Service intervals

[brew1brew]

I find this interesting, So when I purchased the 2014 Valkyrie the dealer service manager said first service was 600-1000 miles. So I took it in to them at 1000 miles for the first oil change. I then purchased the service manual and check this out.



I checked the manuals for both the 1999-2002 valk manual and 2007 VTX manual. and they have the first oil change at 600.

What I find interesting is that the Service Manager doesn't know the new intervals.

[Ed Norton]

Yea..same as the Goldwing 

[Bagger]

Not wanting to start an "oil thread", but I'll change out the oil in the bike at the dealer at about 1000 miles. 

Have them a look 'round the bike for the price they'll charge and have them toss in my full synthetic 10/40 and change it every year, or 8K miles my ownself.  I have lots of synthetic in house and filters, too. 

[Firefighter]

Hey Brew, did you take it down any dirt roads yet?   Firefighter!!

[Warlock]

I replaced the oil in my wing at 600 miles. Haven't made it to 5000 miles yet. I put rotella t 15w40 in it. At 5000 miles Amsoil full synthenic going in. Will change mine every 5 thousand.
David

[Jess from VA]

I wouldn't care what the manual said, first change on anything new should be 600 miles, or so.

OK, not on lawnmowers.

[brew1brew]

Hey Brew, did you take it down any dirt roads yet?   Firefighter!!

Firefighter, Yeah, actually I have, at inzane I went on a ride up to VA and went over a mount between VA and TN on dirt and gravel, about 5 miles! It was worse than what I took you down. 

[Firefighter]

I was wanting to go to inzane but I am tethered with my aging mother for the time being. Wanted to ride all that pretty scenery and the dragon of coarse. Any way, some day I will, sure looked fun.  Firefighter

[imrubicon]

Im supprised that you thought the service manager would know LOL
They dont know how to get the seat off let alone when something is due .

I tend to follow the manual as the people that wrote it know more than just about anyone about that bike.

My truck is every 8K in the book and it comes out clear.
JUst wasting and pouring good oil on mother earth to do it any earlier

[MaxDrive]

I wouldn't care what the manual said, first change on anything new should be 600 miles, or so.

OK, not on lawnmowers.

600 mile change on a Goldwing is a waste of money.  Wait till 4K.  Newer manufacturing processes negate the need for a 600 mile oil change.  Just throwing your money down the toilet.



MC

[VALKYRIE1800]

I wouldn't care what the manual said, first change on anything new should be 600 miles, or so.

OK, not on lawnmowers.

600 mile change on a Goldwing is a waste of money.  Wait till 4K.  Newer manufacturing processes negate the need for a 600 mile oil change.  Just throwing your money down the toilet. changed mine at 700 miles and it is a totally different bike. it was dirty, and plenty of shiny things in it at that  point as well. i only use golden spectro 10w-40, and change oil religiously at 2000 miles. oil and filter are cheap insurance. my 2001 valkyrie has  over 100k on it. original clutch, never been apart, and the oil is still clean at 2k when changed. i have owned over 30 bikes over the years, and have never had a single issue. i think it is the easiest and cheapest insurance if you want it to last.



MC

[MaxDrive]

I wouldn't care what the manual said, first change on anything new should be 600 miles, or so.

OK, not on lawnmowers.

600 mile change on a Goldwing is a waste of money.  Wait till 4K.  Newer manufacturing processes negate the need for a 600 mile oil change.  Just throwing your money down the toilet. changed mine at 700 miles and it is a totally different bike. it was dirty, and plenty of shiny things in it at that  point as well. i only use golden spectro 10w-40, and change oil religiously at 2000 miles. oil and filter are cheap insurance. my 2001 valkyrie has  over 100k on it. original clutch, never been apart, and the oil is still clean at 2k when changed. i have owned over 30 bikes over the years, and have never had a single issue. i think it is the easiest and cheapest insurance if you want it to last.

MC

Like I said before, changing the oil at 600 miles is a waste of money but if it makes people feel better then do it.  You will not see any difference in engine life.  There are plenty of Goldingwings out there that follow the factory recommended oil change intervals and are running with well over 100K miles on them with no issues. 


PS: I work for a Japanese Automotive manufacturer that also manufactures
Motorcycles, ATV's, power equipment and  marine engines.  We've done all the durability testing you can imagine and the 600 mile change on the Valkyrie is a waste of money.   

[F6Dave]

I think the 600 mile change is a relic of the past, like the warning not to use synthetic oil for a new engine.  Manufacturing is so precise today that break in doesn't contaminate the oil as it used to.

I remember how the old air cooled VW engines called for non-detergent oil during break in.  That was because the engines didn't have an oil filter, and the concern was detergent oils would suspend the fine metal particles and allow them to circulate.  After break in you drained all that crud along with the oil and switched to detergent oil.  It's amazing those engine lasted as long as they did.

[VALKYRIE1800]

I wouldn't care what the manual said, first change on anything new should be 600 miles, or so.

