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Winter Storage

hd4evr said:
If the synthetic oil is only going to have 1,000 miles on it, does it even NEED to be changed at all? That seems like such a waste for an oil that's supposed to get 5-6,000 miles before it needs changing. How "dirty" can it be with less than 1500 miles on it? I say, just leave it in there, and ride it next Spring another 2,000 miles, then change it.
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Your ride you decide with the info you now have:D
 
sprinklerfitter669 said:
I think the idea to change it before you put it away, is to make sure their is no excess moisture in the oil, that can pit the inside
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Yep and the acid and sludge eating the bearings, The crank case hols 1 qt of oil, do you want it clean or dirty?:p
 
Good advice to consider about not worrying about changing new syn oil after a winter sit. Other things to consider, Synthetic Oil is designed to go longer mileage, most bike mechanics will say 4-5000 but if you go to any of the oil company sites and check the stats, they are actually good for up to 7500 miles (however, i would never want to sit my bike over winter with 3000 miles of used oil in it). Synthetics have a chemical makeup different then dino lubes and contain less oxygenating compounds...less moisture retention). I am no mechanic and may have blurred some of the stats I have just read in my quest to find the right engine oil for my v twin 5000 service (Going with Mobil 1 v twin)but the gist of what i learned is that with a good synthetic you are very unlikely to be setting contaminated oil in your pan for only 1000 miles of use on it. You are probably very safe to drop clean oil in it for the winter rest, on a good winter day that is ridable, take her out for a 15 minute jaunt and garage her back up with no worries.:)
 
I live in northern B.C Canada, so I store mine usually in the middle of Oct. at the latest. Change the oil and filter/whatever oil you use stay with it. Have a battery maintainer and put that on continously if you have a hookup on the bike. If not at least once a month, don't put it on a cement floor. Wash your beast and if it is on a garage floor make sure the tires are on a piece of plywood and not on cement. Add stabilizer if it is fuel injected and fill it to the top, because I used to store mine in the basement and they were carbs, so I drained the tank. If it is outside stabilize and fill 'er up. If it is stored outside cover the bike with a breathable cover. Say a few words of solace because it will be a few months, keep the snow off it and away we go in the Spring. If I forgot anything I'll jot a note down later. Other than this I've done it this way for well over 25 years and all has been good.
 
gutbomb said:
I live in northern B.C Canada, so I store mine usually in the middle of Oct. at the latest. Change the oil and filter/whatever oil you use stay with it. Have a battery maintainer and put that on continously if you have a hookup on the bike. If not at least once a month, don't put it on a cement floor. Wash your beast and if it is on a garage floor make sure the tires are on a piece of plywood and not on cement. Add stabilizer if it is fuel injected and fill it to the top, because I used to store mine in the basement and they were carbs, so I drained the tank. If it is outside stabilize and fill 'er up. If it is stored outside cover the bike with a breathable cover. Say a few words of solace because it will be a few months, keep the snow off it and away we go in the Spring. If I forgot anything I'll jot a note down later. Other than this I've done it this way for well over 25 years and all has been good.
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Ditto here in Manitoba. I use to change the oil in the fall and again in the spring back when I was only running dino in my Hondas. Now it's synthetic all the way so I change in the fall when I store my bike but I put in M1 15-50 and only run it a couple thousand kms or less (mostly because the oil would have been in there for 6 months by then) before I change back to M1 Vtwin for the hotter weather and longer rides.
Just can't use the Canadian bottled 15w-50, no zinc or phosphorous according to the MSDS.
 
Jack Klarich said:
Yep and the acid and sludge eating the bearings, The crank case hols 1 qt of oil, do you want it clean or dirty?:p
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How much "acid and sludge" do you think synthetic oil has in it after only 1500 miles? I would think "not much". I just checked my bike, filled with 1500 mile old Mobil One V-Twin, and it looks as clean as the day I poured it in.
 
If you want my opinion, and I am SURE you do:34::34:.. I think any smooth metal part that is coated with synthetic oil is bone dry part after you let gravity work on it for a week or so. Now hypoid gear oil is different. That stuff grabs a hold and sticks. I have dipped screwdriver blades in Mobile 1 and let them hang for a week and they were about bone dry to me in touch. But that was using the 10/30 automotive oil, not the V-twin stuff.
 
Hoop

Would you fully investigate this phenomenon and get back to us with each brand of oil and the results whether it dripped off or not ? :D

Maybe even take it a step further and leave the subject metal out in the rain? :D

Redline shockproof will not drip off even after a year. This I know firsthand.
 
smitty901 said:
I have seen paint that does stick as well as RedLine Shockproof heavy will.
Here is an interesting one A dentist I know told me he picked up a new 1978 Honda 400CC it has been sitting in his garage (heat and all that) with 700 miles on sense 1978.
Not touched. I like to throw a battery in that thing and see what happens.
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If you ever do I would be curious to see what happens:s
 
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