Oil duration question

motoGleamer
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motoGleamer
I did an oil change shortly before putting my bike away for winter. Only have around 2 hrs ride time. Is there a time limit for the oil where you'd want to change it after a certain amount of time regardless of hours ridden?
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LouisianaMotocross 5/3/2022 7:39pm
5/3/2022 7:39pm
I would change it before I rode if I was you. My oil change is less than $20 and a new bike is 10k. My kx450 book says oil change every 15 hours. I do it about every 4 rides and that’s even too long for some people. Oil change and air filter and both cheap maintenance items that need to be done regularly.
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kicker
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kicker 5/3/2022 7:57pm
5/3/2022 7:57pm
A few months is likely fine, though condensation could be a concern, so it’s probably safer to just change it. Run the bike to temp every once in a while if you can.
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clarkgray432
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clarkgray432 5/3/2022 8:33pm
5/3/2022 8:33pm
I do mine every other ride and oil filter every other oil change. Probably a bit overkill but I have 116 hours on a 17 Honda haha
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Titan1
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Titan1 5/3/2022 8:39pm
5/3/2022 8:39pm
Back in the day when I had to keep bikes longer, I’d change the oil about every 3 hours and the filter every 6 hours. Now that I get a new bike about every other year, I just do that ever the manufacturer recommends.
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Gary Duck
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Gary Duck 5/3/2022 8:39pm
5/3/2022 8:39pm
I left my CRF 450 in my shipping container for 9 months and pulled it out last June with the same Rotella oil and 3/4 tank of 91 octane Ca. pump gas. She fired up 3rd kick and I took it to the track and rode the heck out of it.
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#434
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#434 5/3/2022 11:34pm
5/3/2022 11:34pm
If you do nothing with the bike, the oil is just sitting in the bike the same as it sits in the bottle it cam in. Also if the bike sits in a garage without big temperature differences there’s no reason why condensation would happen. Don‘t fire up the bike just to get it up to temp. If you don‘t get it to operating temp, which takes more time than one thinks idling, that’s when the condensation happens.
So to sum things up: do the oil change and empty the gas tank (gas gets bad from just sitting around, better store it a metal canister) before winter and when you want to ride, put gas in and ride.
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quadzrulebro 5/4/2022 3:48am
5/4/2022 3:48am Edited Date/Time 5/4/2022 3:50am
Look at your manual. If you’re using a high quality oil, you can get way more hours out of an oil change than people believe. I change mine every 10 hours (I use an hour meter to track this) and a new filter every other oil change. The only reason I use 10 hour intervals instead of the 15 my manual suggests is because it is easier for me to keep track of. If all you’re doing is motocross, 10 hours is actually quite a bit of riding. I’ve never had a problem with anything mechanically on any of my race bikes.
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wideopen198 5/4/2022 3:58am
5/4/2022 3:58am
I change my oil every 5 hours and oil filter every 10 hours. I run Motul 300V. If you ask me there's no point in changing your oil after 2 hours. It's barely used yet.
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dirtwalker 5/4/2022 4:06am
5/4/2022 4:06am Edited Date/Time 5/4/2022 4:07am
I would be more worried about the filter. They have a limit on “wet time”. Don’t want a filter falling apart.
Not sure if 6 months is too much though.
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#434
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#434 5/4/2022 4:18am
5/4/2022 4:18am
dirtwalker wrote:
I would be more worried about the filter. They have a limit on “wet time”. Don’t want a filter falling apart. Not sure if 6 months...
I would be more worried about the filter. They have a limit on “wet time”. Don’t want a filter falling apart.
Not sure if 6 months is too much though.
At the very least 2 years.
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kNewc
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kNewc 5/4/2022 5:28am
5/4/2022 5:28am
Are you racing? Open rides? My '21 kx250 manual states "Engine Oil: Every 6 races or 15 hours". I generally use 4t Synethic (Bel-Ray Synthetic) and change oil and filter ever 10-12 hours.
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sandtrack315
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sandtrack315 5/4/2022 6:45am
5/4/2022 6:45am
If you put the bike away with clean oil, I would give it 6 months, or 4-6 ride hours, whatever comes first, until you change it. If you put it away dirty, you should change it now, and next winter put some fresh oil in it. Don't start your bike during the winter, all you are doing is creating condensation. Ideally, keep the humidity low and temps between 50-70.

By now, the oil in your air filter has probably dried up and/or migrated, so you should change your air filter.
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sandtrack315
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sandtrack315 5/4/2022 6:47am
5/4/2022 6:47am
#434 wrote:
If you do nothing with the bike, the oil is just sitting in the bike the same as it sits in the bottle it cam in...
If you do nothing with the bike, the oil is just sitting in the bike the same as it sits in the bottle it cam in. Also if the bike sits in a garage without big temperature differences there’s no reason why condensation would happen. Don‘t fire up the bike just to get it up to temp. If you don‘t get it to operating temp, which takes more time than one thinks idling, that’s when the condensation happens.
So to sum things up: do the oil change and empty the gas tank (gas gets bad from just sitting around, better store it a metal canister) before winter and when you want to ride, put gas in and ride.
This is true, with the exception that dirty oil degrades in the engine (and would in a bottle), while clean oil will not.
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Moto520
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Moto520 5/4/2022 7:41am
5/4/2022 7:41am
I would look at the oil while doing oil changes and base my intervals off of how the oil look during those changes. The oil on my YZ450F always looked perfect after 3 hours so i pushed it to 4.

Check out Dirtbike TV with Jay Clark if you get a chance. He speaks on maintenance issues on bikes and it's really good stuff.
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Falcon
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Falcon 5/4/2022 8:34am
5/4/2022 8:34am
There definitely is a time frame to change out the oil even if it's never been used; it varies from product to product, but it's about ten years. Wink

In your situation, you'll be fine. Just treat it as you would any oil with 2 hours on it. Change it per your owner's manual when you reach the allotted time.
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#434
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#434 5/4/2022 9:02am
5/4/2022 9:02am
#434 wrote:
If you do nothing with the bike, the oil is just sitting in the bike the same as it sits in the bottle it cam in...
If you do nothing with the bike, the oil is just sitting in the bike the same as it sits in the bottle it cam in. Also if the bike sits in a garage without big temperature differences there’s no reason why condensation would happen. Don‘t fire up the bike just to get it up to temp. If you don‘t get it to operating temp, which takes more time than one thinks idling, that’s when the condensation happens.
So to sum things up: do the oil change and empty the gas tank (gas gets bad from just sitting around, better store it a metal canister) before winter and when you want to ride, put gas in and ride.
sandtrack315 wrote:
This is true, with the exception that dirty oil degrades in the engine (and would in a bottle), while clean oil will not.
Yes, you‘re right! I miss read OP‘s question and thought he did an oil change and stored the bike then. Used oil has some oxidation products and stuff in it that can attack engine components over longer periods.
To sum it up: Do an oil change before the bike goes into the garage for the winter and it’ll be still fresh when it’s time to ride again.
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profeshenal125 5/4/2022 11:06am
5/4/2022 11:06am
The op living in Cal. Doesn’t hv to worry about 47 days of below zero. If your in a cold climate I would change oil because of the frost inside the engine freezing and thawing- moisture in the oil. I change trans oil every ride or day on 6 gal ride days I change trans oil twice a day.
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