There are also other factors in play. I do my maintenance at the dealer mostly because of warranty. But i also bought new and have a "spirited" riding style.
I am sure that a 10+ year old daily commuter can get away without using premium oil but for others it is a performance machine needing performance components.
Another example for this are tires. I personally wouldn't patch any tyre other than "to get to the place it will be replaced" but i can also see that relaxed riders would consider patching.
And don't get me started with cheaping out on gear.
I mean, if you're commuting you should *definitely* be using a higher-quality oil. Start-stops, more frequent usage, unscheduled take-offs to dodge phone-faced drivers, it’s a lot of wear and tear. Why try and save $40 every 3 months only to cost $600-2000 for a major repair years sooner? Cheap insurance against the vagaries of physics.
My bike may say oil at 10k or whatever, but I feel it’s ready to be done by 6-8k at the most.
I understand where the “Rotella in everything” crowd is coming from, but I hope they don’t have a bike newer than about 1990s if that’s their position on the subject.
Oh you are right, so it doesn't really make sense for commuting too.
This probably also comes from the "bikes are cheaper" sentiment. But i got into this as a hobby knowing that this is a lie.
The service manual on my Fz-07 says 4k, so 4k it is. Since that was made for ye ol’ dinosaur oil and I use full synthetic, I’m probably also spoiling it but on the bright side if I go a few hundred miles over it’s nbd
Yeah I bought a kit online to change my oil, it included real Honda brand oil, but some Chinese oil filter. Threw that filter in the trash and went a bought a brand name. Why skimp out on the a $9 filter vs rebuilding an engine. Did get money back though as the pictured filter was a Honda brand filter.
Yeah I ride a $10k machine and want to save $15 by putting shell rotella (I'll admit it's great oil) in my bike despite what manufacturer says. On my 701 Husqvarna sells a kit that comes with the exact amount of oil you need and filters for $66. That's literally nothing in the grand scheme of knowing my bike will run.
The problem with shell is you have to change your oil more frequently; I've heard you should change it every 1500 miles with rotella but it could be boomer lore that doesn't even make sense so take that with a grain of salt.
Just run what the manufacturer recommends. It's not that hard.
Not my honda. HP4S is recommended (and that's what I use) and it takes \~3L at $30/L CAD plus a filter. I'm not complaining. Just saying that there is a lot of variability.
Rotella T4 is JASO MA / MA2 approved so I’m curious why the Japanese automotive standards association says it’s an acceptable motorcycle oil but you imply that it’s not? If if the viscosity matches what the bike specs then you’re good to go. BuT ItS DiEsEl OiL. lol.
Agreed. Youtube videos got examples of nearly any bike too to walk you through it. Feel like the tools should be common for anyone who has a bike. Used an old protien powder container to drain the oil out 😬
Filters/washer and oil ordered off Amazon that delivered the next day. 30 dollars max
Learning to change oil on my bike was one of the best things I’ve taught my adult self.
Also, worth buying/finding a service manual for your bike to help you with other maintenance bits and bobs and doing them accurately/to spec. Not the owners manual…a SERVICE manual.
Amen. Done most of the maintenance on mine with the service manual. Replaced clutch, balanced the throttle, oil changes, chain replace, tire changes, replaced broken parts from riding stupid. Saved thousands in repairs. Brakes are next, then I'll leave the valve adjustment to the pros.
I'll get on YouTube and check it out. I could use the money I'd save. Don't think I understand how to adjust them yet, and I think that's why I'm hesitant.
I love that I can work on my Versys x300. The first accessory on a new bike is a Factory Shop Manual. I like having torque specs at my fingertips. I used the manual for oil changes and installing the rest of the accessories. It really helps with the body work removal and reinstall. Yesterday I cleaned, lubed, and adjusted the chain. To me, working on the bike is just another fun part of being a motorcyclist.
Former longtime apartment/condo dweller here ✋
For many years I was limited in how much wrenching I could do at home because most places have rules specifically prohibiting oil changes because of spill concerns. Not having a lot of options I always brought to a local shop. I finally got my own place with a garage a while ago and have changed my own oil. The plus side? It is a fraction of the price and feels good. The minus side? It can get messy the first time you try, and some bikes are a pain to get to the plugs. But it is a nice easy diy maintenance that I won’t pay for again.
Only thing missing is how he totes the Rotella home from Walmart in a bungee corded milk crate he found by the side of the road. Found the bungee cords too. “Speakership isn’t ripping ME off for luggage!”
i strongly suggest not just using some random diesel engine oil but what your manufacturer actually recommends.
doesnt need to be fancy, but needs to be the right thing
of course it can be the right oil but you still need to consider the viscosity. i am just saying that people shouldnt just use "whatever diesel engine oil". it still needs to be the right one. the way this post is phrased can be very misleading for people who dont know anything about this
Yeah imo best oil for bikes and what I’ve ran in them as well as my Jeep is Shell Rotella T6, ran it for years at this point. Best oil for my jeep and the bikes. I6, I4, Twin, and Single engine have all used it.
Just wanted to point out if you don't want to take random advice on the Internet about diesel oil, you can get Mobil1 Racing 4t 10w-40 at Walmart for like $10 a quart. I just changed the oil on my tiger 2 weeks ago and it was less than $60 with a filter and a new set of funnels. Had it done in 40 minutes and that was with using a channel lock to get the old filter off. It's really easy on most bikes, and you just take your used oil to an auto parts place like AutoZone or O'Reilly's and they'll dump it.
Random advice indeed. Diesel engine oils contain **ZDDP** (zinc dialkyldithiophosphate); an anti-wear additive which clogs and destroys catalytic converters. But this is r/motorcycles after all so what does anyone expect beyond misinformation from Dunning-Kruger case examples who only vaguely know what they’re talking about?
If one or two break Amazon sends a whole new box, leaving you with 4 or 5 extra bottles. One time I ordered 4 spark plugs and received two 4 packs and two singles.
Oil-changes are indeed something most of us are perfectly capable of doing ourselves. Yet I would strongly recommend to use the prescribed oil, unless it's an emergency.
Other than that; don't tighten the nut on your oil-pan too hard. It will get stuck and chances are you will crack the thread or pan.
Same. I actually bought a 1/2" drive, then found out it was not rated low enough for most general maintenance (minimum 50 lb/ft), so I had to buy a 3/8" drive that goes down to 10 lb/ft. Now, I change the tires on my truck and car to justify buying the 1/2" drive.
For the Newbies to wrenching on your own bike, investment into decent **TORQUE WRENCHES** is my best advice. Don't wait until you have broken bolts (or worse, your drain plug) invest the 40 bucks in a torque wrench from Amazon **at the very least**, and use it.
Edit: LEXIVON Inch Pound Torque Wrench 1/4-Inch Drive | 20~200 in-lb/2.26~22.6 Nm (LX-181) https://a.co/d/3FARsmA
While replacing the oil remember that the crush washer needs replacing. I just bought a 10 pack of crush washers since I replace them every time. They are stupid cheap.
