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oil change in the fall or do it in the spring
- Thread starter f14rio
- Start date
manicmechanic
ABC,AMA(LIFE),MOA,RA,IBMW
Despite your bike's engine might not be consuming any oil, which would infer that your piston rings seal well, there is some minute amount of blow-by, which means that combustion products do get into the oil, which in turn will form acids with water vapor and then sit in the sump. doing whatever it is that acids can do to metals. Sounds ominous, but the recommendation is, if you're going to put the machine away for months, do so with fresh oil, precluding any troubles later. Also, you will have a fresh oil change already making your Spring preps that much less.
crazydrummerdude
advrider.com
So, ride it 2000 more, change the oil, and park it.
pglaves
#13338
SO2 and H2O combine to make H2SO4 = shorthand for sulfer dioxide and water, both products of combustion combine to make sulfuric acid. I don't want that in the oil trapped between the bearings and the crankshaft. I'd change the oil.
If you decide not to then just before you put it away make sure it is ridden until the engine is completely warmed up - oil temp above 212 so any moisture is boiled away before storage.
If you decide not to then just before you put it away make sure it is ridden until the engine is completely warmed up - oil temp above 212 so any moisture is boiled away before storage.
bikerfish1100
New member
it's not an airhead. he would really prefer to ride another 5K miles, then change the oil. 3K oil changes are nonsensical on modern bikes that have double the oil capacity of an antique.
Hey, what about this option- change the oil, but keep the 1K stuff to use for the following oil change? He has containers to put it in, that he just drained the new oil out of, and it would be no different than running the existing oil to a full 6K change during the season anyway, right? Or am i missing something?
D
dhgeyer
Guest
Partially dissenting opinion here. Ideally a vehicle should be stored with fresh oil in it. I don't disagree. But, I know of lots and lots of cases where this has not been done, and have never heard of a documented case of any damage being done. One dealership around here offers Winter storage service. They change the oil in the Spring as part of the service. Don't know any better I guess. The bikes they store probably average a lot more than 1000 miles on the oil. I've stored bikes with a few hundred miles on the oil and never had a problem.
Nowadays I do change the oil and filter before storing my bikes, if I do store them for the Winter, which I don't always. Just saying, it may be more of a theoretical problem than a documentably real one.
Nowadays I do change the oil and filter before storing my bikes, if I do store them for the Winter, which I don't always. Just saying, it may be more of a theoretical problem than a documentably real one.
osbornk
Old man in the mountains
Haven't changed the oil at the end of riding season in my motorcycles since I got back into riding in 1974. Don't change oil in my 22 year old John Deere with an Onan engine or my 13 year old John Deere with a Kawasaki engine. Never had a problem of any kind.
My bought new last winter Ariens snowblower recommends changing oil at the start of the season and not the end.
My motorcycles and other equipment is normally used for a good while after they are started so most contaminates like moisture have evaporated.
If your going to change the oil, I'd also take the plugs out & spray in some oil and then turn the engine over by hand or if you can get some of the spray stuff for storing engines into the combustion chamber that would work as well.
There's really two camps on your question. Those that leave it in & start the bike once and awhile through out the winter & those that lay it up and don't start it. I don't think there really is a wrong answer.
There's really two camps on your question. Those that leave it in & start the bike once and awhile through out the winter & those that lay it up and don't start it. I don't think there really is a wrong answer.
greenwald
New member
Forget about your mileage - any bike going into long-term storage: change oil and filter.
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B
BUDDINGGEEZER
Guest
Unless you have used racing oil, there are probably enough anti-corrosion additives in the oil for a 2 or 3 months storage with only 1,000 miles on the oil. Chances are it won't hurt a thing.
The local motorcycle dealer was telling me about using Valvoline Racing oil in a car. He had around 3K miles on the oil and when he checked the oil his dipstick was discolored and pitted. Said it looked like it had been dipped in acid. He had never heard of anti-corrosion additives to neutralize the sulfuric acid in oil, and that racing oil has very little. The acid ate away in his engine.
The sure thing is to change the oil before storage. Your choice.
Ralph Sims
The local motorcycle dealer was telling me about using Valvoline Racing oil in a car. He had around 3K miles on the oil and when he checked the oil his dipstick was discolored and pitted. Said it looked like it had been dipped in acid. He had never heard of anti-corrosion additives to neutralize the sulfuric acid in oil, and that racing oil has very little. The acid ate away in his engine.
The sure thing is to change the oil before storage. Your choice.
Ralph Sims
35634
Mars needs women!
