Should I change my oil in my vtx1800?

[GhostFlame]

In February of 2011 I installed a new MTC clutch and I love it. At the time I put in 4 fresh qts of Kendall GT1 Full Syn 10-40 and a new filter. In the last 12 months I only put 3,000 miles on the bike. I am planning on changing it but, should I? It seems like a perfect waste of good oil. I thought about draining it and mixing it into my ford explorer oil 6,000 mile OCI say 50/50 old and new oil. I usually run Mobil1 4t racing oil 10/40. And I usually ride 6 to 8K miles a season and change it once a year.

Should I leave the Kendal in one more season? Drain it and put it into my Explorer 50/50? Just drain the darn thing and stop whining over $30 bucks!!???

 

[Mike Simmons]

Leave it in, you're good!

 

[rossn2]

You changed it nearly a year ago and ran it for 3,000 miles and now it's sitting, probably in cold, thru the PA winter. Oil can turn acidic over time, not to mention condensation developing in the sump. Oil is cheap insurance. I bet the oil container has a statement about when to change is (miles vs time). Most maunfacturers have a mileage vs time limit on their oils. Change it, put a fresh filter on it and be ready for spring!

 

[GhostFlame]

We got 1 for and 1 against. I have heard that the acid build up situation is real but, far fetched. On another thread someone said that there is so little acid build up that the damage is negligible. But, why would you want any damage even a minuscule amount?

I'm probably going to change it. Because I care about the engine. It is sitting in my garage right now with the battery tender on it. It yells out to me every time I go in there, "hey here I am give me some attention". I figure changing the oil will quiet it down for a little bit. It's supposed to go up to 60 degrees today... I might just stretch it's legs today. I also have a re-machined rear wheel bearing sitting on the shelf that I want to put in as prevent maintenance. These 1800s have an inclination to fail the rear wheel bearing between 15 to 30K miles. Apparently some of the stock rear hubs were defective, there is a tally thread of failure incidence but, Honda won't recall the part. On the failed bearings machinists have verified that the hub is out of round and it distorts the race when it is applied. They don't all fail but enough do.

The fix is to have the hub machined. There's a guy somewhere in America land (he's on the vtxoa bard) that exchanges your OE hub with and OE hub that he has machined and pressed the bearing into. So far out of hundreds of applications of his, reworked, hub he has not had 1 failure.
So, I could do that too. Counting the days until spring. I hope I have time to ride more this season!

 

[RevRider]

My vote would be for a change and I base it on the following business formula, the Rules of Risk Management:

1. Don't risk a lot for a little.
2. Don't risk more than you can afford to lose.
3. Consider the odds.

If you are planning to make a decision in one direction, but that direction violates one of the above rules, then you need to take another course of action.

It would appear to me that leaving it in violates Rule #1; you might be in a financial position where Rule #2 doesn't matter; and Rule #3 is difficult to really know for sure, so it would appear to me that since we can't know for sure, Rule #3 is violated also.

With all of that said, I say "change it out."

RevRider

 

[Ken2]

I'm not a fan of any automotive oil in a motorcycle. I'd prefer either a motorcycle specific oil or a diesel engine oil. Rotella 5W-40 would be one good choice, and the Mobil 1 4T motorcycle oil is always excellent.

 

[GhostFlame]

Originally Posted By: RevRider
My vote would be for a change and I base it on the following business formula, the Rules of Risk Management:

1. Don't risk a lot for a little.
2. Don't risk more than you can afford to lose.
3. Consider the odds.

If you are planning to make a decision in one direction, but that direction violates one of the above rules, then you need to take another course of action.

It would appear to me that leaving it in violates Rule #1; you might be in a financial position where Rule #2 doesn't matter; and Rule #3 is difficult to really know for sure, so it would appear to me that since we can't know for sure, Rule #3 is violated also.

With all of that said, I say "change it out."

RevRider


Interesting. Sophisticated logic brought to the table for an oil change decision... interesting. I am going to change mainly because I want some MC work to do at night, secondly It will make me feel good. and I do love the feel of the first few hundred miles with new oil in the old crank.

Quote:
I'm not a fan of any automotive oil in a motorcycle. I'd prefer either a motorcycle specific oil or a diesel engine oil. Rotella 5W-40 would be one good choice, and the Mobil 1 4T motorcycle oil is always excellent.


Me too, but I got the Kendall 10-40 for next to free. after I put it in I wished I hadn't. I was alone one evening, left to my own devices, no one to object or stop me. I dumped it in and immediately felt the shame and disgust of my action, no one ever knew but, I did... I was raised better than that. Character is not judged by how you are in public, rather, how you are when you are alone.... BaWaHaHaHaaaaaaa!
So yeah I'll be getting some M1 4T 10-40 soon and rid my soul of the guilt.

 

[hal2626]

 

[GhostFlame]

Originally Posted By: hal2626

Hal, Relax, I'll change it. The weekend is almost here. No need to cry.

 

[hal2626]

I feel better now...........