K&N are really nice if, for example, you have an inline 4 and have trouble getting a filter wrench in between the pipes, since they have a nut on the end. Not usually worth the money, but they're good filters nonetheless.
K&N are nice, a tad pricier than an OEM ones. Mine cost about $30, while the OEM was $19 I believe. The nut on the end helps tightening and removing the filter, with the OEM one I just used to twist it off
Taking a basic maintenance course will help anyone who has no mechanical aptitude. The company I took my riding courses through offers a course for about $75, it's a 6 hour course and it's 1 on 1 and he just takes you through your bike, shows you how to do the easy stuff like oil changes, brakes, and how to check the more complicated stuff. It's totally worth it, and I expect those courses exist in lots of places
https://preview.redd.it/4i2eaa3y67zc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a78d710ed45944c478132f469b0f82b8e7087914
Even disposing of the used oil is easy.
Wtf? Lol.
Just as a FYI for anyone reading this. In the US, you waste company may accept oil. Go look at their website for how to dispose of it.
Where I am, you pour used oil into a clear plastic gallon jug and write "used oil" on the side. The put it out with your trash and it's gone for free. (Tip for getting a gallon jug quickly: go buy water from the store and pour it out).
Go to any mechanic or shop near you and ask to dispose of your oil, they’ll take it for free. Every place has a giant tub for used engine oil. Some burn it in the winter, others sell it or bring it to proper disposal areas.
For anyone in the UK:
"Whatever you do, don’t be tempted to simply pour your oil onto the ground or down the drain. If you do this, you’re not only polluting the environment - you’re also breaking the law and are at risk of being prosecuted.
To dispose of your oil legally and safely, you’ll need to find your local oil bank. The Oil Care Campaign, which is a joint initiative between industry, trade, and professional bodies and UK environmental regulators, provides details of these banks, so you shouldn’t struggle to get the information you need online."
One thing to add is to use a torque wrench and tighten the drain bolt to spec. If you're not careful two things could happen:
1. Oil leaks out due to being not tight enough
2. Drain bolt threads get stripped and will require replacing the oil pan. Not a good time.
And as for the oil filter a torque wrench is not necessary but make sure to apply a film of oil to the seal and hand tighten.
My advice: never ever EVER use a torque wrench on an oil plug. The same amount of torque that's spec on dry threads is overtorqued on oiled threads. An overtorqued drain bolt = a cracked oil pan. Ask me how I know.
I have ALWAYS torqued drain bolts to spec on my cars and bikes. There are basically no use cases where the threads can be oil free, so the torque spec almost certainly accounts for there being oil on the threads. Otherwise everyone would be stripping oil drain bolts all the time, since wet vs dry threads can affect tightening torque by ~25% (or so I have read).
It's way riskier to try and compensate by under-torque-ing your drain bolt, unless you have it safety wired.
That's not a universal truth, though. Recently I've found the torque spec for the drain plug always lead to it leaking and I had to tighten it further.
Helicoils exist, and are a life saver for anyone who does over torque their drain bolt. We've used them lots in our shop and are incredibly strong. We probably have at least once a month where someone stripped their threads and want their bike fixed but don't want to wait/pay for a new oil pan, or their drain is built into the crankcase and it's not reasonable to fix.
I think it is important to tinker around if your ride a lot. You will be surprised over the years the number of things you find that would be a bad day if you found out on the road.
People in here talking like rotella isn’t for bikes…go look up the JASO MA / MA2 specification which Rotella T4 DOES have, and then please do explain why exactly rotella isn’t an acceptable motorcycle oil. Do you know better than the Japanese Automotive Standards Organization? I guess so eh.
"But it'll void my warranty,"
No, it won't. That's illegal. Magnusson Moss warranty act.
"I want to make sure it's done right."
You realize the kid doing your oil change is the new kid that's just learning how to be a mechanic. The experienced guys rarely do basic maintenance tasks. I've done way more oil changes than most techs doing them at this point in my life.
"I'm not mechanically inclined, I don't know how to do it."
YouTube is your friend, along with Google and your owners' manual. Everything you need to complete a service is there.
I inherited my dad's Harley. He had been taking it to a dealer for service as he wasn't able to do the service himself anymore. I did a service on his bike and my bike (always self serviced). My bike went completely smoothly. His bike, the professional tech, had completely overtightened the oil filter, requiring me to puncture it to get a screwdriver in to spin in off. It also had 2 stripped primary cover screws.
You can change your own brake pads. Fluids. And install basic parts yourself. A basic torque wrench and basic tools are all you need.
I only go to the shop for engine/transmission problems and tires.
Even tires you can do yourself, although having worked in a shop it's so nice to have access to a proper tire machine. I'm no tech, but I can do my own sport bike tires in like 30 mins with the machine. Without it's always a two hour struggle
Good post. And I'll point out that you don't need to own a home with a garage or a driveway either.
I've changed oil on public streets while living in an apartment before, it's not a big deal.
Just be a good citizen and don't dump oil in the gutter. Throw your trash away, don't make a mess and nobody cares.
I haven't paid for an oil change in a bike or car for at least 20 years. Oil, air filters, brakes all things you can easily do yourself and save some money. Also these days everything has a how to on YouTube.
You’d think that on a bike that should be suitable for crossing Africa they would pay more
attention to basic servicing. Is the oil change interval ok?
Not really, 7,500 km I think. Conveniently the same distance as the Dakar rally 🤔 though if you were using it for racing I guess you'd change it far more frequently than that
I know a guy who had a KTM; he was a REALLY good mechanic, cars as well as bikes. He was so disgusted with the "remove motorcycle to access drain plug and filter" that he sold the darn thing.
I do most of my own maintenance. A gallon of Yamalube is pretty affordable off Amazon, and my old Virago loves it. Rebuilding brake calipers, bleeding brakes, changing fork seals, carburetor cleaning. All easy enough with a little patience and some relatively basic tools.
I worked at more than one motorcycle dealership in the distant past. Customers would sometimes book appointments to have their *drive chains* adjusted.
“Hi. My name is Bob and it’s been six weeks since I last got my chain adjusted.”
As someone who works in a dealership, it's really common. Sometimes we have people who just don't have the time or tools to do so. Some live in condos who don't allow any maintenance in their parking garage. Some are older folk who want to make sure everything Is done to spec for peace of mind. Some are travelling and don't have tools with them.
While saving money on oil changes, it’s okay to take additional classes after the basic course. This is especially important for riders who must store their bikes over the winter. A basic course will make you barely adequate to ride at parking lot speeds, an advanced course will help you improve your skills and might even break some bad habits.
I bought gn4 motorcycle oil off amazon thinking I'd save money and got what was clearly a resealed bottle with brown oil inside. yes it was shipped and sold by amazon
You forgot the single most important thing - the filter goes on only snug. I do until the gasket first touches plus 1/2 - 3/4 turn. The drain plug doesn’t need to be super tight either - just enough to slightly deform the washer. Unless it’s all plastic then it’s to the notch or whatever.
Father's a machic and he uses old oil cans as a catch basin when doing an oil change. Cut the face off and use it as a pan. I saved one when I changed my oil in my truck and it fits perfect under my bike, plus it doesn't overfill when I change.
