Your Oil Change Intervals

[teeter]

Like a few others, I use Shell Rotella T Synthetic and change mine every 5K miles. It's easy to remember without ever writing it down too. I just change it when the odometer hits a a 5000 mile mark (20,000, 25,0000, 30,000, etc.) Good little system.

 

[mave2911]

Is it the same for a bike as in a car? You can go so many miles or so many months?

No. Oil has a MUCH harder life in a bike, due to the compressive forces in the gearbox. (on a bike your engine oil is your gearbox oil)

I changed the oil again at 5024kms, and it was darkening.

So, I just have to resign myself to $90 services every 10 weeks or so.

Cheers,
Rick

 

[Downs]

Oil color has nothing to do with when it needs changed for the most part. I say this in nearly any oil thread where color comes up.

The only way to know for sure is to send a sample off to have it analyzed. Period. Short of a strong fuel smell or milky cot (coolant) you can't just look at it and tell how good or bad it is.

After you establish somekind of baseline then you can make determination to see if you can extend ( in most cases you can go WAY longer) or shorten your change interval.


Sent from my iPhone

 

[aid-90]

i change my oil and filter after 5k miles :thumbup:

i use the castrol power 1 4t 10w40 semi synthetic oil and a champion oil filter :rockon:

in ireland 10w40 seems to be what every one is using in ireland, whats the difference with all the other viscosities??

 

[mave2911]

i use the castrol power 1 4t 10w40 semi synthetic oil and a champion oil filter

As I've said previously, I don't like semi-synthetics as they're hamstrung by the inclusion of dino oil.

The whole idea of going synthetics is that technology has surpassed what nature can provide in lubrication, so it's sort of like mixing Dom Perignon with water.

Sure, both will quench your thirst, but the full strength will definitely be better.

My thoughts anyway, and I'm happy to discuss by PM another perspective, but that has always been my thinking.

Cheers,
Rick

 

[agf]

I had a change to semi synth yesterday at about the 8000 km mark I'll stick to that regimen and the advice from my mech is that unless I am doing lots of track days the semi synth is an excellent compromise. And following on to Mave2911's issue of declining MPG, the mech was in agreement with the concept of the finer electrode of an Iridium plug clogging up with carbon. but once again its opinion and I'm sure there are plenty of other folk who have had a +ve experience.
It all comes down to the available $ and I cant do $90 of oil and $120 of plugs at the mo,
to each his own I guess
I hope you get that issue sorted Rick

 

[iSteve]

Nothing wrong with semi synth, you get the benefits of both oils. I've been using a different oil at each change. I used Amsoil, Motul, Rotella, Mobil 1, Castrol and when I bought the bike it had Golden Spectro. All are full synth except for the Motul and this is just my opinion but I like the Motul 5100 the best, the clutch seemed a bit smoother.

 

[Gelvatron]

Not 100% sure please correct if wrong I like learning, if you used semi-synthetic you can keep using it but if you switch to full synthetic you must stick to it, unless you really clean all the oil out by aren't supposed to mix because of some of the detergents.

 

[Downs]

Doesn't matter. This used to matter WAY back in the day when syn first started up but not anylonger. Mix away.


Sent from my iPhone

 

[Mudkipz137]

Well I have yet to put 2,000 miles on the fizzer that I've owned since 2010... BUT I did get the oil changed.

 

[Royaltool88]

yamalube 10w-50 synthetic. Ive only changed the oil once since Iv'e had it. The person who had it before me must have never changed it. The oil looked like mud! Runs slightly cooler now and shifts more smooth.

 

[PosterFZ6]

No. Oil has a MUCH harder life in a bike, due to the compressive forces in the gearbox. (on a bike your engine oil is your gearbox oil)

I changed the oil again at 5024kms, and it was darkening.

So, I just have to resign myself to $90 services every 10 weeks or so.

Cheers,
Rick

Consider the life expectancy of the motorcycle and whether it's worth doing $90 oil changes.

