Should Oil Be Changed ?

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Quik backdrop - riding buddy picked up a garage queen, '06 Honda 1100 Vtwin. Low mileage and well maintained. Previous owner kept meticulous log on it, down to noting every time air was added to tires. Rather serious injury (not bike related, thankfully) apparently grounded the guy in early 2016 to the point where his riding days are done, and the bike sat in the garage.

He started it and let it idle, warm up, that sort of thing, every couple of weeks, and from what I gather, it took 16 months to go through the 4 gallons of petrol in the tank. The bike had a new battery put in in early 2016, and the guy kept a trickle charger hooked up to it the entire time it was garaged.

Anyway, my friend rode it over, after giving it a fill up of fresh petrol and a can of seafoam, and we're going over the log book. It notes that the last oil change, filter change, and new spark plugs on that bike was about 10 days before his injury - oil used Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 and NAPA Gold filter. Odometer says it had just under 200 miles on that oil. I took it for a spin, it handles nice, shifts smooth, no indication of anything wrong.

The question posed to me was whether I'd do an oil change. My compadre also rides Honda V twins and uses the T6, etc, etc., so it didn't seem an off the wall question. My first reaction was "heck no" - only a couple hundred miles on it, it's like new oil. Then I got to thinking, yeah, couple hundred miles on the oil, BUT, it's been sitting up for nearly a year and a half.

Any used bike I've ever bought where there wasn't some sort of log kept, first thing was to change the oil and filter. Despite this anal retentive logbook, I'm doubting my own advice and logic . . . so I'll throw this out to others here.

Given that situation, and that we're approaching cooler riding weather, would you change the oil and filter before resuming packing the miles on the bike?

Thanks in advance . . .
 
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Since your friend trusts the owner and if the oil appears new, just follow the normal Honda maintenance schedule starting the first day he rode it + 200mi. An extra 16 months will make no difference, it takes many, many years for oil to deteriorate.
 
yes, but if the bike was started and idled a lot in the 16 months, we are looking at fuel and water in the oil. I would change it. I have a boat with little use and change oil (15W40) every 2-3 years, but only because when used (once or twice a year) the engine is well warmed up during the boat trip. this is analogues to a short trip oil change advice.
 
If it was mine, I'd change the oil and filter. My reason is the motor never really gets hot when left to idle for short periods. Sludge is what you want to avoid. Oil is cheap , motor reairs are not. Also Check the date on the tires. If they are the originals, change them out. Dry rotted and cracked tires, will start coming apart on you. The battery will probably need replacement if all it was used for was starting the motor, and not being driven to replace the charge fully.A few tanks of gas run thru it, and you'll be good to go.,,,
 
Originally Posted By: BigCahuna
If it was mine, I'd change the oil and filter. My reason is the motor never really gets hot when left to idle for short periods. Sludge is what you want to avoid. Oil is cheap , motor reairs are not. Also Check the date on the tires. If they are the originals, change them out. Dry rotted and cracked tires, will start coming apart on you. The battery will probably need replacement if all it was used for was starting the motor, and not being driven to replace the charge fully.A few tanks of gas run thru it, and you'll be good to go.,,,


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yup
Change the oil and filter and sleep easy.
 
Air filter is more important. Could be critters nest in there or neglected since day 1.. take a peek at it.

To change the oil? yes. Its a $20 question that you wont have to ask yourself again.
 
I love these long Detailed OPs and what an enticing suject line for a BITOGer.

A bike that is of age but almost a virgin. Still fresh as a young filly.

Its like reading Penthouse forum as a young man. Funny how past times change.

Can't...stop...thinking...about...OIL.

And as for the Rotella and NAPA Gold? Nope...not worth changing.
 
$8 worth of oil to get a baseline? CHANGE IT!

Last motorcycle I bought, guy said, "Dont worry about the oil. I just changed it. You should be good to go for about 3000 miles.

Got home, found the oil was 1 quart low (out of 2 quarts total), and was blacker than black. Looked like factory oil to me. People lie.
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
$8 worth of oil to get a baseline? CHANGE IT!

Last motorcycle I bought, guy said, "Dont worry about the oil. I just changed it. You should be good to go for about 3000 miles.

Got home, found the oil was 1 quart low (out of 2 quarts total), and was blacker than black. Looked like factory oil to me. People lie.


