What oil should or shouldn’t I use for my motorcycle? is the first question many riders ask themselves. The other question is, ‘how often should I change my motorcycle oil?’. Well, changing your oil isn’t as complicated as people make it. In fact, if you own a car, you follow a similar rule of thumb. At least to a large extent.
All motor combustion engines operate in the same way. We can go into detail about the 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines but we are talking about the basics here.
Oil does a few things to the engine; The first one is lubrication. It achieves this by getting in between the moving parts to enable that smooth transition. Oil also prevents corrosion, cools the engine, and suspends contaminants, to prevent interference in the combustion process.
So how often should you change the oil on your motorcycle? It depends on a few things;
1. How Often Do You Use Your Motorcycle?
It’s obvious that more use results in more wear, on the engine. Motorcycles are designed to have higher revs, which comes with friction. When you use your motorcycle frequently on long distances. It’s recommended you change your oil as often, maybe 5 to 6 times a year.
On the contrary, you are also not safe, if you hardly use your motorcycle. A hardly used motor is prone to corrosion since oil doesn’t circulate enough throughout the engine. The particles from the corrosion mix with the oil once you run the engine. Making it impure and unsafe for continued use on your engine. This means that when your motorcycle sits around the yard most of the year. Consider making an oil change a frequent habit, maybe, 4 times a year would do.
2. Condition of The Motorcycle Oil
Oil darkens with time. This happens because of mixing with impurities within the engine. Always checking the condition of your oil can give you an idea of whether it’s due for a change or not. Consider changing your oil if it turns dark or black. Also, feel the texture of the oil from your engine to tell the level of impurities present. A rough texture indicates the presence of many particles and it would be prudent to schedule your bike for an oil change.
3. Type of The Oil
Different types of oils have different prescribed change intervals. We prefer using conventional mineral oil on the motorcycle engine. The reason for this is that motorcycles aren’t really built with fuel economy in mind. The engine is small to worry about Mpg and manufacturers mostly focus on performance. Thinner oils have long change intervals and are optimized, with additives, for the modern car engine, built with the desire for fuel economy. Check the change interval of your oil and compare it with your mileage. Always make sure to replace the oil once your motorcycle attains that mileage.
If you aren’t buying the cheaper conventional mineral oil. Modern technology has brought about oils with viscosity specifically designed for motorcycle engines. Here are some of our Top Picks;
Top Picks for a Motorcycle oil Change
1) Mobil 1 96936 20W-50 V-Twin Synthetic Motorcycle Motor Oil
2) Motul Aceite 4T 5100 10W40
3) Valvoline 4-Stroke Motorcycle SAE 20W-50 Motor Oil
Conclusion
An oil change on your motorcycle should be adhered to at exactly the same time you notice it’s required. Failure to do this continually wears down your engine more than you realize. With time the wear will leave you replacing parts or the engine in its entirety. Consider consulting your owner’s manual to learn more regarding the oil requirements, and change intervals specific to your motorcycle.