Manual Recommend OCI

[Tay]

may i know anyone has idea on how safe is it to following our motorcycle's manual OCI?

i quite sure when the designer wrote the manual they tested the motorcycle before giving the recommendation. yet very often the suggested distance by motorcycle repair shops and riders is way below what the manual suggest. maybe only 1/3 to 1/2 the sugested distance.

i got a feeling this "myth" is created by repair shops trying to get more business. too bad in this part of the world, we do not have reasonable priced and easy access to do UOA.

 

[BigCahuna]

It can be confusing. They will state a given mileage for regular usage, then severe usage, then winter usage, if you do more stop and go VS highway usage. I guess you have to figure out how you will be using the bike, then what brand and type of oil. The book is just for reference as no two people ride exactly the same. If your really unsure do what the book says. Most oils made today hold up better then oils made 30 years ago, so 3-5k miles will do the job.,,

 

[boraticus]

If the manufacturer provides a warranty for their product and recommend 8000 mile OCI for instance, I'd say that it's an acceptable practice. However, if the riding conditions are bad (dusty etc.) changing the oil more frequently would be a good idea.

Personally, it's all about what you're comfortable with. Most like to do oil changes more frequently than suggested by the manufacturer. I do it when it's convenient for me and seldom go the full 8000 miles (as per Honda Valkyrie manual). I'll usually change it between 3000 to 5000 miles. If I were on the road and had 6000 miles on the oil, I certainly wouldn't sweat it.

 

[Trav]

Specific OCI on bikes can be difficult to determine because most modern bikes share the oil with the gearbox and wet clutch.
A machine that gets up to operating temp,longer trips with not much shifting will be easier on the oil than a bike that is constantly revved high,sees a lot of sporty riding with lots of shifting.
Water cooled versus air cooled can play a big part also.

Like automobiles the manual seem to be based on ideal conditions,i usually cut that in half on my bikes because of how i ride and the conditions.
I went with 5000 KM synthetic oil OCI.

 

[dwendt44]

boraticus is right.


The MFGs OCI interval are suggested for convetional oil (cycle oil)as it is.
Most are 'best case' figures and I would only follow them if using synthetic oil, if then.
Few put on 8000 miles a year, so even once a year changes are better than what's recommended.

 

[Tay]

thanks for the advice guys.

the manual recommend OCI is 3750miles. in this part of the world and serveral countries around it, small motorcycle from 100-150cc is very popular. the most often recommended OCI is about 625-1250miles for such small motorcycle depending on the quality of oil.

i was sticking with that in the beginning. but the more i read especially forums like BITOG, the more i doubt such short OCI. the last straw come, when i decided to do my own oil change. i was changing out a 50wt to a 40wt oil. when the 1250miles oil was drained, it still feel much thicker then the fresh 40wt oil. might mean it still in grade although that a very crude way to determine.

i wanted to extended the oil change interval to about 3125miles which is still short of the manual guideline. guess my next oil will be Shell Riumla R3X which should be the samething as Shell Rotella T over in the states.

if you are wondering on the odd number, kilometers is our common unit over here.

 

[mjoekingz28]

I've been confused by this while looking at the CBR600RR's owner's and service manuals. They state 8000 mile oil and filter changes with no discretion given to time (although I think it is universal that any oil should not remain in the crankcase over a year).

I think if you're touring and using synthetic then a 8k interval would be okay.

I talked to a guy in Oregon/Nevada on a scooter that was worried for me since I had 5k or so on a dino fill of Yamalube on my YZF600r. He highly recommended I go to the nearest dealer and get a change since they would give me preference for being 'on the road'. I just rode another 500 miles to the family's place in La Pine and changed the oil myself. Good times.

 

[boraticus]

"I just rode another 500 miles to the family's place in La Pine and changed the oil myself."

Well, that cavalier decision may have taken ten seconds of life off of your engine pal!

I would have done the same thing.

 

[jeepinbanditride]

On my FJR I split the difference between the US Schedule and the eveyrone else schedule lol. If you convert Kms to Mis on the European maint. chart you get about 6000 miles between oil changes. The US Spec is 4000 miles. I change the FJR's oil every 5k. Don't know why it's different between the two schedules for the same bike.

 

[VMAXER]

Originally Posted By: jeepinbanditride
On my FJR I split the difference between the US Schedule and the eveyrone else schedule lol. If you convert Kms to Mis on the European maint. chart you get about 6000 miles between oil changes. The US Spec is 4000 miles. I change the FJR's oil every 5k. Don't know why it's different between the two schedules for the same bike.


This is an interesting point Mr Jeepinbanditride, why on Earth would they specify different service intervals for countries with similar climates ?? Who can provide the answer ?