annual oil change

czakal · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Karma :

Hello,
My YBR250 owner's manual is a bit ambiguous about oil change schedules, as oil changes are listed in the things to be done every year but also states it's to be done every 10k km. I think many other bike manual say to change the oil every certain number of miles, or every year whichever comes first. Should I also follow that rule?

Seb

someotherguy · Crazy Courier Joined: 04 Aug 2015 Karma :

Yes - do whichever comes first, be it mileage or time elapsed between changes.

I do mine every 4,000 miles.

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

Yup, whichever comes first. I mean, unless you're doing very low mileages and don't really care about moisture in the oil.

I change twice as often as recommended, either mileage based or 6 months, using cheap oil.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

pompousporcup... · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Apr 2015 Karma :

IMO change is as at least yearly.. whats 20/25 quid for peace of mind, regardless of mileage done since last change?

czakal · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Karma :

Thanks for the tips, just didn't want to do unnecessary work. I will do it next month when it's due.

smegballs · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Karma :

I go on the basis that oil is cheaper than engine parts...

Add to that I'll be doing short journeys in cold weather over winter and I'm a firm member of the cheap-oil changed-often camp.

Just did my GN half hour and the whole process is a 10 min job.

P. · Red Rocket Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Karma :

My newly acquired motors will be 1500 mile changes. My Triumph will similar. My sv gets topped up because it likes to slurp some. The ped.... as and when.

kramdra · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Oct 2010 Karma :

10k is a long time for a little, budget 250, based on the 125 engines.

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

10K km =~ 6200 miles.

But yes, I'd still call that too much. I do the Nazi Tractor every 3000.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

MCN · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Jul 2015 Karma :

Why are you changing the oil? Superstition?

Cheaper oils might not stay in grade as long as more expensive specialized/modern oils so more frequent change may be required.

I do at OEM recommended and never lost an engine yet.
Doing it more frequently may just be wasting oil.

My car says 20,000 miles for the engine. Full Synthetic (and a big sump). It gets changed at 20,000 no worries kittens all happy.

Go by what the OEM recommends and and sleep easy.
It's when you try to extend that recommendation things can get funny.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

Northern Monkey · World Chat Champion Joined: 17 Nov 2013 Karma :

czakal · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Karma :

I had been trying to follow manufacturer instructions... but they just happened to be a bit ambiguous (labelling oil change both annual maintenance and every 10k km without explanatory notes) and Yamaha UK didn't answer my question when I asked them. So I thought I'd double check.
In any case no danger at all that I may be changing less than needed: my mileage is pretty low as a part time worker/commuter.

Seb

Polarbear · Super Spammer Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Karma :

My Trophy goes to the dealers once a year for it's service irrespective of the mileage.

If I include the 500 mile service and the time they recalled and fitted a new cylinder head it has had 5 oil changes in 4000 miles Embarassed

Rather overkill Laughing

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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

smegballs · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Karma :

Don't know how it correlates to Jap engines, but lots of the ex-commercial vehicles like utes and vans in straya were apparently being serviced every 5k (km's).

You'd often see "serviced every 5k, receipts present" on gumtree. These would typically be big-displacement engines of US origin. Lots of them did seem to have crazy high milage and still be in good order though so didn't seem to be killing them...

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

Septics are mad keen on doing 3,000 mile changes, leading to lakes of barely used oil.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

czakal · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Karma :

Indeed, it was one of the reasons why I decided to double check before doing my oil change. But you're right that 10k km seems like a lot for a small bike (I think for my previous Kymco Pulsar 125 it was like half that). But I'm unlikely to make that mileage in a year at current rate so the annual change will work quite well. Just got a few bottles of Castrol Power1 at a clearance at local Asda in fact...

Seb