Oil is cheap, but just because a resource is cheap is no reason to squander it. If the oil is changed at reasonable intervals, say 5000 miles or yearly, don't worry about it. I have yet to see an engine ruined that was treated as such. On the other hand, I have seen plenty of ruined brake and clutch systems from the fluid being neglected. Strange we don't see as many brake fluid threads as oil threads. 
bikerfish1100
New member
Oil is cheap, but just because a resource is cheap is no reason to squander it. If the oil is changed at reasonable intervals, say 5000 miles or yearly, don't worry about it. I have yet to see an engine ruined that was treated as such. On the other hand, I have seen plenty of ruined brake and clutch systems from the fluid being neglected. Strange we don't see as many brake fluid threads as oil threads.
yeah, brake fluid is the Rodney Dangerfield of the automotive & motorcycle world.
robsara
New member
This topic gets batted around a bit, I have a follow up question.
I have a K75, live in Michigan, I plan to change the oil, trans oil, rear drive oil and brake fluid soon. I have already been adding stabil to the gas as I fill it up.
Now, once I change the oil, am I not supposed to ride again until spring? I was hoping to take it out a time or 12 when the weather isn't TOO nasty.
Or is it better for the bike to just sit with the cover on it in the garage with that new shiny oil in it until spring?
Ideally I'd like to get it ready for storage, then take it out a few times through winter. Especially if it's a mild one. The winter before I bought my bike I saw quite a few on the road well into December. The following spring I bought my bike.
rob
I have a K75, live in Michigan, I plan to change the oil, trans oil, rear drive oil and brake fluid soon. I have already been adding stabil to the gas as I fill it up.
Now, once I change the oil, am I not supposed to ride again until spring? I was hoping to take it out a time or 12 when the weather isn't TOO nasty.
Or is it better for the bike to just sit with the cover on it in the garage with that new shiny oil in it until spring?
Ideally I'd like to get it ready for storage, then take it out a few times through winter. Especially if it's a mild one. The winter before I bought my bike I saw quite a few on the road well into December. The following spring I bought my bike.
rob
D
dhgeyer
Guest
I've never let fresh oil stop me from riding if I wanted to ride. I personally don't think there's enough chance of it doing any harm.
One thing I have found out the hard way is that, if there's salt on the roads and enough wetness that the front tire sprays salt on the bike, if you don't hose the whole thing down when you get back, you can get corrosion on steel and aluminum parts. Bare steel, like fasteners, rust. Aluminum just kind of ages - gets that patina that bikes get if they're not garaged.
One thing I have found out the hard way is that, if there's salt on the roads and enough wetness that the front tire sprays salt on the bike, if you don't hose the whole thing down when you get back, you can get corrosion on steel and aluminum parts. Bare steel, like fasteners, rust. Aluminum just kind of ages - gets that patina that bikes get if they're not garaged.
85k100lt
Cave Creek AZ
Wow
I'm confused is he storing the bike for 30 years??
I thought this was winter storage 4 to 5 months.
Best bet is to have ridden the bike to full operating temp on the last ride to burn off any water vapors in the engine. (at least 30 miles). Store for winter and ride for another 2000 miles in the spring and then change oil.
Most of you guys are a little well excessive.
Forget about your mileage - any bike going into long-term storage: change oil and filter.
I'm confused is he storing the bike for 30 years??
I thought this was winter storage 4 to 5 months.
Best bet is to have ridden the bike to full operating temp on the last ride to burn off any water vapors in the engine. (at least 30 miles). Store for winter and ride for another 2000 miles in the spring and then change oil.
Most of you guys are a little well excessive.
mpmarty
New member
I don't start the bike unless I'm going somewhere. Where I live to go to the nearest store of any kind is a fifty mile round trip. I change the oil and filter at three grand and don't care if that wastes "natural resources". I park the bike in my shop and hook it up to a battery tender. I normally ride until Thanksgiving and then park it until March unless as often happens January brings a few warm sunny days in which case I'll ride it.
marchyman
Cam Killer
Just make sure the bike gets up to full operational temperature before you put it away. If the bike gets good and hot any H2O in the engine case will evaporate. If you're going to take a winter ride make it longer than 5 or 10 miles.
greenwald
New member
I'm confused is he storing the bike for 30 years??
I thought this was winter storage 4 to 5 months.
Best bet is to have ridden the bike to full operating temp on the last ride to burn off any water vapors in the engine. (at least 30 miles). Store for winter and ride for another 2000 miles in the spring and then change oil.
Most of you guys are a little well excessive.
