Oil change in Spring for Winter guys...

GsxrBots

GsxrBots

Motorboatin' Moonpies, Gangnam Style
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I saw another post mentioning this but I thought I'd start my own... I was always a firm believer of changing the bikes oil before riding it in Spring. My local dealership (not the one I normally go to, but the closest Suzuki dealer) said it was "a waste of time and oil" to change my oil in the Spring if I had just done it a few hundred miles before storing it for the Winter.

Let me preface by saying I'm not one of those guys who goes out and starts their bike every couple days or weeks in the Winter. I'm a firm believer that this does more bad than good. My bike goes up on stands, battery tender plugged in, gas tank filled to the brim and a cover goes on it. Period...

So, the other day, I pulled her off the stands and drained the oil. It was the most disgusting oil I've ever encountered. It looked like chocolate milk with yogurt swirls. Nasty looking oil. Have you ever seen what condensation does to oil? Well it did it just sitting over the Winter. I think I put mine away in October last year, maybe November, I don't remember.

Just letting you guys know how just a couple months of sitting can destroy oil... And of course gas.. I drain my tank every Spring and run it in my truck (under warranty LOL) or start bonfires with it... :laugh:

So in short, CHANGE YOUR OIL IN SPRING, NOT FALL! Or better yet both for all us anal-retentive folks...:whistle:
 
Im a big fan of the two oil changes a year method. I run full Synthetic so usually my mileage is acceptable for this practice. Once in the fall before I put it away for the winter. Then once again in the spring when riding season is about to start.
 
Just changed mine, and I won't say how long it had been :banghead: It was nice and black, and looked great all over my hands :laugh:

Let's just say that since going through divorce, I'm not as meticulous as Bots here, but I don't start bonfires with gasoline because that's WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY dumber than skipping an oil change :whistle:
 
Everyone here blasts me for wasting oil, but I run full synthetic and change mine every 1500 miles. I grew up a firm believer in changing oil in the spring also, but more because the older oils would break down and leave a layer of acid that could destroy bearings, etc.

I brought this up in the days of Mr Bogus and it seems oils don't do that any longer.

I do still start and let it warm up every couple weeks though and seems to help some. I also make the attempt to take it down the interstate 4 miles and back 4 miles to keep everything moving and circulating.

I also believe that it helps to disperse condensation to some extent and if there is condensation it would assist with keeping the internal parts covered with a good coating of oil to resist any ill effects.

Why do you feel it causes more harm than good to crank an engine during the Winter other than the obvious cold starts that most engines endure anyway?
 
outlawbusa said:
Why do you feel it causes more harm than good to crank an engine during the Winter other than the obvious cold starts that most engines endure anyway?
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I'm not an expert on anything, but in my opinion, heating up a bike, then shutting it off and letting it cool back down is creating the very thing that we are trying to avoid during Winter storage. Condensation. Why create more than we need to? Just my $.02 on the deal, but it makes sense to me..
 
Guess that does make sense as far as the condensation goes.

I can see your point on starting, warming up, and shutting down in the garage might create more condensation. If you get a chance to take it up the road a little ways and back it might actually help though the way I see it. It may actually disperse condensation (at least what is currently in it)

One thing is I like to also keep the fuel flowing. My thoughts on that is don't let it sit in one place too long.

Even though you may let the fuel sit in the tank over the Winter I put a little sea foam in and hit over 8000 rmps for a few seconds in first gear on the interstate to open the upper injectors and let everything flow. If you just hit 6th gear and cruise then the upper injectors never open.'

Just a thought.

Of course if you live in a place where it is -12 or snows a lot then the interstate is probably not going to be an option.
 
dadofthree said:
Good thread, good reminder, and back way up when lighting said gasoline :fire:
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I don't know, I'm seeing a future thread by Bots entitled "#1 reason to not use gasoline to light fires". When you open it up, there's a photo of Bots, one eyebrow singed off... :rofl:
 
VaBusa said:
I don't know, I'm seeing a future thread by Bots entitled "#1 reason to not use gasoline to light fires". When you open it up, there's a photo of Bots, one eyebrow singed off... :rofl:
Click to expand...


I couldn't find the hydrogen bomb blast smiley, gas vapor is highly explosive :whistle:
 
Don't knock it 'til you've tried it!
slide_10433_137507_huge.jpg
 
Bots coming of spring festival caught on camera, hundreds thought to be dead. More to come at 11 :banghead:
 
I always started mine every couple of weeks in the winter thought it would keep oil on the parts to keep it from rusting and the condesation ...here in illinois you could have a really cold day then have a really warm day
 
Kahunas said:
I always started mine every couple of weeks in the winter thought it would keep oil on the parts to keep it from rusting and the condesation ...here in illinois you could have a really cold day then have a really warm day
Click to expand...

I'm in Wisconsin. I feel your pain. However heating the motor then letting it cool is creating condensation is my whole reasoning for not starting it all the time. Again, just my $.02

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner
 
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