Do you change oil based on distance or time?


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Sirnice

New Member
Do you change oil base on distance or time?

Last time I changed oil was Oct of 2011 but only put on about 1k miles on my bike (Only ride once a week to work and some joyriding in the weekend).
Do you think I should change the oil since it's been 9 months. Last oil (and filter) change I used Amsoil synthetic.

Additional info:
I checked the oil last week and the oil still look pretty clean. It's not dark at all like my first oil change. Does that matter?
 
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Marthy

World Most Bad A$$ 6R
Elite Member
I would suggest every 4K miles or every 6 months.
 
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Michael Wilson

New Member
I agree with marthy. I do mine every 3k miles but same same
 
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CrazyCawi

New Member
I do mine every 3k with full synthetic amsoil and kawi filter(did the same on the fz6r but with the k&N filter)(i get amsoil cheap $7.88 a qt)

I also change it before I store it for winter, and I change it when it comes out of storage.
 
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yfz6r

New Member
I do mine every other month, regardless of miles. Filter changed every other oil change though. It's easy so why not?
 
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Nastybutler

Cynical Member
Elite Member
After a bike has been broken in, I'll only change it before I put it away for the winter, then again when I get it out in the spring. I put at most 7K miles on a bike for the season. A high quality synthetic oil and filter can handle that many miles no problem.
 
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MNGreg

waiting out winter
Elite Member
For all my general maint. my Yamaha dealer told me to just go by miles and not the months... However, for Fluids (oils/brake/coolant) I would go by months because they can get contaminated with moisture etc..
 
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CaseyJones

New Member
I run Mobil full syn. and change it once a year. I'll put a few thousand miles on it at the most per year. Time doesn't really matter unless your talking extended time in storage. I leave the same oil in it all winter. Before I start the bike in the spring I change it out.
 
D

Deleted member 9794

1) If it looks/smells dark/burnt, change it - if not, it's probably still good.
2) If you think you need to change it....change it - it's not expensive enough to not do and the pros heavily outweigh the cons (remember to recycle your old oil at autozone or somewhere equivalent).



 
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MistahT

Mistah T
Elite Member
CrazyCawi said:
I do mine every 3k with full synthetic amsoil and kawi filter(did the same on the fz6r but with the k&N filter)(i get amsoil cheap $7.88 a qt)

I also change it before I store it for winter, and I change it when it comes out of storage.
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I didn't store last winter, but I've just decided to store my bike this year. About time for an oil change anyway. I'm using mobile1. Can I swap to a cheaper oil for now and put Mobile1 in for the spring before I ride, or make the investment and keep using Mobile1? And when I change the oil in the spring, do I need another filter?
 
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Nastybutler

Cynical Member
Elite Member
MistahT said:
I didn't store last winter, but I've just decided to store my bike this year. About time for an oil change anyway. I'm using mobile1. Can I swap to a cheaper oil for now and put Mobile1 in for the spring before I ride, or make the investment and keep using Mobile1? And when I change the oil in the spring, do I need another filter?
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I put in cheap conventional oil for storage over the winter, then when I change it in the spring I put the good synthetic oil (Mobil 1 or Castrol) in for the riding season. This winter I didn't change my filter before I stored it, but I will in the spring. If I had changed the filter, I wouldn't do it again in the spring. That would be a waste of a perfectly good filter.
 
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MistahT

Mistah T
Elite Member
Nastybutler said:
I put in cheap conventional oil for storage over the winter, then when I change it in the spring I put the good synthetic oil (Mobil 1 or Castrol) in for the riding season. This winter I didn't change my filter before I stored it, but I will in the spring. If I had changed the filter, I wouldn't do it again in the spring. That would be a waste of a perfectly good filter.
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So if I'm about to store it, but it's due for an oil change anyway, leave the old filter and put a new one on in the spring time OR put a good filter in now and just change the oil in the spring?
 
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bmw675

New Member
Nastybutler said:
I'd go ahead and change the filter now, then it'll be good come Spring. I just got lazy or else I'd have changed mine beforehand.
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When you Guys say storage, what's a typical time for you?

I've never seen where people change oil before and after. Seems like a waste unless its an incredibly long time.

Here it's typically 3 months. I changed mine last week and I won't start it again until I'm ready come march.
 
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MistahT

Mistah T
Elite Member
bmw675 said:
When you Guys say storage, what's a typical time for you?

I've never seen where people change oil before and after. Seems like a waste unless its an incredibly long time.

Here it's typically 3 months. I changed mine last week and I won't start it again until I'm ready come march.
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I've never stored before, but its cold, tires are slipping, and I have a really short commute. I'll probably be riding again almost daily in March I hope.
 
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bmw675

New Member
Yeah that's a while, not the norm around this area.

Hope people in Florida don't read this and change their's twice when they store their bike for two weeks. :p
 

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2wheelie

New Member
Change once a year in spring or 10k mi (whatever first). trying to ride year round. synt mobile1. Changed front brake flooid/pads and cooler ones. almost 40k miles on bike.
 
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