OK, not on lawnmowers.

600 mile change on a Goldwing is a waste of money.  Wait till 4K.  Newer manufacturing processes negate the need for a 600 mile oil change.  Just throwing your money down the toilet. changed mine at 700 miles and it is a totally different bike. it was dirty, and plenty of shiny things in it at that  point as well. i only use golden spectro 10w-40, and change oil religiously at 2000 miles. oil and filter are cheap insurance. my 2001 valkyrie has  over 100k on it. original clutch, never been apart, and the oil is still clean at 2k when changed. i have owned over 30 bikes over the years, and have never had a single issue. i think it is the easiest and cheapest insurance if you want it to last.

MC

Like I said before, changing the oil at 600 miles is a waste of money but if it makes people feel better then do it.  You will not see any difference in engine life.  There are plenty of Goldingwings out there that follow the factory recommended oil change intervals and are running with well over 100K miles on them with no issues. 


PS: I work for a Japanese Automotive manufacturer that also manufactures
Motorcycles, ATV's, power equipment and  marine engines.  We've done all the durability testing you can imagine and the 600 mile change on the Valkyrie is a waste of money.   

i well agree with both your and F6DAVE'S postings. but i will say two things here, i know for a fact both dealers in my area prep new machines with break-in oil, and after i run a new machine 500-700 miles and change to 10-40 golden spectro,........they are totally different machines.

[Jess from VA]

changing the oil at 600 miles is a waste of money

My thoughts are you are probably right.  But it's still worth a cheap oil change to ensure I don't have the one machine that made it off the line with something less than perfect assembly and parts.  And old habits are hard to change (esp when you grew up listening to stories of what went on on Detroit assembly lines).  And it's academic anyway since I have only rarely bought new driving/riding machines (one each).  Generally speaking, new driving/riding machines are all overpriced. 

[F6Dave]

I wouldn't care what the manual said, first change on anything new should be 600 miles, or so.

OK, not on lawnmowers.

600 mile change on a Goldwing is a waste of money.  Wait till 4K.  Newer manufacturing processes negate the need for a 600 mile oil change.  Just throwing your money down the toilet. changed mine at 700 miles and it is a totally different bike. it was dirty, and plenty of shiny things in it at that  point as well. i only use golden spectro 10w-40, and change oil religiously at 2000 miles. oil and filter are cheap insurance. my 2001 valkyrie has  over 100k on it. original clutch, never been apart, and the oil is still clean at 2k when changed. i have owned over 30 bikes over the years, and have never had a single issue. i think it is the easiest and cheapest insurance if you want it to last.

MC

Like I said before, changing the oil at 600 miles is a waste of money but if it makes people feel better then do it.  You will not see any difference in engine life.  There are plenty of Goldingwings out there that follow the factory recommended oil change intervals and are running with well over 100K miles on them with no issues. 


PS: I work for a Japanese Automotive manufacturer that also manufactures
Motorcycles, ATV's, power equipment and  marine engines.  We've done all the durability testing you can imagine and the 600 mile change on the Valkyrie is a waste of money.   

i well agree with both your and F6DAVE'S postings. but i will say two things here, i know for a fact both dealers in my area prep new machines with break-in oil, and after i run a new machine 500-700 miles and change to 10-40 golden spectro,........they are totally different machines.

I'm just curious, what is break in oil these days?  It used to be non-detergent, for the aforementioned reasons, but I haven't noticed that stuff on the shelves recently.

BTW, even though I think it's unnecessary, I usually change the oil on a new vehicle well before the OEM recommendation.  Maybe I'm superstitious!

[Warlock]

I wouldn't care what the manual said, first change on anything new should be 600 miles, or so.

OK, not on lawnmowers.

600 mile change on a Goldwing is a waste of money.  Wait till 4K.  Newer manufacturing processes negate the need for a 600 mile oil change.  Just throwing your money down the toilet. changed mine at 700 miles and it is a totally different bike. it was dirty, and plenty of shiny things in it at that  point as well. i only use golden spectro 10w-40, and change oil religiously at 2000 miles. oil and filter are cheap insurance. my 2001 valkyrie has  over 100k on it. original clutch, never been apart, and the oil is still clean at 2k when changed. i have owned over 30 bikes over the years, and have never had a single issue. i think it is the easiest and cheapest insurance if you want it to last.

MC

Like I said before, changing the oil at 600 miles is a waste of money but if it makes people feel better then do it.  You will not see any difference in engine life.  There are plenty of Goldingwings out there that follow the factory recommended oil change intervals and are running with well over 100K miles on them with no issues. 


PS: I work for a Japanese Automotive manufacturer that also manufactures
Motorcycles, ATV's, power equipment and  marine engines.  We've done all the durability testing you can imagine and the 600 mile change on the Valkyrie is a waste of money.   

i well agree with both your and F6DAVE'S postings. but i will say two things here, i know for a fact both dealers in my area prep new machines with break-in oil, and after i run a new machine 500-700 miles and change to 10-40 golden spectro,........they are totally different machines.

