Oil sitting over winter during break in period...

[scotty v]

So I should be picking up my VFR by the end of the week and depending on the weather here I'm not sure if I'll be able to rack up the 700ish miles before the first service. I know sometimes little metal fragments drain out with the first oil change (at least that's what I've been told). So should I bother changing the oil when I'm done riding or will it be ok to start it after winter, get it hot, shut it down then change it? I don't want to have to rush to service it if I don't need to. Thanks.

Scott

[TimRav]

I would put as many miles as possible on it, then do the service/oil change before parking the bike for the winter. Might not be an issue, but I'd rather those little metal shavings didn't have a chance to adhere themselves to my engine's walls, etc.

I always change the oil & filter during my winterization routine. I like the idea of fresh oil sitting in the bike over the winter, and in the spring it's one less thing I have to worry about when it's time to ride.

[scotty v]

Good point, but I've also heard that you shouldn't run the oil that sits in the bike over the winter b/c it can supposedly break down while resting for so long. Truth?

[Keager]

heard both ways. One wrencher that I trust said not to worry, but another said to change it before & after storage because of the possiable acidity levels build up in the oil even at rest.
Same goes for the anti-freeze, eventually it builds up a negative charge and can cause issues. Not sure if it is all true or not.

[scotty v]

Never heard that for anti-freeze, but it makes sense.

[Keager]

the anti-freeze takes about 4 -5 years to "go bad" from what I've heard. Same goes for cars.

[monk69]

Just a added point to oil changing.... I've been warming my bike up before I do the oil change..... The last two times, I've made sure to get all four valves moving as well. I'm not sure if there is any oil trapped if I don't, but I thought it can't hurt to be sure it's all flowing before the change.... comments welcome.....

[airgreesemonkey]

the thing with heating the engine up before draining is that when oil is warm it flows much better so it drains faster and more of it(not a lot more) will drain out removing more contaminants from your engine

[78EDGES]

Monk ,Thats a good point.

[bitterpil]

You should get most manufacturing debris out in the first few hundred miles. Just take it out for a full tank ride. you should get 180-200 miles per tank.

Get the oil and filter changed you should be fine. When you take her out in the spring and get up to 1000 miles . Change again. At this point decide if you are going to use synthetic or not. Use the 3 months you have it put up to research your oil and filters and such.
Oil and filters are hotly debated.

During your first 1000 miles make sure you vary the RPMS. Don't just hang in the same RPM range.

Winter:

Fresh Oil
Fresh Filter
Fuel Stabilizer (stabil)
Lube the chain to prevent rust

[Lgn001]

Another good reason to change the oil before storage is due to the sulfuric acid that forms in "used" oil, and that is also why it is a good reason not to start the engine in between riding seasons. Every time an engine is ran and then cools off, the air that is present in the inside of the motor cools off, and the water vapor contained in the air condenses onto the cooling surfaces. The next time the engine is started, the water droplets combine with the engine oil and form sulfuric acid, which get distributed throughout the internal engine surfaces.

I tried a quick Google search on the above, but did not get any of the info I was looking for. Regardless, that's generally why there is a time limit in addition to a mileage limit on engine oil life.

[karazy]

It is said, the correct method is to change the oil before and after the long term storage.

If all the oil is going to end up in the oil pan, why not just drain it in the fall and put the new oil in, in the spring?