Oil change - how often ?

[scooperhsd]

Today being a nice day (after the showers went through this morning), I decided I'd go for a short ride to warm it up and do an oil / filter change.

Now , on the Valk, I would say annually or every 10K miles, whichever comes first. And for me , that is usually annually. Any thoughts ?

[The emperor has no clothes]

I never go that long, and I always use synthetic. 6-8k is my usual.

[Serk]

Every 8k-10k miles, regardless of time.

(But that's with 100% synthetic, wouldn't do that with dino juice.)

[Willow]

...
Now , on the Valk, I would say annually or every 10K miles, whichever comes first. And for me , that is usually annually. Any thoughts ?

That's pretty much my rule also.  As others have said it's good for full synthetic.

[old2soon]

...
Now , on the Valk, I would say annually or every 10K miles, whichever comes first. And for me , that is usually annually. Any thoughts ?

That's pretty much my rule also.  As others have said it's good for full synthetic.

                  10-4 and ditto.  RIDE SAFE.

[Jess from VA]

I do 6-8K on synthetic too.

But the few times I've taken several long trips with a lot all day high speed and rain riding during one season (and get much more spooge from the drool tube after long rain riding), I've changed it sooner after returning home.

Maybe It wasn't necessary.

[LTD]

every 5000 honda dino oil

[Willow]

I don't want to participate in an oil argument but the owner's manual recommends 8,000 miles on non-synthetic oil.  My experience with recommended oil changes in owners' manuals is that the recommend short to protect themselves.  Synthetic oils generally claim to be good for 15,000 or more.

I consider 10,000 on synthetic to be in the safe range.  If you have your cage oil changed at an oil change shop they may recommend you change it again at 3,000 miles.   

If you change your oil more often than it needs to be changed it will not hurt your engine but you will be wasting some time and money.   

[Oss]

I am so ashamed !

Did not even put 3000 miles in the last year on the 01 Interstate   Riding the bmw 3 or more days a week into the Bronx and court and it now has almost 77000 miles on it.  Trying to break 114k on the 01, but only seem to ride it less than a hundred miles on Sundays.  Stan's red bike hasnt been out in months have to figure out how to get the damn battery out he has some weird connections in the front that I cant seem to get loosened,

I try to change oil and filter before leaving for Inzane once a year  blue jug rotella syn

[DirtyDan]

I used amsoil and changed it with every back tire

Dan

[scooperhsd]

On my VW Diesels - yes synthetic - the every 10K miles rule works well (and I NEVER take my cars to Iffy Lube or similar places - they don't carry what my cars require in any event) - I have even taken one change to 15K miles. I just used the Honda GN4 10w40 for this change, so 8K miles or annually sounds safe.

[Disco]

Lots of us follow this pattern because it's easy to remember:

Oil & Filter change at 5,000 mile intervals instead of 8,000 miles.  (I use one of the Rotellas, depending on price + a Purolator PL-14610 or the new PBL-14610.)

Final Drive service at 10,000 mile intervals instead of 12,000 miles.  (This often coincides with a rear tire change.)

[cookiedough]

once a year synthetic oil. I use rotella T6 5w-40 for the past several years on all my cycles and so far no issues.  Amsoil 10w-40 became too expensive now up to 12 bucks per qt. of oil and having 4 cycles to change per year got too costly. 

[0leman]

I use the every 5 K miles on all my vehicles.  Our two cage vehicles have free oil change (yeah I know I paid a little extra for this feature, but it is worth it).   So ever 5 k they get oil change.

Valk get oil changed every 5 k like clock work.   Change the rear end oil when do the re-grease on splines and pinion at every 10k. 

[scooperhsd]

My VW Diesels EXPLICITLY state in the owner's manual for 10K miles oil changes, and yet every Joe and his brother wants us to do 5K changes. And when I point that out, they say "but that doesn't cover severe use" - yes it does. It's a rolling fact on the TDI Forum that changing the oil too soon is actually BAD for the engine - changing at 5K miles means the oil has just reached where its most effective.

I didn't know Rotella T6 is OK for motorcycle use - I have used it in a gas car as well as my old Beetle (TDI).

[Robert]

8k On synthetic oil changes from experience. Synthetic oil‘s are not necessarily designed to go long distances. Long distance is defined as anything over 8000 miles. Much has to do with their additive package and how  long it is designed to last. Most synthetic oil will last longer of course than Dino but it’s the additive package that makes difference.  It also depends on the type of filter you use since paper filters will not last as long as the synthetic media filter. Many manufactures had problems with their engines with the extended drain intervals since the oil filters were clogging up and they had to re-designed the filters.  Of course They didn’t tell you this but the Purolator Pure one oil filters were only designed to do 3000 miles because of filtering so fine.

[F6Dave]

I wonder if the new Wings have an oil change indicator or oil life monitor like most cars these days.  At first I thought they were a gimmick, but read they actually track things like total hours of operation, number of cold starts, and total revs to determine when it's time for a change.

Last year I changed oil on my car at 8,400 miles, when the OCI said I still had 16% of oil life left.  I'd never pushed any vehicle this far, and it's a high output (120 HP/liter) engine, so I had the oil analyzed.  The report actually showed less wear than my F6B did at 5,400 miles.  OCIs/OLMs clearly work, and it would be nice to have them on motorcycles.

[cookiedough]

My VW Diesels EXPLICITLY state in the owner's manual for 10K miles oil changes, and yet every Joe and his brother wants us to do 5K changes. And when I point that out, they say "but that doesn't cover severe use" - yes it does. It's a rolling fact on the TDI Forum that changing the oil too soon is actually BAD for the engine - changing at 5K miles means the oil has just reached where its most effective.

