When to change motorcycle oil?

[centres]

Hey, I've just joined and finished reading the oil university 101. I was wondering if it is better to change motorcycle oil at the end of the season or the beginning?

I've been riding for 6 years and usually change and the end of the season, but based on the oil university it seems it might be better to change at the beginning of the season to avoid the drop in temp and wax formation over the winter. I have also heard that its not good to leave old oil sitting in the motorcycle over the winter as it can cause additional wear over the winter due to having contaminants just sitting in the engine all winter.

Thanks

 

[zrxkawboy]

I change oil at the end of the riding season (just before I put it away for winter storage).

 

[Propflux01]

+1

 

[bowlofturtle]

I do mines at the beginning of the season.

I dont think it matters if the oil is sitting in the engine or in bottles.

 

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: bowlofturtle
I do mines at the beginning of the season.

I dont think it matters if the oil is sitting in the engine or in bottles.

If it doesn't matter then why not put it in the engine?

Engines should not be stored with dirty oil

 

[Doog]

I am a "low miler" so I have extended my OCI to 15 months. If you are using a decent oil and don't ride over 4000 miles in the season I don't think it makes any difference.

I have yet to see the "corrosion" caused by oils that run out of TBN in a few months.

 

[centres]

For the last 6 years I've been doing it at the end of the season. But after reading the oil university articles I wasn't sure if perhaps it would be better to do it in the spring. I live in Canada so over the winter the bike gets stored in an unheated garage. Thus as per "Motor Oil 103" I was concerned about wax build up.

I commute to work with the bike so im usually putting on 10-15.000 km a season


Motor oil becomes permanently thicker with exposure to northerly winter type weather. This is more of a problem to mineral based oils. Waxes form. This is why it is a bad idea to even store a bottle of oil in a cold garage. It goes bad on the garage shelf just because it is exposed to the cold. - Motor Oil 103

 

[Radman]

I always store my ride with clean oil.

 

[Silk]

We don't have a riding season, I change it at the recommended intervals.

 

[Rosetta]

If it is synthetic and less than 3k miles, I'd sotre with it. If mineral or with more than 3k miles I'd change before storage.