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Do I Really Have To Change My Oil Every Year?

12K views 27 replies 22 participants last post by  Gregpow 
#1 ·



Dear MOby,

I just saw your answer regards oil change. My manual says that I need to change oil every 3000 miles. But I only ride about 1000 miles per year (very short commute). By the book, I need to perform oil change every three years. Do I really need to change oil every year? Is it okay to change oil every three years, just because I don’t ride that much?

Thank you
Jay

PS: Just to make myself comfortable, I do oil change once a year.
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#2 ·
if your environment is clean, and you don't have the bike sitting in an environmetn with high condensation, no.
stick a turkey baster down the filler and grab a sample. If it's clean and not cloudy, then keep using it.

Oh, the better answer is to ride a LOT more, like 200-300 mile day rides.
 
#3 ·
Recently I changed the oil in my 5,000 watt 6 hp generator. I've used the generator several times over the last five years, and every summer before hurricane season I ensure that it will start/run. After 5 years and perhaps as much as 25+ hours of use, the oil looked brand new when it came out. I also pulled the valve cover for the first time and everything look perfectly clean.
 
#4 ·
I don't have a problem with my bikes, but since I normally only use a cage for hauling groceries and other items to big to easily carry on the bike, I have waited several years before changing the cage's oil. I only recently did it, previous change was 2010.
 
#5 · (Edited)
If you only ride short commutes to work totaling 1000 miles in 365 days your bike probably never gets up to operating temperature, which is needed to evaporate condensation in the oil and to provide optimal lubrication for the engine internals.

That moisture along with other contaminants of combustion decrease the protective efficiency of the oil which then deteriorates more as time passes. Hence the reason some new cars calculate oil change intervals using complex algorithms using the cars' computer...

Oil is cheaper than parts...

Also, Yamaha has a program to warranty your engine for 20 years or 100,000 miles if you change your oil and Yamaha filter according to their schedule.
 
#6 ·
OIl change intervals are way exaggerated now , especially with new oil tech. The average driver needs to be racing a motor to warrant a 3 month oil change. Most synths and semi synths easily can go 6-7k between changes. Drives me crazy when people change every three months, I think its funny. Or how about when anal motor cycle owners change every 1-2k. IMO opinion average riding ,even with some fun thrown in doesn't need to be changed that often.
 
#13 ·
Its more of an advertising bot...this exact same post is on all of the forums that are owned by the company that owns this one..I forget the name...
 
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#12 ·
RE oil changes

yes dude oil degrades over time.. unless you are running some super synthetic like MOTUL 300 V the oil will degrade and lose its efficacy over time weather or not you ride your bike alot. if you are storing the bike more than riding or commuting very little get a really good synthetic oil and I wouldnt see a problem with a 1 year drain interval
 
#16 ·
Yep, Vertical Scope has some folks who generate content for their forums, such as this. I actually find it kind of funny to see the wide variety of reactions to it! One forum banned that account (not as though they can't change that). Others just take 'humorous' potshots at them. And others take it as a kickoff to a serious discussion---which is what it's *meant* to be.

It's also kind of cool to see so many members on so many of my forums! Crosshairs, I'm admin over there, too! And about 3 dozen other car and bike sites for Vertical Scope!
 
#17 · (Edited)
It's also kind of cool to see so many members on so many of my forums! Crosshairs, I'm admin over there, too! And about 3 dozen other car and bike sites for Vertical Scope!

I know, Ive seen you over there..Its a good forum too but you need to be more vigilant about the spam...yesterday I reported an obvious spam post that was there for like a week....:icon_smile::p:p:p


EDIT: I just looked and its still there..:angry1:
 
#18 ·
Hit the report button....I'll get an email with a link to it right away! I wish I could read every thread on all these forums, but realistically, I just can't! :O

EDIT: I did just go back, looking a little more carefully, and found an iPhone thread. Needless to say, it's gone now. :wav:
 
#20 ·
Said another way, the expense to change the FZ oil yourself runs, what $10? plus or minus depending on the oil. Probably OK to wait another year though. Now compare that to a 6 Liter turbo charged diesel in the RV. That oil, Shell Rotella, is rated for 15,000 miles and we might put 4,000 on it in a year but when it gets changed at a Cummins Shop it's like $500+ or -. We always run it for hours and hours every time it gets started. So we change it every two years instead of every year. I don't think it's a problem unless, like someone said, you fail to get the engine up to full operating temperature and evaporate all the condensation out of the oil when you do run it.
 
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#21 · (Edited)
3 times a year with oil, or 1 time a year with 100% Synthetic Motorcycle oil. Remember a penny of prevention is worth a pound in cure. Oil is the best thing for a bike or any engin to last longer & be stronger, you do not care for your bike ,then your bike will not care if it brakes down at the worst time for you, I would spend 15 bucks & always check oil if it's black change .
 
#22 ·
I still wonder why the recommended oil change interval varies so much from North America to Europe? Is it only because of stricter regulations in Europe to reduce oil consumption? or because they have better oil? lol.

Canada
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US
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UK
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p.s. - oil changes is the cheapest preventative maintenance you can do on any motor vehicle.
 
#25 ·
i just change mine every yr. Three reasons.

1.\ It doesn't cost a lot, and we all love wrenching right !

2.\ If i ever break my rule of 'we don't sell bikes, only add em, in my garage' and do sell the FZ09, i'm sure the next owner will appreciate the fact that its been properly maintained by the manufacturers recommend annual oil change. All of which is logged & recorded, to back up that its been done.

3.\ if i ever have an issue with the engine, i may stand a chance with Yamaha, once i produce the evidence that i've changed my oil and filter like clockwork every yr, regardless of mileage.

But in reality, i'm sure it would be fine to go over the recommended annual changes, if you're not doing that much mileage. Just use good quality oil.
 
#28 ·
my two cents on oil changes.

I just wanted to share my thoughts on oil changes. I change my oil every thousand miles, I know it sounds anal, and the manual says something different. Every spring for my first oil change after a long winter, I change oil and filter. I don't buy any fancy oil just castrol 10-40 for 6.99 at autozone, after that I change oil every thousand miles or so, just the oil, and I buy k&n filters cause they are easy to take on and off during frequent oil changes. Keep in mind that the same oil is running through your engine also goes through your transmission and clutch. So I think it's good insurance to buy cheap oil and change often vs expensive synthetics and change it less often.
 
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