need feedback...oil in bike for 2 years too long?

[kmrcstintn]

I have several friends who have had oil in their bikes approaching or at 2 years...

first person used Valvoline conventional 10w-40 bike oil with hi-flo filtro cartridge filter in an '86 Honda Rebel 450...averages 750-1000 miles per season and did his last oil change @ 18 months ago

second person has a '98 Honda Magna 750...I did an oil change 2 years ago with Castrol conventional 10w-40 bike oil and a Bosch 3300 filter from autozone; hoped he would take the initiative and do his own to no avail...he lied to me last year and this year about doing oil changes cuz he felt I was nagging him; since he was dealing with a recent parental death I did a new oil change for him recently using Suzuki 10w-40 conventional bike oil and another Bosch 3300 filter; he also averages 750-1000 miles per year

to reduce my stress I have decided to stop being their nagging mother; out of curiosity is 2 years/2000 miles too long to leave used oil in bikes? knowing these 2 it might be more like 3 years/3000 miles...

just want to present them with some advice (other than my own) to help them determine a proper OCI for their bikes...thanks

 

[Robenstein]

If the bikes have been stored in a climate controlled building, it is not as bad. But otherwise if it is left in an uncontrolled environment over winter, there are issues with the uncontrolled conditions sapping the anti corrosive properties of the oil additive pack. I bet the TBN and TAN numbers if you ran those oils through an analysis would be very poor, showing they are spent.

They should change conventional every year.

 

[Revving2Redline]

Change it, its Bitog.Com..We like oil changes

 

[weasley]

I have had oil in my bike that long a couple of times with no worries.

 

[Silk]

Depends on the usage. My main car and main bike do about the same km per year - the car may do 40km a month on less than 5km trips, and every couple of months if it's lucky it'll get a 100 or 200km trip. When the bike comes out it never does less than 200km, so I'm more worried about my car oil than the bike. One of my other bikes is more of a worry, it has excessive sump capacity (2 litres for 150cc), and after a couple of hours of merciless thrashing, the sump is just luke warm. Another of similar capacity has half the oil and the crankcase gets stinking hot after a day of trials sections.

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: Robenstein
I bet the TBN and TAN numbers if you ran those oils through an analysis would be very poor, showing they are spent.


I bet they wouldn't, but I don't know either.

Perhaps someone will post some actual data, but I wouldn't bet on it.

 

[alarmguy]

"too long" is relative.

If you want to take good care of any engine, oil should be changed once a year, preferably before winter. Even if they changed the oil and left the filter, since as you state we are only talking 1 to 2,000 miles.

Will it matter to your friends? Most likely not with that low mileage. Its obvious bikes are not their "passion" or there would be more mileage. So yes, you can stop nagging them.

 

[AuthorEditor]

Let's think about this for a bit. If instead of the bike sitting all winter it was used every day you wouldn't think twice about the oil being bad until the miles were used up, but just sitting doing nothing you're worried about it? Personally, I recommend at least a once a year change of oil and filter, but I suspect the oil is just fine. Brand new cars sometimes sit on lots with barely any driving for two years. I've seen brand new motorcycles on showroom floors more than two years old, and I suspect they are on their original oil fill.

 

[buck91]

I let oil sit indefinitely in storage, but try to change it before start-up if its more than a year old.

 

[Bud]

Originally Posted By: buck91
I let oil sit indefinitely in storage, but try to change it before start-up if its more than a year old.


Agree.

 

[Ausfahrt]

Originally Posted By: kmrcstintn
I have several friends who have had oil in their bikes approaching or at 2 years...

first person used Valvoline conventional 10w-40 bike oil with hi-flo filtro cartridge filter in an '86 Honda Rebel 450...averages 750-1000 miles per season and did his last oil change @ 18 months ago

second person has a '98 Honda Magna 750...I did an oil change 2 years ago with Castrol conventional 10w-40 bike oil and a Bosch 3300 filter from autozone; hoped he would take the initiative and do his own to no avail...he lied to me last year and this year about doing oil changes cuz he felt I was nagging him; since he was dealing with a recent parental death I did a new oil change for him recently using Suzuki 10w-40 conventional bike oil and another Bosch 3300 filter; he also averages 750-1000 miles per year

to reduce my stress I have decided to stop being their nagging mother; out of curiosity is 2 years/2000 miles too long to leave used oil in bikes? knowing these 2 it might be more like 3 years/3000 miles...