I thougt the OP said this oil history was well documented. If its not then by all means change it as suggested.
 
Originally Posted By: ArcticDriver
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
$8 worth of oil to get a baseline? CHANGE IT!

Last motorcycle I bought, guy said, "Dont worry about the oil. I just changed it. You should be good to go for about 3000 miles.

Got home, found the oil was 1 quart low (out of 2 quarts total), and was blacker than black. Looked like factory oil to me. People lie.


I thougt the OP said this oil history was well documented. If its not then by all means change it as suggested.


I'd just change the oil as a matter of course.

Not necessarily a question of the guy lying. Just maybe a faulty memory. Did he really let it warm up 30 minutes for all those runs? Or was it more like five minutes for three weeks and then 30 minutes once a month. Did he skip a few months or weeks in there? Who needs the aggravation for the price of a few quarts of oil and a filter?
 
Lots of idle with no actual riding and Rotella 5w-40 that likes to thin out?

Yeah, I would change it and the filter, just for piece of mind and knowing that what was in there was good.

I just did the exact same thing on the '94 VT1100 (same engine) I bought a few weeks ago.
Guy said oil had been recently changed, and oil looked good on dipstick/papertowel.
I changed it anyway (it was overfilled by half a qt) and shifting improved, even using Supertech 15w-40.
Now I do admit I had a dented filter (from loading in a trailer or truck from what I can figure out), so I would have lost most of the oil changing that filter, but the oil was going to be changed anyway.

As said, a few thousand just spent on the bike, what is another $20-30 (or less).
A gallon of Supertech 15w-40 is $10, a Supertech filter is $3. Run that for a couple of thousand miles to "flush" it out, then go with "good stuff" if you want.
I am not crazy about the Supertech filter due to it having a nitrile ADV (and a combo valve at that), but I am only using it for short term (~500 miles or so). The 6607 is also a tiny filter. I will be using a 3593a filter in the future (almost exact same size as OEM Honda Powersports filter).
I just bought some Peak 15w-40 @ Auto Zone for $5/gallon, and am using some Fram TG I got a Walmart for $1.50.
 
I wouldn't change it until after it's been ridden on a few highway trips.

These engines are VERY easy on oil.
 
With the idle time and the fact that it costs what??? Change it. Now you know exactly what, and how long the oil is in the bike.
 
this question appears to be hammered by two different angles:

1) Is the oil still able to perform its function or is it degraded.

2) The peace-of-mind factor of fresh oil & filter when purchasing a new vehicle.

To suggest the importance of the latter does not negate the fact the oil is, in fact, still perfectly capable of its functions and a UOA would support this.

The main thing is WHAT A BIKE !
grin.gif
 
Many thanks for all the responses. I'll try and address one point at a time, and it's only from a brief go over of a log, so time windows are a guess. The tires were new as of (IIRC) some time in December, 2015, and the bike has been kept in a garage so they still look like new. Air filter, has a K&N that is already out and being soaked to clean and reoil. Since it's under the saddle, it's not like it gets scads of road dirt.

Fuel- oil diluting - that's something we hadn't factored. We also don't know how long his engine run times actually were. Previous owner apparently indicated he 'usually ran it until the fan kicked in' - and usually doesn't mean always, and given we have a cold weather cycle here, not terribly comfortable with just that. The oil on the dipstick is clear and there's no smell of petrol, but that doesn't necessarily preclude petrol not being present.

As for changing oil and filter, we're planning - we hope - on doing a run to Biketoberfest next month, so I think he's going to ride it around local to shake out any other dust bunnies, and then do a oil/filter, rear end fluid and antifreeze change.

Again, thank you all for the feedback and sage advice.
 
don't forget the brake fluid.

The shaft drive fluid is super easy to change. Remove fill plug. Remove drain plug, let drain. Install drain plug. Add fluid till it dribbles out (leave bike on side stand when filling), install fill plug and drive.

Some will say when draining fluid to raise the rear tire or roll the bike back and forth a few feet to get all the fluid out. The fluid is so easy to change, just change it more often and don't worry about getting every drop out.

Don't forget to pull the plugs and inspect them as well, and maybe change the fuel filter and drain the crank-case vent hose.

Also have him check out www.hondashadow.net, good little Shadow forum.
 
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