I didn't know Rotella T6 is OK for motorcycle use - I have used it in a gas car as well as my old Beetle (TDI).

Hyundai mfg. on my 3 hyundais state severe use change at 3750 vs. non severe use 7500 miles oil changes.  Hyundai dealers 'claim'  WI driving is always SEVERE use which I call B.S. on they just want more money in their pocket is all for idiots to come in every 3750 miles to do an oil change.  They told me 3750 if under 10 year/100K mile warranty is required with proof of receipts done EVERY 3750 miles to not VOID the mfg. warranty and I told them B.S. as well to their face that my driving is NOT severe use even in WI winters since I drive around 4000 miles in ONLY 3 months.   I split the difference with regular 2 bucks per qt. on sale dino regular oil and do it every 4 months or so and 4500-5000 miles NEVER OVER 5000 miles due to oil filter constraints which am sure is over 5000 miles but probably not over 10000 miles as well as dino oil breaks down quicker than synthetic oils.  Now, on my toyota tundra that takes 8 qts. 0w-20 synthetic oil I let it go 7500-8000 miles since 8qts. is a LOT of oil in any V8 engine and synthetic oil and toyota OEM filters are designed easily to go 10000 miles so no worries at 8K miles between oil changes. 

And YES,  5w-40 synthetic rotella T6 in the 1 gallon  jug and now they make 2.5 gallon jugs EVEN CHEAPER in price is the way to go for my Can Am ATV and 4 cycles.  Have been doing it now almost 10 years no issues.  It boils down to around 4 bucks per qt. tops on sale vs. Amsoil synthetic and others 11-12 bucks per qt.    All my cycles and Can Am ATV like that stuff.   Reminds me,  I need to change oil on my Can Am ATV since I do not put many miles on it like 1000 miles past several years is time for an oil change been about 3 years or so with limited use.  Still looks clean, but time-wise is overdue.  I feel changing oil on an ATV with putting on say only 300-500 miles tops per year is not worth wasting oil and filter changes every single year on.    I do not do a lot of mud running but do get dusty trail conditions off and on though and need to clean the air filter while at it as well.

I still feel yearly oil changes on any cycle is a good idea if ran say 1-2000 miles is all even per year.

Then again,  my cheaper neighbor than me told me recently he does not even change oil on his lawnmowers every year lets it go 2 years between oil changes.  It takes for a basic push mower 20 ounces tops and although his mowers last like mine do 20 years or so until the deck falls apart,  I can afford a quart of basic SAE 30 oil costing 2 bucks every year.

[Robert]

Hyundai I think sometimes does the oil changes under the first part of the vechical purchase. I would ask how long do they go before oil changes. I also fail to see how oil changes relate to any part changed that is not lubricated by engine oil. I would also want to see what the Hyundai official statement is on this, since even here in S fla it is considered extreme conditions also and most do the standard oil changes. Do you know that stop and go driving is considered extreme conditions also, so I would find a description of what extreme is defined as by Hyundai and you may find that everyone classifies as extreme.

[3fan4life]

I change mine once a year which for me is about 10k miles.

I use Amsoil, here is what they say about changing their MC oil:

SERVICE LIFE
Recommended for use up to twice the motorcycle manufacturer-recommended change interval (miles/hours) or one year, whichever comes first, in engines and transmissions. When using an oil filter other than AMSOIL Ea® Motorcycle Oil Filter, change the filter at standard intervals.

I'm not sure what the recommended oil change interval is per the owner's manual.

I've never felt the need to look.

[h13man]

5000 mi. regardless when and what oil I use.

[cookiedough]

Hyundai I think sometimes does the oil changes under the first part of the vechical purchase. I would ask how long do they go before oil changes. I also fail to see how oil changes relate to any part changed that is not lubricated by engine oil. I would also want to see what the Hyundai official statement is on this, since even here in S fla it is considered extreme conditions also and most do the standard oil changes. Do you know that stop and go driving is considered extreme conditions also, so I would find a description of what extreme is defined as by Hyundai and you may find that everyone classifies as extreme.

I do not trust any Hyundai dealership doing an oil change based upon my ONLY ONCE free oil change due to a recall on one of my 3 Hyundai vehicles.  Dealer bonehead tech forgot to put the snap on plastic oil cover over the oil pan area had to drive back next morning and waala,  the tech came out with it saying he forgot to put it back on.   Told him and service mgr. NEVER EVER getting another oil change done there even if it is free.  they also F'ed up my recall causing the knock sensor to put my car in limp mode very erraditic shifting the next week and sputtering all due to their incompetence almost causing me to get rear ended unable to speed up in traffic on way to the stealership that morning.   They are complete morons and not sure what severe driving is,  but 90% all hwy. miles putting on 4000 miles or so in 3 months is NOT SEVERE driving not much stop and go at all and even if it is cold in the winter months, what difference does it make on the internals of an engine as far as oil is concerned?  Do not drive in dusty conditions either all road miles.  3750 miles severe means SEVERE driving vs. 7500 miles regular which to me is pushing it on dino oil never had 1 issue with oil changes dino oil between 4500 and 5000 miles EVER.    All I do is put the date and mileage in the owners manual back pages never keep receipts but put down what oil and what oil filter I use.  If that is not good enough for Hyundai, they can shove it.   Same bonehead mechanics at Hyundai dealer at the time of that problem recall they caused NOT fixed told me I needed snow tires put on at 6/32" and some 5/32" tread left plenty of tread on blizzaks for 1 more season back in November 2019.  I said gee never knew 5/32" tread left which I put on all 4 myself just 2 weeks prior was near the wear bars on snow tires?     Heck,  I might get 1 more winter out of them very near the wear bars but another 2-3000 miles or so to go.