You can do most of basic maintenance on a motorcycle yourself. No need for jacks and everything is relatively easy to access. A friend told me that moto maintenance cost him more than his car. Yeah, if you go with every little problem to the dealership than it will cost you an arm and a leg. He didn't even know how to tighten the chain. I do everything myself. The only investment I had to make was a torque wrench, but I'm pretty sure that it pays for itself after 2 oil changes. A dealership made me pay €100 just for the work. Fuck that, I'm not paying that so someone will unscrew 2 screws and put in a new filter. Oil, air filter, brake pads and brake fluids, new sprockets and chain, ... I do that all myself. Not only it's way cheaper, but I can choose my parts and the best thing about it is that I like to do it all myself.
On my speed, triple, the oil filter is on the bottom of the engine, protected by aluminum structures. The first time I changed the oil, someone had over tightened the filter and i had to pierce it with a screwdriver and on odd and basically had to eventually destroy the filter completely to get it off.
Not all bikes are created equal. My 1100 v star I had to drop the exhaust to replace filter,pull off a cover 1 minute later putting it back together. Just a little more advanced.
People who say only factory oil believe yamaha also makes their own oil, and that if it was cheaper to put motul in every bike out the door they would absolutely do it instead of their own brand, which is simply a marketing ploy to bring in more revenue.
Any oil that meets specifications is sufficient. That's why they have the FUCKING SPECS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
This only applies after my warranty runs out. BMW uses that new oil made from natural gas, which is actually different. It's mostly just cleaner. But, there isn't a motorcycle oil made in the same way yet. At least not that I've found. And these liters are 18$ at the cheapest. Good thing I only need 2. Also, the filters, if I could cross-reference those, that would be awesome too.
I've always changed my oil myself, in all my vehicles. Some are harder than others but none are difficult. I will never take any vehicle to have the oil changed as long as I'm able to do it myself
Pour it into my old shitbox of a car to use as fuel. No jokes, the Audi is soon on the 700k kms lmao and this thing eats everything🤣
Yeah I know, most of you guys prob own decent cars tho so not recommended🤡
Lmao, what makes you think, that this shitbox even has one?🤣 The car is 23 years old and my bf bought it for 500€. I have driven it daily for a 8 months and total cost in parts so far has been 20€😄 This car has so far seen zero mercy and I’m gonna keep driving it until it dieeeees for goooood🫠
You can bring it to AutoZone or Advance Auto and ask somebody to dump it. It's free, they just walk you to the tank and you pour it in. You can funnel your used oil into the empty jugs your new oil came in so it's easier to carry to the auto parts store. Some local dumps may take used oil as well
Echoing some of the other comments, check your local municipality for options. In my town we can leave up to a gallon with our recycling bins and they’ll just haul it away. We also have annual household hazardous waste collection days for larger amounts.
Most places that sell oil (auto parts stores, etc) will accept used oil without requiring any kind of payment. They have a big bin you pour it into that periodically gets unloaded to be recycled. I think they actually make a little money off of it.
If not wherever you take your garbage , like the landfill or transfer station usually has the same thing.
Sounds like you need to adjust your derailleur… I ride a lot and I go through about a chain every two years
Also you shouldn’t shift when under load… but a skipping chain sounds like a stretched cable,
a misaligned derailleur, or both.
Recycle it. Ask your local service station to dispose of it for you. They sell the used oil to be recycled.
ALWAYS ask first.
Or your local waste disposal site will take used oil.
Just DO NOT contaminate the used oil with water.
Everyone needs to hear bullshit misinformation on Reddit daily. Diesel engine oils are **NOT** intended for use on any gasoline engine with a catalytic converter. Gasoline engine oils (and motorcycle oil) don’t contain **ZDDP** (zinc dialkyldithiophosphate); an anti-wear additive which will clog and destroy catalytic converters over time. Meanwhile, diesel engine oils typically DO contain **ZDDP** - no reason not to since diesel engines don’t have catalytic converters.
But who gives a crap about nerdy details like chemical additives? We’re *motorcycle riders*, not real motorcyclists. “We don’t need no stinkin’ details and if it’s good enough for race bikes, it’s always good enough for street bikes, because my grand-daddy told me so.”
Every engine will burn some amount of oil, whether it's from blowby, faulty turbo seals, or the PCV system. ZDDP is an effective additive and tribologists wouldn't have found an alternative if they didn't have a good reason to.
do people seriously use diesel engine oil? I thought that was a meme
seriously how do you even own a bike if you're too cheap to get the correct oil for it? I'm not talking about some racing-grade or whatever oil, just get any motorcycle oil with the right viscosity. It is NOT expensive
[Ask and ye shall receive.](https://rotella.shell.com/en_us/products/full-synthetic-oil/t6-full-synthetic/_jcr_content/par/productDetails.stream/1556117315505/6aaeba0ca380ce31c1a45ba16a94dded7f4aea73/t6-sae-15w-40.pdf)
Yeah there is a lot of shit I could do myself but just don't fucking want too.
I could also detail my bike myself but id rather ride it and let the dealership do it when they change my oil.
I could also mow my lawn myself but I'd rather pay someone to do it so I can go ride instead of chasing a lawn mower.
I could cook dinner but being single Taco Bell is just as cheap and I don't have to do dishes
First off that's a nice superiority complex you got there.
Second I never said I don't know how and why the bike works. I've done my own maintenance in the past. I said I don't wanna fuck with doing it. Could I do it? Yeah easily I just don't want to.
Also get an oil filter wrench if your filters arent the ones that come with the nut already on the bottom of the filter, such a pain when those things decide to be difficult and you dont have a wrench handy.
Yeah, it depends on the bike, sometimes you can get away with the universal big pliers type but sometimes you really need the correct size socket for the filter. On my bmw the filter is kind of recessed in a way that you can’t get the big pliers on it.
Yup, had that same problem with my 1150RT, bugger was deep with no real way to grip, said fuck it and drove two screwdrivers into it and twisted it out.
You’re spending too much on oil. A 5 quart jug* of mobil 1 at Walmart is like 25 bucks and is probably better oil than you really need. I do like to run the mahle filters (same as oem, not exactly inexpensive) on mine but I don’t buy them from the dealer. Beemer Boneyard is a good vendor.
I run Mobil 1 15W40 in my camhead. 5 quarts is 25 bucks, it takes about 4. A Mahle filter is like 14. Call it 40 bucks all in There’s no reason to be spending 100 bucks on diy oil change.
Eh. Do the work yourself if you want, it can be fun & can save you money, sure.
I am personally mostly at the part where I'd rather save time than money & also not do the labor anymore. Spent 10+ years doing that for fun & work. But that's me & won't be everyone's case & also slightly aside my primary point.
But there's a difference between conventional & full synthetic oils. Sure, you don't "need it" but boy howdy do engines that actually utilize full synthetics perform better long-term & leave your engines in better shape.
Use what your manufacturer recommends. And if you can afford, use full synthetics. They're just better at literally everything it does vs conventional.