I'm just curious, what is break in oil these days?  It used to be non-detergent, for the aforementioned reasons, but I haven't noticed that stuff on the shelves recently.

BTW, even though I think it's unnecessary, I usually change the oil on a new vehicle well before the OEM recommendation.  Maybe I'm superstitious!

On my new 12 model goldwing I ran it 600 miles and changed the oil and filter. I put Shell Rotella T 15w40 in it. Ran that to 5000 miles and changed oil and this time I put the Amsoil full synthenic in it. My plans are to change it every 5000 miles. Might be a overkill, but easy the remember.
David

[VALKYRIE1800]

most all of the specialty oil companies make exc. breakin oil.

[CajunRider]

My plans are to change it every 5000 miles. Might be a overkill, but easy the remember.
David

That's not a bad idea... I hate trying to remember the numbers.  I keep a cardboard square in my shop with "Last change" mileage written on it.  It's the only way I can keep the right numbers. 

I go re-check that cardboard every few months until I get close to the right mileage. 

I may have to try your method... it would be MUCH easier to keep track of. 

[VALKYRIE1800]

i change oil in all my bikes every 2k, it is the cheapest insurance there is. i just set the "trip b" side to "0" when i service, and then it is easy to remember.

[Jess from VA]

I keep a shop book.  Every service of note is recorded for each machine, bikes, car, truck.  Date, miles, service.  All you have to do is open it up to see how old (or how many miles) the tires, oil, air cleaner, rear end lube, plugs, carb synch, valves adj are. 

[brew1brew]

I  use a program on my Android phone called aCar from Fuelly.com. I track fuel economy and maintenance schedules.

[Bagger]

I keep a shop book.  Every service of note is recorded for each machine, bike, car, truck.  Date, miles, service.  All you have to do is open it up to see how old (or how many miles) the tires, oil, air cleaner, rear end lube, plugs, carb synch, valves adj are. 

I do as well, Jess.  Find it an excellent reference tool.  Done so for a couple decades.  When one has several cars, trucks, motorcycles, it's a good thing to keep good records.  I do all my motorcycle oil / filter changes.  But, that's about as mechanical I am. 

BTW, I use full synthetic ... either Mobil 1 or Rotella ... in all my bikes.  Couple of our cages use full synthetic as well.  Bikes ... I change every 6K or so.  Or, once a year.  My '01 Wing has used synthetic with 6-8k changes and is still runs terrific.

[Jess from VA]

At one time, I had five bikes (including the spousal unit's).  Trying to remember what you did to what, and when is impossible (unless you are Sheldon Cooper).

I've also been writing notes to myself and keeping lists of things to do my whole life.  Then I misplace them.   

[Jambo100]

I do the same wrt keeping a service book of every vehicle I own. I have too many to keep it straight. Every vehicle I buy gets a hanging file folder created that contains the original paperwork, spare key taped to the side, and I put in a log book in it for service. Any registration renewal paperwork goes in there. They make a small 3x5 bound notebook at Walmart that you can get three of them for 88 cents. Have about 25 double sided pages. Easily enough to mark down all the service performed. I try to do everything myself including mount/balance tires to save money. I normally also have changed the oil at 600 miles with no filter change, then usually every 3K. After about 6K I go to full synthetic (no friction modifiers) and STILL do 3K. I know it is overkill, but I notice the change in performance when I change full synth to full synth after only 3K.
I also put a Scotts reuseable filter on my previous ride. Wondering if they make one for the Wing/Valk? They are not cheap at $100, but in 8 changes it pays for itself and you never run out of filters. After acquisition, the oil changes are then cheaper to perform even with overkill of 3K.

[R J]

I change my oil in MGM at every 5K.

I carry a logbook in each vehicle with gas purchases, tire rotation on the cages,  all the service work on MGM, air filter, oil, filter, tires, radiator flush and any thing else that I think I'd like to know later.

Everyone in my family does that now.   They were forced into it during early stage of driving.   My rule, you drive my car you log it in the book. They graduated school, college and got married.      They even got their spouses to do it also.

One of my smart assed ex-son-in-laws, didn't do it and ended up blowing an engine in his Nissan.    He does it now his kids tell mommy.

Sorry for hijacking this link.  My error.

[Xyzzy]

i well agree with both your and F6DAVE'S postings. but i will say two things here, i know for a fact both dealers in my area prep new machines with break-in oil, and after i run a new machine 500-700 miles and change to 10-40 golden spectro,........they are totally different machines.

The bikes come out of the crate with oil and all other fluids other than gas already in them. Prep anymore is just a few checks that the dealer probably doesn't even do. (They do have to put the battery in.) Are you saying your dealer dumps the oil and puts new oil in their bikes?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plZ0IwtsQvE