Changing oil by calendar, not mileage?

Well, due to some eye problems (getting old sucks), I've only managed to put 2500 miles on the Bandit this year.

I last changed the oil on September 9, 2015 using Mobile 1 full synthetic 10W-40. I usually change the oil at 5k miles.

I hate to start another oil thread, but here's my question: do you think it's necessary to change the oil simply due to age?

I know oil additives degrade over time, but I'm hoping that I might get a free pass until next year because it is Mobil 1.

I have a filter and I bought 4 quarts of Mobile 1, but even at Wally World, it's still dang expensive.

What say you?

Couldn't hurt


Jeff

IMO, changing now would be a waste of money; wait.

I would warm up the engine before changing the oil, but leave the filter in place. Couldn't hurt.

Tom

Lot of unanswered variables. When you did run the bike, did you run long enough for oil to come up to full temp and burn off any moisture that normally collects in the sump. What is the oil color looking like.
Multiple engines here at my garage with different programs, ' Suzuki Bandit 07 model, always at least a 50 mile ride. 5000 or yearly , Mobile 1 10w40. Oil filter every 2nd change.

waz said:

Well, due to some eye problems (getting old sucks), I've only managed to put 2500 miles on the Bandit this year.

I last changed the oil on September 9, 2015 using Mobile 1 full synthetic 10W-40. I usually change the oil at 5k miles.

I hate to start another oil thread, but here's my question: do you think it's necessary to change the oil simply due to age?

I know oil additives degrade over time, but I'm hoping that I might get a free pass until next year because it is Mobil 1.

I have a filter and I bought 4 quarts of Mobile 1, but even at Wally World, it's still dang expensive.

What say you?

Click to expand...

If you've got a fully synthetic oil like Mobil 1, and the oil on the dipstick doesn't look degraded (thin, milky, etc.) I don't see a reason to change it. Particularly if you've ridden frequently and the bike hasn't sat idle for any long periods of time.

Just my 0.02 as a cheapskate. If you're concerned with oil prices... here's what I run- 3 gallons for $64 delivered via Amazon. Shell Rotella T6 5w-40. I do filter on every change because they're cheap and otherwise I might forget; I also run a 5k mi oil change interval.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005CHT4W6/?tag=twowhetex-20

Recent Amazon order pre-loading for winter oil changes (30k mi worth covered now )

achesley said:

Lot of unanswered variables. When you did run the bike, did you run long enough for oil to come up to full temp and burn off any moisture that normally collects in the sump. What is the oil color looking like.
Multiple engines here at my garage with different programs, ' Suzuki Bandit 07 model, always at least a 50 mile ride. 5000 or yearly , Mobile 1 10w40. Oil filter every 2nd change.

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During the spring, summer, and fall I go on Thursday night rides up to Craggy Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. That's about 40 miles round trip from da crib.

I don't commute on the bike, and if I ride on Sunday afternoons (once or twice a month), it's always for at least 100 miles, so the engine always gets to full temp.

The oil I can see in the sight-glass looks OK, i.e. not like black coffee, but a dark amber.

waz said:

During the spring, summer, and fall I go on Thursday night rides up to Craggy Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. That's about 40 miles round trip from da crib.

I don't commute on the bike, and if I ride on Sunday afternoons (once or twice a month), it's always for at least 100 miles, so the engine always gets to full temp.

The oil I can see in the sight-glass looks OK, i.e. not like black coffee, but a dark amber.

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Good deal! I'd keep it in there till it starts feeling thicker or gets dark.

The key to it, from all I have ever read, is that you get the oil hot enough to remove any collected moisture in it. It's the 5 minute run for milk that builds up moisture that then becomes acids in the oil.
Absent that, I would run it 5,000 or even 7,000. NYC cabbies run 7,000/change.

mikes old virago said:

The key to it, from all I have ever read, is that you get the oil hot enough to remove any collected moisture in it. It's the 5 minute run for milk that builds up moisture that then becomes acids in the oil.
Absent that, I would run it 5,000 or even 7,000. NYC cabbies run 7,000/change.

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This^^^

The less we ride the more analytical we tend to get over oil, coolants and such. Short trips meet the definition of severe operating conditions for the reason cited above.

There is a service schedule in the manual, just follow that and your Bandit will run efficiently and reliably for its maximum life. No one has yet been able to prove that any different oil or change schedule different from the manual specs does anything but waste money, time and effort.

Racing of course, is a different ballgame.

I've got an old car that I only drove 411 miles in 2015. I changed its oil and filter. I'm thinking of skipping this year.
Evans coolant is an alternative, too. I saw a video on Jay Leno's garage explaining it.
Getting old does suck. And now winter is coming. Too cold to be in the garage.

Should be changed at least once a year in ANY vehicle due to condensation and such.
It's cheap security too.

As a professional mechanic I've never seen a failure from changing the oil to often. With that said, I only use FULL synthetic oil in everything, even grease. The reason short trips are hard on oil is because the blow-by into the crankcase is full of harmful stuff. The oil has additives to contain that stuff in suspension. As the additives get used up the bad stuff will no longer be in suspension and begin to collect on the internal parts. Buuuuuuuuut, modern oils and engines are much better at keeping that yucky stuff in check.

For me I had a 96 Kawasaki ZX1100e that at about 3500 miles the shifting would get a bit notchy, not as smooth as normal. So I switched from 5K oil changes to 3K. My 97 1200S Bandit and 85 Fj1100 being air cooled had a similar problem, I switched to Castrol V-Twin oil and that problem went away and 5k oil changes were fine.

It really boils down to what you are comfortable with. If you rode it up to full temp before you parked it, its probably okay, save the money. If money is no issue, change it. Like stated by someone else, follow the Owner's Manual guide lines.

It's been 6 month since OP asked the question, so I guess he sorted this out by now.
But in general, everyone has their own perspective on timing and miles for each change.
I change every 10k miles or once per year Mibil1 15-50.
In my view, if you put full synthetic, there is no point to change it every 3 or 5k. Save money and put synthetic bland, or regular.

In a car I use Mobil1 10-30 or 5-30 and change every 15-20k.
My BMW car was 'telling' me when the oil is due for a change, and it was at 17-18k miles.

But... everyone has their own logic about it .

2wheelieadv said:

It's been 6 month since OP asked the question, so I guess he sorted this out by now.
But in general, everyone has their own perspective on timing and miles for each change.
I change every 10k miles or once per year Mibil1 15-50.
In my view, if you put full synthetic, there is no point to change it every 3 or 5k. Save money and put synthetic bland, or regular.

In a car I use Mobil1 10-30 or 5-30 and change every 15-20k.
My BMW car was 'telling' me when the oil is due for a change, and it was at 17-18k miles.

But... everyone has their own logic about it .

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The oil still gets dirty, 15-20,000 miles is a long time!
Oil changes aren't that expensive , why go that long?