Topic: Oil change

[cb350twin]

 Hi guys i,m a newbie to the site and i was wondering how many miles until you should change the oil. My owners manual says every 1000 miles dose that sounds right or can you go longer? Thanks Dan

[chrometank]

hey,Ilm pretty sure you should change the oil every 3 months regardless of the miles as the oil gets contaminated from petrol ect,and starts to brake down even if you dont ride at all.cheers

[SteveD CB500F]

Hello mate - I must apologise for editing your poll but you seem to have cocked-up the options. Users can only pick an option - they can't fill details into the poll.

I change my oil every 1000 miles or every year (whichever is shorter). At the moment that's every two months on the 550 and once per year on the 500 (I really must get out on it more)

There are loads of threads on oil here - run a search using "oil change" or similar.

Here is the most recent: www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=1714.0

[Raul CB750K1]

no, you should change your oil every other fortnight and every time that Jupiter and Uranus are aligned...



C'mon, they can be old bikes but they are hard as rocks. Modern oils can last 5000 km (3000 miles) without trouble, and I bet that the molecules didn't get crashed eve when crossing gear teeth.

I'll be changing my oil after 2000 km only because, as maybe you remember, I had gas in one cylinder, and even if the oil don't smell like gas I rode it 50 miles the other day and noticed that the oil is very thin. Maybe it's normal and I'm just a little overprotector, but for just 1000 miles I rather don't run the risk of toasting my bearings. Furthermore, my other bike is only about 300 miles from oil change, so once I put my work attire I just change oil in both.


My Audi A4 is also near the oil change. It uses long life oil. This month it will be 2 years and 20.000 miles since the last oil change. It's about 60.000 miles and this will be the third oil change.

When I went to the States for six months I hibernated my Suzuki GZ250. At my return I throwed the gas, 15 liters. I thought it would look like gunk, but as I was dumping it I really was feeling like if I was throwing my money away, as that as was completely usable.

I had to change the oil because I didn't before hibernation. There is a lot of stuff about oil contamination, acid and many more tales. My CB750 was kept for 15 years before I bought it, so the acids should have corroded all the internal parts, but it is in perfect condition.


In my opinion, many considerations about oil and gas duration are overprotective. I have a moped at my in-laws that I only ride on vacation. The gas inside (mixed with oil) is about three year old and it starts at the second kick. And the moped is 25 year old. I never drain the bowl, and it has no air filter.



Raul

[mcpuffett]

raul,you could have put your old gas in your car  ,i personally change my oil every 1,000 miles   mick.

[Jonesy]

I was told air-cooled engines are harder on oils since their temperatures are not regulated as well as a liquid-cooled engine (thermal breakdown issues), hence the need for more frequent changes on the older bikes. True, today's oils are far better, but 3 quarts of oil and a filter is cheaper than a rebuild...

The gas inside (mixed with oil) is about three year old and it starts at the second kick. And the moped is 25 year old. I never drain the bowl, and it has no air filter.

Funny... the older the engine the more tolerant it is of old fuel! (My old outboard motors are the same way...)

[chrometank]

Its not a bad idea to change the oil filter regularly any way as the older these motors get the more they wear and need good cleaning of the oil. Filter n oil for less than $30 =cheap insurance

[Raul CB750K1]

raul,you could have put your old gas in your car ,i personally change my oil every 1,000 miles mick.

My car is diesel. For all our fellow americans, is another derivative from oil that is cheaper than gasoline  (well, at least it has been; now they are almost the same). But being a Turbo Diesel, it has 120 HP, so not bad for an engine with the red line at 5000 rpm.

The question is not wether 30$ is much or not. When you have a half-empty pen, do you simply discard it because getting a new one is cheap? There are also environmental issues. Why discarding oil that still can do the job?

It's far more important to be sure that the oil level is on check. I've never heard of a seized engine for too old an oil, but I've heard many cases of seized engines for lack of lubrication.


But everybody is different. If you have the time and money to afford an oil change every 500 miles, that's allright. It's beyond discussion thatn 500 miles oil is in better condition than 3000 miles oil. Does it mean that everybody over 40 years should be laid off because younger people performs better?

