Change oil now or wait?

[clubhousemotorsports]

 Okay so no gaurantees but if the link works you can see the fretting on this inner main bearing.

This according to my bearing suppliers is due to a chemical reaction (such as old motor oil) etching the metal. In the case of this main bearing it weakened the surface and the bearing started to fret (erode). the pitted surface you see was the lower half of the bearing where oil would gather.



http://clubhousemotorsports.com/images/IMG_1237.JPG

was this due to old oil?  The other side was fine but the owner stated that the bike sat for more than a year with old oil. when I started looking into causes of the damage most literature pointed to a chemical issue.

I change mine in the fall and run the bike in the spring FYI

[dlearl476]

The practice also comes from history when neither oil or engines were as good as today.

And that brings us to a discussion of what is "good" oil, and what oil you are running in your bike.  There have been lots of "advancements" in oil technology, some good, some bad FOR MOTORCYCLES.  EAch new specification for automobile oil has less and less of the "good stuff" i.e. the zinc, phosphate anti-corrosion and anti-sludging additives, because of tightening emission regulations and the effect of the delicate sensors autos require to make engines run.  There is a difference between the Mobil1 "synth" you can buy at Wally World for $4.99/qt and the Mobil14t Synth for Motorcycles that costs ~ $50/gal and it's the amount and quality of the additives contained in the oil.  MC's don't have the same emissions requirements as cars, so oil companies can still put the same amount in MC oil as the "good old days."

This has particular bearing on winterizing. If you're running a car oil, with less anti-corrosion, anti-acid etc. additives in it in the first place, and leaving oil that's had those additives break down over the course of the summer riding, it's a double whammy.
And even with a quality MC oil, there's no real reasons to leave it in.  You have to change it anyway, why not let it sit with clean oil and a full, new compliment of additives?

OTOH, I've never heard of any engine breaking down due to oil related failure  in my life.  And I have a lot of vehicles and store them a lot.  And usually do nothing, other than put in a bit of Stabil, IF I remember.

My advice is if there is mileage on the oil, why not change it befores storing?  Can't hurt.  The same oil will stay in for spring. 

+1

I'm in the change it and store it camp.  No need to change GOOD oil in the spring.  Any moisture accumulated will burn off on the first ride.

[scott_araujo]

I'm in the change it and store it camp.  No need to change GOOD oil in the spring.  Any moisture accumulated will burn off on the first ride.

Me too.  Flushing out the hydraulic fluids once a year is also good practice.  Brake fluid absorbs water as it ages and this can cause corrosion. 

Scott