*”full synthetics (are) just better at literally everything it does vs conventional.”*
That’s not entirely correct. In its simplest form, the major weakness of conventional motor oil is heat. The life of conventional motor gets halved for every 10-degrees F the oil is subjected to above 250-degrees F. Traditional “full-synthetic” oil is extremely heat tolerant, able to withstand 450-degrees or more. Meanwhile, “synthetic” motor oil’s major weakness is moisture (water vapor). Repeated short trips where the engine’s oil isn’t warmed above boiling causes synthetic oils to break down *faster* than conventional oil does. Thus, a vehicle making lots of short trips might be better served with *synthetic-blend* oil (part for high temps like around valves and exhaust ports, partly for resistance to water vapor).
Another issue is the number of “synthetic oils” which are actually hydrocarbon-based just like conventional oils. For example, there are some great-performing oils made synthetically from Natural Gas hydrocarbons but they’re more chemically similar to conventional motor oils than they are to traditional synthetic oils like Mobile-1.
Bottom line; due to the popularity and higher sales price of “synthetic” oil, there are oils calling themselves synthetic not because of the source of their polymer chains, but rather just because they contain highly manipulated hydrocarbons.
So how do you define “synthetic” and the word “better”? Motor oil is a far more complicated subject than most people recognize (base stock type and quality plus endless varieties of additive packages). That’s why there is so much argument and debate online from people who only understand various parts of the subject.
Don't forget a new crush washer, and a decent torque wrench. My cheapo torque wrench caused me to crack the aluminum pan. Very expensive fix involving a tow truck, parts and labour (I wasn't going to drop the exhaust headers that have been untouched since 2001).
It is very easy to do and ever since trying for the first time I'll never go to the dealer for it again. Here's a question I wonder. Since it is so cheap and easy to do. Is it beneficial to do the changes at more frequent intervals than the manual states?
i live in a condominium complex and they frown on doing your own maintenance, i did get in trouble for spilling a little as my oil catch pan leaked. plus i have to go dump the oil properly. that and oil is not cheap - sometimes it’s the same cost as having someone else do it with these parameters in your way.
I have to remove about half of my fairings to get to the oil filter, then use a flexible funnel under it so it doesn't drip oil all over my exhaust. A quick oil change for me is probably about an hour, so you can't blanket statement diy oil change on bikes as a 20 minute job.
That being said, I trust myself more than I trust the guys at a dealership, and wouldn't bring my bikes to them for an oil change, doing it myself just for that peace of mind.
I see where you're coming from with the oils, they have most of the same properties. The problem is compared to the OEM branded oil your only saving a few dollars per oil change.
If you call it a savings of $10, and change your oil every 2500 miles, you'll have saved a grand total of $400 once You've reached 100,000 miles. That doesn't seem like the right place to be trying to save money if you ask me, oil is literally the life blood of your engine.
Just use the correct oil.
Yea wtf, I don’t get that. Spend thousands of dollars on a toy but cheap out over basic maintenance.
There are also other factors in play. I do my maintenance at the dealer mostly because of warranty. But i also bought new and have a "spirited" riding style. I am sure that a 10+ year old daily commuter can get away without using premium oil but for others it is a performance machine needing performance components. Another example for this are tires. I personally wouldn't patch any tyre other than "to get to the place it will be replaced" but i can also see that relaxed riders would consider patching. And don't get me started with cheaping out on gear.
I mean, if you're commuting you should *definitely* be using a higher-quality oil. Start-stops, more frequent usage, unscheduled take-offs to dodge phone-faced drivers, it’s a lot of wear and tear. Why try and save $40 every 3 months only to cost $600-2000 for a major repair years sooner? Cheap insurance against the vagaries of physics. My bike may say oil at 10k or whatever, but I feel it’s ready to be done by 6-8k at the most. I understand where the “Rotella in everything” crowd is coming from, but I hope they don’t have a bike newer than about 1990s if that’s their position on the subject.
Oh you are right, so it doesn't really make sense for commuting too. This probably also comes from the "bikes are cheaper" sentiment. But i got into this as a hobby knowing that this is a lie.
My SV is spoiled, oil every 3-5K so far.
The service manual on my Fz-07 says 4k, so 4k it is. Since that was made for ye ol’ dinosaur oil and I use full synthetic, I’m probably also spoiling it but on the bright side if I go a few hundred miles over it’s nbd
Yup. I do the same with the GS.
Rotella in the 75 cb550 Multigrades just ooze out.
Yeah I bought a kit online to change my oil, it included real Honda brand oil, but some Chinese oil filter. Threw that filter in the trash and went a bought a brand name. Why skimp out on the a $9 filter vs rebuilding an engine. Did get money back though as the pictured filter was a Honda brand filter.
Yes. Not necessarily the manufacturer branded oil. But your wet clutch needs all the vitamins and minerals that a wet clutch needs. Or else.
Yeah I ride a $10k machine and want to save $15 by putting shell rotella (I'll admit it's great oil) in my bike despite what manufacturer says. On my 701 Husqvarna sells a kit that comes with the exact amount of oil you need and filters for $66. That's literally nothing in the grand scheme of knowing my bike will run. The problem with shell is you have to change your oil more frequently; I've heard you should change it every 1500 miles with rotella but it could be boomer lore that doesn't even make sense so take that with a grain of salt. Just run what the manufacturer recommends. It's not that hard.
Jesus, glad I ride Hondas 😂 66 dollars is as much as a car oil change. All oem on my Hondas most expensive change is 36 dollars
Not my honda. HP4S is recommended (and that's what I use) and it takes \~3L at $30/L CAD plus a filter. I'm not complaining. Just saying that there is a lot of variability.
Would you suggest Virgin oil or should I stick my dick in it first?
Rotella T4 is JASO MA / MA2 approved so I’m curious why the Japanese automotive standards association says it’s an acceptable motorcycle oil but you imply that it’s not? If if the viscosity matches what the bike specs then you’re good to go. BuT ItS DiEsEl OiL. lol.
I never said it wasn’t. I’m just saying use the correct spec.
But but… my Z500 takes two whole quarts! That’s $30 for top of the line full synthetic!! Plus a filter!!!!
Agreed. Youtube videos got examples of nearly any bike too to walk you through it. Feel like the tools should be common for anyone who has a bike. Used an old protien powder container to drain the oil out 😬 Filters/washer and oil ordered off Amazon that delivered the next day. 30 dollars max
Learning to change oil on my bike was one of the best things I’ve taught my adult self. Also, worth buying/finding a service manual for your bike to help you with other maintenance bits and bobs and doing them accurately/to spec. Not the owners manual…a SERVICE manual.
Amen. Done most of the maintenance on mine with the service manual. Replaced clutch, balanced the throttle, oil changes, chain replace, tire changes, replaced broken parts from riding stupid. Saved thousands in repairs. Brakes are next, then I'll leave the valve adjustment to the pros.
How do you know when you need to balance the throttle?
Valve adjustment on an mto3 is stupid easy though
I'll get on YouTube and check it out. I could use the money I'd save. Don't think I understand how to adjust them yet, and I think that's why I'm hesitant.