I once had the discussion about the best time to get a shower. One said that it is in the morning, so you start the day clean and refreshed. Another said that it's better at nightime, so you go to bed clean of the day's hectic pace and go to bed relaxed. Both are true, so does that mean that we have to shower twice?  We gotta find a compromise. Three showers a day guarantees you will smell clean the whole day, but will you smell worse if you get a daily shower?

Raul

[Japbikemike]

I'm running a total loss system, the engine seeps enough oil through the top end to completely replace every 3000 miles.

[chrometank]

i dont know much about laying people off when they hit 40, but 30 year old moving parts need that little bit of extra TLC to try and slow down the ageing process. 

[eldar]

Use a good quality oil such as mobil1 and 1000 miles is nothing. Remember that even though these bikes are old, they are not as hard on oil as newer engines. The 1000 mile mark was set back when these bikes were made and oil has improved drastically since then. With a decent oil, 1500 miles is easy. If you want better protection, use a lower viscosity oil with high heat resistance such as a 5w-50. This 10-30 is fine for temps between 45 - 90 degrees but starts becoming poor over that if you are really concerned with protection. Poor oil is worse than 1500 miles on good oil.

[Kixx007]

And make sure you stick to oils designed for motorcycles.  The additives use to make the newer oils for Automobiles last "longer" is harmfull to wet clutch systems on motorcycles.  I personally dont agree with oils lasting longer.  Like the systems in cars that tell you the percentage of life left, 

[El Taco]

I wonder how they come up with that figure? Probably just hours of operation or something.. I change my oil whenever I remember to do it. Kick myself in the ass all the time for my neglect. My current rider was only run three weeks before winter set in enough to make me take the car. It went back and forth from work a few days here and there. Whenever it was nice enough. Now it's great weather and I've been catching up on things. I'll be changing my oil sometime in the next two weeks.

[dusterdude]

ok,for once and for all,what "motorcycle" oil is recommended.

[Bob Wessner]

In some respects, the poll findings could be misleading. Some folks, depending on where they live and their riding preferences, may only put a 1,000 miles on their bike in a season. That being the case, their oil change frequency is driven more by winter season layover prep than mileage.

[78 k550]

I just got my oil from my friendly Honda dealer. I would guess Bel-Ray or any of the top brands are good.

[Kixx007]

When it comes to brand specific oils, they are all pretty equal.  Prices vary, but there isnt much difference... If you change you're oil regularly, buy the cheap stuff.  If you just like to leave it in for years, go ahead and spend some money.  But there seriously isnt one thats better.  I however use Amsoil, cause I am a wannabe super racer.

[dusterdude]

what has me worried is the deal about the "car"oils not working well with the clutch plates,can anyone shed more light on this.thanks

[Bryan Boyle]

The latest version spec for the oils calles for increased use of friction modifiers (ie reduce) to reduce the amount of
internal friction in car engines to help the manufacturers make their federally-mandated mileage goals.

These modifiers will have an effect on the effectiveness of the wet clutches these bikes have.

I have heard good things about shell rotella (which is a heavy-duty diesel-truck oil), as well as bike-specific oils.

[eldar]

Well all I can say is that I use havoline FOR CARS, and have never had an issue with clutch slippage. I think it is SYNTHETIC oils that present issues. Regular car oils MAY have some anti-friction additives but if a clutch is adjusted properly and not worn out, there probably will not be any problems.

[78 k550]

GTX and Havoline are good oil's, stay away from Quaker stake and Penzoil. They have a waxy build up that will coat your plate's. I would just stick to M/C oil, cheap insurance.

[cb650]

All I  have run in the past 15 yrs is havoline 20/50.  If I know I'll be on the road extended time I'll put in 30  or  40 wt.   Straight weight not this 10w bla #$%*.



                         Terry

[Harry]

I just tried Pennzoil 5W40 synthetic MC oil, as I have lots of cold starts. Transformed my gearcase from clunk to click. The technology is there, so I figure: use it.