oil and an oil filter quiets it down.
 
Do mine every 10,000 KMS (dassabout 6,000 miles) - best oil I can get, new filter, don't do any short runs.....

Book says 10,000 kms.....but it comes out **** near as good lookin' as it went in......could easy stretch it out for longer....

What page is that on? Mine says 16000klm intervals
 
Oil is supposed to lubricate, cool, and remove (or suspend and bring to the sump) particulates.
Since the Motorcycle oil should not have odd detergents and additives, because it can ruin clutch fiber plates, it carries the particulates unless it sits for months. As soon as it gets warm(hot) to temperature, the crud gets moving again.
teh syn or semi syn oils will "last" for longer than natural oils, but the crud still runs through the oil. the filter will strain out the big parts and most of the small.
after that tiny little filter gets "full" the oil slows in flow through it, or you get a blow out in the filter.
I chnage oil at 5K interval for the "insurance" of clean and capable oil and filter.
Syn oil can last for 25K miles in a BMW in modern day maintenence.
if you check your air cleaner and it has dust and grit in it, I'd change it 3-5 K miles.
If you ride where there is salt in the air or on the ground (and it will get into the oil through the breathers), 3-5 K miles.
If you put up many miles a year, probably twice a year minimum.
if you put up low miles (less than 5K a yrear) id change it yearly. Easter is a good time every year to ready it for the heat and summer nad flush any tired stuff out after a long winter.

40 years of mechanix and never had an oil failure.
 
Similar thoughts to pjsmithres - don't skimp on oil, its a motors life blood. My oil/filter will get changed every year when the bike is laid-up for the winter, no matter what miles its done. I don't do high mileages, 5-6k most years so that works out pretty well. I prefer to change mine at the end of the season so that the crud gets washed out before it can settle - just my way, not saying its the best.
 
I think you pretty much know how oil threads go but what the hey. Synthetics are "supposed" to last longer than dino oil and have a longer life due to superior properties. I personally have a problem with this. I get flamed for the next statement as a rule. "Dirty oil is dirty oil", there I said it! Contaminates are the same in a crankcase full of dino as they are in synthetic. But the properties of synthetic are supposed to support these contaminates longer and better than dino therefore they are doing the job longer. But IMHO, they are still there doing what they do in any oil, add wear no matter how small.

I have run the dog crap out of Rotella 15X40 (JASO-MA rated) and have as much faith in that as any synthetic. When I purchased my Touring they told me 10,000 as well, but I won't even go by that. At 500 miles they told me Castrol is all I am to run... Hell, there was even a Castrol sticker on the bike by the oil fill when I bought it. They also told me Mobil 1 20X50 isn't what they advocate to use? I ran that in my Harleys and never had a problem.

So as I see it, do what you want, just use good wet clutch approved oil, but I personally will still change oil / filter at the mileage "I" want, 3000 miles. Expensive, ya, necessary, maybe not, but I paid good money for this bike and oil matters, "to me". To each his own....10,000 is a very long way too run in my estimation, and you know what they say about opinions. This is just mine.
 
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