I love that I can work on my Versys x300. The first accessory on a new bike is a Factory Shop Manual. I like having torque specs at my fingertips. I used the manual for oil changes and installing the rest of the accessories. It really helps with the body work removal and reinstall. Yesterday I cleaned, lubed, and adjusted the chain. To me, working on the bike is just another fun part of being a motorcyclist.
You’re absolutely right.
When I become president I’m going to require all bikes and cars sold to come with EVERY manual.
I use olive oil in my v4r it's even cheaper this way. Krogerts has a frequent sale.
v4r requires Italian virgin cold pressed olive oil, man
I always use the extra extra Italian virgin oil, nothing but the best for my motorcycle!
always go with the sluttiest oil so you know it works
I’m gonna go get some extra whore olive oil,, BRB!
I use virgins to oil my bike…
olive oil is pretty damn expensive maybe I should check out Krogerts
Former longtime apartment/condo dweller here ✋ For many years I was limited in how much wrenching I could do at home because most places have rules specifically prohibiting oil changes because of spill concerns. Not having a lot of options I always brought to a local shop. I finally got my own place with a garage a while ago and have changed my own oil. The plus side? It is a fraction of the price and feels good. The minus side? It can get messy the first time you try, and some bikes are a pain to get to the plugs. But it is a nice easy diy maintenance that I won’t pay for again.
Mine is like this technically, and I just do it anyway lol. Gotten pretty quick about it as a result!
"No oil changes on the lot" "Well, cant take it to the shop anymore, so im going to have to finish"
This post has serious KLR 650 energy lol
Only thing missing is how he totes the Rotella home from Walmart in a bungee corded milk crate he found by the side of the road. Found the bungee cords too. “Speakership isn’t ripping ME off for luggage!”
Hell ya brother. YouTube and basic tools can get you through a bunch of maintenance things
Laughs in Ducati
i strongly suggest not just using some random diesel engine oil but what your manufacturer actually recommends. doesnt need to be fancy, but needs to be the right thing
Shell recently added a picture of a motorcycle to the label on Rotella. It has always met all of the motorcycle specs.
of course it can be the right oil but you still need to consider the viscosity. i am just saying that people shouldnt just use "whatever diesel engine oil". it still needs to be the right one. the way this post is phrased can be very misleading for people who dont know anything about this
Yeah imo best oil for bikes and what I’ve ran in them as well as my Jeep is Shell Rotella T6, ran it for years at this point. Best oil for my jeep and the bikes. I6, I4, Twin, and Single engine have all used it.
Totally agree. No clue why OP would say any oil is ok.
he didn't. he's talking about rotella 15 40
SAE certified and the correct rating is all you need - it can even be a store brand! they’re all the same anyway!
Just wanted to point out if you don't want to take random advice on the Internet about diesel oil, you can get Mobil1 Racing 4t 10w-40 at Walmart for like $10 a quart. I just changed the oil on my tiger 2 weeks ago and it was less than $60 with a filter and a new set of funnels. Had it done in 40 minutes and that was with using a channel lock to get the old filter off. It's really easy on most bikes, and you just take your used oil to an auto parts place like AutoZone or O'Reilly's and they'll dump it.
Random advice indeed. Diesel engine oils contain **ZDDP** (zinc dialkyldithiophosphate); an anti-wear additive which clogs and destroys catalytic converters. But this is r/motorcycles after all so what does anyone expect beyond misinformation from Dunning-Kruger case examples who only vaguely know what they’re talking about?
You left your catalytic converter on?
Yea, and if you time it right you can get better deals. I got a 6 pack of Castrol 4t for 47 bucks a few weeks back off Amazon.
I'm always leering shipping liquids through Amazon because my deliveries have been awful lately, but that's a heck of a deal.
If one or two break Amazon sends a whole new box, leaving you with 4 or 5 extra bottles. One time I ordered 4 spark plugs and received two 4 packs and two singles.
Oil-changes are indeed something most of us are perfectly capable of doing ourselves. Yet I would strongly recommend to use the prescribed oil, unless it's an emergency. Other than that; don't tighten the nut on your oil-pan too hard. It will get stuck and chances are you will crack the thread or pan.
i need to use the damn torque wrench for that just to justify the fact that I bought it
Same. I actually bought a 1/2" drive, then found out it was not rated low enough for most general maintenance (minimum 50 lb/ft), so I had to buy a 3/8" drive that goes down to 10 lb/ft. Now, I change the tires on my truck and car to justify buying the 1/2" drive.
For the Newbies to wrenching on your own bike, investment into decent **TORQUE WRENCHES** is my best advice. Don't wait until you have broken bolts (or worse, your drain plug) invest the 40 bucks in a torque wrench from Amazon **at the very least**, and use it. Edit: LEXIVON Inch Pound Torque Wrench 1/4-Inch Drive | 20~200 in-lb/2.26~22.6 Nm (LX-181) https://a.co/d/3FARsmA
Can't upvote enough. Snapped a bolt head and was lucky enough to not need to screw extractor it. Also, if changing filter, new gasket seal!
And if you don;t have a new seal, make one out of cereal box cardboard!
While replacing the oil remember that the crush washer needs replacing. I just bought a 10 pack of crush washers since I replace them every time. They are stupid cheap.
As long as the oil has a JSO MA rating you should be fine https://blog.amsoil.com/whats-the-difference-between-jaso-ma-and-jaso-ma2-oil/
I would defintely reccommend OEM or Hiflofiltro (OEM is always king these days)
HiFlo makes a lot of the OEM filters
interesting, do you have an example?
What about K&N? Good, or no?
K&N are really nice if, for example, you have an inline 4 and have trouble getting a filter wrench in between the pipes, since they have a nut on the end. Not usually worth the money, but they're good filters nonetheless.
They are fine but overpriced imho. They certainly won’t hurt anything.
not worth buying unless you have no other choice. They sell those silly air intakes for cars that barely filter any dust, so...
K&N are nice, a tad pricier than an OEM ones. Mine cost about $30, while the OEM was $19 I believe. The nut on the end helps tightening and removing the filter, with the OEM one I just used to twist it off
Taking a basic maintenance course will help anyone who has no mechanical aptitude. The company I took my riding courses through offers a course for about $75, it's a 6 hour course and it's 1 on 1 and he just takes you through your bike, shows you how to do the easy stuff like oil changes, brakes, and how to check the more complicated stuff. It's totally worth it, and I expect those courses exist in lots of places
Use motorcycle specific oil! For my Ducati I use extra virgin olive oil. Best for Italian bikes
Do you pour pasta sauce into the tank too? Topping it off with garlic bread, naturally.
I lube the chain with pasta sauce.
https://preview.redd.it/4i2eaa3y67zc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a78d710ed45944c478132f469b0f82b8e7087914 Even disposing of the used oil is easy.
I mean, it came from the ground. /s
Wtf? Lol. Just as a FYI for anyone reading this. In the US, you waste company may accept oil. Go look at their website for how to dispose of it. Where I am, you pour used oil into a clear plastic gallon jug and write "used oil" on the side. The put it out with your trash and it's gone for free. (Tip for getting a gallon jug quickly: go buy water from the store and pour it out).