I tend to choose the most economically prudent way of changing oil.

Whatever is on sale will do. If it's cheaper then I will just do an extra intermittent oil change with the cheaper oil that I got more on sale rather than do changes every 5k miles.

I usually do 5k miles during my season. about 120 miles a week of riding in the city. I might find the cheapest synthetic and only do one oil change for the whole riding season or find cheaper regular oil and do two oil changes in the season.

In any case I am really shocked that oil costs so much in Ozzieland.

Is it just Motul synthetic that is so expensive? what about other brands of oil?

 

[Motogiro]

Consider the life expectancy of the motorcycle and whether it's worth doing $90 oil changes.

I tend to choose the most economically prudent way of changing oil.

Whatever is on sale will do. If it's cheaper then I will just do an extra intermittent oil change with the cheaper oil that I got more on sale rather than do changes every 5k miles.

I usually do 5k miles during my season. about 120 miles a week of riding in the city. I might find the cheapest synthetic and only do one oil change for the whole riding season or find cheaper regular oil and do two oil changes in the season.

In any case I am really shocked that oil costs so much in Ozzieland.

Is it just Motul synthetic that is so expensive? what about other brands of oil?

Remember when Rick says $90 the Oz dollar works different from ours ...

 

[PosterFZ6]

Remember when Rick says $90 the Oz dollar works different from ours ...

I know, but the currency exchange rate is almost on par.

From what i have seen things in Australia are usually more expensive but not by that big of a margin.

 

[mave2911]

$90 per oil change does suck - but there is no compromise on quality.

I don't want to ride for another 20000kms and wish I'd bought better oil, due to maintenance etc.

At least I am guaranteed that low oil quality didn't cause any issues!

If you've seen a pic of my bike, you'll see I am fastidious, so perhaps I am misguided, but at least I know that I've done the best I can.

Also remember, wages are much higher here, for everything but the top echelon, basic wage is nearly $20/hr etc. (and most wouldn't even get out of bed in the morning for that!)

My Dad visited America a few years ago and told me that bar staff get $2/hr plus tips. (which means if no one tips, you go broke!)

This is offset by prices - a bike that'd cost $3000 there, cost nearly twice as much here. (my 2005 FZ6 cost me $5500 December last year, with over 22000kms (13000mi+) and I got an excellent deal - at a shop, the same bike is $7000+)

Cheers,
Rick

 

[PosterFZ6]

$90 per oil change does suck - but there is no compromise on quality.

I don't want to ride for another 20000kms and wish I'd bought better oil, due to maintenance etc.

At least I am guaranteed that low oil quality didn't cause any issues!

If you've seen a pic of my bike, you'll see I am fastidious, so perhaps I am misguided, but at least I know that I've done the best I can.

Also remember, wages are much higher here, for everything but the top echelon, basic wage is nearly $20/hr etc. (and most wouldn't even get out of bed in the morning for that!)

My Dad visited America a few years ago and told me that bar staff get $2/hr plus tips. (which means if no one tips, you go broke!)

This is offset by prices - a bike that'd cost $3000 there, cost nearly twice as much here. (my 2005 FZ6 cost me $5500 December last year, with over 22000kms (13000mi+) and I got an excellent deal - at a shop, the same bike is $7000+)

Cheers,
Rick

Thanks for explaining.

I knew that prices are higher downunder, but now I see that it's in proportion to the wages.

 

[jsalman93]

does everyone else here change the oil filter at every change or is that just me? I know that the service manual says to do it every other oil change so I'm just wondering what all of you guys choose to do.

 

[mave2911]

I change the filter every time - and I use the Purolator PureONE PL14610, because it has greater capacity and significantly better filtration.

Cheers,
Rick

 

[Guitar Man]

I change mine every time as well. It doesn't cost that much more. I'm sure you could do it every other change and it wouldn't hurt anything.

 

[CZAR357]

I change it once a year which is usually ~3000 miles but whether I hit 3000 or not, I only do it once a year.