just want to present them with some advice (other than my own) to help them determine a proper OCI for their bikes...thanks


I will probably be in the minority here since this is BITOG but.... I believe that with the current usage that both bikes could easily go 3+ years between oil changes IF, and that's a capital IF, they ride their bikes 20+ miles on a single non-stop ride at least 3-4 times a year.

 

[alarmguy]

Lets face it, the proper interval is one year as outlined by almost any manufacturer.
Sure, two years the oil maybe just fine as I replied above.
Three years? Lets see, that is 2 years later then recommended by the manufacturer.

Lets forget about the oil for a minute, what about the oil filter?
2 to 3 years sitting soaked in oil, products of post combustion and fuel could possibly degrade the filter quite a bit. Heck some filters show tears in less then a year.

All the above is why 1 year intervals are safest, not how long one may be able to go as its possible to go much further, after the one year mark its anything goes, to many variables to give an answer...

 

[Cujet]

I always recommend seemingly frequent oil changes. For all the reasons listed above. In addition, micro-particulates are exceptionally hard on chains, such as cam and balancer chains. The reason is that the chains are highly loaded with very small bearing surface area. The only viable way to ensure cam chain life is to change the oil regularly with the appropriate (not too thin) viscosity.

Ever wonder why so many bikes wear out cam chains? Now you know. Or maybe you did not know that a worn cam chain changes cam timing to a retarded position. And that the worn cam chain may not be self-evident to owners, until they are worn beyond limits and rattle. Owners simply accept the loss of performance and smoothness. Suzuki DRZ-400's wear cam chains out rapidly. Even the mighty KLR650 is prone to cam chain and balancer chain wear. In fact, it's the subject of aftermarket "tweaks" on the KLR. It's not uncommon for DRZ owners to go through 3 cam chains through the bike's life.

I'm not so worried about the years, if it's a robust synthetic oil. I'm concerned about miles and wear particulates.

I will never understand the logic behind saving $20 and risking $4000.

 

[grampi]

I think it's too long...oil gets acid in it over time and it can form pits on internal engine parts. I change my oil once a year regardless of mileage...

 

[Panzerman]

I would change it more often. I would also worry more about the oil filter falling apart before the oil in three years. That said, I still think both bikes will last longer than the owner has the will to want to own them. I ve seen Honda engines abused mercifully. Honda ATCs come to mind as kids. They won't kill those motors by lack of oil changes.

 

[Dyusik]

I ran both oil and filters for multiple years. Filters look the same coming out as any other used filter. Oil has been tested by a member here after multiple years of service with a high TBN remaining. Paranoia.

Make sure you are not storing bikes with condensation present and ride on. You are more likely to get hit by a soccer mom than ruin your bike with oil. Use hdeo ffor high TBN if in doubt.

 

[Lolvoguy]

Originally Posted By: Marco620
Dont' change it, its Bitog.Com..We like long OCI's


ftfy

 

[Robenstein]

Originally Posted By: Ducked
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
I bet the TBN and TAN numbers if you ran those oils through an analysis would be very poor, showing they are spent.


I bet they wouldn't, but I don't know either.

Perhaps someone will post some actual data, but I wouldn't bet on it.


Depends how it was stored as I posted. If it is out in a non heated garage or under a cover outside all winter in Pennsylvania....I bet the oil has taken a beating. They are not exactly using the best oil either, especially the guy running the Castrol conventional which most VOA/UOA show is on the low end of mediocre.

 

[LoneRanger]

It should be changed out.

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: Panzerman
I would change it more often. I would also worry more about the oil filter falling apart before the oil in three years.


Don't think I'd worry about my motorcycles oil filters falling apart even if they had them, but since they don't, I'll have to try and worry about my car's oil filter falling apart.

Mmmnnnnnnnnhh!!

No. Can't do it