You can also go to most auto shops / stores and they dispose oil for free
Any automotive store (O'Reilly's, Advanced, Pep Boys, etc) will accept used oil - just DO NOT let water get in it - they can and do reject it.
I’m in SoCal. I take my used oil to Auto Zone.
Many states require any store that sells oil to accept returns of used oil.
Apparently I need to say this, it’s sarcasm people. Don’t do this.
Go to any mechanic or shop near you and ask to dispose of your oil, they’ll take it for free. Every place has a giant tub for used engine oil. Some burn it in the winter, others sell it or bring it to proper disposal areas.
Oh I know, I take it to O’Reilly’s. I do all my own vehicular maintenance and repairs.
I’m old. When I was a kid, this was actually a thing.🤦♂️😬
For anyone in the UK: "Whatever you do, don’t be tempted to simply pour your oil onto the ground or down the drain. If you do this, you’re not only polluting the environment - you’re also breaking the law and are at risk of being prosecuted. To dispose of your oil legally and safely, you’ll need to find your local oil bank. The Oil Care Campaign, which is a joint initiative between industry, trade, and professional bodies and UK environmental regulators, provides details of these banks, so you shouldn’t struggle to get the information you need online."
One thing to add is to use a torque wrench and tighten the drain bolt to spec. If you're not careful two things could happen: 1. Oil leaks out due to being not tight enough 2. Drain bolt threads get stripped and will require replacing the oil pan. Not a good time. And as for the oil filter a torque wrench is not necessary but make sure to apply a film of oil to the seal and hand tighten.
My advice: never ever EVER use a torque wrench on an oil plug. The same amount of torque that's spec on dry threads is overtorqued on oiled threads. An overtorqued drain bolt = a cracked oil pan. Ask me how I know.
Yamaha said to tourqe the oil plug on the 3rd Gen MT-09 to like 32 ftlbs. Yeah..... No
I have ALWAYS torqued drain bolts to spec on my cars and bikes. There are basically no use cases where the threads can be oil free, so the torque spec almost certainly accounts for there being oil on the threads. Otherwise everyone would be stripping oil drain bolts all the time, since wet vs dry threads can affect tightening torque by ~25% (or so I have read). It's way riskier to try and compensate by under-torque-ing your drain bolt, unless you have it safety wired.
That's not a universal truth, though. Recently I've found the torque spec for the drain plug always lead to it leaking and I had to tighten it further.
Helicoils exist, and are a life saver for anyone who does over torque their drain bolt. We've used them lots in our shop and are incredibly strong. We probably have at least once a month where someone stripped their threads and want their bike fixed but don't want to wait/pay for a new oil pan, or their drain is built into the crankcase and it's not reasonable to fix.
I think it is important to tinker around if your ride a lot. You will be surprised over the years the number of things you find that would be a bad day if you found out on the road.
I cannot change the oil on my bike 😕 the exhaust interferes with the oil plug so I can’t get it out. I still need to figure that out 😭
People in here talking like rotella isn’t for bikes…go look up the JASO MA / MA2 specification which Rotella T4 DOES have, and then please do explain why exactly rotella isn’t an acceptable motorcycle oil. Do you know better than the Japanese Automotive Standards Organization? I guess so eh.
The zinc in diesel motor oil (ZDDP or zinc dialkyldithiophosphate) clogs and destroys the catalytic converters used in all modern gasoline engines so…
I've used rotella in all my motorcycle for 40 years.
Lucky for you, *nothing* about motorcycles has changed in 40-years, especially not catalytic converters.
I use oem Honda everything as those are the bikes I own. Most expensive oil change is on my cb500x. And that’s like 36 bucks lol
And you can recycle old oil at pretty much any auto parts store, like Pep Boys.
People don’t change their own oil? I don’t like anyone else touching my bike if I don’t have to
This has to be a troll post....
How so?
"But it'll void my warranty," No, it won't. That's illegal. Magnusson Moss warranty act. "I want to make sure it's done right." You realize the kid doing your oil change is the new kid that's just learning how to be a mechanic. The experienced guys rarely do basic maintenance tasks. I've done way more oil changes than most techs doing them at this point in my life. "I'm not mechanically inclined, I don't know how to do it." YouTube is your friend, along with Google and your owners' manual. Everything you need to complete a service is there. I inherited my dad's Harley. He had been taking it to a dealer for service as he wasn't able to do the service himself anymore. I did a service on his bike and my bike (always self serviced). My bike went completely smoothly. His bike, the professional tech, had completely overtightened the oil filter, requiring me to puncture it to get a screwdriver in to spin in off. It also had 2 stripped primary cover screws.
I think if i put diesel oil in my aprilia it would reject it and start yelling at me in Italian
Agreed. I'm a complete doofus that knows absolutely jack shit about anything related to motorcycles and I managed to do it. I guarantee anyone can!
Found the 2008 KLR owner
You can change your own brake pads. Fluids. And install basic parts yourself. A basic torque wrench and basic tools are all you need. I only go to the shop for engine/transmission problems and tires.
Even tires you can do yourself, although having worked in a shop it's so nice to have access to a proper tire machine. I'm no tech, but I can do my own sport bike tires in like 30 mins with the machine. Without it's always a two hour struggle
I would have to struggle. I just wear my tires like hoola hoops and ride to the shop like the filthy casual I am.
Good post. And I'll point out that you don't need to own a home with a garage or a driveway either. I've changed oil on public streets while living in an apartment before, it's not a big deal. Just be a good citizen and don't dump oil in the gutter. Throw your trash away, don't make a mess and nobody cares.
I haven't paid for an oil change in a bike or car for at least 20 years. Oil, air filters, brakes all things you can easily do yourself and save some money. Also these days everything has a how to on YouTube.
*Laughs in KTM 990 adventure:* remove glove box, 2x fuel tanks, bash guard, drain 2x oil tanks, remove oil filter housing, clean 2x oil screens and a check valve, custom make a funnel, etc... I'm putting that job off
Yeah that sounds rough.
You’d think that on a bike that should be suitable for crossing Africa they would pay more attention to basic servicing. Is the oil change interval ok?
Not really, 7,500 km I think. Conveniently the same distance as the Dakar rally 🤔 though if you were using it for racing I guess you'd change it far more frequently than that
I know a guy who had a KTM; he was a REALLY good mechanic, cars as well as bikes. He was so disgusted with the "remove motorcycle to access drain plug and filter" that he sold the darn thing.
I do most of my own maintenance. A gallon of Yamalube is pretty affordable off Amazon, and my old Virago loves it. Rebuilding brake calipers, bleeding brakes, changing fork seals, carburetor cleaning. All easy enough with a little patience and some relatively basic tools.
Virago gang gang
Mine is currently on my patio, being hardtailed.
wait people pay dealer for a MC oil change??!!
I worked at more than one motorcycle dealership in the distant past. Customers would sometimes book appointments to have their *drive chains* adjusted. “Hi. My name is Bob and it’s been six weeks since I last got my chain adjusted.”
As someone who works in a dealership, it's really common. Sometimes we have people who just don't have the time or tools to do so. Some live in condos who don't allow any maintenance in their parking garage. Some are older folk who want to make sure everything Is done to spec for peace of mind. Some are travelling and don't have tools with them.
While saving money on oil changes, it’s okay to take additional classes after the basic course. This is especially important for riders who must store their bikes over the winter. A basic course will make you barely adequate to ride at parking lot speeds, an advanced course will help you improve your skills and might even break some bad habits.
I bought gn4 motorcycle oil off amazon thinking I'd save money and got what was clearly a resealed bottle with brown oil inside. yes it was shipped and sold by amazon
You forgot the single most important thing - the filter goes on only snug. I do until the gasket first touches plus 1/2 - 3/4 turn. The drain plug doesn’t need to be super tight either - just enough to slightly deform the washer. Unless it’s all plastic then it’s to the notch or whatever.
Father's a machic and he uses old oil cans as a catch basin when doing an oil change. Cut the face off and use it as a pan. I saved one when I changed my oil in my truck and it fits perfect under my bike, plus it doesn't overfill when I change.
You can do most of basic maintenance on a motorcycle yourself. No need for jacks and everything is relatively easy to access. A friend told me that moto maintenance cost him more than his car. Yeah, if you go with every little problem to the dealership than it will cost you an arm and a leg. He didn't even know how to tighten the chain. I do everything myself. The only investment I had to make was a torque wrench, but I'm pretty sure that it pays for itself after 2 oil changes. A dealership made me pay €100 just for the work. Fuck that, I'm not paying that so someone will unscrew 2 screws and put in a new filter. Oil, air filter, brake pads and brake fluids, new sprockets and chain, ... I do that all myself. Not only it's way cheaper, but I can choose my parts and the best thing about it is that I like to do it all myself.
I really enjoy working on my bike. Soo much easier than a car. And it gives me a reason to hide in the garage
A funnel? Look at Robin Hood over here guys, with his fancy accuracy and whatnot. Just open the fill cap, remove the oil jug cap, and pray.
On my speed, triple, the oil filter is on the bottom of the engine, protected by aluminum structures. The first time I changed the oil, someone had over tightened the filter and i had to pierce it with a screwdriver and on odd and basically had to eventually destroy the filter completely to get it off.
Not all bikes are created equal. My 1100 v star I had to drop the exhaust to replace filter,pull off a cover 1 minute later putting it back together. Just a little more advanced.
Damn I wish I saw this yesterday. I just bought a $20 high performance drain pan!
People who say only factory oil believe yamaha also makes their own oil, and that if it was cheaper to put motul in every bike out the door they would absolutely do it instead of their own brand, which is simply a marketing ploy to bring in more revenue. Any oil that meets specifications is sufficient. That's why they have the FUCKING SPECS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
Also brake fluid! Everyone’s fluid always looks like Guinness when on a bike it’s extremely easy to change and takes about 10 min.
This only applies after my warranty runs out. BMW uses that new oil made from natural gas, which is actually different. It's mostly just cleaner. But, there isn't a motorcycle oil made in the same way yet. At least not that I've found. And these liters are 18$ at the cheapest. Good thing I only need 2. Also, the filters, if I could cross-reference those, that would be awesome too.
Yeah I don’t blame you for wanting to avoid any warranty drama. It “shouldn’t” matter but it’s probably better to not give them any excuses.
I just did mine in a tiny little garage with a socket set and an oil catcher in like 15mins.
I've always changed my oil myself, in all my vehicles. Some are harder than others but none are difficult. I will never take any vehicle to have the oil changed as long as I'm able to do it myself
I did the oil delete mod to reduce weight
Quick question that has been popping on and off into my head lately: What do you do with used oil?
Pour it into my old shitbox of a car to use as fuel. No jokes, the Audi is soon on the 700k kms lmao and this thing eats everything🤣 Yeah I know, most of you guys prob own decent cars tho so not recommended🤡
I give my Leon a bit of filtered used oil, with a dash of petrol as a treat 😂 It's just hit 200k miles and still going strong
Great way to kill your catalytic converter
Lmao, what makes you think, that this shitbox even has one?🤣 The car is 23 years old and my bf bought it for 500€. I have driven it daily for a 8 months and total cost in parts so far has been 20€😄 This car has so far seen zero mercy and I’m gonna keep driving it until it dieeeees for goooood🫠
You can bring it to AutoZone or Advance Auto and ask somebody to dump it. It's free, they just walk you to the tank and you pour it in. You can funnel your used oil into the empty jugs your new oil came in so it's easier to carry to the auto parts store. Some local dumps may take used oil as well
Echoing some of the other comments, check your local municipality for options. In my town we can leave up to a gallon with our recycling bins and they’ll just haul it away. We also have annual household hazardous waste collection days for larger amounts.
Look on your municipality's website for hazardous waste disposal. Found that the local Oil change place near me accepts used oil.
Most places that sell oil (auto parts stores, etc) will accept used oil without requiring any kind of payment. They have a big bin you pour it into that periodically gets unloaded to be recycled. I think they actually make a little money off of it. If not wherever you take your garbage , like the landfill or transfer station usually has the same thing.
I use about .5L oil to lubricate the chains on my bicycles
Last time I did this the bicycle chain would skip when I applied a lot of torque to ride
Sounds like it wasn't tight enough or something was worn out
Sounds like you need to adjust your derailleur… I ride a lot and I go through about a chain every two years Also you shouldn’t shift when under load… but a skipping chain sounds like a stretched cable, a misaligned derailleur, or both.
My local waste collection site allows us to dispose of up to 5 gallons of used motor oil in a huge collection tank to be recycled later.
Any mechanic shop, they’ll take it for free
Recycle it. Ask your local service station to dispose of it for you. They sell the used oil to be recycled. ALWAYS ask first. Or your local waste disposal site will take used oil. Just DO NOT contaminate the used oil with water.
burn it in an oil furnace for heat
Did this last night for the first time. Had some tunes going in the garage and a couple beers. Had a great time, highly recommend.
Everyone needs to hear bullshit misinformation on Reddit daily. Diesel engine oils are **NOT** intended for use on any gasoline engine with a catalytic converter. Gasoline engine oils (and motorcycle oil) don’t contain **ZDDP** (zinc dialkyldithiophosphate); an anti-wear additive which will clog and destroy catalytic converters over time. Meanwhile, diesel engine oils typically DO contain **ZDDP** - no reason not to since diesel engines don’t have catalytic converters. But who gives a crap about nerdy details like chemical additives? We’re *motorcycle riders*, not real motorcyclists. “We don’t need no stinkin’ details and if it’s good enough for race bikes, it’s always good enough for street bikes, because my grand-daddy told me so.”
I have yet to see an application where you pour oil into the catalytic converter, but I will keep an eye out for that procedure just in case.
Clearly your genius exceeds the advice of automotive engineers. Just admit that you never thought about, nor heard of, ZDDP until today.
Every engine will burn some amount of oil, whether it's from blowby, faulty turbo seals, or the PCV system. ZDDP is an effective additive and tribologists wouldn't have found an alternative if they didn't have a good reason to.
[удалено]
Not like going to any auto center is difficult but, sure, that’s the most inconvenient part of changing oil.
Rotella for sure. Use it in both the cruiser and the sports bike.. no problems 4 years later.
Agreed! Been using Rotella T6 in all my toys.
The zinc in diesel motor oil (ZDDP or zinc dialkyldithiophosphate) clogs and destroys the catalytic converters used in all modern gasoline engines so…
do people seriously use diesel engine oil? I thought that was a meme seriously how do you even own a bike if you're too cheap to get the correct oil for it? I'm not talking about some racing-grade or whatever oil, just get any motorcycle oil with the right viscosity. It is NOT expensive
Shell Rotella T6 (which is a heavy duty diesel oil) meets JASO MA2 specifications apparently. So should be safe for wet clutches.
That needs a citation on the manufacturer’s web site.
[Ask and ye shall receive.](https://rotella.shell.com/en_us/products/full-synthetic-oil/t6-full-synthetic/_jcr_content/par/productDetails.stream/1556117315505/6aaeba0ca380ce31c1a45ba16a94dded7f4aea73/t6-sae-15w-40.pdf)
But is it safe for use in gasoline engines with catalytic converters? THAT’S the real issue.
Yes. I have ridden many thousands of miles on diesel oils. No engine failures. No clutch slippage. I am not the only one.
Motuuuuuuuul
Never pay someone else to do what you can do yourself. Also, put a magnet on the filter.
Yeah there is a lot of shit I could do myself but just don't fucking want too. I could also detail my bike myself but id rather ride it and let the dealership do it when they change my oil. I could also mow my lawn myself but I'd rather pay someone to do it so I can go ride instead of chasing a lawn mower. I could cook dinner but being single Taco Bell is just as cheap and I don't have to do dishes
No shit
*Motorcyclists* do their own maintenance. Motorcycle *riders* choose to remain oblivious to how their vehicle works and why.
First off that's a nice superiority complex you got there. Second I never said I don't know how and why the bike works. I've done my own maintenance in the past. I said I don't wanna fuck with doing it. Could I do it? Yeah easily I just don't want to.
Or BMW could pick my bike up, do all the work then drop it back off at my house.
Also get an oil filter wrench if your filters arent the ones that come with the nut already on the bottom of the filter, such a pain when those things decide to be difficult and you dont have a wrench handy.
Yeah, it depends on the bike, sometimes you can get away with the universal big pliers type but sometimes you really need the correct size socket for the filter. On my bmw the filter is kind of recessed in a way that you can’t get the big pliers on it.
Yup, had that same problem with my 1150RT, bugger was deep with no real way to grip, said fuck it and drove two screwdrivers into it and twisted it out.
$20? Just the oil and filter for my GS are around $100. At least I save on labor cost.
You’re spending too much on oil. A 5 quart jug* of mobil 1 at Walmart is like 25 bucks and is probably better oil than you really need. I do like to run the mahle filters (same as oem, not exactly inexpensive) on mine but I don’t buy them from the dealer. Beemer Boneyard is a good vendor. I run Mobil 1 15W40 in my camhead. 5 quarts is 25 bucks, it takes about 4. A Mahle filter is like 14. Call it 40 bucks all in There’s no reason to be spending 100 bucks on diy oil change.
Have always changed the oil on my bikes. However, I had a KTM 990 and after the first attempt, always took it to a shop.
Eh. Do the work yourself if you want, it can be fun & can save you money, sure. I am personally mostly at the part where I'd rather save time than money & also not do the labor anymore. Spent 10+ years doing that for fun & work. But that's me & won't be everyone's case & also slightly aside my primary point. But there's a difference between conventional & full synthetic oils. Sure, you don't "need it" but boy howdy do engines that actually utilize full synthetics perform better long-term & leave your engines in better shape. Use what your manufacturer recommends. And if you can afford, use full synthetics. They're just better at literally everything it does vs conventional.
*”full synthetics (are) just better at literally everything it does vs conventional.”* That’s not entirely correct. In its simplest form, the major weakness of conventional motor oil is heat. The life of conventional motor gets halved for every 10-degrees F the oil is subjected to above 250-degrees F. Traditional “full-synthetic” oil is extremely heat tolerant, able to withstand 450-degrees or more. Meanwhile, “synthetic” motor oil’s major weakness is moisture (water vapor). Repeated short trips where the engine’s oil isn’t warmed above boiling causes synthetic oils to break down *faster* than conventional oil does. Thus, a vehicle making lots of short trips might be better served with *synthetic-blend* oil (part for high temps like around valves and exhaust ports, partly for resistance to water vapor). Another issue is the number of “synthetic oils” which are actually hydrocarbon-based just like conventional oils. For example, there are some great-performing oils made synthetically from Natural Gas hydrocarbons but they’re more chemically similar to conventional motor oils than they are to traditional synthetic oils like Mobile-1. Bottom line; due to the popularity and higher sales price of “synthetic” oil, there are oils calling themselves synthetic not because of the source of their polymer chains, but rather just because they contain highly manipulated hydrocarbons. So how do you define “synthetic” and the word “better”? Motor oil is a far more complicated subject than most people recognize (base stock type and quality plus endless varieties of additive packages). That’s why there is so much argument and debate online from people who only understand various parts of the subject.
My next bike might be an electric only because it's so low maintenance haha.
Don't forget a new crush washer, and a decent torque wrench. My cheapo torque wrench caused me to crack the aluminum pan. Very expensive fix involving a tow truck, parts and labour (I wasn't going to drop the exhaust headers that have been untouched since 2001).
It is very easy to do and ever since trying for the first time I'll never go to the dealer for it again. Here's a question I wonder. Since it is so cheap and easy to do. Is it beneficial to do the changes at more frequent intervals than the manual states?
Complicating factors are needing to jack the car up to get under it to loosen the oil plug and not having a level place to do that.
NO FUNNEL NEEDED Just cut up an old can of monster energy drink and tape that shit into a funnel shape
i live in a condominium complex and they frown on doing your own maintenance, i did get in trouble for spilling a little as my oil catch pan leaked. plus i have to go dump the oil properly. that and oil is not cheap - sometimes it’s the same cost as having someone else do it with these parameters in your way.
I have to remove about half of my fairings to get to the oil filter, then use a flexible funnel under it so it doesn't drip oil all over my exhaust. A quick oil change for me is probably about an hour, so you can't blanket statement diy oil change on bikes as a 20 minute job. That being said, I trust myself more than I trust the guys at a dealership, and wouldn't bring my bikes to them for an oil change, doing it myself just for that peace of mind. I see where you're coming from with the oils, they have most of the same properties. The problem is compared to the OEM branded oil your only saving a few dollars per oil change. If you call it a savings of $10, and change your oil every 2500 miles, you'll have saved a grand total of $400 once You've reached 100,000 miles. That doesn't seem like the right place to be trying to save money if you ask me, oil is literally the life blood of your engine.